No matter what kind of upholstered furniture it is: at some point the question of material always arises. What should it be: natural product or plastic, original or imitation? Opinions differ greatly, especially when it comes to leather. Only the view from the eyes of an animal rights activist makes the consideration an easy topic. Animals have to give up their lives for leather and that is unacceptable, period. On the other hand, artificial leather still has a bad reputation today. For example, they say it promotes sweating, feels cheap and lasts less than real leather. Is that correct?
The prejudices in sight
It would actually be up to scientists to approach this topic exhaustively. But even without a test tube or Bunsen burner, you can find a few key clues about the differences between leather and artificial leather, which in turn lead to their advantages and disadvantages. Even a little bit of material knowledge can help enormously. The topic of “leather or artificial leather” is of course particularly interesting when it comes to its use as an upper material for furniture. A leather jacket or a pair of real leather shoes is a purchase that will last for many years and is therefore worth the money. But the bottom line is that clothing is always subject to fashion trends.
The situation is different when it comes to furniture. The Chesterfield couch, the Bauhaus sofa or the club chair are classics that look good in almost every context. Leather has also become established in the office, especially in the executive suites: The Executive chair office chair, the Conference chair or that High-end office chair looks much more elegant if it is not covered with plastic, upholstery or mesh, but with leather. Or just a faux leather. Visually, the two materials (leather office chair or artificial leather office chair) no longer differ. Gone are the days when artificial leather could be seen from three meters away against the wind and that one of its components was a plastic compound. Meanwhile, faux leather office chair manufacturers have managed to deceptively copy the natural grain structure of real leather. However, in all other respects the original and the replica differ fundamentally.
A closer look at the original
Leather is a natural product. More precisely, it is animal skin that is preserved through a chemical process. It is obtained from the so-called leather skin of an animal by tanning it. The process involves creating a more durable product from the perishable skin, which is subject to natural degradation processes. After tanning, the leather has a smooth and a rough side. The smooth side is called the “scar side” and has a fine, individual surface structure. The other side, the “flesh side”, has a rougher surface.
It is only during further processing that leather takes on the appearance that you would expect from its use in clothing, furniture or shoes. For nubuck leather, for example, the grain side of the leather is roughened with fine sandpaper, while for suede leather the flesh side is sanded. For a smooth leather jacket, the material would be sprayed with several layers of binders, pigments and additives and then ironed, polished or pounded so that the coating is firmly anchored to the leather. With this treatment it becomes more resistant and can be left matt or given a shine. Patent leather requires a different treatment: with the help of oil varnish, cold varnish or foil varnish, leather becomes shiny patent leather.
The fact that the natural product leather is still very popular with most people can also be explained by looking at the past: its history is closely linked to the history of humanity. Along with wood, stone and wool, it is one of the earliest materials used and serves people in many ways: as a material for shoes, clothing and weapons as well as as a material for bags and jewelry, as a cover for chests and caskets or furniture. Not uncommonly also as a material for dwellings - the best known is probably the “teepee”, a tent made of deer and buffalo leather, which was comparatively easy for the natives of North America to set up and take down.
A closer look at the copy
Artificial leather, on the other hand, is comparatively young. Since the production costs for leather are quite high, resourceful people tried to create a substitute for real leather quite early on. Only with the possibilities of modern chemistry has it become possible to create a product that is similar to the natural product - but whose properties are fundamentally different.
This is mainly because artificial leather is a composite of a textile base, i.e. a machine-woven cloth, and a plastic top layer. Either natural fibers are used for the fabric or artificial and sometimes even mixed forms of them. The coating consists of either soft PVC or polyurethane. To ensure that the artificial leather comes close to its original when handled, the coating is chemically foamed or mechanically stirred.
Artificial leather has not been with people for nearly as long as leather, namely only for a few decades. The attempt to get a cheap alternative has probably been around for a long time, as a look at the classic “Mercks Warenlexikon” reveals. In the third edition of the 1884 "Reference work for commodity knowledge for trade, industry and commerce" the following can be found under the entry "Leather surrogates": "It is these artificial products that are intended to replace leather. Efforts have been made to produce such products for a long time, but it has not been possible to invent a product that meets all requirements and, in particular, to replace certain types of leather."
This unflattering description is followed by the caveat that at least some surrogates have been produced that can, at least in certain cases, replace leather or even surpass it in terms of resistance to water and weather.
The newcomer: vegan leather
These days, environmentally friendly furniture, textiles and lifestyles are very trendy. This also applies to vegan leather, which is made entirely without animal products or by-products. Even though vegan leather is an artificial, synthetic material, it cannot be equated with all artificial leather. Unfortunately, greenwashing is often practiced here, as not every type of artificial leather is vegan. Because many types of PU leather are not cruelty-free. Therefore, before purchasing, check the label for more information about the imitation leather. Likewise, artificial leather made from PVC is not considered vegan because gasoline, natural gas and oil are used in its production. Vegan leather is therefore often made from cork or special mushrooms, which is an environmentally friendly alternative. Vegan leather also requires more care when cleaning than conventional artificial leather. It is therefore advisable to obtain sufficient information about this beforehand. Nevertheless, vegan leather is a good way to get a high-quality leather chair while protecting the environment and animal welfare.
Standoff: A comparison of the two materials
Which brings us knee-deep in the differences between the two products, which are visually similar and yet fundamentally different in terms of content. Due to their different structure, the two materials cope differently with water, fire or mechanical influences.
water
While artificial leather can be considered almost waterproof, which is mainly due to the plastic coating, moisture penetrates real leather through its natural pores. Of course, nothing happens up to a certain amount of water, but depending on how powerfully the liquid acts on the natural material, it will eventually work.
Mechanical impact
Depending on the manufacturing process and quality of the artificial leather, it is almost indestructible. It neither changes its shape under strong mechanical impact nor can it be pierced with normal force - unless of course with the help of sharp objects. Real leather, on the other hand, loses its shape comparatively quickly, gives way under tension and dents when worn on one side.
Fire
Although artificial leather can withstand body heat and sunlight well up to a certain point, it is flammable at a relatively early stage. It wouldn't survive a cigarette burn, but it can be set on fire with a standard lighter. With real leather, however, even a Bunsen burner reaches its limits: even in the highest temperature ranges it only smolders - but it smells terrible.
Care
Both materials are roughly equally resistant to stains. Almost all dirt and residue from liquids can be removed from both artificial leather and genuine leather with the right home remedies. The bottom line is that artificial leather is easier to care for: real leather needs to be treated with oil or wax from time to time so that it does not lose its suppleness.
Comfort
The most well-known prejudice against artificial leather is that you sweat more easily on it. The rule here is clear: the cheaper it is Office chair The more artificial leather is made, the more likely this assumption is to be correct. This is due to the plastic used in the coating, which does not let water into the fabric, but also does not let air out. When it comes to the handle, a lot has happened now. While artificial leather could usually be easily recognized by feel a good ten years ago, modern processes make the original and the replica surprisingly similar.
Ecological assessment
It is not possible to make a serious assessment of which material puts more strain on the environment. The processes used to produce leather and artificial leather are too different – even the specialists say that. The production of artificial leather requires chemicals, a lot of water and of course the main component of the plastic: crude oil. Although leather is a natural product, a lot of pollutants are produced during its production: exhaust gases are released when animals are raised, pollutants are produced during feed production - and a lot of chemicals are used in processing. Which process is more harmful to the environment depends on the individual case. Despite a tie, there is a point deduction for real leather because it requires the death of a living being.
Price
When it comes to costs, artificial leather is clearly ahead. Depending on production and quality, the price for artificial leather is around 50 to 70 percent lower than for real leather.
Conclusion
Objectively speaking, it is hard to believe why artificial leather still has such a bad reputation: it is cheaper, more durable and more individually manufactured than real leather. The fact that artificial leather promotes sweating may actually be important for shoes and clothing.
At office furniture or desks however, this point can be ignored; and all other points have clear advantages: chairs wear less, couches are easier to clean and office chairs look elegant and have a variety of colors.
To care for leather and artificial leather, please also note the article Material care for office chairs: organic soap for wool, water for leather.