Types of leather and leatherette for sofa
Stylish leather sofa. Many owners of apartments and private houses dream of making this dream a reality in their living room. You can talk about the benefits of the purchase for a long time - such a piece of furniture during careful operation will last more than one decade. But not everyone can afford to buy a luxurious sofa covered in natural material. However, the furniture industry does not stand still and offers various types of leather and leatherette for a sofa. We offer you to consider all the advantages and disadvantages of such a stylistic solution and what furniture manufacturers can offer customers today.
to contents ↑Genuine leather - properties, characteristics
Leather furniture has always been at the pinnacle of popularity. And although furniture with fabric upholstery is acquired much more often, at any opportunity, or the appearance of financial opportunity, the landlord is trying to replace a sofa or chairs. There are several reasons for this:
- Leather upholstery has gained its popularity in that it is a definite indicator of prestige. It is a sign of prosperity, solidity, excellent taste, and gives the interior sophistication and elegance.
- Leather is a natural and environmentally friendly material. And its service life is more than 20 years. She is rightfully considered the most durable and strong upholstery.
- A leather sofa is not afraid of water and pollution. They are easy to remove with a damp cloth.
- This natural material does not absorb odors, does not accumulate dust and pet hair.
Like any natural material, the skin requires special care. Its lack is more pernicious than an overabundance. Also, the following points can be attributed to the minuses:
- It is worth paying special attention to the quality of the skin. Failure to comply with technology guidelines may result in weakened material strength and strong odor.
- It should not be installed in a room with a high temperature. If the leather sofa is next to the heating appliances, this will shorten its service life, as the material will dry quickly and cracks will appear on it faster.
- Pets are very fond of such furniture, and this leads to scratches, which then can not be removed.
- The main disadvantage of leather sofas or armchairs is their high cost. Such upholstery makes furniture much more expensive than textile.
to contents ↑Important! When deciding to purchase such furniture, be sure to carefully consider the interior design first. To do this, use our ideas from the articles:
Types of skin
The sofa made of genuine leather is universal. It is suitable for the living room, for the kitchen and even for the bedroom. To choose a location for him, it is worth knowing the types of material.
Important! The type of leather for the sofa depends on the dressing, that is, tanning - this is the first and main stage of processing. It is a unique process of preserving raw materials, which gives the material durability.
Today, there are two common methods of tanning leather:
- Vegetable has existed for a long time - since those times when people learned to process this material. Raw materials are processed with tannins - acids of natural origin, so this process is recognized as the most environmentally friendly.
- The second is the use of chromium. It is this element that makes the skin more durable than the first treatment option. Despite the use of chemical additives, this process is also harmless to humans.
After processing the material, they give it color. This is done not only in order to give the raw material the necessary shade. When upholstering furniture, the skins of different animals are used and the monotony of the finished product can only be achieved by coloring:
- Patent leather is considered the most durable, because during processing it is covered with a layer of varnish and impregnated with dye. It is harsh to the touch, but less demanding in the course. Suitable for upholstery on the catwalk of beds.
- The opposite of the first option is aniline material. A translucent natural composition is applied to it. This treatment leads to the fact that the skin quickly fades, cracks appear on it. But then it is considered the most natural, soft.
- The golden mean is semi-aniline leather for the sofa. To begin with, it is impregnated with natural compounds to give softness and emphasize the texture, and then covered with a layer of varnish to fix the result.
Artificial leather - properties, characteristics
Genuine leather, as we have said, has one big drawback - high cost. Many of these expenses can not afford. Therefore, owners of apartments, houses and offices often choose a substitute:
- Thanks to modern developments, it is possible to obtain a soft, good substitute for leather for upholstery, which is not inferior in characteristics to natural, durable in use, and even sometimes surpasses it.
- A unique embossing method imitates the texture of the skin with amazing accuracy - some types of leatherette cannot be distinguished from real ones.
- Genuine leather has color restrictions, the cost of some rare shades can be very high. When choosing an analogue, you will not encounter such problems.
- Caring for artificial material is much easier than for natural.
Important! Artificial material has one very useful quality. It does not absorb dust - this is a very important advantage for allergy sufferers.
- High-quality artificial leather furniture is no different from genuine leather, and its cost is significantly lower.
- Another advantage of the analogue is non-toxicity and environmental friendliness. These characteristics have an advanced substitute - eco leather. She literally “breathes”, which makes such material unique and very practical.
Important! During the operation of such furniture, it is necessary to provide her with competent care. Then all the money spent will pay off with a long service life and your personal comfort. Keep in mind the following instructions and tips:
Leather upholstery has its drawbacks. It is worth considering them before making a final purchase decision:
- Skin substitute - the material is mostly slippery. Sleeping on such a surface will not be very comfortable. Bed linen simply slips off. The way out of this situation is mattresses-toppers, which are created specifically for relaxing on the couch.
- If it is not hot in the apartment in winter, it is not very comfortable to sit on furniture from a substitute. The sofa needs time to warm up to body temperature. The amount of this time depends on the quality and softness of the material - the higher it is, the faster its temperature adapts to body temperature.
- On a leatherette, as well as on natural material, scratches more quickly appear if there are pets in the house. Faux leather upholstery in the presence of several dogs or cats is not the best solution. In this case, various protective care products can be a salvation.
- Direct sunlight is not suitable for leatherette, as is air that is too dry.Therefore, it is not necessary to place such furniture in front of the window and too close to heating appliances. Otherwise, you will greatly reduce the life of your furniture.
Important! Substitute for genuine leather is more susceptible to heat, cold and moisture. In extreme conditions, such a material can crack and become unusable much faster than natural.
Types of leatherette
For the production of furniture today different materials are used, which differ from each other by the polymers used in the second stage of production.
Vinyl or vinylis
The most common type of material. Fabric, knitwear, paper, non-woven materials - all this can be used for the base. It is first impregnated with polymers, then coated with a layer of polyvinyl chloride.
Sometimes manufacturers add plasticizers. Thanks to this technology, both thin and very dense material is obtained, which has different characteristics and finds application in different fields. Vinyl artificial leather is a very strong and durable material, which is indistinguishable from natural, but at the same time is much cheaper.
Important! In the production of vinyl artificial leather, harmful substances are used, so some types of material can emit fumes that are unsafe for health. It is most often used for the production of furniture used in offices or in public institutions.
Modified
The modified skin is distinguished from its analogues by a more porous surface, which brings it closer to the characteristics of a natural material. When touched, consumers first notice softness, elasticity and warmth. In order to achieve this, genuine leather is used as the basis - residues and scraps. Polymers mixed with collagen fibers are obtained on it, which are obtained by splitting again genuine leather.
Important! Such modified material consists of 80 percent of renewable resources, so it is also called restored or recycled.
Eco leather
It is worth paying special attention to another material that has recently appeared on the market, but is already very popular. It is ecoskin for a sofa. It is also called polyurethane leather, which is recognized as a new generation of material:
- Cotton fabric, genuine leather or polyester. This gives the fabric a special softness and environmental friendliness.
- Then a porous polyurethane is applied to it, which does not contain harmful substances. This layer allows you to give the skin a special strength. The use of plasticizers or polyvinyl chloride for this process is unacceptable.
Important! During operation, polyurethane does not emit toxic substances, being completely safe and environmentally friendly material. It also has exceptional wear resistance and increased frost resistance, withstanding temperatures up to - 35 ° C.
- Sometimes, to improve performance, this type of material is coated with a thin Teflon film.
This combination allows you to get the most practical and easy to care and use material. According to some characteristics, it even surpasses its natural counterpart:
- it is light in weight and soft to the touch;
- its surface is well erased, various kinds of pollution are easily removed from it;
- thanks to the teflon coating, eco-leather calmly tolerates excess moisture;
- the sun's rays are not afraid of such material, as are frosts.
Today on the market there are several types of eco-leather for sofas. They differ slightly from each other not only in names, but also in characteristics:
- A material called Oregon is considered to be the most environmentally friendly, since it has a maximum cotton content of almost 70 percent. This is the most popular type of eco-leather and, despite its subtlety and lightness, the most durable. It conveys the texture of real leather in great detail and has excellent value for money.
- “Alba” is another bright representative of eco-leather. It is also endowed with the ability to pass air and steam. He is not afraid of the sun's rays, temperature changes. Minor damage and wear do not threaten him either.
- Companion is a denser fabric than Oregon. Therefore, its characteristics are higher than its "brother". This is achieved by applying polyurethane foam to the fleecy base.
- Rounding out this list is material called “Dollar.” This is the highest quality eco leather used by furniture manufacturers. It breathes, has the necessary strength and has a long service life. Like analogues, it has all the advantages of genuine leather and eliminates its main drawback - high cost.
How to choose?
If all the pros and cons of the upholstery of the sofa with artificial leather are weighed and a decision is made to purchase it, another important question remains - the functionality of the furniture. The choice of material also depends on where the sofa or chair will stand, how often it will be used:
- For the office or other office space, it is better to choose a completely smooth surface of the material so that it is easier to wash and clean from contamination.
- But for a house where a small number of people use furniture, you can choose embossed leatherette or genuine leather. Such materials look much more interesting, in addition, it will be more convenient to sleep on such a surface.
to contents ↑Important! The strength of the material is of great importance both for the selection of office furniture, and home. A very dense and thick base will look a little rough. For the house, this option may not be suitable, but for the workplace, cafe or restaurant, it will be quite appropriate.
Stock footage
Before buying, do not be too lazy to read reviews about the manufacturers and ask about the technologies used. In stores you can find many similar models made of the same materials. But some come into disrepair after a year, while others serve faithfully for a decade. Even in the store, do not forget to check the quality of assembly of the structure, the connection of the seams and the integrity of the canvas. Also take an interest in the dressing method and require certificates if you are planning to buy genuine leather furniture.
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