All You Need To Know About Bonded Leather

One of the most common questions that people ask before buying leather products – is whether the leather is fake or real? It’s not easy to make a real distinction between natural & man-made leather, especially when you have to base your decision only on the look & feel of the material. 

It should be realised that bonded leather wears very differently compared to other forms of leather. For instance, if your leather furniture starts flaking or peeling, then it means that your leather furniture is made from bonded leather.

 

The Definition Of Bonded Leather

Before you decide to opt for a reputable service provider for cleaning a leather couch, you must learn that bonded leather is a type of material that’s made with a polyurethane coating. The coating is applied onto the fabric core that consists of fibres from shredded leather scraps, which are then bonded using adhesives. 

Therefore, it can be easily concluded that bonded leather is not genuine leather. Instead, it’s man-made leather. Usually, bonded leather falls onto the lower-end of the upholstery market and is thus priced accordingly. 

Price-sensitive consumers get attracted to the affordability of bonded leather because it looks similar to genuine leather. 

 

The Differences Between Real Leather & Bonded Leather

When you compare real leather with bonded leather, the aging and the general wear are the main differences between the two. Real leather will fade & crack, while bonded leather will peel & flake. 

Even though bonded leather might showcase the same characteristics as real leather, they will not wear the same over time. Bonded leather will break down even under normal usage. The polyurethane surface will flake & peel, ultimately revealing the fabric underneath.

 

Is It Possible To Repair Bonded Leather?

The truth is that – you can’t repair, restore or dye bonded leather. Once the top surface of bonded leather deteriorates, the available options for remedies become extremely limited. 

You can find online repair kits that will help you provide makeshift repairing options for damaged bonded leather. But, it should be known that bonded leather furniture is better off replaced than cleaning the leather & repairing it. It’s better to simply save your money and instead use the same to purchase new leather products. 

That’s why we always recommend investing in high-quality, natural leather products that will provide you with the most amount of durability. This is because even if natural or real leather gets damaged, you’ll at least have the option to repair & restore the same. 

 

Wrapping Up

It can be easily concluded from the above-mentioned guide that when buying leather products, bonded leather should be avoided at all costs. You might be paying a lesser price than real leather but at the expense of quality.