Everything you need to know about faux leather in just 5 minutes

Feeling overwhelmed with all the technical info and misinformation online surrounding leather?. Not quite sure what faux leather is?. You aren't alone, read on to find out the ins and outs of faux leather and if it's right for you.

This article isn't chock full of technical jargon and industry terms, just a quick run down on the basics of what faux leather is, how it performs and if you should consider it for your tub chair or furniture. So without further ado.

What Is Faux Leather?

Faux leather is a catch all term used by the furniture industry to describe anything that looks and feels like real leather but is actually man made. Faux means made in imitation or artificial. In essence faux leather is a more affordable option to genuine leather.

The vast majority of furniture upholstered in faux leather is either PU (polyurethane) or vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride). PU leather is produced from the inner splits of a leather hide and finished with a polyurethane coating. Vinyl or PVC leather is very similar to PU leather. Instead of polyurethane, vinyl is made by combining polyvinylchloride with stabilizers (to protect), plasticizers (to soften) and lubricants (to make flexible), and then applying to a base material. Okay, enough with the technical stuff, promise!.

Is Faux Leather Right For Me?

If you like the idea of leather but for some reason can't, or won't, buy a genuine leather tub chair, then faux leather is a reasonable substitute. It looks similar and has many of the same characteristics as real leather. PU faux leather is water resistant and has a high fade resistance, making it easy to clean and ideal for chairs in every day use situations. In addition to being hard wearing it is extremely good value for money, usually coming in at well under half the price of genuine leather.

Some of our faux leathers are so hard wearing you couldn't wear them out if you tried. Take our contract faux leather Just Colour for example, it's rated to 1,000,000 (Yeah 1 Million!) Martindale Rubs, with an Antimicrobial finish and is REACH compliant and Crib 5 as standard. A fantastic solution anywhere uncompromising quality and hard wearing is a necessity, such as commercial environments. The chair is likely to wear out before the material does!.

Faux Leather Pros and Cons

Faux Leather Pros

1. Typically much cheaper and more affordable than real leather.
2. Faux leather requires very little maintenance.
3. Stain resistant and easy to clean.
4. UV Resistant and doesn't fade easily.
5. Easy to work with from an upholstery standpoint.

Faux Leather Cons

1. Doesn't tend to be breathable like real leather.
2. Can be vulnerable to puncturing and tearing.
3. Won't wear as well as real leather (For the vast majority of faux leathers).
4. It is not hypo-allergenic compared to real leather.
5. Has a tendency to crack easily compared to real leather. (This is down to each specific faux leather, and varies widely)

In our experience the number one issue most people have with faux leather is it doesn't wear or feel as nice as the real thing. For the vast majority of faux leathers this does hold true. After all, if all faux leather felt and looked as good as the real thing, and lasted as long, literally no one would buy genuine leather!. It can also look and feel a bit plasticky, though some genuine leathers also have this issue as well, so this may or may not bother you.

Things To Watch Out For When Shopping

Always err on the side of caution when buying online, many companies will list a product as leather or real leather when in reality it's actually a faux leather of some kind, or a bonded or bycast leather, none of which are the real thing. If you're after the real deal, make sure it's stated as "genuine leather" and is priced accordingly. Expect the vast majority of genuine leather chairs to be fairly expensive. If you find a chair somewhere that is stated as real leather and it seems overly cheap, unless it's an ex display or clearance line from a legitimate retailer you trust, chances are it's not genuine leather.

Tubz Faux Leather Tub Chairs

All of our faux leather tub chairs are hand made right here in the UK, using sustainably sourced timber, elbow grease, blood, sweat, and sometimes even tears. You can shop our faux leather tub chairs here, we have a great selection to choose from, including the industry leading Just Colour faux leather from Chieftain Fabrics. Available in over 50 colours, antimicrobial and sanitized, MRSA & E.coli resistant, waterproof, hard wearing with 1,000,000 martindale rubs, REACH compliant, with reduced environmental impact, free of heavy metals and with a 3 year fabric wear warranty. Check out our just colour faux leather tub chairs if you are interested in the industry leading faux leather.