There is truly nothing like leather furniture. Leather is different from any other type of material, as it comes directly from an animal and isn’t made up of synthetic or fabric weaves. When taken care of, high-end leather can last a lifetime, and unlike other materials, leather only improves as it ages. And yet, you’ve probably seen a number of leather sofas crack, flake apart, and look not so great in only a few short years. There is a reason behind this, and it’s something you want to avoid. But how do you do this? Before you rush out to purchase a discount leather sofa you just saw an advertisement for, here are the top five tips to help you locate quality leather furniture for your home.
1 – Look At The Grain
One of the best ways to determine the quality of a leather sofa is to identify the type of leather grain it is made with.
To begin, leather has natural characteristics, with full-grain leather the top-of-the-line leather you’re going to find. Any piece of leather furniture that is made with full-grain leather will specifically say so. This is an important selling fact as it means the leather is of the highest quality. It hasn’t been sanded or buffed to remove natural imperfections. It is about as pure as you’re going to get when it comes to leather.
Now, this doesn’t mean the next tear, top-grain, is necessarily an inferior product. It depends on what kind of look and feel you’re going with. This kind of leather has been sanded (which means it is typically thinner), which is going to give it a more unified look. This kind of leather is more stain resistant than full-grain leather, and it will likely cost a bit less. Plus, full-grain leather might take some breaking in before you achieve the ultimate look or feel you’re going with (but it’s a major reason why this kind of leather lasts forever). It’s truly up to you, as you can’t go wrong with either type.
Genuine leather might sound great, but it is an inferior product. Usually it is made up of the leftover leather that’s not used in the upper-tier leather designs. Likewise, corrected-grain leather is made with various elements to help hide, or “correct” imperfections. And then there is bonded leather, which is basically bits of leather mixed with a glue to hold it together. This is the type of leather that is most likely to flake apart. It is cheap and will not last as long as the other leather options.
2 – Consider Aniline When You Want Color
Do you want a quality leather furniture that isn’t necessarily the traditional brown leather reclining sofa? Maybe you want a white leather sofa, or a deep blue sofa. Whatever the color you might want, when it comes to quality colored leather, look for Aniline leather. This kind of leather has been dyed in a drum, which means all of the leather has a universal, deep and beautiful color to it. Based on the dying process, no additional protective coating is necessary. It also has an incredibly soft feel to it. Now, because of the quality of the leather as well as the dying process, this is likely going to be the top price-point leather, but when you want quality and a beautiful color, nothing else can compete with this kind of leather.
3 – Search For A Zipper
It might sound a bit odd, but yes, you want to look for leather furniture that includes zippers. That is, zippers somewhere on the cushions. Because while the leather itself can last a lifetime, the cushion itself is going to eventually break down. There’s only so much pressure it can take until eventually it doesn’t have the same kind of bouncy to it. If the leather doesn’t have a zipper and the cushions begin to sink you’ll be forced to either cut into the leather to have the cushion replaced, or you’ll need to replace the sofa entirely. What’s the point of buying a quality piece of leather furniture if you have to toss it out with the cushion wears out? Look for zippers to ensure you can keep your leather furniture alive and well.
4 – Leather Is More Expensive…But
You’ve probably been told that leather is far more expensive, or others might say they can’t afford leather. While yes, the price point of quality leather furniture is more than fabric, there is a reason for it. Leather furniture will last at least three times longer than a fabric sofa. So even if leather is three times the cost of fabric, you’re still getting a better deal on it.
5 – Skip the Vinyl Addition
Some companies produce leather furniture that have vinyl on them. Most of the time this occurs on larger upholstery pieces like a leather sectional or leather sofa. While this can have a nice look to the finished piece, the problem is vinyl will not last as long as leather. This is why, when it comes to leather furniture, you want either all-leather, or a leather and wood combo.
Find Your Next Leather Sofa Today
Are you interested in adding leather furniture to your home? If so it is a fantastic investment. As long as it is properly taken care of, your leather furniture will last the rest of your life, all with basic care. By taking advantage of these five tips, you will not only locate quality leather furniture, but you’ll avoid making the mistake of purchasing inferior materials that will break down, regardless of how well you care for it. Here at Leather Furniture USA, all of our pieces of leather furniture are of exceptional quality, not to mention whatever you buy has been built right here in the United States.
If you would like to know more about the products we have in stock, need help locating a particular look you are searching for, or there are some questions you’d like answered before settling on the perfect new piece of furniture, feel free to email us or give our customer service staff here at Leather Furniture USA a call.