How to Tell If a Leather Couch is Real Or Faux

It is often difficult to determine if are buying genuine leather couches because of misleading product descriptions and price tags. You must get up close and personal with the couch - take a whiff, feel and flip over a couch to look at the backing.

For example, a "leather couch' CHOICE tested had upholstered contact areas (such as the armrests and seats) in genuine leather while the non-contact areas were a mix of cotton and coated polyester.

1. Smell

A real leather couch should smell rich, natural and luxurious. Faux leather, on the other hand typically smells chemically processed and synthetic. If your couch smells bad, it could be due to stains or pet urine. In the majority of cases, a thorough cleaning can eliminate the smell. If you're not happy with the results, you can try applying a leather conditioner. This will restore the moisture to the leather, making it soft, less brittle, and more resistant to smells.

You can also make use of a natural odor eliminator like baking soda to get rid of unpleasant smells from your couch. Mix equal parts of vinegar and water. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe your leather sofa. If the cloth begins to collect dirt, squeeze it out or swap for a new one. You can spray the solution onto your couch. Let the solution dry before wiping again.

Airing your leather out is another natural way to eliminate smells. If you can, place the sofa outside in a sun-lit area to let it air dry. This will eliminate any unpleasant odors and give it an aroma that is fresh and natural.

If you'd like to keep away from unpleasant odors, purchase a leather conditioner that contains healthy oils. This will keep your leather smelling fresher for longer, stopping it from taking in the smells.

While the scent of natural leather is appealing, it isn't always easy to keep clean. As time passes, it will absorb odors from smoking, cooking, or even body smell. These odors can be hard to eliminate particularly when you have pets or children. Real leather couches do not trap these odors as fabrics can. This makes them an ideal choice for families with active children.

It's important to take action immediately in the event that your couch smells like it was soaked in puppy poop. You can utilize the suggestions listed above or a product like Leather Honey to resolve the problem. Prevention is the best solution, though, so be sure to train your dog not to pee on the couch!

2. Feel

When shopping for a new leather sofa There are a few things you should be looking for. The best way to tell whether it's genuine is to smell and feel it. Real leather has a distinct natural scent that is unmistakable. The scent can fade with age but it should remain evident when the couch is fresh.

A genuine leather couch should be warm and soft to the touch. Leathers made of faux and bonded are often colder and have an unpleasant plastic feel. To test this try pressing your fingertips to the surface of the couch and look for bumps. If there aren't any bumps on the couch, it's likely bonded or faux-leather.

If you see vertical seams that are stitched on the back of sofas, this is another indicator. This indicates that the leather isn't a continuous piece that is typical of genuine leather couches.

The quality of the frame on leather couches can have a significant impact on its life span, but it's not always obvious. Ask what type of wood was used in the making of the frame. This will help you select an item that has longevity for a long time. A solid oak frame is the leather sofa company most durable and expensive choice, whereas engineered and particle board frames are less sturdy. To increase durability, hardwood frames should be dried kiln to stop the growth of mildew and warping.

If you're shopping for a price that isn't too expensive, there are a lot of cheap genuine leather sofas that you can nevertheless be captivated by. For instance the Room & Board Stevens Leather Sofa is a stylish and versatile option that is often offered for sale and is easily customized to match your home.

The La-Z-Boy Manual Reclining Sofa is another budget-friendly option. It has a classic style and is available in a wide range of fabrics that are resistant to fade. This modular sofa is a bit difficult to assemble at home and the back cushions tend to slide down.

3. Backing

Real leather couches have a distinct appeal that other types of upholstery just cannot compete with. Leather sofas are extremely durable and stand up to wear and tear more effectively than fabrics. They last for a long time. They also tend to resist spills and stains and are less likely to attract dust and other allergens and therefore don't require as much regular maintenance and cleaning. However, as with anything else in life, there are issues to be aware of when purchasing a leather couch - and it pays to know what to look out for prior to making your final choice.

If you're unsure if your new couch is genuine leather, the first thing to look over the material tag on the frame to discover the exact type of leather or fabric it's made from. If you can't find any information regarding the couch's material composition, you can use your senses to help you make a decision.

The most important indicator is to take a closer look at the surface of the couch and observe the texture, shading, and patterns in greater detail. A real leather sofa leather couch has natural imperfections and won't be completely uniform in structure, pattern, or shading. If the surface is uniform and smooth or if a mesh-like backing is visible instead of the coarse leather, it's a sure indication of fake or synthetic leather.

Check the back of the cushion casing. If you see a stitched vertical seam on the back of the cushion, it's an indication that it's not genuine leather. The reason for this is because animal hides have a limit on their size, and they can only be cut as big. To ensure the best quality of their products, the top manufacturers will always stitch and sew across the entire back of the couch to ensure it's genuine leather and not bonded or fake leather.

If you are able raise one corner and look at the padding on the back. If the back of the padding is covered in an woven fabric or covered in polyurethane, this is another indicator that the couch is not genuine leather. Genuine leather should feel solid and coarse when the touch is made.

4. Patterns

A real leather couch is a classic and with good reason. The warm, natural look and feel of the leather can add a touch of class to any living space. Additionally modern tanning techniques adds a bit of durability to withstand cracks and sagging. And because each hide has distinctive patterns, grain, and blemishes, every leather couch is truly one-of-a-kind.

While prices and labels are great pointers however, the best way to tell whether you're buying authentic leather is to get up close and personal with it. To get a better idea of the authenticity of the leather, take a look at the surface texture patterns, structure, and pattern. If the structure of the leather is uniform and there aren't any visible flaws on it, then it's likely to be faux leather couch or bound.

Another sign of a dead sofa is a backing made of polyurethane on the back of the sofa. This is a standard feature of the bonded leather. Genuine leather will have a more natural look and will be backed by materials that closely like the fabric used to make the furniture.

Finally, check the back of the couch to see two or three stitched vertical seams. This is a sign of a high-quality piece of leather that has been carefully constructed to last. If there are no seams and the back appears to be a continuous piece of cloth, then it's likely to be a faux or bonded-leather sofa.

Once you've established that your sofa is made of genuine leather, it's time to pair it with your other furniture for your living space. To create a clean, coordinated style, match your sofa to other furniture made of wood, and line it up with pillows that reflect the color scheme of your room. Or go for a more relaxed, dynamic layout by placing your couch in a row with other furniture pieces, and a coffee table in between.

Make sure to keep your leather sofa in a well-lit area so that it doesn't fade or develop scuff marks from direct sunlight. And if you want to protect your investment by extending its lifespan, consider applying a leather protection product every once or twice per year.