Leather chairs are the most stylish and comfortable chairs. Leather chairs can be real leather, bonded, or faux leather. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages.
PU Leather is one such material used to give a leather finish to furniture. Let’s dive more into the details of what is PU leather and its pros and cons.
What Is Pu Leather Chair?
As the name indicates Pu leather chairs are made up of Pu leather material. But what is this PU leather? PU Leather is synthetic leather and it has a synthetic coating over the fabric.
The synthetic coating is generally polyurethane(PU), so it derives its name PU leather from the coating used to make this.
Polyurethane(PU) is a class of plastic polymer that has a variety of applications because it can be flexible or rigid. It is used to make foams, laminates, spandex, coatings, fibers, etc.
Pu Leather is used in many industries for making a variety of products and some of them are hair clips, mobile phone covers, vanity & handbags, clothing, crafts, leather furniture, wallets, and wallpapers.
What Is Pu Leather Made Of?
The PU coating is applied on top of a fabric base to give it a leather look and texture. PU leather has fabric as its base and without this fabric base, it doesn’t have any existence.
Unlike other plastic polymers, Polyurethane is a class of monomers and it derives its distinctive feature of being rigid or flexible from them. So it can be molded to make a variety of products other than just plastic.
PU Leather Vs Real Leather
PU leather is not real leather and one should know the difference. But if you don’t know how to spot the difference between PU leather and real leather, refer to the below section.
| Real Leather | PU Leather |
| Real leather is natural, made from animal skin, and is a single piece. It looks like a single piece from all around and it’s intact. Even if you try to pull a layer of the leather you cant do it. | Pu leather has a fabric base and a synthetic coating on top. If you can flip it you will see the difference. You can also try pulling the Pu leather with your fingernails and check. The PU leather coating layer will come out or break with a little force. |
| The texture and surface of real leather are not smooth. You will see wrinkles and marks on it. | The texture and surface of PU leather are smooth. |
| The real leather is durable and lasts for decades without fading. It becomes more attractive and softer with time. | Pu leather is not durable, it only lasts for 1-2 years with good use. It becomes rigid and tends to wear out after a few years. |
| The pattern on Real leather is unique and is not particular. Two real pieces of leather may not look the same. | The pattern on Pu leather is uniform because it is made with machines. They all look the same. |
| You can not tear or puncture real leather so easily. | Pu leather is easy to tear. |
| Real leather is breathable. | Pu leather is not breathable. |
| Real leather is humidity resistant. | PU leather is not resistant to humidity and tends to lose its color and shine over time. |
| Taking care of real leather is not easy and it needs regular maintenance. | Taking care of PU leather is very easy and does not require regular maintenance. |
| The real leather is expensive. | PU leather is available cheap. |
| Real leather is heavier than fake leathers like PU and PVC leather. | Pu leather is lighter. |
| Cutting real leather takes time and effort and working with it is not very easy. | Cutting and working with Pu leather is very easy. |
| Real leather is non-vegan since animals are hurt or skinned while making them. | PU leather is vegan as no animal is harmed to make them |
| They are good for the environment and have no adverse ecological impacts. | PU leather uses plastics and affects adversely on the environment. |
See this guide on how to spot the difference between Real and PU Lether- Tell the difference between real leather and PU leather.
Faux Leather Vs Pu Leather
Leather can be of two types Real or Fake. Real leather is made from animal skin and natural whereas fake leather is unnatural and made from synthetic materials.
The fake leather has a fabric base and a synthetic coating on top of this base. It is made to look like and feel like real leather. Fake leather is commonly referred to as Faux leather. Faux leather is also known as Leatherette or Vegan leather.
Read this Guide about the Difference Between Real, bonded, and faux Leather
This Faux leather is of two types PU leather and PVC leather. So PU leather is a type of faux leather. The difference between PU and PVC leather is the different types of coatings applied on the base fabric.
PU leather has a Polyurethane coating on top of the bae while PVC leather has a Polyvinyl chloride coating combined with stabilizers, plasticizers, and lubricants.
Is Pu Leather Waterproof?
Real leather is not very water-friendly but fake leathers like PU can handle water well. They are water-resistant or waterproof.
Is Pu Leather Durable?
Pu leather is synthetic fake leather and it doesn’t last very long. They typically last for 1-3 years and tend to tear or fade afterward.
Is PU leather real leather?
No, PU leather is fake leather that is made to look and feel like real leather. Pu leather is made from synthetic materials. It has a Polyurethane coating with a fabric base. PU leather is a type of Faux leather.
Is PU leather high quality?
Pu leathers are synthetic and made with machines. They are made to look like real leather but they are not of high quality as the real leather. Pu leather tears off easily, not durable but they are cheap. They are easy to work with and also look like real leather.
How Toxic is PU leather?
The earlier generation of PU leather was toxic but the current versions of PU leather are not toxic. But they are not good for the environment nor the ecology as plastic is involved.
Which is better bonded leather or PU leather?
Bonded leather is better than PU leather as it is made from real leather scraps. The scraps of leather or powder leather that are left after cutting ad sanding the real lather are used in conjunction with glue, and vinyl to make bonded leather. It has all the benefits of real leather while it is cheaper.
Is PU or PVC leather better?
PVC leather is made up of polyvinyl chloride or simply Vinyl. This plastic polymer coating is applied on a polyester base and it makes the surface stronger, durable, easily cleanable, and waterproof.
Pu leather is more stretchable than PVC
Why is PU leather vegan?
PU leather is vegan because no animal is harmed or killed or used while making them. It is made from plastic polymers called Polyurethane.
