Are you searching for the best-quality leather you can use in your business venture? Or are you just here to eventually find the real deal on “genuine leather”? The thing is, there are different kinds of leather you can get your hands on. The categories are even wider than the simple PU material in the search box. You always have the freedom to choose the type of leather to use in your project or the type of leather to look for, but in this article, we will provide you with the overall outline of both PU leather and real leather that you are confused with. Let’s begin!
Before we start diving into their differences, let us make sure to brush up on our own definitions of the two kinds of leather used by manufacturers, e.g., furniture and other accessories.
What Is PU leather?
Did you notice the difference between non-designer bags and designer ones? Most expensive bags have their own lineup of real leather-incorporated designs and styles. On the contrary, cheaper bags are usually made with PU material, although designer brands also have their own PU leather line-up. This kind of leather also imitates the overall feel of real leather derived from the skin of animals. When you touch it, it has a plasticy but rough or smooth texture, depending on the purpose of the production. It is also considerably lighter than genuine leather.
As the name suggests, PU leather is made from petrochemicals, which come from petroleum. The chemical compounds can also be obtained from fossil fuels or other biomass. The thing is, the chemicals can also be derived from plants, like corn and sugar cane. This is also the reason why PU leather is sometimes considered vegan leather. For some customers, PU leather means so much to them because of their concern for animal welfare. However, it is also very important to keep in mind that not all PU leather is vegan leather. As was said earlier, they can come from petroleum or fossil fuels, which, in some processes, makes overall manufacturing more dangerous to human health.
What Is real leather?
There’s no actual notion of real leather if PU leather does not exist to imitate the texture and overall feel of animal skin leather for a cheaper equivalent. Real leather is made of animal skin and can be treated with chemicals, depending on what it will be used for. This can include UV, antimicrobial agents, and flame retardants. This kind of treatment can also be used on PU leather, depending on what PU leather made of. Real leather has three basic types, of which you should be careful when choosing.
Genuine Leather
This type of real leather, even though opposed to the famous belief, has the lowest quality out of all genuine leather Yes, you’re right. Not all real leather is actually quality leather Belts bags, and other accessories made from this type of leather are just the remains of the hide built into the main quality leather. It means that the remains are just glued together to form a layer of genuine leatherand painted to appear presentable. Imagine a layer of paper glued together to appear thicker; yes, this is like that. However, if you don’t mind the lifespan and you want something cheaper, this might be the one, even though we really do not recommend it.
Top-grain Leather
Unlike genuine leather, this type of real leather is part of the entire hide of animal. Basically, top-grain leathercomes from splitting a full-grain leather, the part of which leaves a surface where most manufacturers stamped it to appear and mimic the texture of the surface of the full-grain leather. Its quality is in the middle of the three and can be found in most branded accessories. It appears plasticy at first, especially when compared to PU material. Also, it can be resistant to stains, especially if it is treated adequately.
Full-grain Leather
This is it—the most exquisite leather among the three. This type of leather is mostly seen in designer products or the best-quality brands you can think of. Speaking of which, because they are the most durable and can greatly withstand frequent use, they are mostly used to make heavy-duty belts, briefcases, and weapon holsters. This type of leather is made from an entire hide without removing its imperfections. However, in some brands, imperfections are usually neglected so the price becomes higher. It is also a known fact that it will look even more beautiful as it ages because of the development of patina from exposure to different environmental conditions.
Advantages And Disadvantages: Which One Should Uou Choose?
Now that you are well informed about the two types of leather, you might as well discover the pros and cons between genuine leather and PU leather.
PU Leather (Polyurethane Leather)
Advantages
Cost-Effective – Compared to genuine leather, PU leather is obviously cheaper. For budget-conscious customers, this is always the more popular choice. The availability of the materials can also be ready to obtain, and production costs are usually not over the mark. Given that it is not always meticulously made, the cost of the materials and the workers is also not very complicated to invest in companies. Production procedures for this type of leather are also easier to process than those for genuine leather so it is most effective in the long run.
Variety of Colors and Styles – Because of how prominent the painting job is and how easy it is to implement compared to the material of real leather, PU material can be easily mixed and matched with the chosen colors of the customers. Also, different color ways add a significant additional addition to potential wider customers. Indeed, several colorways will attract a set of audiences, and other color options will attract another set of audiences. If you want a wider scope, this is a good advantage.
Water-Resistant – Unlike genuine leather, which is made from real skin, the PU material can be water resistant. Even though this is not complete or full waterproof leather, it is still better than real leather. Polyurethane is mostly applied to the surface of the leather, covering the materials that make it. The PU is plasticy and if you imagine the feel of the texture, the water should not be absorbed by it. Even so, you should remember that if a bag will be soaked in water, then consider what is PU leather bag’s appearance when washed.
Low Maintenance – Considering the properties mentioned and the fact that it is mostly resistant to liquids, PU leather is also very easy to clean. Just get a clean cloth and you can just wipe them clean. However, a tear or a stain must be kept away from the material itself. If a liquid enters beyond the barrier, surely it will stain and be complicated to remove. This is mostly happening to old products, which can be in storage or the ones you keep on wearing.
Eco-Friendly Options – A 100% PU leather can be a vegan leather, which may be environmentally friendly in the long run. Yet, it is important to remember that not all PU leather is plant-based, some is purely chemically manufactured and mixed with spare fabric as a source of structure. Also, PU leather can be recycled by disintegrating the common components of the chemicals and returning them to the basic compound where they were first used. Even though they do not decompose easily, this option can still be performed by companies that support and promote the ecofriendliness of their products’ production processes.
Disadvantages
Durability and Potential for Peeling or Cracking– The durability of PU leather in general can range from months to several years, depending on what is PU leather made of. When compared to genuine leather, it is quite less durable. Because it is not durable enough, it is prone to cracking and peeling after several uses. The peels you can see in your leather headphones or in your bag can be a sign that the leather has already reached its expiration date. Due to some differences in the processing of the PU, the polyurethane layer is usually not thick enough to withstand scratches, accidental pins, and leather wounds. Even though some can be covered by leather paint, it is really disappointing that some PU leather peels just months after use. This is why it is better to do research on the product that you wish to buy.
Breathability – Compared to real leather made from animal hide, PU leather is not breathable. Genuine leather will feel airy and light, but not PU leather. Let us remember that polyurethane covers the leather, which means its basically like plastic melted into the molded fabric or other materials (this is just an exaggerated description). So, it is not completely fine to wear it in hot and humid conditions. Take note of that when buying PU leather gaming chairs.
Not Biodegradable – Because of what is PU leather made of, it is really expected that synthetic materials will not be sustainable in the long run. The PU material does not degrade easily, as it will take a few hundreds of years (i.e., 500 years) before it will start to decompose. This is the fear of many customers who want to enjoy and cater to only environmentally friendly products because some companies do not follow any standards when it comes to processing the PU materials. Be mindful and research the companies you wish to connect with when buying PU leather.
Less Natural Feel – PU leather is made with the technology of the 20th century to match the demand for genuine leather. It does not particularly wish to imitate genuine leather, instead, it aims to even out the supply and offer a cheaper price for leather. Because of this, the PU leather mimics the feel of real leather, which in turn would be bad or better for a certain business. PU leather cannot, in any way, perfectly copy the texture of the animal hide. This is why certain people who have experience having or using real leather would definitely be able to distinguish between the two.
Real Leather
Advantages
Natural Aesthetics – If you don’t like the plasticy appearance and feel of the PU leather and want some roughness or finish of real leather, then you will absolutely love the natural feel of the full-grain leather. This will even become better if you like the vintage or aged appearance of the real leather. The timeless beauty that does not even compare to the colorways of PU leather if we compare it thoroughly. Although this type of leather can also be dyed with different colors, the texture still remains the same.
Durability – The durability of genuine leather surpasses that of PU leather multiple times. As we talked earlier, full-grain leather can last from a year to decades and centuries. Therefore, it is highly likely that you can only have one briefcase that is made of high quality real leather for your entire lifetime. In such cases, the real leather product can even be collected at auction or displayed as memorabilia. This is how durable real leather is.
Breathability – You should already know that real leather is far better breathable than PU leather. Real leather, because it is made up of animal skin, is fine in hot or humid conditions. You might think that it might be too thick to wear and you might be sweaty with it. Well, you’re right, but only due to the fact that you can generally be sweaty even with cotton clothes. Overall, you should be fine with this when using it as any product of your choice.
Ages Well -Now that you reach this part of the article, you should already be informed that, as far as the durability of real leather goes, its beauty ages well. Notice the vintage collection of bags or the leather made weapon holsters. If cleaned, they would look brand new. Also, the color of the real leather will change gradually as it is exposed to the external environment. It will appear more noticeable, rich, and deep in tan (if this is the color of the item you have). Just look for pictures on the internet to better fix the idea in your mind.
Biodegradable – The real leather, as long as it comes from animal skin, decomposes faster than PU leather. That is why this might be more eco friendly when it comes to decomposition properties. A typical piece of real leather decomposes after 10 to 50 years. If compared to the PU leather, it is more than 10 times faster. With this idea, it is also important to remember that real leather must be cared for and stored based on usage. But again, these types of products do not need sensitive care; instead, you just need them to be stored in a clean and proper place, just like your typical kitchen utensils.
Disadvantages
Cost – You should now have an idea of how much full-grain leather costs. This is the reason why real leather is not accessible to some customers. Once upon a time, acquiring leather meant a lot of silver or gold. In the current age, a full grain leather, depending on the product, would cost more than a hundred dollars. If compared to PU leather, a meter of the leather would cost only slightly above ten dollars. Well, in exchange for durability, it is typical to spend a lot of money on high quality leather.
Maintenance and Sensitivity to Water – It does require more effort to maintain a product made from real leather. Instead of just wiping it clean like typical PU leather, real leather might need some cautions for you to keep in mind. Products made of real leather must be kept away from wet environments to extend their shelf life. Exposure to water will also eventually change the color over time because of accumulated moisture. However, don’t worry; because of how durable it is, you would not expect that the leather would eventually be ruined. Just store it and clean it with a dry cloth some of the time, and make sure to avoid soaking it in rain (even though some might be waterproof).
Limited Color Options – Some of the available color options for real leather would be solid colors. This is because some colors, especially the lighter ones, are difficult to absorb by the natural leather. Dyeing the genuine leather in the first place is more difficult than painting the PU leather. The process involves so much careful attention and dyeing it with lighter colors would eventually cost more than it normally would. Also, some companies and customers like to maintain the natural appearance of natural leather; therefore, frequent dyeing processes might be bad for the leather itself.
Environmental Impact of Production – The leather production itself is more complicated than the PU leather production. The processes involved also pose more risks. For example, the deforestation caused by land grazing to maintain an area for farm animals where the real leather came from would be detrimental to the natural forest. Another would be the excessive use of water and chemicals during the tanning procedures. One kilogram of animal skin would consume 250 liters and 2.5 kg of water and chemical substances, respectively. Imagine if the procedure is not controlled and carefully performed; the waste products would eventually be distributed to bodies of water, which in turn causes eutrophication in the long run and kills the life wherever it goes.
Conclusion
Whatever you choose between the two, make sure it is adequate for the project you are thinking of. For example, get the PU leather for a wide variety of colors and the real leather for durability and a natural feel. Everything has its own purpose and you should carefully inform yourself with the correct information to avoid spending on the wrong materials. Whether it’s the costly genuine leather or the colorful PU leather, each has its own pros and cons. Whatever your choice, we wish you the best!
