Guide To Real Leather Couch: The Intermediate Guide Towards Real Leather Couch
How to Tell If a Leather Couch is Real Or Faux
It is often difficult to tell if you are purchasing genuine leather couches due to inaccurate product descriptions and price tags. You must get up close and personal to take a whiff, feel and flip over a couch to look at the backing.
For example, a 'leather couch' CHOICE tested had upholstered 'contact' (such as the armrests and seats) in genuine leather while non-contact areas were a mix of cotton and coated polyester.
1. Smell
A real leather sofa should be fragrant and natural. The faux leather, however, often smells chemically-processed and artificial. If your couch is smelling bad smell, it could be caused by stains or pet urine. In most cases, a thorough clean will remove any smell. If you are not satisfied with the results of your cleaning, apply a leather conditioner. This will restore the leather modular sofa's moisture, making it softer, less fragile, and more resistant to smells.
Baking soda is a great natural odor remover that can be used to remove unpleasant odors from your sofa. Mix equal parts of vinegar and water. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe your leather sofa. If the cloth starts to pick up dirt, wring it out or swap for another. You can also spray the solution on your couch. The mixture should dry before wiping again.
Airing your leather out is another natural way to eliminate odors. If you can, place the couch outside in a sunny spot to air it out. This will eliminate any unwanted odors, and provide it with a fresh, natural scent.
If you want to stay clear of unpleasant odors, purchase a leather conditioner that contains healthy oils. This will prevent your leather couch set from absorbing odors and keep it smelling good for a longer time.
The scent of leather can be appealing, but it can be difficult to maintain. As time passes, it will absorb the odors of smoking, cooking, and even body odor. These odors are difficult to get rid of particularly if you have pets or children. Genuine leather couches do not trap these odors as fabric upholstery can. This makes them an ideal choice for families with active children.
If your couch smells like an odor of a dog that has peed on it, it's important to get the problem addressed immediately. Try some of the suggestions above, or you can try a specific product such as Leather Honey to treat the issue. The best option is to stop the problem from occurring, so make sure you train your dog to not pee on your couch.
2. Feel
If you are looking for a new leather sofa There are some things to be aware of. But the best way to tell whether it's genuine is to smell and feel it. Real leather has a distinct, natural scent that is recognizable. The scent can fade as time passes but there shouldn't be any doubt about it when the sofa is brand new.
A genuine leather couch should be warm and comfortable to touch. Faux and bonded leathers are often colder and have the impression of plastic. To test, gentle press your fingers on the surface of a couch and feel for bumps. If you don't feel any bumps on the couch, it's likely bonded or faux-leather.
If you notice vertical seams stitched across the back of a sofa, this is another indicator. This indicates that the leather isn't a single piece, which is a characteristic of genuine leather couches.
The quality of a leather frame of a sofa can have a significant impact on its lifespan but it's not always obvious. To ensure you're buying a sofa that will last, ask what kind of wood is used for the frame. Solid oak frames are the most durable, but also the most expensive. Engineered or particle board frames will be less sturdy. For added durability, a frame made of hardwood should also be kiln-dried to stop the growth of mildew and warping.
If you're on a budget, you can still find an authentic leather sofa you love. The Room & Board Stevens Leather Sofa is a good example. It is a stylish and versatile choice that's usually available for sale and can be adapted to your home.
Another option that is budget-friendly is the La-Z-Boy Gather Manual Reclining Sofa, which is a classic style and comes in a variety of fade-resistant fabrics. However, this modular sofa requires assembly at home, and the back cushions are prone to slide down.
3. Backing
Genuine luxury leather sofa set couches have a certain appeal that other types of upholstery cannot compete with. Leather sofas are extremely durable and stand up to wear and tear more effectively than fabrics. They will last for many years. They also tend to resist staining and spills and are less likely to attract allergens and dust, so they don't need as much regular maintenance and cleaning. However, just like anything else in life, there are some pitfalls when it comes to buying a leather couch and it is important to know what to look out for prior to making your final choice.
If you're unsure whether your new sofa is genuine leather, the first thing you need to do is examine the materials tag on the frame to find out the exact type of fabric or leather it is made of. If you can't find any information about the sofa's material composition or the type of leather it is, you can use your senses to help you make the decision.
The surface of the sofa is worth a close examination with a keen eye on the patterns, shading and texture. Genuine leather couches will have natural imperfections and the structure, pattern, or shading won't be uniform. If the couch's surface appears smooth and uniform, or shows a mesh-like back in place of rough suede, that's a dead giveaway that it's fake or synthetic leather.
Examine the back of the cushion casing. If it has an unstitched vertical seam on the back of the cushion, that's a sign that it's not true leather. This is because animal hides are restricted in size and can be cut only to a certain degree. To ensure the best quality of their products, the top manufacturers will always stitch and sew through the entire back of the couch to ensure it is genuine leather and not bonded or fake leather.
If you are able to lift one corner and look at the padding on the back. If the back of padding is covered with a woven material or polyurethane then it's a sign that the couch isn't genuine leather. Genuine leather is supposed to have a coarse and rough surface that feels solid when you feel it.
4. Patterns
A leather corner lounge sofa is a classic, and with good reason. The natural, warm appearance and feel can enhance any living space. Plus the modern tanning process provides it with the added strength to withstand cracks and sagging. Because each hide has distinctive markings and blemishes, grain, and marks each leather couch is unique.
While labels and prices are excellent indicators but the best way to determine whether you're buying authentic leather is to go close and intimate with it. Inspect the texture, structure, and pattern for an even more precise view of its authenticity. If the structure is uniform and there aren't noticeable blemishes, it's likely faux or bonded leather.
A back made of polyurethane on the sofa is a further indicator. This is a typical feature of leather that is bonded. Genuine leather will have a more natural appearance and will be backed with materials that closely resemble the fabric used to create furniture.
Check the back of your couch to see whether there are vertical seams. This is an indication of a high-quality piece of leather that's been carefully constructed to last. On the other hand, if there are no seams and the back of the sofa appears like a continuous piece of cloth, it's likely a lower-quality faux or leather couch that has been bonded.
Once you've established that your sofa is made of genuine leather, it's time to match it with other furniture in your living room. To create a clean, coordinated look, match your couch with other furniture made of wood, and accent it with pillows that match the colors of your living space. You can also opt for a more fluid, acoustic layout by putting your couch across from other pieces with the addition of a coffee table.
Keep your leather sofa away from direct sunlight to prevent it fading or forming scratches. If you're looking to safeguard your investment by extending its lifespan, think about applying a leather protection agent every two or three times a year.