Wednesday, April 24, 2019

A Look at Faux Leather Furniture Pros and Cons


Both real and faux leather furniture for your living room or den are most affordable options. Here at Curly’s Furniture we have a vast inventory, plus the tons of furniture we can order. Typically in our stores on any given day we offer about 300 faux leather seating choices. What are some of the reasons you might pick this over the genuine article? Let’s have a look at what faux leather furniture upholstery is and how it compares to real cowhide.

Fresco DuraBlend sofa

What Faux Leather Is

To make most faux leather furniture, manufacturers take a fabric base such as polyester, a mainstay in the industry for its durability, and put a plastic coating over it, often polyurethane (PU). Once the plastic is applied, this is coated with a color and then its texture, mimicking the grain of cowhide. The DuPont chemical company introduced this superior faux leather in 1963. This upholstery choice has a long successful track record of looking good in households with heavy, constant living room furniture use. Another form of faux leather uses a different kind of plastic coating, polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Of the two, partly because leatherette is harder to make, polyurethane is far commoner in our faux leather furniture upholstery.

faux leather accent chair

How Faux Leather Measures Up

One big plus of faux leather furniture over genuine is you care about animal rights. Others include little required care. Unlike a costlier real leather loveseat, for example, you wouldn’t have to use special products on your PU-coated upholstery to keep it clean. Leather conditioner now and then is good for both real and faux leather upholstery. PU faux leather is 100% waterproof. A disadvantage to plastic-coated faux leather seats is the polyurethane is not porous so sweat might stay on it if you’re using it a long time on a hot day. Also, real leather is more likely to last longer, which explains the price difference.

Whatever your living room furniture preference, our DeKalb,IL store is ready for you offering prices that literally can’t be beat. Find one lower and we’ll match it!