Faux leather for furniture. What it is?

Leather furniture in the house is always beautiful. It emphasizes the status of the owner, looks very respectable and makes the room more comfortable. But furniture made of genuine leather is an expensive pleasure that not everyone can afford. Therefore, in the furniture market there are two types of upholstery "under the skin": imitation leather and ecological leather (eco-leather).

Leather furniture at home or in the office has always been and is a definite indicator of status, since it is always expensive, elegant and beautiful.

Today, manufacturers offer the most diverse eco-leather, the price of which depends on the production technology.

Previously, leatherette was used in the manufacture of almost all types of products, because it is cheap and relatively durable. However, it has one major drawback: the leatherette is a fabric base, on which polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other chemical additives are applied. In addition, it is not breathable and a sofa made of such artificial leather is unsafe for human health. Everything changed when leather made of polyurethane with a cotton basis, eco leather, came to replace kozhzam.

At the same time, it is precisely because of the high cost that very few people can afford furniture with natural leather upholstery.

At the same time, according to some characteristics, individual samples of this material are even superior to natural leather.

What is eco-leather made from?

This is a new material, the manufacture of which uses 100% cotton, covered with a layer of polyurethane (PU) without any harmful impurities. Furniture made of eco-leather, unlike furniture made of artificial leather, does not have an unpleasant smell, has excellent breathability (due to the large number of pores contained in the structure of the material itself), is hygroscopic and completely hypoallergenic, so it is safe even for children. The eco-leather sofa does not heat up much in direct sunlight and does not freeze in the cold.

Until recently, the only counterpart for a natural material was an artificial leatherette, whose external characteristics and performance properties left much to be desired.

The most unpretentious in the care material for upholstered furniture is eco-leather.

The material is durable, smooth and pleasant to the touch, so that it is difficult to distinguish it from genuine leather. It does not have the disadvantages that are inherent in natural leather:

• irregular thickness
• color and texture roughness,
• minor flaws.

Thanks to modern technologies, eco-leather material has appeared today, which can be bought for upholstery of any furniture.

It is therefore worth buying it if you want to install upholstered furniture in the country, in the kitchen, in rooms where the occurrence of pollution is possible.

There are not many types of eco-leather on the market. The main ones are Oregon, Alba, Companion and Dollaro.

1. Oregon: 70% cotton and high abrasion resistance. It is the most popular material among all types of ecological leather, it has the best price-performance ratio and accurately conveys the pattern of natural leather with a fine texture.

There are also Oregon varieties: Oregon Antique (has a glossy surface) and Oregon Royal (the surface is smooth and shiny).

2. Alba: also quite popular material that is able to perfectly pass air and steam. It is resistant to light, temperature extremes, minor damage and wear.
3. Companion: more wear-resistant and durable than Oregon, also differs in its structure - PU film is applied on polyurethane foam with a pad of woven fabric.
4. Dollar: very high-quality eco-leather for fitting furniture. It contains all the best qualities of eco-leather. Imitation of classic matte leather of different colors (a wide color spectrum is presented: from emerald to scarlet).

Ecoskin unites in itself advantages of a natural material - ability to breathe, durability and durability, and the main advantage of artificial materials of the last generation - an acceptable price.

Due to unique technologies and innovative developments in the basis of production, this product has no analogues in the market.

So the base may include natural materials - cotton, natural leather, or artificial polyester.

The advantages and disadvantages of eco-leather

Ecological leather upholstery, as an option to replace the expensive natural and cheap leatherette, has its advantages and disadvantages.

The pluses include

1. High strength of the material for wear, abrasion, scratches and bends. Minor damage can be easily delayed due to the special arrangement of the polyurethane mesh cells.
2. Environmentally friendly, completely hypoallergenic and safe for humans and pets.
3. It is almost indistinguishable both by touch and visually from genuine leather, but the price of eco-leather is much lower.
4. Good air permeability and hygroscopicity, due to the high density of the pores of the material and the breathable properties of cotton.
5. Non-toxicity and the complete absence of unpleasant odor, which is peculiar to artificial skin.
6. Simplicity and ease of care: to remove pollution from the surface of the sofa from the eco-leather, you must first wipe the stain with a wet rag and then quickly wipe dry so that the dirt does not absorb.

The material of the eco-leather surface is polyurethane.

It feels nice, really looks like natural leather.

The material of the eco-leather surface is polyurethane.

Such a number of advantages of furniture from eco-leather before furniture made of artificial material is certainly impressive. But this type of upholstery has its drawbacks.

1. This is still unnatural leather, although it is very close to it. So for those who want to emphasize the authenticity of the product in all respects, it is better to opt for genuine leather furniture.
2. If there is a cat at home, then you should refrain from buying furniture made from ecological leather, since the cat's claws are able to penetrate into the structure of the material so that the fabric base will become visible, which then will not drag on.
3. It is pretty quickly polluted and it is difficult to remove traces of felt-tip pens, ink and gouache from its surface.
4. The low-quality eco-leather is cold and heats up for a long time. In the cold season, such a poor-quality upholstery will have to be covered with a veil, so as not to freeze while sitting on the couch.

So the base may include natural materials - cotton, natural leather, or artificial polyester.

Looks very good.

Until recently, the only counterpart for a natural material was an artificial leatherette, whose external characteristics and performance properties left much to be desired.

How to choose furniture from eco-leather

If all the pros and cons of this material are already weighed and given the go-ahead for the purchase of a sofa made of ecological leather, then the problem remains only in its choice, because the stores offer a huge amount of upholstered furniture of different textures and colors.

Additionally, in order to give external decorative effects or improve the properties of the material, an external coating is used, which is applied to the polyurethane surface of the eco-leather.

Not expensive compared to genuine leather.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the manufacturer and the reviews of other buyers about it. After all, the store can meet a lot of models at a similar or better price, which in fact will be the usual imitations of artificial leather, which will peel off after a year of continuous use. Since such interior items are not bought every year, you should opt for well-known stores, which are written a lot of reviews on the Internet.

Thanks to a special coating, the eco-leather is resistant to direct sunlight, has water-repellent properties, and it is perfectly breathable.

The sofa looks expensive and prestigious.

Then you can choose a specific model depending on the wishes of the texture, color and size of the sofa and check the quality of the assembly of the structure, the joints and the integrity of the canvas.

Modern eco-leather has elasticity, color stability and does not crack.

Such a sofa would be good to have in the guest room.

Eco-leather sofas are a great inexpensive alternative to genuine leather sofas, which will last for many years and will remain in the same form as on the day of purchase.

In addition, it is the most practical and easy to care for and use!

Leather furniture at home or in the office has always been and is a definite indicator of status, since it is always expensive, elegant and beautiful.

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