Lots of people love the look of leather - it is timeless. We have been using leather in clothing and furniture for centuries. There is everything from vegan leather to leather-like polyesters now. But if you really want the best bang for your buck understanding what you are buying when you buy is key. When we start throwing leather jargon out there it can get confusing.
There are 4 groups of leather products:
Full Grain
Top Grain
Genuine Leather
Bonded Leather
What if I cannot afford leather?
There are some furniture companies like Palliser that are now offering a more economical answer. You can get your top grain leather sofa and feel all the benefits of thigh quality leather everywhere you are touching and then get a PVC or split leather on the sides and back! You can barely tell the difference between the two and it saves on the cost of the overall piece. Bonus for everybody.
Remember when you are buying leather you get what you pay for. Ask your associate what kind of leather it is and where it comes from. Go by the feel of the leather, do you prefer a smoother or textured feel? Look at a sample of the hide and its thickness, the thicker it is the more likely it will stand the test of the time.