Question:
I have been looking at a faux leather reclining sofa made with a 98% polyester and 2% polyurethane fabric. Will this fake leather fabric be durable on a reclining sofa that gets lots of use? What is the expected life span for this type of faux leather fabric?
Answer:
There have been thousands of complaints about “peeling leather” over the past decade.
The problem has been “Bonded leather.”
The 98% polyester, 2% polyurethane composite faux leather you are asking about is the furniture industry’s most recent solution to the “bonded leather problem.
Several large furniture companies have been testing this new composite faux leather as a substitute for bonded leather.
Bonded leather, introduced in 2010, has been extremely successful (from a marketing perspective) as a low cost substitute for genuine leather. This is especially true for reclining furniture.
Unfortunately, bonded leather has also generated thousands of consumer complaints.
Bonded leather is highly unstable. It often peels within 1 – 3 years after purchase (and sometimes sooner.)
Once bonded leather begins to peel, it is not repairable. The problem is so widespread and so costly that all furniture warranties specifically exclude coverage for repair or replacement.
If your furniture is more than 1 year old, no retailer will help. If your furniture is less than 1 year old, many retailers will replace it. There is no way to repair peeling bonded leather.
Both polyurethane and polyester faux leathers have existed for many decades.
They have never been very popular, however, as a leather substitute in residential furniture.
100% synthetic faux leathers have existed for over 50 years but were always considered “inferior” by the general public.
Much of this “inferior” reputation originated from older vinyls, which did not look or feel very similar to real leather.
These were used on cheap sofas, but primarily on low-cost dinette sets, which were very popular in the 1950s – 1970s.
Vinyl fabrics were first introduced in the 1930s.
Higher cost vinyls and 100% polyurethanes are extremely durable, easily cleanable and also look and feel closer to real leather.
These have been very popular in healthcare, restaurant and institutional furniture since the 1950s.
But these high-end commercial grade synthetic faux leathers are too expensive for low and mid-range residential seating.
100% synthetic polyester faux leathers have also been available since the 1950s.
These have always been very inexpensive, but until recently, were not very close to real leather in either looks or feel.
Over the past year, several versions of 100% synthetic composite faux leathers have appeared.
These look and feel very similar to bonded leather fabrics.
There are many versions of these composite faux leathers, made with various percentages of polyester, polyurethane (and sometimes vinyl.)
The higher the percentage of polyester, the lower the cost of the fabric.
The 98% polyester/2% polyurethane fabric you have referenced is one of the least expensive of the new composite faux leathers.
It looks and feels indistinguishable from bonded leather.
Although higher percentages of polyurethane may help the fabric look and feel more like real leather, it should not make much difference from a durability standpoint.
The thickness (and weight) of the fabric are more relevant for determining long-term durability.
The new 100% synthetic composite faux leather fabrics have not been around long enough to test long-term durability.
But they should be far better than any of the bonded leathers.
Polyester & polyurethane fibers are both extremely durable.
Bonded leather’s problems resulted primarily from the unsuitability of using crushed leather particles as a backing material.
The new composite faux leathers will not have that problem.
Bonded leather’s flaws did not become apparent until 2 – 3 years after their introduction.
It took a few more years before the flaws also became obvious to the public.
The general public now appears ready to accept 100% synthetic faux leathers as an acceptable material for use on low and mid-priced upholstered furniture.
Recent technological improvements allow 100% synthetic faux leathers to look and feel even closer to real leathers.
100% polyester, 100% polyurethane and 100% vinyl fabrics all hold up for 10+ years, in most cases.
Although there is no long-term track record yet, there is every reason to believe that combining these materials should result in an equally durable fabric.
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