How to Tell the Difference Between Leather and Vinyl Leather
Sometimes it's hard to tell whether a furniture piece is upholstered in genuine leather or man-made vinyl. But when you know the discriminating factors to look for between the two materials, you can identify whether an upholstery is real leather or simply a substitute look-a-like. Use your senses of sight and touch to determine if a piece of furniture is covered in true or faux leather.
How Much Does It Cost?
Check out the price tag of a piece of furniture to help you determine if the upholstery is leather or vinyl. Because actual leather is acquired from real animals,the production costs often drive up the retail price to a hefty amount. Vinyl upholstery is quickly mass-produced by machines,these faux leather pieces are available at significantly lower prices than authentic leather items.
How Does It Look?
Get up close and personal to an upholstered piece to view the small details, including any attached tags or labels. A piece with a manufacturer’s tag stating it is 100 percent leather leaves. If a furniture tag includes the word "textile," the upholstery is not pure leather. In addition, authentic leather has tiny pores in the upholstery, whereas vinyl does not.
