The difference between genuine leather and artificial leather——choosing the right leather

Buying leather can be a hassle, as one must carefully distinguish whether the leather purchased is genuine or specialized faux leather. People looking for a relatively more economical and cost-effective leather option are often led to buy polyethylene or PVC leather.

But there are also more similar options of PU leatheravailable. Here is a detailed guide to the difference between leather and faux leather, with all the questions that may trouble you when distinguishing PU leather from PVC leather.

● Price

The first thing you will notice when differentiating between genuine and artificial leather is its price. Non-vegan leather is much more expensive than any artificial leather-like PVC leather, and this is most accessible to tell in terms of price.

● Water absorption

Genuine leather absorbs water and has natural tiny pore holes that absorb water. In contrast, artificial leather, i.e., PU or PVC leather, is generally made of plastic, wax, and oil. Its surface does not have naturally formed tiny pores, so artificial leather will not absorb water. This is a pronounced difference between genuine leather and artificial leather, so you can perform this test (it is not recommended that you test leather that is not your item)

● Appearance

Judging by appearance is an essential technique for identifying leather. By checking the appearance, you can distinguish between genuine and artificial leather and between categories of vegan leather, such as PVC leather.

● Texture

Texture can help distinguish between genuine leather and alternatives and help analyze what PVC leather and PU leather are. Leather that is natural cowhide or cowhide, we know that no natural skin grain is the same. Natural skin grain has many imperfections. No patch can have a similar color or skin texture, leading to significant differences between the various natural leather grains. In contrast, the grain of artificial leather would be intact and regular.

● Fire test

It is known that genuine leather does not burn because it is natural skin and will degrade at high temperatures. If the leather is treated with high pressure, it will be calm and fire-resistant. It will not be like artificial leather that contains plastic, such as PVC leather, which will start burning when it comes in contact with fire.

● PVC leather color

The color is not a demanding criterion to check whether the leather is genuine. The leather may appear pink or blue because of the skin and plastic's affordable discoloration when treated with certain chemicals.

● Touch

As mentioned above, if faux leather has a specific pattern, it is mainly ironed to be smooth and even to the touch. Like PVC leather, the foam is rich, and the exterior is soft. In contrast, leather has a different texture or surface, which is why it may not be smooth or even feel good to the touch.

● Odor

The touch, feel, and smell of genuine leather is unparalleled because it is a natural product with a natural touch and smell. Artificial leather has been chemically treated to contain rubber, resin, or plastic. It will produce a specific odor you can undoubtedly guess immediately if you come in contact with the real thing.

● Check the label

If the brand is reliable and you are sure that the information on the label must be correct, then there is a way to distinguish between genuine and imitation leather.

High-quality leather will be called "Full grain leather," followed by "Best grain leather," "genuine leather," and so on. They all indicate that the available products are non-vegetarian products, not PVC leather material.

Faux leather is also mentioned, with names such as Bound leather, imitation leather, two-layer leather, composite leather, PVC leather, Pu leather, 50% grain leather, etc.

Which leather is best?

It depends on what you are buying the leather for. Genuine leather is always the best, but it is expensive due to resistance from environmentalists and the cost of materials and processing.

You can choose washable PU leather that is soft to the touch for wearables. PVC leather material is ideal for furniture because of its longevity, resistance to twisting, and potential to withstand extreme weather conditions

What artificial leather can I buy instead of genuine leather?

PU and PVC leather are the two most common alternatives to non-vegan leather. Polyurethane is the preferred choice for wearable devices because of its tensile strength, breathability, twist and weather resistance, and softness. It will stain and is not as durable as other manufactured leathers because the surface will wear out over time.

PVC leather materials are suitable for upholstery or fashion-related products due to their sturdy construction, air, heat, water, sunlight, weather resistance, and longer shape/color retention.

How do I find the right leather dealer?

To find leather in your area, you must google some of your city's leather markets. If you want to find leather dealers in other regions or countries, you can also use Google to search for them. If you are well aware of these differences between leather, it will be easy to search for the nearest leather-sourcing supplier and select the right one to work with.

Suppose you are looking for top leather manufacturers in China. In that case, you can contact Tianhai Leather, a top manufacturer with 23 years of experience in leather production, specializing in fabric simulation and related product development. We will provide you with the most suitable leather products and solutions!