How familiar are you with leather seating and leather upholstered furniture? Maybe you’ve read our short guide on the different grades of leather, or our guide to leather finishes. But you still have a nagging question. “What is leather match? I keep hearing this term, but nobody says what it is!”
If you find yourself asking this question, that’s okay! Tons of the sofa shoppers that come through our showroom doors don’t know either – not until we explain it at least.
So, what does leather match mean? We’ll answer that below. For those who are already somewhat familiar with leather match, we’re also going to dive into all leather vs leather match upholstery and weigh the pros and cons of each. Let’s go!
But First, What Is Leather Match?
Leather match is a furniture industry term used to describe a piece of leather upholstery that is crafted from a combination of real leather and synthetic leather. Typically, leather match sectionals, sofas, loveseats, chairs, recliners, etc. are constructed using real, authentic leather on all surfaces that would usually come into contact with the user’s body. For instance, the seat cushions, back cushions, headrest, armrests and footrests.
However, on non-contact areas, like the sides and back of a chair or sofa, synthetic materials like vinyl or faux leather are used. The color and texture of this synthetic material is “matched” to the leather surface so that it is practically indistinguishable to the untrained eye. Here in our showroom, the majority of the leather match furniture we carry is made from a combination of top grain leather and high quality polyurethane leather (a faux leather made from polyurethane, also known as PU leather).
But how does leather match compare to all-leather upholstery? Is leather match any good? Why would someone buy leather match over the real thing? Is there a reason shoppers should pick one over the other?
All Leather vs Leather Match | Pros & Cons
It’s no secret that leather match furniture was primarily created to make leather furniture more affordable and accessible. We think that’s great news for consumers in general. In fact, some upholstery manufacturers give shoppers the option to choose the same piece of furniture in either all leather or leather match. That’s because each of these options have their own pros and cons.
Pros & Cons | All-Leather Seating
The benefits of real leather are pretty well known. For instance, high quality leathers have a smooth, buttery feel, are extremely breathable, hypoallergenic, and will age gracefully, developing their own unique patina and wear marks. Leather upholstery also typically lasts much longer relative to PU leathers and vinyl.
However, wrapping an entire sectional or sofa in full grain or top grain leather can be quite expensive. That’s because authentic leather is a premium upholstery material and is expensive by nature. The larger the surface or coverage area, the more hides are required – and the more expensive your new leather sofa, chair or loveseat becomes. In fact, that’s at least part of its appeal to many consumers. But for today’s discussion, that goes into the drawbacks column.
The truth is, in many ways high quality all-leather upholstery is superior to just about any upholstery material on the market. The real question is whether or not it is worth the extra price to put real leather on parts of the furniture that are barely seen and rarely touched.
Pros & Cons | Leather Seating with Leather Match
As we mentioned above, the most obvious benefit of leather match seating is the significantly lower cost to the consumer. Making a piece of leather upholstered furniture with leather match significantly decreases the number of hides needed. These savings are the main reason why leather match is commonly seen on higher price items like leather recliners or leather power reclining sofas, because the affordability of leather match helps offset the added expense of the reclining mechanisms.
But what other benefits are there? Leather match upholstery is also considered to be lower maintenance than all leather upholstery. Especially when it comes to more expensive aniline and semi-aniline leathers that require special care or conditioning. To be fair, all-leather upholstery made from corrected leather or pigmented leather can be very low maintenance as well.
What about the cons? While it’s true that common leather match materials like PU leather and vinyl don’t last as long as real leather, this is typically not an issue with leather match since the seating areas are still made of actual leather. However, this is still a real concern for some shoppers. Another concern is that when left in direct sunlight, genuine leather and leather match can sometimes fade at different rates. This means that the leather portion and leather match portion of your leather seating may age differently over time.
Is All-Leather or Leather Match Upholstery the Better Fit for You?
So, which option do you feel is right for you? The price savings and lower maintenance of leather match? Or the feel, durability, and luxury of authentic, all-leather upholstery? As we learned above, each of these leather upholstery options have their own set of unique benefits and drawbacks.
Lastly, keep in mind that some leather seating manufacturers offer other price-saving alternatives such as using lower-grade split leathers on the non-contact areas of the sofa or chair instead of leather match. While more expensive than leather match, these split leathers are real leather and are still more affordable than higher grade top grain and full grain leathers. For some shoppers, that may be an acceptable compromise between the two options we discussed today.
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. Only you know what is right for you, your home, and your budget! To see and feel both real leather and leather match upholstery, swing by any of our three North Georgia furniture stores. We carry a wide variety of leather upholstery of all grades and finishes available with and without leather match. From aniline to semi-aniline to pigmented leathers, from full grain to top grain to split leathers. Hope to see you soon!
