High performance faux leather vs real leather

Even a few years ago, faux leather was considered inferior to the real thing – leather was always considered the natural, more luxurious option, with a soft handle that ages beautifully with time. But, in recent years, there’s been a marked shift in the perception of leather in relation to animal cruelty and wastefulness. Now, faux leathers – and particularly those made from vegan friendly materials – are being seen as a versatile and increasingly responsible alternative.

That’s where our faux leathers come in. Now at the zenith of their development, they boast the same softness, malleability and quality you expect from real leather, yet with all of the high performance qualities we’re known for – and they are all completely vegan friendly.

Moreover, there are a number of other benefits that come with our faux leathers. Made with a vinyl or PVC base, they are designed to replicate the soft, pliable look and feel of real leather. We have decades of experience when it comes to fabric development, and we’ve painstakingly tweaked and refined our faux leathers over the years to the point where they can accurately mirror real skins in terms of handle and surface grain. Crucially, though, they are considerably more practical and durable, while also being far less expensive per metre.

Of course, real leather is limited by its grain structure and appearance, but we can engineer our faux leathers to replicate the look of woven fabrics like linen and wool, using high-grade embossing and printing. This offers much greater versatility than real leather ever could, and can add a sense of surprise and wow factor to high-traffic interiors, like restaurant banquettes, hotel lobbies or residential soft seating.

Like all our fabrics, our faux leathers are fire retardant, highly stain resistant and waterproof, which makes them easy to clean and long lasting – two traits that are must-haves in the hospitality or healthcare sectors. They’re also anti-microbial and resistant to germs and viruses, which is something that real leather cannot offer. 

Traditionally, one of the perks natural leather has over faux material is its breathability. PVC and vinyl-based fabrics typically aren’t, and you might find yourself becoming uncomfortable when sat for extended periods of time. Here, our Furnisoft Breathable collection comes into its own. Made from biodegradable polyurethane, the range not only looks and feels like natural full-grain leather, but it’s breathable and comfortable to relax in all day long. It still boasts the performance attributes of the rest of our range, but this enhanced breathability really marks it out from the competition.

We have a broad range of synthetic leather products, depending on what you’re looking for. There’s our Taurus collection with its soft, subtle hand-feel; Lunar with its tactile prints and pebble grain texture and Stretch, which comes with a four-way stretch that ensures it can upholster even the most unusual designs.

Fusion is another option, and one of the most intricately designed collections we make. It boasts a diamond cross-stitched embossed finish, which replicates the opulent interiors of luxury cars and yachts, making it ideal for outfitting hotel lobbies or high-end restaurants.

When it comes to versatility, our faux leathers are unmatched and whatever you’re looking for, we’ve got the answer. As well as their impressive long-term performance, they’re also REACH compliant, phthalate free and Oeko-Tex approved – free from harmful chemicals. Genuine leather might have its benefits, but for real world, day-to-day use, nothing beats our faux leather.

Explore our faux leather collections in detail here