Comparison of Bonded Leather vs. Blended Leather

Composition

• According to Alan Naness in "Furniture Today," his bonded leather product NextLeather contains 61 percent polyurethane, 22 percent poly/cotton and 17 percent leather. He describes it as "a polyurethane face on a fabric core," and regards it as a new technology. Furniture From Home characterizes its blended leather product as "a fabric that is made by melting down leather scraps with synthetics." eFurnitureNY identifies its bonded or blended leather as made from pieces of leather glued together with a denim backing. After sanding for smoothness and dyeing, it is coated with polyurethane. Another type of bonded or blended leather is composed of leather and polyurethane backed with latex, then mixed again with leather fibers.

Trends

• Both bonded and blended leathers are undergoing rapid transitions as their market share increases. "Furniture Today" notes in a 2011 article that although originally bonded leathers were less sophisticated, each season has seen new finishes and products that make the fabric look increasingly like real leather, ranging "from full grain to antique to tipped leather." Due to the increased price of real leather furniture, improved bonded and blended leather furniture may account for up to 50 percent of leather and leather-like furniture in 2011.

Advantages

• Technically, bonded and blended leathers are fabrics rather than leather, but since they are porous like leather, they are easier to clean than traditional fabric. Both have a soft buttery feel and closely resemble real leather. Price is also a favorable point. As of 2008, it cost three times less for a bonded leather furniture upholstery cover than for a leather one. Manufacturers point to the ecological soundness of recycling leather scraps that would otherwise go to a landfill.

Disadvantages

• Both blended and bonded products wear out more quickly than real leather. Furniture From Home estimates the useful life of a leather blend sofa to be five to seven years. Unlike leather sofas, which develop a smooth patina over time and use, leather blend sofas, like other fabrics, look worn over time. Because of the recent introduction of blended and bonded leathers and their rapid development, there has been confusion with naming and product descriptions. For instance, NextLeather has been called DuraHide Plus by American Furniture Warehouse, Nupelle by a Canadian manufacturer, and UltraHide by Ashley Furniture.