Bonded Leather Durability

Defining Bonded Leather

• Bonded leather is not actual leather. While it does contain scraps of leather fibers, it is made up of other substances, including polyurethane and glue. Bonded leather is made so that it has the look of real leather, without actually being leather. The exterior is embossed polyurethane that looks like leather, with the center layer being fabric and the back being the only area where you fill find leather fibers. The percentage of leather fibers varies by manufacturer. The manufacturing process for making bonded leather is similar to making paper.

When Bonded Leather Gets Scratched or Worn

• Unlike genuine leather, when bonded leathers gets scratched or worn it is not a pretty sight. In fact, the scratch will wear off the embossed polyurethane surface. The result can be an entirely different surface color because the fabric underneath can be any color. With genuine leather, a distressed look appear when it gets worn or scratched.

Cleaning

• You should only clean bonded leather with a wet cloth. The surface cannot handle soaps or alcohol-based products. Using them will cause the surface to crack. Unlike genuine leather, you do not need to use leather conditioner on bonded leather because only the back has leather in it.

Direct Sunlight or Heat Source

• Avoid putting anything that's covered in bonded leather in the sunlight or by a heat source, such as a radiator. Heat can cause damage to the surface by fading and cracking it. Because the surface is not leather, you cannot use a conditioner to fix heat damage.

Compared to Other Surfaces

• Because it is not full leather, bonded leather is not as durable. In fact, it is the lowest grade of all the partial leathers. In order of least durable to most durable leather grains, it is bonded leather, split grain leather, top grain leather and the full grain leather. However, bonded leather is more durable than fabric.