Do you remember this tongue twister?  If only it was that easy when choosing a leather suite.  There are different types of leather and there is even leather which isn’t leather.  I’ll explain later.

So you’re in the market for a leather suite.  First question.  What’s my lifestyle like?  Do I have children and/or pets?  If so, then grain corrected leather is best for you.  This is leather that comes in a range of colours and has been treated to remove any imperfections in the leather and then embossed with an imitation leather grain and coloured with pigment coating. 

So, if you don’t have pets or kids and don’t intend to in the near future you cannot beat an aniline suite.  Only the best hides are used with very few imperfections.  It is soft to touch but susceptible to staining so don’t eat your takeaways here!  It will mark and scuff, but to me this is the beauty of this leather, these marks add to the character of the leather.  Look after it and it will continue to look and feel amazing.

If you’re a bit nervous of going the aniline route, then maybe semi-aniline might be best for you, it has had some treatment so affords it some protection without taking away the full beauty of this leather.  It is not quite as light or as soft to touch as aniline, but beautiful nonetheless.

Bonded leather or Bicast leather – is it leather?  No not really, but because of the leather content many retailers say Leather on the label.  Misleading?  I think so.  It is made using off-cuts and then process with a polythene top layer, but it does not have the durability of leather or even vinyl.  However, it is more affordable than real leather but it could be a false economy because it won’t last as long as it does have a tendency to split and peel.

Looking after your leather is fairly straightforward.  Just dust and use a lightly damp cloth.  Occasionally it may need a bit more, but make sure you use a reputable company for supplies and get the correct treatment for your type leather.  If the worst has happened and you have damaged your suite, then give us a call, all is not lost and I am sure we can help.

So there you go, once you have a bit of information, it is not such a tongue twister after all.