When you’re in the market to buy a leather sofa, one of the most important things you must consider is the quality of leather used. Finding the correct leather sofa will greatly enhance your enjoyment and help prevent all the headache of cracks, peels, discoloration that comes with picking the wrong type of leather sofa.
So because of that, I put together this quick guide to help you choose the best leather for sofa that boasts of strength, durability, beauty – and to ultimately make your leather sofa buying experience an easier and enjoyable one.
So, what is the best leather for a sofa? The best leather for a sofa is or semi-aniline or protected, mid-grade leather because as the name implies it is protected and will not scratch or stain – instead it will be resilient and will stand up to scratches, scuffs, fades, wear, and tear.
Just knowing which leather is simply the best isn’t enough. There are a few more details that will be of great benefit such as the characteristics of the semi-aniline leather, other types of leather used for sofas, the make or structure of the sofa, and a couple of buying tips to help your course. Keep reading to find out more!
Details on the Best type of Leather for Sofa: Semi-Aniline Leather
Yes!, so now you know, semi-aniline leather is your best bet for leather sofas. The arising question then is, if there’s semi-aniline leather, then there definitely is full aniline and why isn’t that the best leather for sofa? Well, these are legitimate questions that would cross anyone’s mind.
Semi-Aniline Leather For Sofa
Semi-aniline leather is finished very similarly to how aniline leather is finished. The only difference is that semi-aniline leather has a slight opaque color pigmentation. The pigment or color layering is, however, not made to cover the natural grains of the leather.
The main aim of semi-aniline leather is to completely preserve the natural grains of the leather while giving it a protective coating.
“Semi-aniline leather is one of two ways in which full-grain leather is finished“
Most people when buying leather will want the natural look even if it’s semi-aniline leather. Because of this, tanneries after tanning will apply a bit of pigment and a tiny bit of embossing to give it a natural look.
As a result, semi-aniline leather will still retain some level of natural feel and softness due to how it’s coated.
Compared to aniline leather, which has no protective finishing, it’s highly porous and more sensitive than semi-aniline which has better protection.
Ideally, leather is very sensitive and porous and that is why semi-aniline leather is finished that way to solve its porosity and sensitivity.
A semi-aniline leather sofa is really popular with families with children, pets, and families who enjoy having people over for parties.
How much Should You Spend on a Semi-Aniline Leather Sofa?
Generally, it will depend on the sofa type you are looking at. However, if a fabric sofa costs $1500, then a semi-aniline leather may cost about $2500. You may ask, why then should you spend more money on the leather sofa. There are properties that make leather a better choice.
Leather can lasts you a lifetime while something like fabric will last about 7-12years. So comparing the cost of the leather sofa over 25years to a lifetime period as against the cost of fabric sofa over 7-12years, you will realize your cost per year on the leather sofa is a lot lower.
The Pros and Cons of Semi-Aniline Leather for Sofa
To every advantage, there is a disadvantage and vice versa. It is important to understand the pros and cons of semi-aniline leather to further understand the decision you will be making on the leather sofa.
The Pros
- Slightly durable than full or aniline leather
- Has Pigment correction making the leather consistent
- The light coating on semi-aniline leather retains the characteristics like breathability, grains, and textures of the hide
- It can stand up to tougher conditions and will not damage easily
- It will patina over its lifetime allowing the leather sofa age with character
The Cons
- The down-side to semi-aniline leather is that it is expensive compared to corrected or fabric leathers.
Other Types of Leather Commonly Used for a Sofa
You will often find in addition to semi-aniline leather, there is the aniline leather and the pigmented or corrected leather. Both are also quite ideal for leather a sofa, however, under special conditions and considerations.
- Aniline Leather
- Pigmented or Corrected Leather
1. Aniline leather for Sofa
Also termed full aniline leather, the aniline leather is like the semi-aniline just that its unprotected meaning – it will scratch, it will absorb grease from your head or hair or palm and it will stain because it’s the purest form of leather.
The dye used for aniline leather sinks down into the pores of the leather, unlike the semi-aniline leather which will have its dyes on the surface to serve as a protective coating or layer.
You will see natural characteristics like fat wrinkles, bug bites, healed scars on the aniline leather even after tanning and nothing drastic to get rid of it is done.
You will also see some color variation on aniline leather when used for sofas. You will even notice different portions of the sofa being darker than other parts.
Aniline leather also has a cool feature called pull-up. When you observe tight areas or the leather used for the sofa like the edges or middle points, you will see a burst in colors which is actually interesting giving the sofa a unique character.
The burst in colors causes lighter and vibrant colors to be shown on the surface of the sofa.
Aniline leather is tough and durable but highly susceptible to scuffing, staining and fading over time. Mostly, tanneries will protect aniline leather by giving it a wax coating to make it a bit resistance to liquid stains.
The Pros and Cons of Aniline Leather for Sofa
The Pros
- Ages well with time. It looks richer and nicer the more it is used
- It responds extremely well when used for sofas because it responds well to body temperature and does not feel cold or hot
- Extremely high quality and durable
- Develops patina relatively faster and nicer
The Cons
- Stains easily
- More Expensive since only almost perfect hides must be selected with less damage such as scars, bites, and holes to the hide of the animal
- Less flexible and a bit tough to work with
- Scratches and scuffs easily
The use of Aniline leather regardless of its numerous susceptibilities is still absolutely fantastic. Most people will not mind having a sofa that has the fresh and authentic look of leather and will definitely not any problem seeing the leather on the sofa go through a lifetime of abrasions which will commemorate when and what has happened.
The full aniline leather is really good for homes and families with no children or pets just to prevent all the possible stains and scratches of sofa that come with having kids and pet dogs or cats.
2. Pigmented or Corrected Leather for Sofa
Pigmented or corrected leather is the type of leather that is treated with a mixture of protective sealant and dyes which does not sit into the pores of the hide.
It is a type of leather that has all of its imperfections like bites, scar healing and many more corrected by sanding, making it have uniformity – with a resulting leather that is resilient and easy to maintain.
Corrected leather is a budget-friendly option for your leather sofa and will give you peace of mind and you will not have to bother about stains, pets and kids jumping on them , or spills.
The Pros and Cons of Pigmented or Corrected Leather for Sofa
The Pros
- Extremely resistant to stains, spills, scratches, and fading
- It is very easy to repair damages using a simple leather repair kit
- Not expensive and budget-friendly
- Items made from corrected leather can be placed anywhere
The Cons
- Not breathable due to sealant applied on it thus retains a lot of heat and cold
- Does not have the soft feel of semi-aniline and aniline leather
- Retains no natural grains of the leather
Corrected leather drastically reduces the stress of having to be careful all the time when you have people over, kids or pets playing around them. There is total freedom and it’s much more enjoyable compared to aniline leather especially.
Watch a Video Summary of Types of Leather
Guide to Buying a Leather Sofa
Use these points to do a quick check on the Leather sofa before you make your choice.
- Type of leather (Semi-Aniline Leather)
- Hardwood Frame
- Joints, Back, Legs and Arms
- Good Spring Construction
- Sofa Cushion and Filling Material
- Color and Style
1. Type of leather
Educating yourself on the type of leather will be the first step. When buying a leather sofa, 60% of the decision and price are influenced by the quality of leather.
To reiterate, The best type of leather for a sofa is Semi-Aniline leather because it’s natural and has a slight pigment finish that help to protect the leather sofa. This makes it ideal both in the look and feel of leather.
“Misconceptions about leather retaining too much heat and cold and being sticky are contrary to the fact that leather has pores that make it breathable adjusting easily to weather conditions of heat and cold”
2. Hardwood Frame
The quality you see on the outside of the leather is one side of the coin and the quality of the wood on the inside is the other. Kiln-dried hardwood is the best choice in terms of wood for a high-quality sofa.
It is vital the wood for the sofa is kiln dried so that all the moisture content in the wood is removed to avoid warping and twisting. In some cases, some sofa manufacturers will ensure the use of knot-free woods to generally help the lifespan of the frame.
Hardwood frames made from woods such as walnut, oak, or maple are more expensive but can last really long and can stand the test of time. The thickness of the wooden frame of the sofa should be at least 1-1/4 lumber.
In more recent times, some manufacturers have engineered plywoods for sofa and I will say, they turn out to be quite strong as well. Plywoods are done by gluing layers of lumber together under some form of high pressure.
Also, there are others created and marketed like the plywood such as fiberboards, composite boards, and particleboards. If you have the appropriate budget means, you should totally avoid these family of wood for sofa frames.
3. Joints, Back, Legs, and Arms
Let’s start with the joints of the sofa. The Joints should be glued-and-screwed double dowel joints with corner blocks which are also glued and screwed.
The back, legs, and arms should be as integrated into the main body frame or stationary parts of the sofa as much as possible with hardwood. Most shoddy manufacturers may try to be sneaky with the arms and back since they feel it’s not noticeable visible – so you need to be thorough.
Suspension and motion mechanism parts must all be made using equal amounts of quality wood and metals alike.
4. Good Spring Construction
Now, to another vital part – the spring construction of the sofa. There is a lot of spring construction that manufacturers consider but I will only highlight the best for your reading pleasure.
The Hand-tied 8-way coil spring construction is the best provided it is done well. As the name implies, it is done by hand making it labor-intensive. It begins with two foundations of coil suspension mounted directly to the frame with the remaining six built on. The interlacing web bottom can also be used as a foundation in the 8-way coil spring.
Then the usual cone-shaped spring with different gauges is carefully placed on top of the foundation. After they are placed, they are tied into place with a polypropylene twine.
The hand-tied 8-way spring construction when properly done results in a sofa with the best weight distribution – that will in turn promote the longevity of your leather sofa.
There are also the Sinuous springs, webbing spring or interlacing spring which is the basic type of springs in most sofas. Some sofa manufacturers will use the drop-in springs. The drop-in springs are more affordable compared to the hand-tied springs.
The drop-in is a specially preconstructed metal frame of springs that the manufacturers insert into the hardwood frame of the sofa.
Drop-in springs are full metal and are also quite durable. It is very fast to manufacture sofas using the drop-in springs. Be careful not to pass the drop-in spring for the hand-tied spring as sometimes manufactures can make the drop-in spring to look similar to the hand-tied.
5. Sofa Cushion and Filling Material
Next stop, sofa cushion. The cushion and filling in the sofa contribute greatly to the lifespan of the leather sofa. While places on the sofa like the armrest and the back need better cushioning against the sharp edges of the wooden frame the number of layers on the part you sit is also paramount.
It will also be great to consider ensuring your sofa has removable cushions and can also be opened. This will enable you to refill your cushions when the filling gets worn out.
Sofa cushion could be made of foam alone or together with other types of materials. Foams are rated both in density and firmness. You should consider is a high-density or high resilience foam in your sofa. When well assembled, they never give in to bounce and will not require fluffing over time.
However, if you prefer a much softer seat cushion, then you will want to consider the type of cushion that combines foam and filling called down-and-feathers. This is where the foam is wrapped with polyester fiber and a down-proof casing.
Next, the feathers are used as a filling around the foam. And to prevent quills, a muslin ticking is placed on the inside of the leather. An alternative to the down-and-feather cushion is the foam-and-dacron. It is the most common type of cushion on the market today. There are other types of cushions you will fancy like the plush cushions and the innerspring cushions.
6. Color and Style
For colors, look out for relatively neutral colors just to have a good balance in your home. You wouldn’t want the color of your leather sofa clashing or mismatching other things in the room.
Thankfully, natural leather come in neutral tones and so your definitely not going to be overthinking this. Style is one key point as well. Select the style that suits your lifestyle as style is specifically subject to your preference so be quick on this one.
7. Buy from the Right Manufacturer
There is no way a good manufacturer will put real authentic leather in a shoddy frame and fill in a bad foam because natural leather is expensive.
After manufacturers have spent so much money on buying natural leather, the obvious steps covered in this buyer guide will be adhered to by most manufacturers. However, you still need to be thorough!