A dining chair used every day, a camper bench that has to take some knocks or a sleek wall covering: faux leather is a practical and stylish choice for many upholstery projects. The material is available in a surprising number of textures, colours and qualities. However, if you choose on colour alone, you may end up with a material that is less suited to how the furniture is used. The right choice therefore starts with the application.
What exactly is faux leather?
Faux leather is a covering material with a textile backing and a plastic top layer. The top layer often looks like real leather, but can also look matt, finely grained, smooth or industrial. In the furniture trade, faux leather is also known by names such as Skai, vinyl or imitation leather. These terms are often used interchangeably, while the composition and properties differ from product to product.
The two best-known types are PVC faux leather and PU faux leather. PVC is generally sturdy, dimensionally stable and highly resistant to moisture. That makes it a logical choice for heavily used chairs, hospitality furnishings, boats or certain automotive applications. PU often feels softer and more supple and usually has a more leather-like look. That is pleasant for a luxurious armchair or a modern sofa, but here too: look beyond just the feel in your hand.
A good-quality faux leather combines a strong top layer with a backing suitable for upholstery. Thickness, stretch, abrasion resistance and any protective finish ultimately determine how the material behaves during and after upholstering.
Choosing faux leather: start with how it will be used
The most beautiful colour is only truly beautiful if the furniture still looks well cared for after a lot of use. So ask yourself a simple question in advance: what does this upholstery have to withstand every day? A decorative bench in a bedroom needs something different from chairs in a waiting room or a family car.
For chairs, sofas and home use
For dining chairs, an easy-to-wipe faux leather is often ideal. Stains from food, drinks or children's hands can usually be removed quickly. On chairs with a sharp edge or deep buttoning, pay attention to suppleness. Material that is too stiff is hard to pull tight into corners and may not sit as nicely under strong tension.
For sofas and armchairs, comfort counts for more. A supple PU quality with a pleasant grip generally feels nicer than a hard, cold top layer. Do you have pets? Then don't blindly choose faux leather as a miracle solution. Hair and dirt are easy to remove, but sharp claws can cause damage. A strong, high-quality material helps, but does not prevent scratches from intensive use.
For hospitality and contract projects
In hospitality, healthcare, practice rooms and other contract interiors, ease of maintenance is often decisive. Besides colour and texture, look at the technical specifications. Abrasion resistance gives an indication of resistance to friction, while tear strength and tensile strength are important for tightly upholstered furniture that is often under load.
In some cases there are also specific requirements for fire safety, cleaning or disinfection. Check these conditions before you order, not when the chairs are already at the upholsterer's. A contract-grade quality may cost more per metre, but is often cheaper than having to reupholster prematurely.
For cars, campers and boats
Faux leather for automotive use, campers or boats has to cope with temperature changes, sunlight, moisture and intensive contact. A material that works beautifully indoors will not necessarily stay beautiful for long outside a vehicle or on the water. So choose a quality that is explicitly suitable for the application in question.
UV resistance, moisture resistance and a stable backing are particularly relevant here. In a camper interior, comfort is important too: a surface that is too smooth can feel hot in the sun and cold in winter. Looking at a sample at home or in the vehicle gives more insight than a photo on a screen.
Pay attention to colour, texture and finish
Faux leather has long since stopped being limited to glossy black or standard cognac. Think of warm sand tones, calm greige, deep green, petrol, burgundy and modern greys. A matt finish often looks calmer and hides light signs of use better. A glossy version, on the other hand, can suit a retro chair, a bar or a distinctive interior concept.
The grain also makes a difference. A fine leather look is widely applicable and gives a neat, timeless appearance. A coarser grain looks more natural and can better camouflage small irregularities in the base. For a sleek panel or a minimalist chair, a smoother faux leather usually looks better, provided the base is perfectly flat.
If in doubt, always order a sample. Colours change with daylight, the colour of surrounding materials and the settings of your screen. A sample also lets you feel how much stretch the faux leather has and judge whether the texture suits your project.
Working with faux leather without unnecessary problems
A neat result starts with a clean base. Remove old staples, loose foam residue and sharp edges before applying new faux leather. It is best to replace damaged foam or worn Dacron straight away. New upholstery over a poor base may look taut on the first day, but will soon reveal the defects again.
Faux leather often stretches in one direction and less in the other. Determine that direction before cutting, especially for seats, rounded shapes and panels. Lay out the material generously, tension it from the centre outwards and always fix it on opposite sides in turn. This prevents the upholstery from pulling crooked or forming creases.
Use strong staples suited to your base and tools. On wood, staples are a quick and reliable choice, while contact adhesive can be handy for thin panels, edges or parts where stapling is not possible, for example. Work carefully with adhesive and follow the product instructions. Joining the parts too early or using too much adhesive can cause visible unevenness.
For a crisp finish on edges, seams or cushions, suitable thread, piping and a good sewing machine are at least as important as the faux leather itself. Beginners would be wise to sew a test piece first. Stitch length, needle size and tension all help determine whether the seam stays flat or starts to pucker.
Care: clean with care
A big advantage of faux leather is that daily care remains simple. Remove dust and loose dirt with a soft, slightly damp cloth. With a fresh stain, acting quickly works best: blot gently and clean with lukewarm water and a mild cleaning product suitable for faux leather.
Avoid aggressive degreasers, bleach, abrasives and solvents. They can damage the protective layer, making the surface dull, sticky or brittle. A scouring pad is not a good idea either, however stubborn the stain seems. Test a cleaning product on an inconspicuous spot first if you are unsure how it will react.
Preferably do not place faux leather furniture in strong sunlight or directly against a heat source for long periods. Especially with dark colours, prolonged heat can affect its life. Regular light cleaning is better than occasional hard scrubbing.
Comparing quality without guesswork
Price differences between types of faux leather exist for a reason. An economical quality can work perfectly well for a scatter cushion, a small hobby project or furniture that is rarely used. For a set of dining chairs, a commercial interior or series production, consistent colour, sufficient stock and reliable technical properties are usually more important.
So don't just compare the price per metre. Look at the width, composition, thickness, stretch, abrasion resistance and recommended application. Also allow for cutting waste with patterns, seams and repeating shapes. For several chairs in one project, it is wise to order everything at the same time to limit colour differences between dye batches.
At BLADI upholstery fabrics you will find faux leather in a wide variety of colours, textures and qualities for DIYers and professionals alike. Not sure which type suits your chair, camper interior or contract project? Then ask for advice first and assess a sample in the room where the furniture will stand. That small bit of preparation makes the difference between upholstery that only looks good when new and a result you will enjoy for years.
