Grading Leather Furniture

Leather Furniture Guide

Leather furniture is beautiful and luxurious, but it can be difficult to shop for. When shopping for leather furniture online, you may notice that prices can vary widely. Part of these price differences has to do with the grade of leather used. Since there is no industry standard for leather grading, judging the quality of leather can be confusing. This guide will help answer some common questions about buying leather furniture.

Grading of Leather Furniture

One of the simplest ways to grade leather is by comparing characteristics like texture, color, and durability. Manufacturers use special terms to describe these qualities: aniline, pigment, correction and grain.

Pigmented leather is coated with a leather-textured opaque color and is very durable and inexpensive. This is a great choice for frequently used furniture that is at risk of spills and stains.

Semi-Aniline is leather that has been stained or dyed with transparent treatments that maintain the look and feel of the natural leather.

Aniline leather is the most expensive grade of leather, with a texture and look that is completely natural. Aniline leather has not been treated with color and is the least stain resistant.

“Top-grain” and “split” refer to which part of the animal hide the material comes from. Top-grain leather is the tougher, more durable top level of the skin. Split leather originates from lower layers on the hide. Split leather is less durable but also less expensive.

Corrected-grain is a classification describing leather that has been buffed or sanded. Top-grain and split leather can be made smoother with these correction techniques. Top-grain leather is a term often confused with full-grain, but they are not interchangeable. Top-grain leather that has not been corrected is called “full-grain”. Durable and naturally textured, this is the highest quality leather available.

“Nubuck” is a velvet-like leather that is created when top-grain leather is corrected on one side. Split leather, when corrected, is called “suede”.

Leather Match

A low cost alternative to all-leather furniture is leather match. Leather matched means that only the parts of the furniture that are seen and touched are actually leather, the hidden and back areas may be made of vinyl or some other upholstered material. The upholstered areas are designed to match the appearance of leather, making the furniture appear to be all leather. This is a great way to get the beauty and style of leather furniture at a much lower cost.

Related Articles

If you're looking for interior decorating tips check out our Real Design home decor tips.

If youre interested in buying leather furniture check out our Leather Furniture Guide and our article on Cleaning Leather Furniture.

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