Sofa - Leather Or Fabric?

[SamTheMan 7]

Go for fabric. Best is 100% polyester, it's synthetic.

Alternatively, you can go for 50% polyester and 50% cotton but I personally don't like it as it's harder to remove the stain.

100% leather are expensive but it's nice to look at and easier to maintain.

If you gonna take the cheaper option of getting synthetic leather, don't bother. It will not last long and it will crack especially if it's in the afternoon heat!

Why not leather?

[nataliecheo 1]

Why not leather?

Hi Sam, I'm all up for 100% leather. Faux leather tends to crack and it's not suited for our tropical climate in the long run.

[HanTu 0]

How about half-leather? Can I assume it has some qualities of leather and fabric?

[SamTheMan 7]

Half-leather just means that the seat, back and armrests are leather. The rest of the sofa in PVC.

Since, doing a half-leather sofa is to drive down the price usually the quality of the leather will be inferior. In other words, the cheapest kind of leather.

Of course, a salesperson will tell a consumer that the leather is good quality and consumers wanting to save money will want to believe but the reality is that half-leathers sofas are just not very good sofas.

[DavidSee611 3]

Please do not misunderstand that all synthetic leather will crack after a year or so. ONLY PU Leather will. PVC leather will not crack or self destruct, it will only discolor after constant exposure to sunlight.

[SamTheMan 7]

Please do not misunderstand that all synthetic leather will crack after a year or so. ONLY PU Leather will. PVC leather will not crack or self destruct, it will only discolor after constant exposure to sunlight.

Dear David,

Poor quality PU will peel. PVC will not peel or crack but it will absolutely tear after 18-24 months because it does not have the tensile strength necessary to be used in upholstering a sofa.

PVC is ideal for use in headboards, dining chairs with a wood base but PVC cannot withstand being used in sofas if you want it to last beyond 2 years.

[DavidSee611 3]

Eh Sam,

Sorry to stay corrected: It is tough to find GOOD quality PU in Singapore. So, lets just assume there is no such thing as good quality PU in Singapore. China manufacturers have already made known that PU can probably last for 15-18 Months max.

Secondly, PVC will not absolutely tear. I have a 5 Year old PVC sofa at home, and the only problem i face is discoloring. If you are referring to those S$8 per meter square PVC, maybe. But in Singapore, there are really a wide range of PVC materials available. And tensile strength? Eh every material has its own tensile strength, if we are to compare it, we can also say fabric is not suitable in upholstering a sofa. But fabric can be categorised into polyester, acrylic, cotton etc. Different weaving will result in different tensile.

Hope that you do not assume PVC as ONLY ONE TYPE OF PVC. If you need clarifications or proof, go down to any PVC/PU/Leather/fabric sellers and check with them.

Cheers

[nataliecheo 1]

All in all, for the leather option, I'll still go for 100% leather if I'm really buying it for the long run. PVC/Synthetic etc, nowadays it's really hard to source for the good ones as many retailers are trying to get the least cost for production in order to have a healthy profit margin.

Unless of course you don't mind changing your sofa every 1 year. But DavidSee611 is also correct on the PVC. I've seen of instances where PVC sofa can last a decade! Better get it in black because the discolouration in lighter shades is unavoidable.

[jonatha332 4]

i prefer fabric actually...cos it complements the look that i want...leather is kind of the very serious atas look..as compared to fabric which is more easy going and relax..

[Wendy Ng 0]

Hi all,

If you want Leather or fabric sofa feel free to drop by Notion Design Pte Ltd. which allocation at 30 Marsiling Ind Estate road 5 #02-09. They sell very reasonable price. And they also customise headboard as well.

Edited March 2, 2014 by wendyng1607

[DrAn 0]

I am also in the process of selecting a good sofa set. The choice for me is surely leather, but I am not an expert in discerning the various types of leather.

So my main concern is being misinformed about the kind of leather and this relies a lot on the honesty of the sellers.

After which, whether they deliver the correct sofa or not, is another variable.

[DavidSee611 3]

If you happen to select a sofa set which the seat or back cushion is not stitch on, you can unzip it and see the backing of the leather. Genuine leather will have a furry feel but PU/PVC leather is more of a fabric backing.

If the dealer is using this term call half leather/semi leather, which means what ever part u have contact on is geunine leather, namely the seat, back and armrest.

Lastly, try pressing against the leather. If you happen to see wrinkles that are of irregular sizing and spacing, most prob it is genuine. If it does not have wrinkles or having beautiful sizing and spacing wrinkles, then most prob it is PU/PVC leather.

Most importantly, if you are paying anything less than 1,300 for a 3+1 Seater, then confirm you are not getting a genuine leather set UNLESS IT IS ON AMAZING CLEARANCE Sales, which u got to be beware too.

[SamTheMan 7]

Good advice