Real and Faux Leather
Is Vegan Leather the Same as Faux Leather?
Usually, but 'faux' means imitation and 'vegan' means no animal products. When faux leather isn't vegan, when vegan isn't plastic, and how to check.
Usually, but the two words don't promise the same thing. "Faux" means not real but made to look real, and "vegan" means containing no animal products. Most vegan leather on sale is faux leather made of PU or PVC on fabric, so in practice the names often mean the same material.
This answer is part of our hub on real vs faux leather. If your question is whether either one is leather at all, start with is vegan leather real leather?
What each word promises
| Column 1 | Faux leather | Vegan leather |
|---|---|---|
| The word means | Made to look like leather | No animal products |
| Common materials | PU or PVC on fabric | The same, plus cork bark and materials grown from fungi, yeasts or bacteria |
| US label rule | Should say it isn't leather, e.g. "Imitation leather" | The same rule applies, because it isn't leather either |
| Independent check | None | Vegan Trademark: no animal product, by-product or derivative, and no animal testing |
When "faux" isn't vegan
"Faux" describes the look of one part, so it can sit on products that contain animal material:
- Faux fur on real hide. Some Leather Collection jackets are sheepskin or lambskin with a faux fur lining. They are faux, but not vegan.
- "PU leather" that is bicast. Canada's Competition Bureau notes that bicast, a split hide with a polyurethane layer, is also called PU leather.
- Bonded leather. This is shredded leather bonded with polyurethane or latex, with 10–90% leather fiber.
Without a certification, you can't tell whether a faux leather used animal-derived by-products or animal testing. The Vegan Trademark checks for both.
When "vegan" isn't plastic
Cork leather is made from compressed cork oak bark. It's sold as vegan leather, but it isn't PU or PVC. How much plastic other vegan leathers contain is a separate question, answered in is vegan leather plastic?
Which is better: faux or vegan leather?
Neither name tells you quality, so look for the actual material on the label. PU artificial leather is washable, while PVC types are not easily cleaned. PU can also break down by hydrolysis, reacting with moisture in the air. See what PU leather is and how durable PU leather is.
"Vegan" is a claim about animal products, not about the environment. In the EU, generic environmental claims such as "eco-friendly" need proof from September 27, 2026. Our page on eco leather explains what that label can mean.
Where to buy real leather
Leather Collection doesn't sell faux or vegan leather; a search for "vegan" returns no products. Its men's leather jackets name the hide on every product page.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.