Real Leather vs. Faux Leather: Materials and Differences

Real leather is animal hide or skin that has been tanned so it doesn't rot. Faux leather is a man-made substitute, usually a fabric base coated with polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and given a leather-like grain. Leatherette, pleather, vegan leather and PU leather are all names for that substitute.

This hub collects our short answers on the two materials. Each section below links to the page that covers its question in full.

Real vs faux leather at a glance

What faux leather is called

Faux leather goes by more names than any other material in this category. Start with what leatherette is and what pleather means. Then see what fake leather is called, what faux leather means, what artificial leather is and what synthetic leather is.

By coating: what PU leather is, what PVC leather is and the types of synthetic leather. Some names come from marketing or brands, so each gets its own page: vegan leather, eco leather, protein leather, air leather, Leathersoft, leather match and suedette. For the wider family, see materials that look and feel like leather.

Is it real leather?

"Vegan" and "faux" both describe something that isn't hide. Start with is vegan leather real leather?, then is vegan leather the same as faux leather?, is vegan leather plastic? and is faux leather real leather?.

PU questions: is PU leather real leather? and is PU material real leather?. A PU-coated split hide, known as bicast, is still partly leather, which is why the answer isn't always a plain no.

Some real leathers get mistaken for fakes: cowhide, pebble leather, patent leather, nubuck and genuine leather. A "genuine leather" tag isn't a grade. Our genuine leather meaning page explains it. For brands, see are designer bags made of real leather? and how to verify whether a retailer's leather is genuine. For what the real thing is, see what real leather is made of.

How to tell real from faux

No single home test settles it. The label, the back of the material and the surface pattern are the safest checks to start with. The step-by-step checklist, with each test's limits, is in how to tell real leather from faux leather.

Head-to-head comparisons

• Faux names: leather vs. pleather, leather vs. Rexine, artificial vs. synthetic leather
• PU and microfiber: PU leather vs. faux leather, polyurethane leather vs. faux leather, polyurethane leather vs. real leather, PU leather vs. microfiber, microfiber leather vs. genuine leather
• Grades and finishes: bonded leather vs. real leather, nappa leather vs. faux leather, full-grain, nappa and leatherette, faux suede vs. real suede

Durability, peeling and water

PU can break down by hydrolysis, reacting with moisture in the air even in a closet. Some faux leathers are porous and breathable, while others are waterproof. Read how durable PU leather is, does PU leather peel?, is faux leather waterproof? and can faux leather get wet?. Our care hub covers will faux leather peel? and does polyurethane leather peel?.

How each is made

Faux leather is built up in layers on embossed release paper, then the paper is peeled away. The steps are in how faux leather is made. Real leather starts as a hide and goes through tanning, covered in our hub on where leather comes from and how it is made.

Labels you can rely on

In the US, the FTC guides say a leather-look product that isn't leather should say so, with wording such as "Not leather", "Imitation leather" or "Vinyl". Bonded leather shouldn't be sold as plain leather. On EU footwear labels, "leather" means hide or skin with its fiber structure more or less intact, and any surface coating over 0.006 in (0.15 mm) makes it "coated leather".

Where to buy real leather

Leather Collection doesn't sell faux, vegan, PU or PVC leather. Store searches for those terms return no products. Its men's leather jackets come in cowhide, sheepskin, lambskin or goatskin, and each product page names the hide.

FAQ

Is faux leather a fake leather?

Yes. "Faux" and "fake" describe the same family of man-made leather substitutes.

What is 100% real leather called?

No grade name means "100% leather". Under US guidance, the plain word "leather" should be used only when all substantial parts are leather.

How do you tell real leather from fake leather?

Check the label, then the back of the material and the surface pattern. The checklist linked above covers the rest.