Real and Faux Leather
What Is Artificial Leather?
Artificial leather is a man-made leather substitute, usually fabric coated with PU or PVC. What it's made of, where it's used and how it behaves.
Artificial leather is a man-made material that stands in for leather where a leather look is wanted but hide costs too much or isn't suitable. Most of it is a fabric base coated with a plastic, either polyurethane (PU) or PVC, then embossed with a grain. It isn't leather, because leather by definition is tanned hide or skin.
This answer is part of our hub on real vs faux leather.
Artificial leather meaning
"Artificial leather" and "synthetic leather" are the umbrella terms. Faux leather, leatherette, imitation leather, vegan leather, PU leather and pleather are other names for the same family. Every name is listed with its meaning in what fake leather is called.
What artificial leather is made of
Older versions used other coatings. Rexine, for example, was cloth surfaced with nitrocellulose, camphor oil, alcohol and pigment. As of 2016, polyurethane was more popular than PVC.
| Type | Build | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| PVC (often sold as leatherette) | Fabric base with a soft PVC layer; the PVC needs a plasticizer to stay flexible | – |
| PU leather | Base fabric, polyurethane coat, color coat, textured finish | – |
| Poromerics | Polyurethane coating on a fibrous base, typically polyester; Corfam was the first, in 1963 | – |
| Microfiber-backed | Porous artificial leather on a non-woven microfiber backing, popular for clothing | – |
| Bio-based | Made from fungi, yeasts or bacteria; cork leather is compressed cork oak bark | – |
How is artificial leather made?
The usual method builds it up in layers on an embossed release paper that holds the grain in negative. Plastic layers go on, the stack is cured, and the paper is peeled off. One maker describes a second route for PVC: coat, foam, then press a grain in with a textured roller. The full steps are in how faux leather is made.
In this 2015 episode of Speaking of Chemistry, Chemical & Engineering News explains how polyurethane artificial leather is usually made: a polyurethane paste is spread on a backing fabric, set in a water bath, then laminated to coated release paper that carries the grain. The water-based method it goes on to describe was still in development when the video was made, so treat that part as a 2015 snapshot.
Where artificial leather is used
It's common in clothing, furniture upholstery, boat upholstery and car interiors. Mercedes-Benz uses its MB-Tex material in many base trims. Leatherette is also used in bookbinding and once covered many 20th-century cameras.
How artificial leather compares with real leather
How long the PU kind lasts is covered in how durable PU leather is. For the side-by-side with hide, see artificial leather vs. synthetic leather and leather vs. pleather.
| Column 1 | Artificial leather | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Upkeep | Needs little maintenance and doesn't crack or fade easily | – |
| Surface wear | On some types the surface can rub and wear off with time | – |
| Cleaning | PU types are washable; PVC types are not easily cleaned | – |
| Breathability | Porous and breathable, or impermeable and waterproof, depending on construction | – |
| Moisture | Polyurethane can break down by hydrolysis | – |
| In a flame | Catches fire or melts, while leather chars | – |
FAQ
Is imitation leather faux leather?
Yes. Both are names for artificial leather. "Imitation leather" is also suggested wording for US labels on leather-look goods that aren't leather.
What is the lifespan of PU leather?
Sellers' estimates disagree, from about 1 year to 10 or more, depending on the grade. The details are in our durability answer linked above.
Where to see real leather
Leather Collection doesn't sell artificial leather; store searches for vegan, leatherette, pleather and synthetic return 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.