Leather Types
What Is Bicast Leather?
Bicast leather is a split hide coated with polyurethane or vinyl and embossed to look like top-grain. See its pros, cons and how to spot it.
Bicast leather is a split leather (the lower layer of a hide) coated with polyurethane or vinyl and embossed to look like top-grain. It has real leather underneath, but the surface you see and touch is the plastic coat. Canada's Competition Bureau notes it is also called PU leather.
This definition is part of our guide to leather types, textures and finishes.
Bicast leather meaning
Splitting separates the grain from the lower corium layer; the lower piece is a split. Bicast takes that split and adds a polyurethane film with a printed-on grain. The result looks even and glossy because the texture is artificial.
For the shredded-fiber material, see what bonded leather is. For the plain split, see what split cowhide leather is.
| Material | What it is | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Top-grain | The outer grain layer, sometimes sanded and stamped | – |
| Split | Lower layer of the hide, finished to resemble top-grain | – |
| Bicast | Split plus polyurethane or vinyl coat, embossed | – |
| Bonded | Shredded fibers glued with polyurethane or latex | – |
Where bicast is used
A furniture maker says bicast was first made for glossy shoes, then used in handbags, belts and some furniture. Modern patent leather is usually a form of bicast; see what patent leather is.
Pros and cons
Waxes, oils, grease and hair spray can attack the coating and leave it dull, sticky or peeling. Peeling on coated materials is covered in will faux leather peel?.
| Pros | Cons | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Very even color and surface | Plastic-like look and feel | – |
| Easy to wipe clean | Reduced breathability | – |
| Hides hide defects | Can crack, split or peel | – |
| Consistent texture | Stiffer than top-grain | – |
How to spot bicast
- Look closely. The coating is uniform, with no change in shade.
- Try a drop of cleaner. On bicast it sits on top and does not soak in.
- Touch it. Bicast feels smooth, slippery and plastic.
In this video, finishing-products maker Mohawk shows how to tell leather finishes apart with a magnifying glass, a fingernail and a drop of water; the bicast section is near the end. It explains that the film is made on release paper and pressed onto the leather, so no hair follicles show and the hide feels stiffer than pigmented leather. The video dates from 2014 and names heavily buffed grain as well as split leather as a base, where our sources name split leather.
Is bicast "genuine leather"?
Some sources use "genuine leather" for bicast or for coated splits. Under the US FTC guides, leather processed to look like another kind should be labeled with the kind it really is. See what genuine leather means.
Where to see an uncoated hide
Leather Collection lists no bicast goods. For contrast, the Leather Collection Amore shoulder bag is 1.2-1.4 mm (about 1/20 in) cowhide with a Crazy Horse finish that shows marks and creases with use.
FAQ
What is the lowest quality of leather called?
Our sources give no formal ranking. Bonded leather is shredded fiber, not a hide layer, and bicast is a coated split.
What kind of leather is polyurethane?
Polyurethane is the coating on bicast, which is why Canada's backgrounder also calls bicast "PU leather". So check whether a "PU leather" item has any hide under it. See what PU leather is.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.