Real and Faux Leather
What Is PU Leather?
PU leather is fabric coated with polyurethane and embossed to look like leather. What PU means, what it's made of, and when 'PU leather' contains hide.
PU leather is a man-made leather substitute: a fabric base coated with polyurethane, then colored and given a leather-like grain. "PU" stands for polyurethane, a family of plastics. Plain PU leather contains no hide, so it isn't real leather. The one exception is bicast, covered below.
This answer is part of our hub on real vs faux leather.
PU leather meaning
Polyurethane, often shortened to PU or PUR, is a class of polymers built from units joined by urethane links. The Cambridge dictionary describes it simply as a plastic used especially as a varnish or protective coating. On a label, "P/U leather" means polyurethane faux leather, not pull-up leather.
PU leather is one of many names for artificial leather. The same material may also be sold as faux leather, vegan leather, leatherette or pleather. For two of those names, see what leatherette is and what pleather means.
What PU leather is made of
It's built in layers: a base fabric, a polyurethane coat, a color coat and a textured finish. The grain is cast from an embossed release paper that often copies top-grain leather. The paper is peeled off once the layers cure. PVC is the other common coating, and as of 2016 PU was the more popular of the two. The production steps are covered in how faux leather is made.
Is PU leather 100% leather?
No. A tag reading "100% PU" names polyurethane as the material, not hide. Under US guides, a leather-look product that isn't leather should say so, for example "Imitation leather". Some products sold as "PU leather" do contain leather, though:
The yes/no answers are in is PU leather real leather? and is PU material real leather?
| Material | Leather inside? | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Plain PU leather | None: fabric plus polyurethane | – |
| Bicast ("PU leather" in some furniture) | A leather split under a polyurethane layer | – |
| Bonded leather | 10–90% shredded leather fiber in a polyurethane or latex binder | – |
Is PU leather good quality?
It depends on what you need from it:
- Easy to clean. PU artificial leather is washable; PVC types are not easily cleaned.
- Surface wear. The surface of some artificial leathers can rub and wear off with time.
- Moisture. Polyurethane can break down by hydrolysis, even on shoes left in a closet. PU-coated materials are known to delaminate. Why this happens, and how resin types differ, is in does polyurethane leather peel?
We found no reliable source for how many years PU leather lasts, so we don't give a number. See how durable PU leather is. Whether it handles rain depends on how it's built, since some artificial leathers are porous and breathable while others are waterproof. Read is faux leather waterproof?
Is PU leather vegan?
Plain PU leather contains no hide, which is why it's also sold as vegan leather. Bicast and bonded leather do contain leather. Only a certification such as the Vegan Trademark checks for animal by-products and testing. More in is vegan leather the same as faux leather?
FAQ
What is the difference between faux leather and Rexine?
Rexine was an early British leathercloth: cloth coated with nitrocellulose, camphor oil, alcohol and pigment, then embossed. PU leather uses polyurethane instead. See leather vs. Rexine.
Where to see real leather
Leather Collection doesn't sell PU or other faux leather; store searches for those terms 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.