7 July 2022 | By Billy Lu | what is bonded leather made of

What is bonded leather made of? In essence, it is upholstery material. Becuase it recycles leather scraps which otherwise end up in landfill. Is it vegan? Or does it consists of some % of animal leather fiber? What other materials are used?

Let’s dig up the truth!

#1 What is bonded leather made of

Leather fiber

Leather fiber is from natural animal hide.

The name itself has provided valuable information on what it is made of. The word “bonded” implies how it is made. And the word “leather” implies what it is made of.

• Yes, there is a bonding process in production.
• Yes, it consists of real leather. But, not 100%.

Where does the leather fiber come from? Leather goods industry uses huge amount of animal hides every year. Of course, not entire hide could be utilized. Hence, a whole bunch of leather leftover come as scraps. Earlier, leather scraps ended up in landfill. Thanks to bonded leather, the big amount of leather scraps finally find a better place to go. Eventually, those scraps will be turned into leather fibers. Keep reading :))

Read on: industry regulation of leather fiber percentage >> in Chapter #2

Paper or cloth

Fiber paper or cloth is one another material. It enhances the physical properties of bonded leather hugely.

You could imagine the fiber paper or cloth as skeleton, which provides strong physical strengths. Without it, the bonded leather is just too physically weak to be used.

During the production process, leather fiber pulp is extruded onto the paper or cloth. We have a post with boned leather cross-section image that dives into more details.

Polyurethane

Polyurethane refers to a class of polymers. You might understand it as a type of plastics. On top, it is a layer of polyurethane coating.

Usually, it is abbreviated as PU. PU was invented by Otto Bayer in 1937. One advantage of PU is that it can be adjusted to different features (from rigid to flexible). In modern society, PU material is broadly used for various applications:

• Insulation
• Cushioning
• Auto parts
• Adhesives
• Tyres
• Coatings

Polyurethane has a big family. There is a variety of different types at different cost. It can be made with excellent durability. It can also be made with short lifespan of 2-5 years.

If you are investigating such material for buying decision purpose, our post “what is bonded leather? ultimate buying decision guide” might further help out.

#2 Bonded leather regulations

You might have read about 10~20% leather fiber somewhere online. The data 10~20% is not fully correct.

Yes, some consists of 10~20% leather fibers. But, per US or EU industry regulation, such materials cannot be put on sales with a tag marking “bonded leather”. Let’s look at how these regulations specify:

In addition to leather fiber percentage, there are other industry standards. They matter greatly to the performance on anti-flaming and human health. Talking about user safety, anti-flaming is a very important. Talking about human health, the eco feature is also critical.

• Fire retardant standards
• Environmental protection standards

To make it happen on finished products, work shall get started at the stage of raw materials.

#3 Bonded leather specifications

Getting a big picture to understand is easy. However, when it comes to technical details and know-how, it still varies from manufacturers. Different companies have their own best practices on both materials and production process.

Our company has been producing bonded leather for more than 15 years. We supply for car seat covers, sofas and designer handbags fully meeting US and EU industry regulations (60% leather fiber). Below is the technical datasheet for one of our projects:

In addition to 50% or 60%, the bonded leather can also be made to consist of more leather fiber like 85%. It is a matter of cost.

If you need to make a buying decision, our post with 3 must-ask questions might help.
Read on: What is Bonded Leather? 2022 Ultimate Buying Decision Guide