30 June 2022 | By Billy Lu | “What is bonded leather” is a post under “bonded leather” series.

What is bonded leather? Surprisingly, it is challenging even for leather veterans to tell. See below screenshot: Furnituretoday.com interviewed some furniture industry insiders. However hard to tell, an honest seller shall explain clearly. Or you just ask them 3 must-ask questions (Read Chapter #7 Summary). Why hard to get truth? Partly because of biased viewpoints. Some say it is genuine leather. Some say it consists of only 10~20% leather fiber. Some also say 2-5 years lifespan only. Really???

Let’s dig up the truth!

#1 What Is Bonded Leather?

Bonded leather meaning (what bonded leather means?)

In essence, it is recycled material which consists of some % of real leather fiber.
Upholstery and fashion industries use it as leather substitute.

What does bonded leather mean? 3 simple facts:

1. Not genuine leather.
2. Not vegan leather either.
3. Leather scraps got recycled.

It is not 100% genuine leather. Meanwhile, neither 100% faux nor vegan leather either. Because it consists of both real leather fiber and non-animal materials. Let’s be clear: Essentially, the bonded leather is recycled leather. Because it recycles leather scraps which otherwise end up in landfill. In a sense, it helps reduce landfill burden.

Awesome, right?

Read on: US Federal Trade Commission’s Regulation on bonded leather >> Next Section

What is bonded leather made of?

Bonded leather consists of the following materials:

1 Leather fiber sheet
2 Non-animal base material (paper or cloth)
3 Synthetic coating material (polyurethane)

Where are leather scraps from? They are leftovers from tanneries and leather goods manufacturers. Through a process, machines turn them into reusable leather fiber made sheets. These sheets come out in rolls. This layer looks, feels and smells highly Like genuine leather. After this, a polyurethane coating with color, gloss and texture will be put as the top layer.

Some online articles say: bonded leather contains 10~20% leather fiber. The truth is:

• The range is big (10~90%). It varies from bonded leather manufacturers.
• In the US market, it shall contain at least 60% leather fiber (per Federal Trade Commission (FTC)).
• In the EU market, it shall contain at least 50% leather fiber (per European Committee for Standardization).
• Some companies also offer bonded leather with up to 85% leather fiber.

Read more: manufacture process >> Next Section

How is bonded leather made?

Starting from leftover leather, it takes mainly a 4-step process:

STEP 1 – Turn leather scraps into pulp mixture
STEP 2 – Extrude the mixture onto base material
STEP 3 – Add the coating to have a leather-like color and gloss
STEP 4 – Emboss texture to have a leather-like surface pattern

First, shred the leather scraps into small leather fibers. Then, mix them with bonding materials to form the pulp mixture. Next, extrude the leather fiber pulp onto a substrate such as paper and fabric. Then, add polyurethane coating and printing that brings color and gloss. Last, a embossing roller or transfer paper will add a leather-like texture to the coating. Finally, saleable bonded leather is ready for use.

Keep reading: is bonded leather your best pick? >> Read Chapter #3

#2 Is bonded leather good?

Good or not – We suggest the judgement starts with your product goal.
Let’s put the question a different way – Is bonded leather good for your product goal?

Let’s suppose: for consumers, the goal might be to make a wise decision on selecting a product; for manufacturers’ product team, the goal might be to design a product to best fit the targeted group of users. Usually, the conclusion varies from person to person. Before any conclusion, there are 4 big-range facts and pros and cons to know.

Facts:

• 1 – Big range with leather content % – usually, it ranges from 10% to 90%. The more percentage, the higher the value.
• 2 – Big range with features – some even have real leather smell, but some do not. Some are soft, and some are hard. Bonded leather features vary greatly from supplier to supplier.
• 3 – Big range with durability – 2-5 years for low to medium grades. High grade can reach more than 10 years without peeling or cracking. Read more: bonded leather durability >>
• 4 – Big range with price – due to above facts.

Pros:

• 1 – It is most like natural leather – Among all leather replacements, it is the closest replacement. Even on leather smell.
• 2 – Eco-Friendly – Although not vegan leather, it recycles leather scraps, reducing landfills. Choosing to consume bonded leather instead of natural leather also indirectly reduces the pollution of tannery to the environment.
• 3 – Cost – Compared with genuine leather, there is an absolute cost advantage.
  For manufacturers, there are 2 more pros to add.
• 4 – Quality consistency (compared to natural leather)
• 5 – High cutting yield (compared to natural leather)

Cons:

• 1 – Still not genuine leather – if some consumers just want 100% leather made products, then it’s not suitable.
• 2 – Not 100% vegan leather – if some consumers are vegan purists, then it is not suitable.
• 3 – Not cost optimal – if highly price sensitive, then it is not suitable. 100% faux leather scheme would be more suitable.

Good or not – it also depends on comparison objects >> Read Chapter #3

Bonded leather durability

We buy a product. Of course, we hope it lives up to our expectations in its lifespan.
None of us like disappointing surprises!
Durability is a key result factor.

Let us keep eyes wide open investigating the durability.

Is bonded leather durable? Some say “2-5 years. Then, cracking or peeling”. Check on below insight from a professional company who specializes in leather repair since 1975.

The truth is bonded leather varies by grade (a big range in durability). Thanks to the evolution of manufacturing technology, bonded leather can last more than 5 years actually. The high-grade can even hit up to 10 years or above (no cracking or peeling).

How long does bonded leather (furniture / handbag / etc.) last? It varies from leather goods manufacturers.

A fact: high-grade bonded leather can be more durable than some genuine leather (low-grade or entry-level leather).

In essence, “2-5 years” is a matter of engineering design. The product goal and price strategy restrict it. Take IKEA as an example, the sofa is under a 10-year warranty. However, interestingly, it does not cover the sofa cover. Read below case:

Peeling or cracking is closely related to 2 key factors:

• Polyurethane coating formulation
• Usage and environment

Outdoor or automotive usage is much more demanding than the residential: stronger UV irradiation, rapid temperature changes, higher humidity. Polyurethane made coated fabrics are widely used for outdoor or OEM automotive upholstery (request at least 5-year durability).

Technologically, high-grade bonded leather with 5+ years or 10+ years durability (without peeling or cracking) is mature. The polyurethane coating formulation for outdoor and automotive is so much different from residential or handbags.

But how many years can a product last? It depends which grade of bonded leather your seller or supplier uses. You cannot expect a long lifespan at too nice a price.

Keep reading: ask your suppliers 3 key questions before buying>> Read Chapter #7

Is bonded leather toxic

Toxic or not – the judgement depends on raw material and process standards.
Just like cooking.

For example, food can be toxic if food material or cooking process is toxic; food can be healthy and yummy as long as following good standards of food material and cooking process.

Is bonded leather toxic – it varies from manufacturer. They are “chefs”.

Read on: ask the seller or supplier about standards >> Read Chapter #7

Is bonded leather vegan

Not vegan.
Why? Let’s prove this conclusion together.

The first step is to look into what vegan leather is. In essence, vegan leather means leather-like leather replacement made from non-animal source – plants and synthetics.

Bonded leather contains 10~90% animal skin composition. Therefore, it is not vegan.

Alright, a quick recap!

Bonded leather:

• In Essence – bonded leather is recycled leather. Not natural leather. Not Vegan.
• Value – the closest to natural leather among all leather replacements. It helps reduce the world’s landfill problem.
• Price – lower than most natural leather. More details: natural leather has 3 types >>
• Durability – wide range. Middle-low grade lasts 2-5 years. High grade lasts 5+ or 10+ years. Good quality high-grade can be more durable than genuine leather.
• Raw Materials – 10-90% natural leather content. The remainder is from non-animal source – cloth, polyurethane.

#3 Comparison objects

Bonded leather was invented as a leather replacement. There are many others.

To make a good decision on whether to go with bonded leather, understanding different substitutes and their differences will be very helpful. Let’s dive right in!

Why do they exist?

• They exist to meet the requirements of leather-like appearance and touch (even leather smell).

Why such requirements?

• 1 Partly due to demand for lower cost replacements.
• 2 Partly due to demand for non-animal sources and more environmentally friendly replacements.
• 3 Partly due to natural leather supply volume is restricted. And people need more. Hence, replacements.

Understanding natural leather and other leather substitutes, and understanding the difference will help make a smarter decision. Choose bonded leather or not? Let’s bring in competitive comparison.

Genuine leather vs bonded leather

Usually, natural leather has 3 types. They are all from an animal hide – just different layers.

Genuine Leather is another way of describing Corrected Grain Leather.
Is bonded leather genuine leather or real leather? No, it is not.

1 Genuine Leather = Corrected Grain Leather. It comes from the bottom cut or split of a hide.
2 Top Grain Leather is cut from the middle layer of a hide – second best
3 Full Grain Leather is cut from the top layer of a hide – best

Leather:

• In Essence – leather is animal skin.
• Value – traditional and classical.
• Price – much higher than most leather replacements, especially Full Grain Leather and Top Grain Leather.
• Durability – good quality leather can last up to 30 years. Is bonded leather as good as real leather? Entry-level leather is not as good as bonded leather. See below comments screenshot from furnituretoday.com
• Raw Materials – animal skin

Faux leather vs bonded leather

Some people view bonded leather as faux leather.

They might have a point there. Because it is manmade. However, it is not 100% faux as other faux leather types. Which is better bonded or faux leather? Again, it depends on your product goal. You can draw a conclusion after further reading.

Compared to faux leather, bonded leather is more like real leather:

• More real leather composition (10~90%)
• More real leather smell (this feature is available on bonded leather)

Faux leather:

• In Essence – as the word “faux” may imply, faux leather is manmade leather.
• Value – a variety of faux leather available. Many options and big flexibility supporting different product goals.
• Price – wide range. Starting from lower end pvc leather, pu leather, silicone leather, microfiber leather, etc.
• Durability – wide range. It depends on what type of faux leather and their grades.
• Raw Materials – manmade.

You might also ask about “Bonded leather vs PU leather” or “Bonded leather vs vinyl”. PU leather also uses polyurethane as its coating. It is the same coating material as bonded leather. The difference lies in the backside – pu leather mostly use fabrics (lower cost and 100% non-animal source) instead of leather fiber made sheets. Vinyl, also known as PVC leather, uses polyvinylchloride as its coating – it is the 1st generation faux leather with a long history.

Bonded leather vs bicast leather

Neither is 100% real leather. Meanwhile, both have leather fiber composition.

Bicast uses the entire split from a hide as backing layer.
Bonded leather uses leather fiber bonded sheet as a backing layer.

Bicast leather:

• In Essence – bicast leather is a split taken from a hide with its backing covered with embossed coating.
• Value – economic option. Leather goods manufacturers might benefit due to the fact that it is economical on cost.
• Price – It is much cheaper than higher grade leather.
• Durability – the quality of surface coating matters.
• Raw Materials – partly from natural leather, partly from manmade.

#4 Upholstery / fashion application

Bonded leather is widely used for making a variety of leather products.
Upholstery, fashion, consumer electronics industries.

• Furniture
• Sofas
• Chairs
• Book covers
• Bibles
• Diaries
• Desk accessories
• Briefcases
• Handbags
• Belts
• Textile and accessory linings
• Footwear
• Fashion accessories
• Automotive

#5 How to clean bonded leather

If you are using some products made from bonded leather, then a new question might pop up.
Because the bonded leather surface will get dirty as time goes by. Sure thing.

How to a clean bonded leather furniture / sofa / couch / chair?

Simple ways to care for and maintain the bonded leather products. Check IKEA’s official care instruction:

Easy peasy! Let me add a few best practices:

• Don’t use detergents, detergent soaps, abrasive cleaners or cleaner alkaline.
• Don’t start overall cleaning at the beginning. Do a test cleaning on a small area to check color fastness.
• Clean the spilt liquid or stain immediately.
• Clean the surface with a damp cloth first. Then, use one another clean cloth to dry the surface.

FQA

What is blended leather?

Blended leather is a synonym of bonded leather. Take a look at how Wikipedia defines it.
If you see a label marked as blended leather, then you know “aha, it is actually bonded leather.”

What is reconstituted leather?

Reconstituted leather is also a synonym of bonded leather.
It is just the same thing, but different ways of saying it.

Can we have bonded leather repaired?

Take an old bonded leather sofa as an example, there are 2 different ways to treat it.
Way 1 – peel off the coating layer which had peeled off some, then use repair compound (a few layers). Next, use dying material to color it.
Way 2 – replace the entire sofa cover.

Summary
– 3 Questions To Ask Sellers

Here’s a concise recap:

• Not genuine leather or vegan leather. It is recycled materials – recycle leather scraps, and reduce landfill burden to the earth.
• It contains 10~90% leather fiber made from leftover leather scraps.
• Durability has a wide range. High-grade lasts 5+ years or 10+ years while regular grades last only 2-5 years. Product goal, cost control restricts durability engineering.

3 questions to ask your seller / suppliers:

1. What’s the percentage of real leather fiber?
2. Which sides of the product used bonded leather?
3. What standard does the bonded leather follow?