Leather or Fabric? If you’re struggling, we can help
Decisions, decisions. Investing your money in a new piece of furniture can be a difficult decision even at the best of times, so we’re here to help. Furniture can be very expensive, so it’s always best to weight up your options before committing to a buy.
Choosing a material can be quite frustrating, especially if it’s your first time buying and don’t know what the benefits and drawbacks of each of your options offer. The choice is usually between a leather or fabric sofa, so here’s what you should be considering.
What you need to know about fabric sofas
- Comfort
It all depends on the actual material and frame you choose, but fabric sofas tend to offer more comfort than their leather competitors. Image the hot and sticky effect a particularly warm summer afternoon has on leather, or think of the opposite extreme where leather seats can feel ice cold during the throws of winter. Fabric materials tend to have insulating properties, where they’re cool in summer and warm in winter.
2. Care
Caring for a fabric sofa is easier than you’d think. More often than not fabric upholstery is treated with anti-stain chemicals and some materials, like wool for example, have naturally occurring properties that make cleaning and maintaining the sofa amazingly easy. Wear and tear usually depends on the quality of the fabric material you go for – the better it is, the more it can withstand. Fabric doesn’t scratch like leather does either, making it an ideal soft furnishing for a household with pets.
3. Longevity
The secret to a long life of a sofa doesn’t lie in the upholstery, but the way it’s built. A strong, sturdy frame and high quality filling will last for years, maybe even decades, as long as you take good care of it. The upholstery itself, on the other hand, may have a shorter life expectancy. No matter how well you care for a fabric sofa, eventually it may need reupholstering. Eventually there will be spills that won’t come out, or tears that can’t simply be sewn up. Of course, this entirely depends on the fabric you choose; wool is an amazing natural material and is extremely resilient to wear and tear. It all depends on the choices you make and the care you take.
What you need to know about leather sofas
- Comfort
Earlier we mentioned that leather sofas are often sticky and warm or ice cold depending on the time of year, but if you can regulate the temperature in your home then leather settees can be just as comfortable as fabric. Air conditioning or heating can average out the rom temperature, but these can be expensive commodities to operate all year round.
2. Care
Caring for a leather sofa isn’t much more difficult than for fabric, and in some cases it’s actually easier contrary to popular belief. It all depends on your household and lifestyle. A pet and child free home, for example, would be an ideal setting for leather where claws and the jumping, bouncing, rolling and whatever else children get up to won’t be an ever present danger. Leather sofas usually only require a wipe down every few months to clean off dust and dirt, so as long as you take care of your leather sofa it’ll take care of you too.
3. Longevity
Leather sofas are great for putting up with abuse throughout their lifetime, and usually as they mature they look even more distinguished – much like your once youthful husband turning into a silver fox. Leather sofas age beautifully, and the more they’re used the more they will add character to the room they’re sat in. A leather sofa will take years of punishment and still be left standing, so if it’s a long life you’re looking for then perhaps leather is the ideal solution.
Need some more help?
In the end, if you’re struggling deciding what sofa is right for your home then the decision shouldn’t boil down to doing a bit of on-line research. DesignerSofas4U manufacture and distribute all kids of sofas all over the world, so get in touch if you need some more help. You can email, call 01254268 590 or fill out our contact us form today.