Leather lounges are like the Ferrari of living room furniture – they’re an amazing luxury item. They smell great, look good, and are made from the best quality, longest lasting materials. That said, we definitely think you should do some research before you pull out your credit card and start buying leather lounges. There are a lot of different types of leather lounges out there and a lot of the products you will find will have vast differences in quality and style from one manufacturer to another. It’s important to know exactly what you are buying, whether it’s a good price and what you should expect in terms of durability and warranties. Get our top tips below.
Aren’t all leather lounges basically the same thing?
No. There are actually different types of hide that you will come across and different ways that they may have been treated. You will come across top grain products – don’t let the name fool you, this doesn’t always mean top quality. Top grain is basically the ‘outer’ layer of the animal. Sometimes this layer is damaged and so the hide is damaged and a similar grain is stamped on – this is usually called corrected grain.
Full top grain products are a more premium product which are supposed to be defect-free and made only from natural grain. Split-leather on the other hand comes from the lower second or third layers of the skin. Split-leather is not as durable and is much more elastic. It doesn’t have any grain and is considered unsuitable for furniture items.
How does the finish impact leather lounges?
Furniture made from cowhide is known for being extremely durable and is one of the most popular materials for furniture for a good reason. Most leather lounges will be made from material that has gone through a three0part process. Firstly, the leather is pigmented and then protected with a clear coat spray. The clear coat protectant will stop the couch from getting marked up and will make for a firmer feeling and less maintenance. Treating leather lounges with pigment also means that you will find a wider variety of colours available. The highest quality couches will use full aniline dye which will make them feel softer and will show off the natural grain. Full aniline dye and stain repellents can make your couch a little harder to keep clean but it’s often well worth it.
What’s inside?
A great hide is only going to shine if it’s backed up by a well-constructed couch. When you go shopping, keep in mind that the interior of your couch is every bit as important as the hide on the outside. You definitely don’t want to buy a sofa that’s going to end up being a bad shape because the internal structure of it is poorly built. Make sure you go for something built from a solid frame that uses spring to help the couch keep its shape. You’ll also want to look for things like cushion content which can have a huge impact on the life of your couch. You’ll want to make sure that your cushions are made from good quality materials, especially if they are tight cushions that are attached to the couch and often more difficult to refill than loose cushions.
How much does the price tell me?
Leather lounges can command huge price tags but this isn’t always a foolproof determinant of quality. Whilst you’re unlikely to find a super cheap high-quality couch, you should be wary of expensive couches. Sometimes you’ll find a big price tag on a poor-quality couch.