Don’t You Want To Know What Is Bonded Leather?
Learning about the various types of leather is important because it is a way for you to find what you truly needed and at the same time implement the right course of decisions that could help you along the way as you improve your homes, your offices and personal spaces.
In the eyes of many, leather is always the same but you might be surprised that there are different types of leather. Don’t you want to know what is bonded leather and what is not?
It is irrefutable that technology and development of leather has captivated the world with such style and urgency. It has dominated the homes, the offices and even the public places where gatherings are often made and done.
Since it is already known that there are different types of leather, you can first be acquainted with the elements that makes the leather fall under the category of “bonded leather.” If you want to know what is bonded leather, you need to understand the simplest definitions about it and why it is called as such.
According to Consumer Affairs, it falls under the category of bonded leather if it has “reconstituted” leather or just plain “vinyl” and it is made together to form a seamless piece of leather material.
In comparison to genuine leather, the genuine leather is made entirely from the pieces of animal hide and cost more in comparison to the bonded leather. As cited by the same post, the bonded leather is granting its consumers the chance to enjoy the comfort and look of a leather material without having to worry over its price and value.
However, surprisingly, making a bonded leather is easier said than done. It is like finding a needle in the haystack because the means to collect and gather these leathers are not easy to do and often times difficult to integrate.
At some point, people usually take bonded leathers for granted, but we see bonded leathers when we use accessories made from it. For one, bonded leathers are used in belts and although some could not differentiate bonded from genuine, it is often depicted and seen when you use it.
Bonded leathers don’t last longer than the genuine ones. It is a fact that genuine leathers could last for years and years and it would not even broken in halves because it was created as a whole and not in pieces.
Also, in terms of accessories, it is better to be aware of the differences that bonded leathers could render. For clothing and accessories such as belts and jackets, it is ideal to determine if the accessories or clothing are made from pure leather or bonded ones because its longevity lies on it.
In a post from Live Science, it relayed explicit details regarding the elements regarding bonded leather. According to the post, the bonded leather is basically made from scraps of real leather hides that are mixed with polyurethane, which is mainly a type of plastic material.
Moreover, the material features 60 to 100 percent of pure leather such as the leather from the cowhide, and based on the manufacturing gauges, the durability and strong features of the product is dependent on the actual proportion set forth by the manufacturer.
However, often people mistook the difference of what is bonded leather and what is genuine leather. It is sometimes misdirected and you could be misinformed about the type of leather displayed right before you.
To prove the latter, bonded leather is basically integrated in things such as the furniture, the office supplies and even books and other reading materials are using bonded leather as well.
Here are some of the processes that you need to know pertaining to how bonded leathers are made.
How Bonded Leathers Are Made
- The manufacturers would gather scraps of leathers and fibers.
- The manufacturers would then use the gathered scraps and fibers that were left behind while making pure leather elements such as sofa, beds, chairs, belts, clothing and accessories.
- The scraps would then be used and formed with hard-fiber backing.
- Manufacturers would also use coats and polishes the finished product to make it look like a real and pure leather.
It does not imply that bonded leathers are not durable nor are the things made from it are of low quality. There are advantages of bonded leathers as well.
Advantages Of Bonded Leathers
- Bonded leather is priced at a lower cost.
- It promotes awareness for the environment. It promotes environmental friendliness, since the bonded leather is recycled, made and reclaimed from used materials.
Despite having positive elements and advantages for bonded leather, it is undeniable that it has its own sets of shortcomings as well.
Sets Of Shortcomings
- Bonded leather has durability concerns.
- For one, bonded-leather furniture usually does not last longer in comparison to those made from pure leather.
- It is easily strained and destroyed.
This You Tube video relays the difference genuine and bonded leather and how furniture such as the sofa made from bonded leather tears easily. This is precisely the reason why you need to be aware of the elements along with the possible scenario that could happen to you when you buy things made from bonded leather.
You also need to know the different leather grades along with the tanning methods, and the varying different between saddleback full grain and top grain. It is also important that you are aware of the different between high and low grade leather so that you can make a decision on what and which product you will choose or buy.
It is not a bad thing to know what is bonded leather and what is not. It is a way for you to prepare yourself and be aware of the elements that could help you make a choice in the present and in your future endeavors.
Sometimes being aware of something and knowing something are helpful for you and in your upcoming decisions. Also, knowing the different types of leather and its uses along with its disadvantages will surely help you to prevent forthcoming complaints and possible issues regarding pure leather and bonded leather.