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Leather Sofa Buying Guide





Many people like to rest on couches as they reflect on the day’s happenings. During weekends, most individuals also like to sit comfortably as the chat the day away with family and or friends at home.

Unfortunately, because of the stiff and poorly designed sofas available in homes, most individuals fail to enjoy this soothing experience, often with frustrating results. Do not lose hope, however. If you are part of this group, we have reviewed 10 of the best leather sectional couch models that will better your situation.

1) Poundex Bobkona Atlantic Sectional Sofa | 2) Poundex F7894 Bobkona Leather Chaise | 3) Homelegance 2 Piece Tufted Sectional Sofa | 4) Baxton Studio Leather Sectional Sofa | 5) Donovan 6-Piece Sectional | 6) Modern Contemporary Sofa | 7) Homelegance Pecos Reclining Sectional Sofa | 8) Baxton Studio Orland Sectional Sofa Set | 9) Welsh Brown Sectional Sofa Set | 10) Homelegance Double Reclining Sofa |

A leather sofa adds a touch of elegance and luxury to any room, whether it is for the living room, study, or even a teen’s bedroom. There are a variety of styles to choose among, from the contemporary minimalist sofa one might find in an office to a plush sofa set perfect for the den.

As far as materials, a shopper is likely to come across a bewildering array of options from microfibre suede to Italian full-grain leather and faux leather.

Understanding the wide range of options in materials and styles as well as careful planning in the layout of a room are key to choosing the perfect leather sofa. When purchasing a leather sofa, one should consider room planning, leather sofa materials, different styles and types of leather sofas, and how to buy a leather sofa online with confidence.

Room Planning: An Important Prerequisite to Finding the Perfect Sofa

A genuine leather sofa can be a major expenditure. For this reason, it is important to do some careful planning before buying. To plan a room, start by drawing a scale model of the room. Take note of the location of the door, windows, power outlets, light switches, phone jacks, and anything else that might affect the placement of furniture. Then draw all the furniture or appliances that have a fixed position.

For example, the TV or entertainment centre is usually fixed by the location of the cable connection. Lamps and side tables are fixed by the location of the power outlets. Of course these can be changed if necessary, but it takes more work to hide unsightly cables or wires. The remaining space dictates what kind of sofa fits in the room.

Focal Point

Another thing to take into account is the focal point of the room. It could be a large window with a beautiful view, the entertainment centre, or a fireplace. The sofa should lead the eye to the focal point, not call attention away. Sofas in unusual colours, styles, or materials are ideal in rooms with no clear focal point.

Doorway Opening

When planning the layout of a room, take special care to measure the doorway opening. As far as furnishing a house is concerned, there are few things worse than falling in love with and buying an expensive piece of furniture only to find that it does not fit through the door. For those who change houses frequently, a sectional sofa is a great idea.

Measurements

The measurements of a sofa are equally important. Some sofas have legs that screw in while others have built-in legs. The advantage of screw-in legs is that the sofa can fit through a smaller door opening, but the advantage of built-in legs is that they are typically stronger.

For sofa beds and recliners, make sure there is enough space behind and in front of the sofa for it to fold out. The vendor should be able to provide exact measurements to ensure that the sofa fits through the opening without problems.

Types of Sofa Leather

Before sofa buyers begin browsing, many intuit that one type of leather is more or less the same as any other type. Such shoppers soon find, however, that there are a mind-boggling number of types of leather to choose from. Each kind of leather has certain qualities that make it appealing, whether it is the ease of maintenance or the suppleness and feel. Listed below are the basics on this versatile material.

Italian Full-Grain Leather and Top Grain

Full-grain means that all the layers of the hide are used to make the leather. It is the highest quality, the most expensive, and the hardest to maintain. Over time, however, full-grain leather develops a patina; that is, like wine and violins, high quality leather actually improves with age.

Leather upholstery can last 30 years or more without wearing out, if cared for properly. Italian full-grain or top grain leather is renowned for its quality.

Top grain leather is similar in quality but is made from just the top layer of the hide. Top grain and full-grain leathers are made from hides with very few imperfections and are made to show all the natural markings of a hide, including bites and scars.

This is part of the beauty of a top-of-the-line leather sofa. However, because the leather is not treated with waxes or oils, these leathers are more susceptible to stains.

Semi-Aniline Leather

Semi-aniline leather sofas are treated with a clear sealant that offers some protection against stains without hiding the natural marks in the grain. As such, this kind of leather is considered a happy medium between the highest quality leathers, which are difficult to maintain, and the cheaper leathers, which do not have the same natural beauty and softness of full- or top-grain leathers.

Pigmented Leather

The chemicals used to treat pigmented leather protect it from stains and hide the natural markings. The increased durability and colour consistency are offset by increased stiffness. Pigmented leather becomes softer with time and is a great choice for households with children or pets because it is the most durable and stain-resistant of all the high-quality leathers.

Split Leather

Split leather is made from a layer of the hide other than the top layer. Because these portions of the hide are not as durable as the top layer, split leather is often used for the sides and back of leather sofas, making such models economical without a loss in beauty or feel. This kind of sofa is often advertised as “top grain with splits”.

Bicast, Bycast, and PU Coated Leather

All the above terms refer to a thin layer of split leather that is coated with polyurethane. These materials make sofas very stain-resistant. They also provides a consistent texture and hide imperfections in the leather. This sort of leather does not improve with age or develop a patina, however, as higher quality leathers do. Bycast leather sofas can be a fraction of the price of a full leather sofa and look just as good.

Bonded Leather

Bonded leather is actually made from vinyl or polyurethane that is combined with other synthetic materials and leather fibres. It is not a true leather product but has a variety of benefits, including high durability and ease of maintenance.

It is also much lower in price than pure leathers. Thanks to today’s technology, bonded leather can look just like real leather to everyone except the expert leather connoisseur.

Microfibre

Microfibre is actually not leather at all, although sofas made of this material are often marketed and sold as leather sofas. Microfibre is a material that imitates the texture of genuine leather but is much more durable and stain-resistant. Microfibre sofas are popular with people who want the feel and look of a leather sofa but don’t want an animal product.

Faux Leather

Another leather alternative is faux leather, which is made of vinyl. Famously marketed as “pleather”, this material mimics the texture and look of leather without any of the maintenance problems. That said, not all forms of faux leather can be cleaned through the same methods, so it is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.


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