I would never voluntarily furnish my house with a leather sofa because I
don't find them comfortable to sit on and worry about keeping the
leather from splitting. I have a variety of different kinds of fabric. I
go for dark enough colors that they don't show ordinary dirt. (I do have
an old sleeper sofa that was a floor model--I was moving into a new
apartment and hadn't brought my old sofa, which I hated--that's light
colored, and it really needs to be cleaned, somehow.)

Donna G. wrote and asked:

Leather splits too easily, and is hot, hot, hot.  You stick to it.

But I'm careful these days about the chemicals used to manufacture fabrics
these days.

They are highly toxic, and in a fire their fumes will kill before the flames
do.  This is a BIG problem with our airlines these days.

... SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING:
... Books may introduce unfamilar or confusing ideas.  In the event
... of uncomfortable self-reflection, seek your computer immediately.

My neighbor has a leather couch and chair in his den that is so
comfortable.  It is very soft and you feel as though you could sink into
it.  It was very, very expensive though.   I had a leather chair at one
time and the dog used it to look out the window.  She would jump up and
down when she saw a squirrel or bird and ripped the arm to pieces.

I have fabric furniture now.  The den is a smooth type fabric and stood
up pretty well over 12 years and many cleanings by a commercial service.
The living room is a more modern, nubby fabric and seems to be very
sturdy (only a year old).

Ann

We prefer leather because it doesn't absorb dust (dust mite issues for those
of us allergic) and doesn't absorb animal dander (allergy issues again). Our
leather sofa is less stained and worn from our son than our fabric sofa was
from our daughter; doesn't absorb liquid like fabric does. And it is much
less hot than our old velour sofa. The leather is crackling a little - our
own fault for not using leather conditioner.

Down side, besides being more expensive - you can't fluff up the cushions,
or rearrange them for more even wear. Being a heavy woman and sitting in the
same spot all the time, the sofa is much flatter and more worn where I
usually sit.

Adelle

Do you all prefer leather furniture or fabric covered furniture? And
why?

Which is easier to keep clean---fabric (such as suede, chenelle,
microfiber, or velvet fabric on a couch or recliner) or leather?

Any of you have any experience with any of these kinds of fabrics?

Thanks,
Donna
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1. ANGELS EXIST, but some times, since they don't all have wings, we
call them FRIENDS......
2. J.K.M.A.

Donna
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1.   ANGELS EXIST, but some times, since they don't all have wings, we
call them FRIENDS......

2.    J.K.M.A.

I prefer fabric as I don't sweat as much in a fabric chair as a leather one.
At work I have a mesh back workstation chair which very comfortable and even
cooler to sit in.

Do you all prefer leather furniture or fabric covered furniture? And
why?

Which is easier to keep clean---fabric (such as suede, chenelle,
microfiber, or velvet fabric on a couch or recliner) or leather?

Any of you have any experience with any of these kinds of fabrics?

I'm a huge fan of leather sofas.  They can take the wear and tear of kids
and pets.

We just replaced the leather sofa and love seat we bought before our oldest
grandson was born.  With another leather set in a lighter color.  Grandson
took the old set - 18 years old - with him to his first apartment.

Jo

Donna, we just went through this debate (my sig other and myself)
about a year ago when we needed to replace our sectional. He wanted
leather and I wanted fabric. He wanted RED and I wanted taupe. As
usual, he won. And I have absolutely no regrets. I love the red
leather! We did spend the extra money to get the insurance that you
can buy--if it splits or whatever, it's covered. Ours is from American
Leather, which is medium priced, I'd say, and we got one of the lesser
quality leathers because it actually wears better. (when you look at
the little samples, scratch them. the lower quality doesn't show the
scratches nearly as much). Good luck!

Diane

Do you all prefer leather furniture or fabric covered furniture? And
why?

Which is easier to keep clean---fabric (such as suede, chenelle,
microfiber, or velvet fabric on a couch or recliner) or leather?

Any of you have any experience with any of these kinds of fabrics?

personally, we've had both.  never had any problem with leather splitting,
even after 25 years, but i did use conditioner on them, maybe two or three
times in all those years and i don't put furniture near windows where the
sun beating on them will degrade them.  i tend to think the durability of
cushions, fabric and leather depends on the mfg.'s skill, with framing and
upholstering.  our leather chairs were flexsteel and they held up
beautifully, even the cushions stayed firm, despite scroungy football
players/teenagers roughly lounging on them all the time and we weren't
exactly lightweights, either.  they wiped clean easily.  the leather sofa
was not flexsteel and its cushions didn't fare as well, nor did it
structurally, so that went by the wayside within a few years.  i didn't
cover any of them with anything, but i did keep the dogs' (small ones) and
cats' claws well-trimmed.  i finally simply got tired of them and my sil was
happy as punch to take the leather wingbacks and club chairs off my hands.
my son actually wound up getting one of the flexsteel leather club chairs
back, last year when she changed her style.  and it still looks good and is
firm, after more than 30 years and i'm amazed.  i'd forgotten how good they
looked when i gave them to her.

currently, i have a silk blend pastel floral sofa, cream colored background.
the factory treatment really has gone a long way in keeping the cream color
looking cream.  so, it pays for itself to have a good stain resistant
treatment when it is new. but i do have throws on it every once in awhile,
when i think of it and my cats haven't been groomed--otherwise i have to use
rubber gloves on it all the time to remove cat hair.  truthfully, i'm
surprised that silk blend is as strong a fiber as it is.  while i love the
fabric pattern and colors, i'm not crazy about the framing structure (not
flexsteel), though the seat cushions are still holding firm, the back
cushions are too maleable.

i have to say, at this point, don't get a sofa with 3 seat cushions, because
you have to keep chasing those darn cushions.  i hate that and that's my
main gripe with this sofa.  (one of our first sofas was a flexsteel, with
two cushions and that wore like iron, structurally, the fabric, as well as
cushions and we never had to chase cushions--but plaid got boring fast.LOL
it went to a neice who was beginning her own family and i can't believe she
still has it in her familyroom!  amazing durability.)

btw, my folks had naugahyde and that stuff really does make you stick to it.
we didn't have that problem with leather.

kate
(who is now thinking about investing in flexsteel stock.LOL)

Thanks,
Donna
.
.
.

1. ANGELS EXIST, but some times, since they don't all have wings, we
call them FRIENDS......
2. J.K.M.A.

Donna
.
.
.
.
1.   ANGELS EXIST, but some times, since they don't all have wings, we
call them FRIENDS......

2.    J.K.M.A.

I prefer fabric myself, for the heat & humidity factor.  If you have decent
air conditioning, I find leather feels cool.  In my experience, if you can't
keep your place cool enough, leather can really be uncomfortable.  Also,
there is a WIDE range of quality in the leather furniture out there these
days.  Much of the less expensive stuff is vinyl where you don't sit and
leather only where your skin would touch when sitting down.  Good quality
leather in a cool enough space can be a delight to sit on, but it ain't
cheap!
In sewing circles, microfiber is THE way to go in upholstery fabric nowadays.
It resists spills but still breathes and is soft to sit on.  Personally
speaking, that's the way I plan to go when we finally buy a new sofa.