When it comes to luxury, leather is a material that dares to outstand every other material. At the same time, every luxe material comes with a certain price. Being expensive, real leather is an investment that is also considered black gold. Be it a leather jacket, leather shoes, or any leather household item, full-grain leather is a highly expensive luxury material.
Every expensive thing has an alternative, PU leather, bicast leather, and bonded leather are inexpensive alternatives to full-grain leather but have you ever wondered what is microfiber leather? Below is a detailed overview of microfiber leather, which many may have been in awe of, for some time. Being the best alternative to real leather. Or is it?
Microfiber Synthetic Leather
When talking about types of leather, microfiber leather is a type of faux leather that is made from a combination of a non-woven microfiber fabric that is coated with polyurethane resin. This gives the material a slight resemblance to real leather. Not including the very low-end micro-fiber leather that actually feels like plastic. The microfiber fabric is tough as well as durable, the reasons that make this very material the next generation faux leather.
Classic PU leather is made of traditional cloth whereas microfiber is an innovative approach to improvise the regular fabric coated with resin into synthetic microfiber fabric.
What is Microfiber Fabric
Microfiber is a combination of polyester and nylon fused together. The fibers are finely split to make the material highly porous which makes it dry quickly. Synthetic microfiber fabric is soft, durable, and absorbent which makes it a top-quality fabric that is used widely in cleaning, apparel, and making micro-suede leather.
Properties of Microfiber Leather
Microfiber leather is the latest improvisation when it comes to PU leather. The leather in some cases can be soft, durable, and have a supple feel to it. There are lower qualities though, that have a plastic feel to them. This look-alike is not as durable as full-grain leather but is highly durable when compared to bi-cast or bonded leather. Properties that microfiber leather exhibits are as follows.
Appearance
Microfiber leather is a material that looks like genuine leather. Being the highest quality faux leather, it does not exhibit the grainy surface that real leather does, rather the grains embossed upon the upper surface which gives it a soft and granular feel are perfectly artificial in appearance. Also, microfiber is highly absorbent and breathable, it is porous just like real leather.
Odor
Unlike real leather which is made up of animal skin, microfiber leather is odorless. The infused leather does not have a pungent or distinctive smell like real leather. Along with being odorless, microfiber leather is also anti-bacterial.
Water-Resistant
Real leather along with microfiber leather, are highly absorbent materials that make them fit in well when it comes to molding them into making apparel. Microfiber leather is said to be water-resistant which makes it durable and resistant to crack and peel.
Eco – Friendly
Unlike real leather which is made up of animal skin, microfiber leather is said to be vegan and eco-friendly. It does not use chromium tan which can affect the environment, instead, it is made up of eco-friendly chemicals that make this leather perfect for vegans.
Maintenance
Microfiber leather is the easiest to maintain as it is washable. The leather material is also resistant to wrinkles. You won’t be needing any dedicated solutions that are used to clean real leather. But you just have to toss your microfiber leather jacket in the laundry and you’re good to go.
Micro-suede Leather
Micro-suede Leather is a type of PU leather that is made of polyester and nylon along with a suede-like texture. The leather imitates real suede leather due to its soft and supple feel in most cases. Micro-suede adopts all the properties of microfiber leather.
Uses of Microfiber Leather
Microfiber leather is used in a variety of items. These are:
- Footwear
- Apparel
- Automotive Interior
- Furniture
- Sports Equipment
Microfiber Leather VS Bonded Leather
Bonded leather is a type of real leather that is of the lowest quality when it comes to grades of leather. Microfiber leather is better than bonded leather in every way as it is more durable, tough, and looks exactly like real leather, whereas bonded leather is made of scraps of leather.
Microfiber Leather VS PU Leather
Basic PU leather is made of regular fabric coated with polyurethane resin whereas microfiber leather is made of microfiber fabric. Microfiber fabric is soft, breathable, and highly absorbent which makes the leather tough and durable. PU leather tends to crack and peel but microfiber does not as it is the highest quality PU leather.
Microfiber Leather VS Full-Grain Leather
When it comes to real full-grain leather, it has its fan base. Being a luxe material, full-grain leather is expensive and looks the best when used in making apparel or footwear. Microfiber leather may be the highest quality synthetic leather but it can never compete with real full-grain leather. Natural leather has the qualities such as patina, breathability, and absorbent nature that no synthetic material can provide. Also, real leather tends to last many decades if maintained properly as compared to microfiber leather.
