Difference Between Real and Bonded Leather

The feel and smell of leather has been a mesmerizing fit for people to fancy their jackets, diaries, bags and more. Leather with its grainy texture, unique patterns and distinct appearance makes for a great material of art too. But it is important to distinguish between real leather and bonded leather to truly enjoy the authentic finish and feel of leather.

As the market of bonded leather is on a rise, it is but common for people to sell bonded leather goods in the name of real leather. Here is how you can know and tell the difference between real and bonded leather with expertise!

Read the Label of the Products

Mostly the real leather goods will have a tag of ‘Real leather’, ‘100% leather’ or ‘full grain leather’ on the labeling. This is common to find when the seller is actually selling real leather in his products. But when you find no specific information being shared on the leather goods, its highly likely that it is bonded leather. The real leather sellers take pride in bringing to the customers the authentic leather with its purity, and so having a mention of it is but obvious on the label.

Mark the Price

We all love to buy products for cheap but when it comes to leather, real leather is expensive. Owing to its purity and authenticity, real leather is a rather pricy investment. And so if you are looking at leather good that is seeming like a deal to make for great finish, it might just be bonded leather. Bonded leather is available for cheap as it is mixed with latex and other synthetic materials.

Have a Look at the Leather

Real leather is natural. It is made from the skin of the animals. And so the rugged feel, imperfect cuts and rough texture is the right appearance of real leather. On the other hand, bonded leather with have a smooth finish with appealing touch and shine! While some people might think that smoothness and shine is the sign of higher levels of purity, it actually means that it is machine made and includes a lot other components.

Touch to Feel the Imperfections

When you touch real leather you shall feel the imperfections and rugged appearance of the leather much like skin. If you press the real leather it shall wrinkle and stretch too. But with the bonded leather it is always a smooth feel with even finish. When you press the bonded leather, it shall depress a bit but will retain the shape that it has been designed into.

Sniff it Up!

Natural, organic and authentic leather bags have a distinct smell. The skin scent is accurately noticeable when you know what real leather smells like. Bonded leather mostly does not come with a smell and if it does then it’s mostly plastic or chemicals. Smell gives the perfect sign of real leather.

Next time when you are on for purchasing leather, read through the signs to spend your money right! You can also check out our leather laptop bags.