Top Grain or Full Grain Leather

Full Grain leather is defined by Leather Industries of America (LIA), International Council of Tanners (ICT), International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS) as:

“The grain split of a hide from which nothing has been removed except the hair and associated epidermis.” Top Grain and Full Grain Leather are the same.

What does top grain leather look and feel like?

Top grain leather is one of the most luxurious leather covers for a sofa. It has a warm, inviting feel and is very soft to the touch. As top grain leather is dyed and treated differently than Aniline leather during the finishing process, the surface pigmentation has a slightly more consistent colouration, which makes this leather ideal for contemporary designer Sofa styles.

Is a top grain leather sofa right for me?

A top grain leather sofa is a great choice if you want a hard wearing, durable and easy to clean sofa. It makes an ideal choice for a busy family home with young children and pets.

A great feature of this leather is that if liquid, such as coffee, is spilt onto your sofa the pigmented coating will resist absorption long enough for you to be able to wipe it down with a damp cloth.

The pigment coating has a great resistance to light and will not fade as rapidly as dyes that are often used to colour unfinished leathers, such as aniline leather.

Top grain leather is similar in quality to Aniline Leather which is one the best and most durable an attractive leathers available for furnishings.

NB: Sofas upholstered in top grain leather may be initially stiffer and the leather may be less supple when absolutely new. This may occur for the first few days of use. Just as with a high quality pair of shoes, the leather hasn't been used so this will soften with use over the proceeding days. This will only get more and more luxurious and soft over time. NB: This is not a fault when you receive your sofa, but a sign of quality and durability for the long term.

Aniline Leather

Aniline leather is manufactured from only the best quality of hides with minimal imperfections, such as bite marks and scars. Aniline leather undergoes little treatment and only aniline dye is used to colour this type of leather.

Unlike corrected grain and semi-aniline leathers, no pigment is used to coat the surface giving a very delicate and natural looking leather.

What does aniline leather look and feel like?

Aniline leather is one of the most luxurious leather covers for a sofa. It has a warm, inviting feel and is very soft to the touch. As leather is a natural product different parts of the hide will absorb different quantities of aniline dye so you will see lots of shade variation.

Is an aniline leather sofa right for me?

As aniline leather undergoes little treatment, great care has to be taken to keep this leather looking its best. An aniline leather sofa is not advisable for homes with young children and pets, or rooms were food and drink is consumed.

No pigment coating is used on aniline leather so it is very susceptible to staining. If liquid, such as coffee, is spilt on your aniline leather sofa the liquid will be immediately absorbed and will very quickly darken the affected area until it dries. This often results in a stain that will only fade with time.

The dyes used to colour aniline leather are prone to being broken down by sunlight. Prolonged exposure can cause discoloration very rapidly. In order to prevent this, be sure to keep your aniline sofa out of direct sunlight.

Sofas that use aniline leather are some of the most expensive sofas you can buy due to the quality of hide used. Be sure to consider your purchase as these sofas need a lot of care and attention to be thoroughly enjoyed.

Semi-Aniline Leather

Semi-aniline leather sits between top grain or full grain leather which may have a corrected grain and fully aniline leather. It is often manufactured from better-quality hides with fewer natural markings, such as bite marks and scars.

Semi-aniline leather has a thin coating of protective pigment to allow the natural beauty of the leather to show through.

What does semi-aniline leather look and feel like?

Semi-aniline leather tends to have a smooth feel and is one of the softest leathers available. Because only a thin layer of pigment is used to coat its surface, it may have minor evidence of natural markings and slight shade variation,but not to the same extent as in full aniline leather.

Is a semi-aniline leather sofa right for me?

Semi-aniline leather sofas are suitable for people who want to see the natural beauty of leather but would also like the durability and some of the colour consistency that comes with corrected grain leather.

Semi-aniline is a very soft leather, but it can be marked if proper care and attention is not observed. Spillages need to be blotted as soon as possible as there can be staining if liquids are left to absorb into the leather for too long. Scratches need to be treated with leather cream and/or polish.

The beauty of semi-aniline is that this is one of the softest and durable leathers available. It does have a degree of protection, but it will likely tarnish and mark over time, giving a lived in look.

Genuine Leather

Genuine leather or Real Leather (which is the same) is a general industry term which covers a number of different leather groups.

This Covers:

Split Leather and Bonded Leather

Most of the above to varying degrees of thickness between layers incorporate the lower level of cow hide which is the fibrous part, being coated with a layer of synthetic or faux leather. This is Genuine or Real Leather.

After tanning, a leather hide is about 8mm thick which is too thick to be used on sofas. A technique called splitting is used to slice the leather into thinner more usable pieces. The top layer, called top grain, is used for more expensive applications. The bottom layers are used for suede or in the furniture industry as split leather.

Before being used on sofas the split leather has an imitated leather grain embossed onto its surface, much like corrected grain leather, creating a more natural appearance.

What does genuine leather look and feel like?

Genuine leather is very widely used in sofa coverings and is very similar in its external appearance to some higher grade leathers. The main difference is that the surface layer has a slightly colder and harder surface due to the coating of a synthetic surface which is patterned as leather.

Is a genuine leather sofa right for me?

A genuine leather sofa is a great choice if you want a hard wearing, durable and easy to clean sofa. It makes an ideal choice for a busy family home with young children and pets.

A great feature of this leather is that if liquid, such as coffee, is spilt onto your sofa the pigmented coating will resist absorption long enough for you to be able to wipe it down with a damp cloth.

The pigment coating has a great resistance to light and will not fade too rapidly.

A genuine leather sofa will look great for some years but depending on the wear, will eventually split and crack as the synthetic layer on the surface is not as durable as a top grain or Aniline natural leather hide which may last decades compared to genuine leather at around 2 years upwards depending on wear.

Does the entire sofa come in the chosen leather?

All our sofas feature the chosen leather on all wearable parts. Non wearable parts and parts that do not receive physical touch and areas that are mostly unseen such as the back and some side panels may use synthetic leather in a 100% matching colour. These parts do not receive any wear or touch. This is industry standard and we can quote separately for 100% full leather, if so desired.