PU leather

PU is the abbreviation for polyurethane, i.e. a plastic. This plastic is used as a coating for split leather. These are cheap, but not necessarily stable, as they are “split” as a thin layer from thicker leathers. This is done in order to produce as much leather as possible from an animal hide. These split leathers are then given better stability by the PU coating and can be used in furniture production or for clothing.

The term PU leather is often also used for artificial leather, but this is incorrect. This is because artificial leather is not real leather, it is a film-coated textile fabric.

Although PU leather is inexpensive, it also has disadvantages as a leather cover for seating furniture. Due to the closed plastic coating, it is not breathable, in winter it feels cold, in summer you tend to sweat and your skin “sticks” to it.

Care of PU leather

As the PU coating is a closed surface and care products cannot penetrate the leather, only water-based care products can be used. Care substances containing grease or wax would remain on the surface, leaving only a residue on the clothing.