Faux leather or genuine leather? The most important differences explained simply

At first glance, real leather and faux leather often look very similar today. A fine grain, soft feel, or typical leather look have long ceased to be clear indicators of which material you are dealing with. Especially when purchasing products you intend to use for a long time, it is worth taking a closer look.

At Harbour 2nd, we have been working intensively with leather since our founding in 2014 – the leather expertise behind our brand actually goes back over 50 years. We select different leathers and finishes for our products and experience daily just how important the origin, surface, and manufacturing process are for the material properties. In the following, we will show you how real leather and faux leather differ and which criteria will help you with your decision.

What is real leather?

Real leather is always made from animal hide that is made permanently durable through tanning. Depending on which animal the hide comes from and how it is subsequently processed, its appearance and properties can differ quite significantly.

Within the category of real leather, there are great differences: The surface can be natural, sanded, embossed, or provided with a protective layer. If you would like to delve deeper, we explain what types of leather exist in our overview.

What is faux leather?

Faux leather is a leather imitation and, unlike real leather, does not consist of animal hide. Classic versions often have a textile layer as a backing to which a plastic coating is applied. Materials such as polyurethane (PU for short) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are used for this purpose.

During the production of faux leather, color, pattern, embossing, and surface structure can be specifically created. If you would like to know more precisely whether PU leather is real leather, you will find a dedicated article on this in our blog.

Faux leather vs. real leather in direct comparison

Which material suits you better depends largely on which properties are particularly important to you. We have created an overview for you here:

How to decide

Which option ultimately suits you best is a personal decision. This is our recommendation:

• Faux leather suits you well if an animal-free alternative, a uniform look, or often a lower price are particularly important to you.

• High-quality real leather can be the right choice if you appreciate a natural feel, individual textures, and changes through use. Leather that is less heavily processed in particular can develop its very own look over time. In addition, its durability is a key advantage.

How to distinguish real leather from faux leather

Trying to distinguish faux leather is harder than it used to be – modern leather imitations can nowadays replicate scars, wrinkles, and even small irregularities. Therefore, do not rely on a single test. We have collected important indicators for you here:

Check the label and manufacturer information

The first look should always be at the label or the manufacturer's material description. There you will usually find the most reliable information regarding composition.

If the back or a cut edge is visible, it can also provide clues. Natural leather has a fibrous structure. With classic faux leather, a fabric or textile backing can often be recognized under the coating.

Use grain and feel as indicators

Natural leather can have pores, small scars, unevenness, or even differences in texture. These characteristics arise from the original hide structure. However, there is no hard and fast rule: heavy embossing can make even real leather look very uniform, while faux leather can imitate natural textures remarkably well.

The feel in your hand also provides clues. Many leathers feel soft, warm, and supple. However, high-quality leather imitations now come very close to this tactile experience.

Is the smell of leather a reliable test?

A common tip is to smell the leather product. While the typical leather scent can be an additional indicator, it does not prove authenticity. This is because processing, tanning agents, and care products can influence the smell of leather, while leather imitations are sometimes even treated with fragrances.

We also do not recommend tricks like scratch, fire, or oil tests. They are not always reliable and can unnecessarily damage the product.

Look and feel: Real leather changes over time

An important difference between real leather and faux leather only becomes apparent during use. Natural leather can change its color, feel, and structure in everyday life. Depending on the type of leather, individual traces emerge due to light, friction, and use, among other things.

In the case of open-pored leather, this can lead to a characteristic patina. For many leather lovers, this is part of the special charm of the material – we also focus on the natural look for our products. We have explained exactly what is behind this in our article on patina on leather.

With many of our bags, cowhide is first fully processed and then washed together with the lining and hardware. This creates individual differences in look and feel that are typical for our brand. Faux leather products, on the other hand, are usually deliberately manufactured so that color and structure appear as uniform as possible.

Which is more durable: real leather or faux leather?

Quality, workmanship, friction, usage, and care always play a role in lifespan for both real and artificial leather. Therefore, the question cannot be answered in a general way.

However, high-quality leather can generally be used for a very long time if treated well. Minor scratches or signs of wear blend visually into the surface of certain types of leather or can be refurbished. This aging can then give the material additional character and make it a truly unique piece. This is how genuine vintage pieces are created that you can wear even after decades.

With faux leather, durability depends heavily on the structure and quality of the coating. Over time, friction, heat, or mechanical stress can lead to the surface changing or peeling off. How quickly this happens, however, differs depending on the product and use.

Is faux leather more sustainable than real leather?

Is it important for you to make a sustainable choice? This topic cannot be easily generalized either. Because many factors surrounding production, longevity, and eventual disposal play an important role here.

To assess sustainability, a broader perspective helps: How long can you use a product? Can it be cared for or repaired? What raw materials were used? What are the production conditions?

For our models, for example, we rely on responsible leather production with a long-standing partner in India. In doing so, we place particular value on good environmental and wastewater management as well as on the working conditions of the employees. You can find out more about this in our article on sustainable leather.

Discover leather with its own character at Harbour 2nd

If the benefits of real leather have convinced you, then you have come to the right place. We deliberately rely on real leather for our products because we appreciate its feel, natural structure, and individual development. At the same time, we also combine it with other materials depending on the model. In our canvas backpacks, for example, you will find beautiful models that are supplemented with leather details.

If exactly these characteristics fit your style, you can take a look at our leather bags or our leather accessories. There you will find different designs, leather surfaces, and finishes – and can choose the material that best suits your everyday life.

By the way: If you want to clean a leather bag correctly, you should always check which material and which surface you are dealing with. You can find out how to proceed in our blog.