Features eco-leather for furniture, important nuances of choice
The ideal furniture option is beautiful, reliable, and does not require complicated maintenance. All these advantages are inherent in products coated with eco-leather. The material combines the softness and elasticity of genuine leather with the strength of textile fabrics. At the same time, eco-leather for furniture is selected the best quality, and finished products have an affordable cost.
What is made of
Customers who do not know what eco-leather is used in furniture upholstery confuse this material with faux leather. But the difference between them is significant. Artificial leather is made on a fabric basis, on which liquid PVC and other chemical components are applied. The material is not soft, does not let air through, so sitting on a sofa or chair with such a coating is hot and uncomfortable. When heated, harmful substances may be released into the air.
For the manufacture of eco-leather, high-strength cotton fabrics are selected, on which polyurethane is applied. An approximate composition of the material can be represented as follows: 70% - polyurethane, 30% - natural cotton.
The abrasion resistance of the obtained eco-leather depends on the thickness of the polyurethane layer. Some types of material have another layer of Teflon coating, which increases reliability and strength. Modern methods of decoration: color, embossing, drawing a picture or printing, can create paintings that are identical to natural. You can choose the right texture and upholstery tone for any interior.
Among the many varieties of eco-leather, the most popular are:
- "Oregon" - is used more often than others. The material has about 70% cotton in the optimal ratio of price-quality. It has high strength, does not wipe. The texture matches smooth, natural skin. Variety "Antique" is offered with a glossy surface, "Royal" - with a smooth and shiny;
- The Companion is made on a more solid basis than Oregon. A polyurethane film is applied to a substrate of fleecy textile coated with polyurethane foam. The material is durable;
- "Alba" - is characterized by excellent vapor permeability, breathability and resistance to light aging;
- “Dollarro” is identical to natural matte leather. It has the widest palette of shades, combines strength and softness.
Quality eco-leather meets sanitary standards and GOST. The material is tested for color fastness, bending strength, exposure to light aging, the absence of unpleasant odors when heated or in contact with the human body, the level of hygroscopicity.
In the furniture industry, eco-leather is wrapped in soft and hard structural elements.When choosing an upholstery material, the potential load on the furniture is determined. Products used in offices with high traffic should be fitted with the most durable eco-leather. For home models, the level of operating comfort is more important.
Pros and Cons of Material
The main advantages of eco-leather include:
- The fabric base is permeable to air and water vapor. It provides low thermal conductivity;
- polyurethane is a polymer with a wide range of operating temperatures. It can be used to finish furniture used both in humid and hot rooms, and outdoors in frost. The coating is highly wear resistant;
- the appearance of eco-leather furniture and genuine leather is almost identical. The texture of the material is offered with various embossing and elaboration; it is possible to dye it in a wide palette of colors;
- the surface of the furniture is easily cleaned of dirt. In order to remove the stain, only a damp cloth is required;
- eco-leather is pleasant to the touch, quickly heats up to body temperature. Sitting on furniture covered with such material is comfortable any amount of time;
- special arrangement of polyurethane mesh cells provides high strength, abrasion and tear resistance. Even with constant use, cracks or stretch marks do not form on the surface;
- unlike genuine leather, which may have a heterogeneous color, texture or thickness, ecoskin is uniform over the entire surface;
- the elasticity and good extensibility of the material allow them to fit products of any shape. Faux leather is resistant to mechanical damage: deformation, creases, wiping;
- the cost of eco-leather is about 1.5-2 times less than the price of genuine leather;
- the material does not have a specific smell, which is characteristic for genuine leather.
The disadvantages include the complexity of masking defects. If a scratch appears on the surface, it is difficult to make it invisible. This drawback is most significant for light models.
It is not necessary to purchase eco-friendly furniture for those who have cats or dogs in the house. Claws can damage the coating to the fabric base.
For the production of low-cost products, low-quality material is used. It does not differ in low thermal conductivity, so in a cool room it will be unpleasant to touch eco-leather. If prestige and luxury are important for the buyer of furniture, then eco-leather products will not suit him. Despite the wide processing possibilities, eco-leather cannot be compared with genuine leather.
Color spectrum
The color palette of the material is wide. The most popular products with eco-leather in a brown-beige palette. Such furniture fits into any interior. The darkest shades of brown are used for finishing wardrobes, corner sofas, office chairs. Light beige shades are popular in soft sets for the living room, kitchen corners, ottomans and banquets. Faux leather Niagara is offered in pastel colors, used in the manufacture of furniture for classic living rooms and dining rooms. Color is offered in one-color or two-tone with a matte finish.
Some types of material have a structure imitating snake skin in gray-white and brown tones. Such a coating is selected for small furniture items: banquets, ottomans, armchairs. A kind of eco-leather Batman has a color that mimics the color of the bat wing. In combination with a complex texture, the material looks expensive. It is relevant in the interior of hi-tech, minimalism.
Bright colors of eco-leather are offered for designer furniture: red, yellow, green, blue. The surface of the material can be matte, pearlescent, lacquered. The furnishings of bright colors become the main accent of the interior, they are used singly to arrange color spots. The most popular bright varnish variety of material is Brilliance. It has low weight and high strength.
The material of dark tones: black, dark gray, dark brown is often used in the manufacture of office furniture: chairs, armchairs, monolithic sofas. At high loads, the most durable material is selected, which looks best in dark colors. In addition, pollution on such a surface is almost indistinguishable.
Care Rules
One of the advantages of the material is simple maintenance and resistance to pollution. For normal cleaning and dust removal use a soft cloth or sponge. If wet cleaning is carried out, then the sponge is moistened with a warm soapy solution. Gel preparations and powders for delicate fabrics can be used in the preparation of a detergent solution; they are characterized by low aggressiveness of exposure.
It is necessary to process the eco-leather surface, not allowing the cotton base to get wet. After wet wiping, the material must be dried with a rag. Clean stains and other impurities with fresh. It will be difficult to remove dried dirt; when scraping, the polyurethane coating can be damaged. If the soap solution did not help clean the eco-leather, then alcohol or ammonia is added to the water. But the use of bleaches, cleaners with chlorine, petroleum products is prohibited.
Traces of food, other organic contaminants are easily removed with a special tool for cleaning natural skin in the form of a spray or cream. It is not necessary to apply the product to the surface of the furniture, but to a small amount on the sponge. If there are decorative elements near the stain, for example, embroidery, photo printing, then this area must be covered with a film. The remnants of the product must be carefully removed first with a damp cloth, then dry.
Before using the universal cleaner, it is recommended to test it on an inconspicuous area of the upholstery. If a negative reaction does not occur, then the tool can be used.
To increase the service life of the coating, it is recommended to conduct regular surface treatment with water-repellent agents for products made of genuine leather. This is most relevant for furniture in light colors, which is more often polluted.
The nuances of choice
In the process of choosing furniture items with eco leather, several factors must be taken into account: color, cost, functionalism, quality of materials, assembly. In terms of the color compatibility of the interior decoration of the room and furniture, there are 2 trends:
- the furniture is in harmony with the design of the walls and floor. The interior in this case turns out to be cozy, calm, relaxing. Sofa, armchairs, chairs can be darker or lighter than the color of the walls. If there is a large pattern on the wallpaper, then the furniture should be without a picture. With plain walls, the choice of furniture with decorative embossing, mother-of-pearl shimmer, lacquer or glossy shine is allowed;
- furniture upholstery is not compatible with the interior. This option is used in the design, when the piece of furniture is the main accent of the interior. For example, against a background of milk walls and a light floor, a bright blue or red sofa can be located.
Depending on the place where the furniture will be installed, it is worth choosing products of different textures and colors:
- for children's rooms, furniture with pastel color upholstery is chosen, if blue, green, pink is used, then the shades should be muted and matte. Excess brightness and shine contributes to the overexcitation of the child;
- in the kitchen, corridor, dining room most often install products with upholstery in beige, brown. There are a lot of wooden furniture in the interior of these rooms, so eco-leather in brown tones will fit in perfectly and will not be too brand. Modern technology for the manufacture of eco-leather doors allows you to create interesting built-in or cabinet cabinets for the corridor. They look stylish and very practical;
- for the design of the living room or bedroom, the choice of colors and textures is much wider.Here you can use both bright shiny products and models of noble shades with embossing. If the rooms are spacious, then the upholstery of the sofa can be dark gray or black. In smaller rooms light colors are preferred.
The price factor is no less important when choosing furniture with eco-leather trim. You need to purchase such products from trusted and reliable suppliers. They have the necessary certificates of conformity and a passport confirming the safety of use.
Quality furniture is offered in the middle price segment. Cheap products do not last long, as they have low elasticity and a level of comfort. The widest selection of eco-leather furniture is offered in specialized salons. If possible, pre-study customer reviews on the selected brand.
High-quality fittings and reliable fasteners determine the long life of the furniture. The selected product must be checked for the quality of fixation of the connecting elements, handles, the operation of the transformation mechanism. Eco-leather upholstery should not have wrinkles, uneven and fragile seams. The surface of the material is preferably uniform, without snags, holes, scratches.
The eco-leather furniture is practical, safe and fits easily into any interior. Products in bright colors will help visually expand the space, emphasize the sophisticated taste of the owners. Bright or dark items are the main focus of the interior. Quality furniture items of well-known manufacturers will be soft, comfortable, wear-resistant. With proper care, such products will last more than one year.
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