Faux leather is a production improvement, also known as synthetic leather that is manufactured to look assimilated to real leather as its alternative. Faux leather, apparently, looks like real leather or sometimes it might appear more perfect than it. Polyurethane film is a material that is applied on a fabric as a backing in order to manufacture sham leather which is also called synthetic or PU Leather.
Various tags are used to present synthetic leather such as vegan, cork, ocean, PU, Faux, and pleather leather, etc. Owing to the level of imitation of outward appearance in the fake leather, it becomes pretty difficult to spot a difference between both. As a consequence, many times, leather lovers end up being deceived by such imitations.
This blog will help you create a difference between Faux leather and a real one. You can test the leather item that you wish to purchase by following the below-mentioned tips and tricks.
How to Spot Faux Leather: Real vs Fake Leather
Real vs. Faux Leather
Some properties are attributed to real leather, and some signs indicate faux leather. You can test it by considering these properties and doing some experiments to ensure the purity of your leather items.
1- Check the Label
The first thing you should do is check out what the label says about the manufacturing of a certain leather product. Tags saying 100% pure leather, Full grain leather, or top grain leather indicate the quality of the leather items and the company’s assurance.
Whereas, in case of encountering tags that display a quote such as ‘man-made material’, there is no doubt that the item is not a genuine leather but a synthetic one. Moreover, If the tag completely overlooks mentioning the manufacturing material of the leather, in that case, it is more probable to assume that the leather is synthetic and made of PVC material as the real leather is no less to be proud of than the manufacturer is oblivious to mention it on its product.
2- Smell the Leather
Another authentic way of testing the vitality of any leather item, smell it. Real leather always carries an organic and natural leathery smell of its own. As real leather is made of animal skin, it doesn’t leave its particular scent. Whereas, in the case of Faux leather, you would smell chemicals instead that are used in its manufacturing. As the real leather skin’s particular odor can not be induced in the fake leather, one can easily assess through sensing chemicals or plastic-like odor in the under-observation item.
3- Feel the Texture
Genuine leather has a unique texture that you can feel by touching the leather surface. So to test it through the texture, always keep in mind that you are not looking for a very smooth and even surface. Being an animal’s skin, it is supposed to behave like one. In order to test it press your fingertips a little on the leather surface. If the surface doesn’t feel super tight and stretches a bit showing a wrinkle as it does in the case of skin, it is the real leather.
Whereas, if the texture seems extraordinarily tight and even, it is definitely not real leather but a Fake one. As you press the surface of leather that is fake, you can see it pressed but still retaining its shape as tight as before.
4-Have a Close Look
When you closely observe the surface of real leather, you can see the indicators of it being an animal’s skin through the existence of blemishes, pores, little wrinkles, and delicacy. Such imperfections indicate that the leather is made of real animal skin.
Whereas, Faux or machine-made synthetic leather would always look perfect due to its uniform and even skin without having any blemishes and pores. So, the elements of perfection and uniformity prove that the leather is not real but a chemically composed substance. Additionally, being porous, real leather is prone to get dirt and spots that needs regular cleaning, conditioning and protection. However, Leather care products whether it is of Whites Pearl or any other brand only works for genuine leather while might be effecting the fake leather.
5- Test the Leather Back
One can also check out the backside of the leather in order to test the authenticity to identify the difference between Faux and the genuine leather. The back of real leather has a rough and suede-like texture as through running your fingers across it, you would experience a resistant feel like touching the surface of a rug. Whereas, the back side of Faux would always be smooth and even because the material is glued to any fabric or any other such material.
6- Low Cost
Another alarming property of Faux leather is its low price. As real leather requires a lengthy process of production due to it being a natural material, it is expensive. You can not suddenly get a cheap deal for a real leather item. So, if the price tag offers you an unreasonably cheap deal for a luxury leather item, just back off. Whereas, the impure leather due to being unnatural and the use of inexpensive ingredients costs quite low. Therefore, don’t overlook or be inconsiderate of the price element while purchasing a leather item.
6- Fire Test
Although this testing method is not applicable to check any leather item that is not in your possession, you can apply it to any leather product that you already own and are dubious of its genuinity. Moreover, take precautions before playing with fire to avoid any unwanted and harmful outcome.
So, in order to test the leather with fire, use a lighter and try to light up any corner or side part of the leather item. Real leather is resistant to burning: on lighting up the genuine leather it may get discoloration or be damaged a little but it won’t catch fire and burn. Whereas, when you apply a similar method to a fake leather material, it would catch fire, burn, and leave a chemical-like smell.
7- Water Test
You can also test the authenticity of leather through a water test as well. However, it depends on the finishing process of leather which may make it a bit water-repellent. Most of the leather surfaces made of animal hide can absorb some amount of leather within themselves. Whereas, fake or synthetic leather is completely water repellent: as you throw some water on the surface of phony leather, it would instantly be absorbed without letting it get absorbed.
8- Pinch Test
The hefty material of real leather has a measurement of around 1 to 1.4 millimeters thick. Due to its thickness, the real leather material resists when one tries to fold it. Besides being hefty, it is also quite a flexible material that gets back to its original form as soon as you stop forcing it to stay folded. Whereas, fake leather is comparatively thin and leaves a wrinkling mark for a time being when you leave after making a fold.
9- Magnifying Glass Test
You can use a magnifying glass to determine the authenticity of the leather item. As the real leather’s surface is inconsistent, porous, and uneven, observe it by checking it through a magnifying glass: imperfections of pores, blemishes, and irregular surfaces would be perfectly visible. Whereas, when you see phony leather through a magnifying glass, it looks consistent, even, and regular without having any wrinkles and blemishes on its surface.
10- Trust Your Guts
With some analytical skills and an understanding of real leather, you may leave the rest to your gut feelings. If you feel good about any leather items and have ensured some of the aspects such as checking the price and manufacturing material tag, make a decision based on how you feel about purchasing it. If the leather item smells, feels, and looks like a refined form of animal hide, go for it. But if it seems like some plastic-type material with a smell of chemicals in it, assume it is a phony leather item.