Fabric vs. leather furniture

[luvmylittleboy2003]

Looking to buy new furniture, we have 2 boys (7 and 12) and 2 small dogs (who sits on the furniture).
I really want leather, just because it seems 'cleaner' for lack of better word, but, after researching I seen where its advised against unless you buy top end leather.
I'm only looking to spend no more than $1200 for a reclining couch and chair.
Would love some input...

 

[Karenj2]

Well, you could go with a faux suede, SOME of them are actually washable. (I know that Sensuede is). The only "problem" is that some of the better quality microsuedes are just as expensive as leather!

I know you don't want to spend too much, but think of it this way - if you buy good quality furniture (which usually translates to more $$), it'll last longer than the less expensive furniture. If you think in terms of dollars per year, if you bought furniture for $1200, but have to replace it in 5 years due to wear and tear, you could have spent $3000 on furniture that's better quality that could last for 20 years... (Check on the warranty for furniture wherever you look, and see what's covered.)

 

[Evi]

I prefer leather because I have allergies and don't want dust mites collecting on my furniture. But beware that if your dogs are allowed on the furniture and they scratch enough they can rip the leather.

 

[lakelandgal70]

I have had both fabric and leather. We currently have leather furniture. We have 4 dogs that lay on the furniture. I would choose leather over fabric anyday. Fabric sucks in all the doggie odor and say if they puke yucko! Leather is just so much easier to take care of with pets. They sell leather wipes to clean the leather and its very easy. Only thing is leather to me is very cold. As in temperature. I am always freezing so I make sure I have sweater and tons of throws around. Good luck with your decision!

 

[tlh0726]

My own 6 and almost 5 year old, 3-5 daycare kids, 1 9 month dog and 1 8 year old cat.

LEATHER!

 

[mdrob214]

I'd go leather in a nice, neutral color and a classic style. It'll last forever. I have dogs and cats, and had 2 young kids when I got my leather family room furniture. Just LaZBoy recliner and sofa. They are so easy to clean!

 

[JandJ]

I fought against leather sofas for a long time because I thought they would be hot in the summer (we're in FL), but DH convinced me and now we've had them for a little over 2 years and I love them! They don't soak up stains like fabric. You do have to clean/condition them every so often, but they just feel cleaner than fabric. We also bought the extra insurance against punctures and rips so you might want to consider that if it's an option.

 

[Kycha]

We(2 adults, 4 cats) have a black leather recliner sofa that we purchased from LaZboy 13 years ago. We paid around $1200 for it and it is still in good shape. The only problem we had was the recliner mechanism on the one side broke twice. Fortunately, it was still under warranty and cost about $50 to have them come out and repair it. Personally, I would go with a darker color. We have a matching rocker recliner chair but in a cream color. That thing doesn't get as much use as the sofa, but shows way more wear and tear. Every little scratch and bit of dirt shows on it. I know black leather doesn't appeal to everybody. But, I was able to lighten ours up with light colored throw pillows and blankets.

 

[malibuconlee]

We bought cheaper leather furniture and while I loved that we didn't have to vacuum the dog hair any longer, it just didn't last.

We bought new leather furniture over a year and a half ago and it seems to be holding up much better. So, we are getting what we paid for. Not top of the line, but higher quality than what I bought at Furniture Row.

I liked it before, but loved it when a friend's little girl sat on it with a full pull-up and peed again. Simple to wipe off! That was before we had our little one and I can't imagine cleaning a fabric couch when I'm scrubbing off the apple juice, or even the yogurt that transferred from her pj's onto the ottoman!

 

[Anne34]

Just bought a fabric sectional after having a leather one for the past 10 years. I don't love leather -- it was great while the kids were younger and trying to keep it clean, but....leather is COLD in winter and not my favorite in summer. We bought a fairly expensive leather sectional (approx $4000) and it wore funny. The places where people sat & where the recliner section was did not wear well.

You need to get what you like best.

 

[Debbie7452]

I have two sofas, one fabric (chenille type) and a newer leather. The leather one looks terrible! It is dark but shows scratches and the color is gone from some areas. It wasn't cheap either! Apparently we didn't buy the right kind of leather where the color goes all the way through. The older fabric couch (13 years) looks fantastic.

I am trying to decide for myself what to get next time. I love the look of leather but I am scared to get burned again...when it looks bad it really looks bad.

 

[luvmylittleboy2003]

Thanks everyone! We are still undecided, sounds like they both have pros and cons and you have to be really careful with the type of leather you get....we will need to research further than decide! Thanks to all that posted, it really helped a bunch - I had no idea on the different leather choices!

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I don't know if this helps or not, but we were also looking for a couch and had the same dilemma. We ended up buying the microfiber (faux suede) with the stain protection. We got a reclining couch and loveseat for $1050 (delivery included) and $88 for the stain protection at a local family owned furniture store. We tried JCPenneys, Macys, and Raymour and Flannigan and they were all more expensive, so try a family owned place

 

[lucyem]

I had leather we inherited and was not happy with it's looks or dealing with repairs. We had a dog eat one of the seat cushions which could not be repaired short of having someone come and try to match the leather etc. Yes it can be easy to clean but repairs are tough if not impossible.

The last couch I bought has a slipcover. I would never buy a couch without one. It fits my style of home much better then leather. When the kids spill something on it I toss it in the wash. If I ever want a change in color or if it gets ripped or faded I will have a new slipcover made.

 

[mom of princessx2]

Leather!!!

I also agree with pp in you get what you pay for. We purchased a set in 2004 and paid about $3000 for loveseat, reclining sofa and recliner. We moved in 2006 and put that furniture in the basement TV room and purchased cheaper stuff for our living room and there is a huge difference. We will probably have to replace the newer stuff in a couple of years.

Try to hit the furniture stores with free financing. This is the time of year they all start running 24, 36 or 48 months free financing. It will be worth it.