Top Coated

Protected

This leather is used on all types of leather furniture including sofas, loveseats, recliners chairs and ottomans. 

This leather is best identified by it's smooth, grained texture.  The finish has a semi-gloss or "matte" finish with no evidence of a "knapp".

To test this type of leather; place a small droplet of water onto the surface of the leather.  The water droplet will sit on the surface of the leather and will not soak into the leather immediately.

Suede is sometimes used in furniture, but is not extremely common.  Suede is generally found used on very high end or expensive pieces. 

This leather is identified by its' rough,"knapp" finish. This "knapp" is similar to that found on carpeting and can be determined by brushing your hand over the surface of the leather. When brushed in one direction, the leather will darken in color, when brushed back the other direction, it will lighten in color.  A definite "knapp" or "raw leather" look is visible on the surface.

Similar to Suede, NuBuck has a "knapp" but is much shorter and more evenly spaced than suede.  At first appearance, it may be difficult to determine that it is NuBuck.  When new, NuBuck has a very flat, dull finish and when brushed with the hand, will have the same reaction as suede.  A test may be performed to determine this type of leather by placing a small droplet of water onto the surface of the leather. This droplet of water will immediately soak into the leather and create a dark spot, which will dry and disappear in a matter of minutes.

Occasionally, a manufacturer or dealer will apply a repellant material to the surface of this leather to reduce the amount of soiling and staining that will naturally occur.  If this product has been applied, the water droplet will sit on the surface and "bead up" making it difficult to conduct this test.  Normally, after a few minutes, the water droplet will begin to soak into the leather as mentioned.

It may be advisable to contact the manufacturer to obtain information about the specific type of leather that you have.

This is the most difficult type of leather to determine.  It is also the most difficult to maintain.  Semi-Aniline leather has the appearance of Top Coated Leather but does not have the protected coating.  This allows for the absorption of soils, liquids and staining materials quickly.  Once this has occurred, complete cleaning and removal of theses stains is nearly impossible. .

A test may be performed to determine this type of leather by placing a small droplet of water onto the surface of the leather. This droplet of water will immediately soak into the leather and create a dark spot, which will dry and disappear in a matter of minutes.

Occasionally, a manufacturer or dealer will apply a repellant material to the surface of this leather to reduce the amount of soiling and staining that will naturally occur.  If this product has been applied, the water droplet will sit on the surface and "bead up" making it difficult to conduct this test.  Normally, after a few minutes, the water droplet will begin to soak into the leather as mentioned.

It may be advisable to contact the manufacturer to obtain information about the specific type of leather that you have.