Leather Sofa Buying Guide

Leather Sofa Protocol: The Cadillacs of Leather

• Full-grain leather is natural, containing wrinkles and scars that make each leather sofa unique.
• Top grain, the surface layer of the cowhide, is the most durable and softest part of the hide (split leather is the lower layer of the cowhide).
• A pigmented leather sofa will be durable and easy to care for. Imperfections in pigmented leather are buffed out and the leather is dyed, followed by a second pigment application and protective coating that guards against soil and fading.

Aniline is strong, porous leather that is dyed through all layers. Full aniline leather sofas are made of the finest full-grain leather with few imperfections. Semi-aniline leather sofas receive a topcoat of pigment to even the color, and add a fade- and soil-resistant coating. The individual beauty of the leather sofa shows through the dyes. Distressed leather sofas have been dyed with a light color and then with a dark color, giving the leather an antique look.

Leather sofa standards: Structured to last

• Leather sofas with 8-way suspensions let you sink into softness. Single-coil springs attached to webbing by links are hand-tied to each other.
• Sinuous spring support leather sofas have S-shaped springs fastened with clips. No-sag nails closely spaced beneath and behind seats create firm support.
• Hardwood leather sofa frames should be kiln-dried to last longer and avoid humidity, warping, and cracking.
• Legs built into the frame are sturdier than legs that screw in, and a fifth center leg adds strength.
• The wood thickness of the frame should be a minimum of 1.25 inches thick.
• The heavier the seat cushions, the better the quality of the leather sofa.
• Typical warranties cover the frame and leather of sofas for one year. Some warranties will cover springs and leather cushions for five years. Beware of warranties that are void if the leather sofa is moved from its original delivery address.