Bonded leather

An array of bonded leather swatches, in various colors and patterns.

Bonded leather or reconstituted leather is a material made of varying degrees of genuine leather combined with other substances to give the appearance of leather, but at reduced cost compared to natural leather. Bonded leather can be found in furniture, bookbinding, and various fashion accessories. Examples of products that are most commonly constructed with different varieties of "bonded leather" are: books, diaries, art books, desk accessories, bags, belts, chairs, and sofas.

There are different types of bonded leather, but the type being used on upholstered furniture today is a polyurethane or vinyl product, backed with fabric and then a layer of latex or other material mixed with a small percentage of leather fibers in the product's backing material. The actual leather content of bonded leather varies depending on the manufacturer and the quality level they are selling. The polyurethane surface is stamped to give it a leather-like texture. In the home furnishings industry there is much debate and controversy over the ethics of using the term "bonded leather" to describe a vinyl upholstery product. Nick Cory of the Leather Research Laboratory said that calling this product "bonded leather" is "deceptive because it does not represent its true nature. It's a vinyl, or a polyurethane laminate or a composite, but it's not leather."

Other types of bonded leather include fragile paper-backed bonded leather constructions used to cover books and desk accessories. These bonded leathers may contain a smaller proportion of leather and have some leather content in the product's surface, hence there may be an actual leather smell.

In 2011 the European Committee For Standardization published EN 15987:2011 'Leather - Teminology - Key definitions for the leather trade' to stop further confusion about bonded leather. The minimum amount of 50% in weight of dry leather is needed to use the term 'bonded leather'. The Federal Trade Comission, Washington, USA recommends according to 16 C.F.R. Section 24: "For example: An industry product made of a composition material consisting of 60% shredded leather fibers may be described as: Bonded Leather Containing 60% Leather Fibers and 40% Non-leather Substances." http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/textile/gd-leath.shtm

Claimed advantages of bonded leather include:

• Environmentally friendly – made from recycled leather fibre
• Product consistency – no natural defects and minimal batch to batch variation
• High cutting yield – cost efficient and reduces landfill waste
• High durability and excellent flame retardancy
• Extensive design options – from leather effects to bold geometric designs
• Significant fuel savings – on transport applications
• Easy care – wipes clean^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Artificial leather
• Naugahyde

External links

• Bonded leather making headway, Furniture/Today, February 2008
• For consumer's sake, let's not call it 'bonded leather' Furniture/Today, July 2007
• Bonded leather manufacturer