Leather Belts – Real Leather or Synthetic Leather ?
Do you know the difference ?
How can you tell ?
Synthetic Leather is called by many different names, such as PU Leather, Faux Leather, Leatherette and more. The main types of synthetic leather are PU Leather (polyurethane) and PVC (poly vinyl)
The benefit of Synthetic Leather is that it is easier to clean and cheaper to produce, therefore cheaper to purchase for the buyer.
The problems are that Synthetic Leather does not last very long, not flexible and can crack, peel or separate over time. Sometimes real leather remnants are mixed with polyurethane plastic to manufacture PU Leather.
How to tell the difference ? PU Leather vs Real Solid Leather
-
A good indication is a low price
-
The label may say PU Leather
-
PU Leather is usually quite smooth and uniform in appearance
-
You may see where PU Leather has been glued around the edges of the belt
-
It usually has a plastic smell, which does not match the smell of Real Solid Leather