Is leather furniture as good as it appears to be?

[Ron Jones near Indy]

LOML has found a good deal on a leather sofa, love seat and recliner at a furniture store that is closing. It is a quality product and she is seriously considering getting it. These pieces would be used in our family room. There are no small childern currently in the house. Do any Creekers have experience, either good or bad, with leather covered furniture? It seems as if it should be longlasting. She questions its comfort. We have a cat, declawed on the front, and 2 dogs, one appx 20 lbs. and one appx 40 lbs. How does leather stand up to animal claws? Any input will be appreciated!

[Jim Baker]

I have no idea about the animal claws as ours are all outside animals, but our fairly new Natuzzi chair and sofa and the La Z Boy recliner are wonderful. Very comfortable and easy to clean and care for. They can be a little chilly feeling at first but that only lasts about 10 seconds. In fact, I think I will try one of them out as soon as I get done reviewing the other posts.

[Martin Shupe]

We have a Lazy Boy leather couch and loveseat. We got leather for durability, as we were planning on keeping them for 30 years. My wife and I find the leather a little cool in the winter, and a little sweaty in the summer. We are buying new recliner chairs, and guess what? They are fabric! You might wear shorts when you go to the furniture store to test them out. Oh, we will keep the couch and loveseat for company. They should look great for a long time, since we hardly ever sit in them.

[Tyler Howell]

I really Like it.

I have the Scandinavian design chair and love seat it is soooooo comfy. None of the dogs developed a taste for it, (wise choice on their part) and I find it very breathable in summer.
Some of the finishes will bruise or abraid (sp)/ scratch from animal claws. Haven't had a problem.:cool:

[Rob Russell]

From an animal perspective, our cat doesn't try to sink his claws into the leather comfy chair that we have. Comfort-wise, it's really nice.

[Stefan Antwarg]

There is one small slice in my leather recliner from my cat. I am sure it can be repaired though. I have a friend who has some severely torn up leather furniture from cats. Just have the water bottle handy. That'll learn 'em.

Stefan

[Jim Becker]

I have two leather love seats that I've owned for about 15 years now. They have some "patina", but otherwise are wonderfully comfortable. I prefer it as an upholstry material as it adapts to your body tempurature and if of good quality, adds a little firmness to the seating. Yes, cats can scratch it as can bowie knives in your kids' back pockets, but it will take more abuse than cloth in that respect!! Like anything, quality counts. Cheap leather furniture is just as likely to fail as cheap non-leather furniture.

[Phil Phelps]

...you get what you pay for. Not all leather is quality. Do some research and you'll find the top manufacturers of quality leather furniture. The good stuff lasts a lifetime and will bite your leather wallet hard. Four grand for a quality couch ain't out of the ordinary.

[Ron Jones near Indy]

for the input. LOML had decided this was what she wanted. Lucky she brought home a cushion to see how it looked in the family room. It some how changed from a nice tan to an ugly pink. :confused: She said thanks, but no thanks.

[Arvin Brown]

I LOVE my leather furniture - however, leather furniture does not like CATS! Treat your leather right and it will last for years - getting more comfortable every year!

[Scott Coffelt]

I had a set for about 8 years and was fairly happy with them. Like many things there are various layers of quality from entry level that is a surface painted leather all the way to full dye imbedded. Each has its value. What I found with mine was they were cold in the winter and nice in the summer. The cats had back claws and sliced them pretty good when they were young as they raced around the house. Does your cat scratch now? If so, they'll most likely continue. The scratches were visable, but not bad as this was pretty decent leather. I have since sold the set and moved to another fabric (ultra suade, which has similar qualities like easy clean up and durability), but not cheap either and is warmer in the winter. I did however buy a really high (top of the line leather) recliner from American Leather to replace one piece (and I second that good quality costs a lot, my chair was in the neighborhood of about $2200). I can definitely tell a difference in the wear and feel of the material. I also have a really good quality LANE chair ($1000 and I can tell the difference between the two I have). In contrast my old set cost me about $2400 for couch, loveseat, chair and ottoman). In all, I like the feel and durability of leather as to other fabrics... food and liquid spills are easy to clean up, they furniture looks just as good 3, 5, 10 years later if properly maintained with a cleaner/lotion. Also one last thing, throw pillows will not stay on the furniture for squat, so if that bugs the wife, keep that in mind.

[James Carmichael]

LOML and I are nuts for rustic furniture and LOVE our Lane distressed leather chair & sofa. We have one dog, an overstuffed Brittany Spaniel (down from two dogs and a cat) and they have done no discernable damage.

That huge chair & ottoman are so comfy nearly everyone who sits in it for more than 20 mintues falls asleep. The only downer is that though our house is 2500 sq ft, the living room is pretty small and these are big pieces.

I suspect leather is probably easier on my allergies to as it doesn't trap dust and everything else the way fabric does.