What’s the difference between leather, leatherette and leather-appointed upholstery?

Configuring your new car is an exciting time, but it’s often a confusing one with myriad terms to describe the same thing. But there are stark differences between three terms in particular: leather, leatherette and leather-appointed.

Often used in low-spec, entry-level cars, leatherette (along with leather-look and faux leather) describes upholsteries that are made of fake leather. This product is man-made and is designed to mimic the look and feel of genuine leather, though it’s more cost-effective for manufacturers to produce and customers to select.

That said, there are several reasons carmakers and customers might opt for fake leatherette. It’s durable to wear and tear, it’s an ethical product compared to its genuine counterpart, and it’s easier to clean off stains and spills.

In most cases, leatherette does a convincing job of looking like real leather. It’s made of substances including vinyl and polyurethane.

A step closer to the genuine leather is leather-appointed (leather-accented) material, which is a combination of both real and fake leather. Most often, manufacturers will upholster car seat inserts in genuine leather, and cover the side bolstering and edges in the man-made stuff to save on costs and for ultimate durability.

Some manufacturers sneakily lead consumers on to believe that their product is genuine, then use the fine print to disclose that the product is in fact leather appointed. It’s always worth reading through your purchase to confirm you’re getting exactly what you think you are.

Bonded leather is another part-leather alternative that physically mixes genuine leather off-cuts with a polyurethane binder. These fibres are rolled together using chemical adhesives and are usually applied to a paper backing. Most bonded leathers only contain a minority component of real leather, often in the order of 10-30 per cent. They can also lose their colour in direct sunlight.

Real leather is derived and tanned from genuine cowhide. It exudes a distinct smell and feel, and breathes better than man-made products. Of course, the cost of real leather is higher than both leather-appointed and leatherette, which is why it’s most commonly found on high-end cars.

That said, there are varying grades of real leather too. The genuine leather you'd find on an entry-level car is different to that of a high-end luxury model. Both materials will be sourced from different quality cows in different world regions.

With the advent of sustainably produced cars, many manufacturers look to fit out car interiors with cruelty-free vegan leatherette solutions made from a variety of materials including recycled plastics, cork, recycled tyres and old fishing nets. 

If you’re in doubt as to whether a carmaker’s product is real or fake, there are several ways to tell for sure. Smelling the material is a sure-fire way to identify the authenticity (as leather has a distinctive smell that is not easily replicated), and also examine the look and feel of the product (leatherette is usually unnaturally smooth and plastic-feeling).

If you’re still unsure, compare it with a sample piece of real leather that you know is genuine.