Is Vegan Leather better than Original Leather?

While we all look around to find an alternative for something harmful, we do not consider if it’s good in the long run. Similarly, we know how much there’s a need for leather and how our lives are dependent on its consumption. Yet, some people are looking for options to compensate with some good, like using vegan leather at the place of original leather. However, we are not sure if it’s equally safe for our environment or not.

About Vegan Leather

As we talk about the alternative to a harmful substance, vegan leather has come a long way to be in place of genuine leather. They are so much in that sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between real and vegan leather. Still, those who are experts do somehow get to know the basic difference, and that’s not possible with every other person.

Vegan leather, also known as faux leather, is a highly familiar term in the current market. As you may know, they are not a byproduct of real animal skin, which is why many animal lovers use them as an alternative. There are many products that can be manufactured with the help of vegan leather. However, the common ones include –Jackets, purses, shoes, and furniture.

Read Also: 6 Reasons to Buy Synthetic Western Saddle For Horse

What exactly is vegan leather?

The exact meaning of vegan leather is that it may feel and look like original leather, but it’s plant-based. Likewise, the chemical composition of the material consists of two synthetic polymers – Polyurethane and Polyvinyl Chloride. Not only do they look like leather, but their wrinkled texture makes them appear closer to leather than real leather.

Though the term “vegan leather” clearly translates as something that’s produced out of plants. While sticking to the eco-friendly nature, the real vegan leather supposedly consists of – apple peels, cork, kelp, pineapple leaves, etc. More so, you will hardly come across any vegan leather that’s a complete byproduct of only plants.

Is Vegan leather better than original leather?

While comparing vegan leather with original leather, there are many aspects that you may consider. There’s a must to check the quality, durability, flexibility, and other key factors.

Here are a few points that you may note down –

• Quality of Material – First of all, vegan leather is thinner and lighter compared to real leather. It can be a good thing for designers as they require thin materials to work on their fashion pieces potentially. On the other hand, it can also be less durable for its light nature.
• Durability – If one takes proper care of real leather and its finished products, it may last for about a decade (10 years) or more. On the other hand, a material made from vegan or synthetic leather will only last for 2 to 3 years.
• Harmful to Environment – When choosing between real or vegan leather, one should consider all the points. It’s essential because making both these elements equally harms the environment.
• Age and wear-out – Using a synthetic material will wear off within a few years. Whereas using natural leather will last for a longer duration, and with time it may age into something more textured. In general, people say that using old leather adds character to the product.

What does vegan leather look like?

While talking about vegan leather, one must be sure that they may differ from one another as per the making process. They can be readily available in many shapes, grades, and thicknesses of material. Similarly, some can be more leather-like while others may not.

In general, terms, if you are looking at high-quality vegan leather, there’s no such difference between real and faux leather. Yet, if you look closely, you’ll see that vegan leather is less breathable due to its artificial making process.

See More: Everything You Need for a Horse Riding in ONE Simple List

Are there any advantages of using vegan leather?

Yes, apart from the comparison given in the above passage, there are certain benefits of using vegan leather.

They can be as follows –

• Vegan leather is vegetable-tanned leather that consists of no harmful substances. Also, they reuse hides composed of food that avoids waste.
• The use of vegan leather will primarily support the less usage of animal products.
• By avoiding real leather, you are shutting down these tanneries emitting pollutants into the air, water, and soil.

We are not saying that vegan leather is completely safe for the environment, as the tanning process will surely exhibit toxins. Yet, it’s preferable when compared to real leather, for it doesn’t harm the animals.

Read Articles:

https://horsesaddleshop.org/treeless-english-saddle/
https://horsesaddleshop.org/treeless-english-saddle/
https://horsesaddleshop.org/barrel-racing-saddle/
https://horsesaddleshop.org/what-is-vegan-leather/