Is anyone familiar with "Polyurethane Coated Leather"?

Would you buy polyurethane coated leather for yourself?

  • Yes

    Votes: 1 16.7%

  • No

    Votes: 5 83.3%
  • Total voters
    6
  • Poll closed .

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catzeyez

catzeyez

Member
Oct 28, 2019
36
171
#1
Do you think that a leather item's product description should state that it's coated in polyurethane? Will the PU coating eventually peel off? I wonder what the leather quality is like, for items that are coated in PU. If it's a high-quality leather, I wouldn't think that a manufacturer would want to coat it.

This PU coating is new to me. And so far, I've only come across PU coated leather with Kate Spade. I looked at a KS leather backpack and a leather wallet. The tags inside say something like 100% cow leather coated in 100% polyurethane. The item descriptions online don't say anything about them being PU coated, so customers are unaware of this fact.

The KS backpack and wallet that I looked at don't smell like leather and don't really feel like leather, either. The wallet is very stiff and feels like PVC. This leather is nothing like the great quality of my Kate Spade wallet that I bought about 8 years ago. Maybe this is the reason why they're coated in PU, because the leather quality is not good. I'm not sure.
 
#3
Polyurethane coated leather is just another way of saying patent leather. I have a couple of vintage bags that are patent leather so I have obviously bought them in the past.

Polyurethane is not the only way of creating what looks like patent leather but it is the most usual.

If anyone has a patent leather bag then probably they have already bought one.

The process has nothing to do with the leather quality underneath. It does make leather rain proof and fairly scratch proof but there are some other drawbacks. You will need to store it 'out' and not in a box or confined area if stored for a while. They are also not good in overly dry or humid conditions as they'll crack, matte-ify or go soft and deep scratches cannot be repaired. They are also not great in lighter colours as they can show a yellowing over time. For bags that are regularly used and bought to enjoy they can be a great choice.
 
#4
papertiger said:
Polyurethane coated leather is just another way of saying patent leather. I have a couple of vintage bags that are patent leather so I have obviously bought them in the past.

Polyurethane is not the only way of creating what looks like patent leather but it is the most usual.

If anyone has a patent leather bag then probably they have already bought one.

The process has nothing to do with the leather quality underneath. It does make leather rain proof and fairly scratch proof but there are some other drawbacks. You will need to store it 'out' and not in a box or confined area if stored for a while. They are also not good in overly dry or humid conditions as they'll crack, matte-ify or go soft and deep scratches cannot be repaired. They are also not great in lighter colours as they can show a yellowing over time. For bags that are regularly used and bought to enjoy they can be a great choice.
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The Kate Spade items that I mentioned aren't patent leather, though. None of them have a glossy finish like patent leather. The crossgrain leather wallet that I looked at has a dull finish, but it's coated in PU.

I just read that the reason some (non-patent) leather products are PU coated is to make them look like top grain leather, but in reality, the leather is not very good quality (i.e. split grain leather).
 
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