Sofa shopping is hard work! You are going to be heavily invested in choosing your perfect sofa and you are going to be juggling style, budget and practicality. The majority of people have a preference too whether they prefer leather or fabric and there is no right or wrong answer. In this article we are going to list the benefits and give you some things to consider when choosing your new sofa.

Fabric vs Leather

Comfort

The feel of fabric and leather widely varies on the fabric itself and the support system of the sofa eg the cushions and the frame. Fabric does tend to be overall a softer and warmer material than leather.

Depending on the type of cushion filling a fabric sofa is more prone to over time losing its shape quicker than leather. Loose fibre filled cushions in fabric will require more effort to maintain their shape, sofa cushions need to be swapped and rotated regularly for even wear. It is however really comfortable, so it’s entirely up to you if the upkeep is worth it.

Care

The wear and tear of sofas, again, mostly depends on grade of material used. Which is where leather and fabric differ. Fabric with a higher grade, usually is much more durable whereas with leather in a higher grade is more natural and more prone to marking and sagging. However, leather does age beautifully and its natural distressed look is stylish and timeless.

Leather is a lot easier to clean, it usually requires a light dusting and wipe down reguarly, compared to fabric which needs vaccuming and is likely to need to be cleaned with a speciality products.

Both leather and fabric sofas require care and maintenance to stay in the best condition. At Reynolds we offer Stainguard Warranty which protects your new sofa for another 5 years on accidental damage to the fabric and the frame, it’s only £45 a seat. Fabric sofas that are sold with the warranty will be sprayed with a scotch guard treatment, giving them immediate protection from spillages. Customers who choose leather will get a leather cleaning kit which includes a protection cream.

Colour and Pattern Options

This is where fabric wins, there are unlimited patterns and colours to choose from. Sometimes we hear customers complain there is too much choice! You can really let your imagination and creative side run wild with fabric, mixing patterns, prints and colours to reflect your own style.

However technology in recent years has been able to give more colour choice for leather sofas and you can always accessorise your leather sofa with fabric scatters to incorporate more texture, pattern and colours.

A good salesperson will always ask you questions on your home life to help you determine what the best choice for you is! Visit our website www.reynoldsfurniture.co.uk to see our full range of sofas.