Leather is a natural material used for creating products like furniture, accessories and most importantly – jackets.
When it comes to leather jackets, the market has adopted this habit of selling artificial pieces as real leather and it is difficult to identify if it’s genuine or artificial.
Don’t worry, there are many ways by which you can easily recognize a real leather – here are 9 things that you need to check before buying.
- Check price tag:
price tag leather jacket
The biggest difference between genuine and artificial is the price. A real leather jacket cost 2x more than a synthetic leather jacket. If you find anywhere at a cheap price then it will be definitely made up of synthetic leather. And there are many tests you can do at the spot to identify the real or faux. - Touch and feel:
leather touch feeling
Good quality real leather always gives a slightly smooth and warm feeling. If you feel too smoothness and plastic feel then it will be Faux. If you want to check leather go to only reputable garment stores because they have a wide variety of both real and synthetic and you can easily compare both. - Check texture pattern:
texture of leather
Faux leather is chemically synthesized and made in a machine that’s it comes with symmetrical texture pattern. On the other hand, real leather has a unique and uneven texture pattern with variations in a single piece. A genuine leather jacket would look distressed and full of grains because it is made of natural products. Always check the pattern properly before. - Smell the Leather:
smelling leather jacket
The smell is a good indicator to recognize the leather. Artificial leather smells like chemical or plastic while real leather smells like natural and organic. - Water absorbance test:
water absorption tests
Real leather has its own uniqueness to absorb water due to the presence of pores. Dark patches will be visible where moisture presents until water evaporates. Just put the 1-2 drops of water on the surface of leather, if it absorbs then it means it’s real. If water drops remain at the surface then definitely synthetic leather present. - Check edges:
edges of leather
If you ever use any real leather product then you can easily recognize the genuine leather. They have always rough roundness and coarse edges like natural but the Faux or synthetic leather edges look smooth and perfect. - Fire test:
ignite test leather
This test is sensitive that’s why only try if you own the product at home. Pick up the edge of the leather and try to close it with fire.If you notice burning plastic smell then it is 100% faux leather and if it is not, then it’s natural. - Bend comparison:
bend the leather
When you bend real leather it shows the variation in color and in pores. Faux leather has not more elasticity like real leather. It is more regular and wrinkles easily.
- Weight check:
heavy leather real
Another easy method to identify leather is from its weight. Real leather such as lambskin and cowhide are heavier than synthetic leather.
These are the simple and easy tricks from which you can easily identify the real or fake leather. In short, real leather is durable and expensive. A genuine leather jacket is warm and comfortable but the synthetic leather jacket looks good only in appearance and having a low price. Real leather is a one-time investment and lifetime use.