Great value, tested and determined that it is genuine leather
I researched this couch a lot before I finally purchased it. I read a lot of reviews that contradicted each other, so I didnt know what to expect. Ive had the couch for a few weeks now and wanted to give an in/depth review of my experience so far. First, the most important question for me was: is it real leather。 Yes. This is genuine leather throughout the couch, however since this is the least expensive leather chesterfield you can buy, it is not luxury leather. There are three grades of real leather: full grain, top grain, and genuine. Genuine is lowest grade and that is what this couch appears to be. I verified this in four ways:
1. When I removed the cushion covers, I saw the back of the leather was suede, which is commonly found on genuine leather. The leather is thin, but I have not had any punctures so far. My dogs nails have scratched the leather, but not deeply. If this was bonded leather, there would be a fabric backing, but there is not.
2. I opened the zippered flap underneath and took a very small sliver of extra leather and burned it. If there was plastic, it would have melted and smell like nasty chemicals, however this smelled like burned hair (gross, but indicates that this is real leather).
3. The press test shows creases in the leather. Faux leather would not crease.
4. The leather soaked up leather conditioner. This would not have happened with faux leather.
As for the quality of the leather, it is adequate for the cost. There is some difference in the appearance in different spots of the couch, but that is to be expected with real leather, however some of the leather appears to be cut from different types or sections of the animal skin. Also, as other reviews mentioned, the leather is very dry upon arrival. I was ready with a 32 oz bottle of Lexol conditioner. I have applied 2 coats: an initial thick coat that I left on and a second one a couple weeks later that was following the directions on the bottle. This has helped the dryness a fair amount and the leather does look richer now, but not substantially. I tested Leather Honey on a hidden part of the couch and I really liked how supple it made that part feel, however it was much darker. The Lexol did not darken the leather, and I am overly happy with the result I had from it. I might apply Leather Honey in the future though because it really did hydrate the leather much better. I got the dark brown. I read the black version is more dark gray, so you might get a better black if you were to condition with Leather Honey which is known to darken leather.
On delivery, the couch was in a cardboard box and it seemed to have been roughed up pretty good. The couch inside seems fine, but there are light scuffs around the base. Leather conditioner helped with these. Once I opened the box, there was a slight smell, but it dissipated in two days. The feet are inside the zippered flap and they seem adequate. The cushions are not leather all the way around, so be careful with the fabric contact with the Velcro attachment.
The couch feels very sturdy and is comfortable to sit and rest arms along the top of the couch all the way around, which I like. Ive fallen asleep on this couch several times already and it is comfortable. It is not plush, but it works great for my preferences.
The styling is fine, however a critical eye will identify the flaws in the stitching, button placement, and some unevenness. This is NOT a luxury couch. This is a nice couch that will make most people think you dropped a lot more money than you did. The leather has started to wrinkle, crease already, but that is part of the charm, in my opinion.
Overall, this seems like a great value for what you get if you are willing to put in some effort to condition it right away. It looks fabulous.
Great value, tested and determined that it is genuine leather
I researched this couch a lot before I finally purchased it. I read a lot of reviews that contradicted each other, so I didnt know what to expect. Ive had the couch for a few weeks now and wanted to give an in/depth review of my experience so far. First, the most important question for me was: is it real leather。 Yes. This is genuine leather throughout the couch, however since this is the least expensive leather chesterfield you can buy, it is not luxury leather. There are three grades of real leather: full grain, top grain, and genuine. Genuine is lowest grade and that is what this couch appears to be. I verified this in four ways: 1. When I removed the cushion covers, I saw the back of the leather was suede, which is commonly found on genuine leather. The leather is thin, but I have not had any punctures so far. My dogs nails have scratched the leather, but not deeply. If this was bonded leather, there would be a fabric backing, but there is not. 2. I opened the zippered flap underneath and took a very small sliver of extra leather and burned it. If there was plastic, it would have melted and smell like nasty chemicals, however this smelled like burned hair (gross, but indicates that this is real leather). 3. The press test shows creases in the leather. Faux leather would not crease. 4. The leather soaked up leather conditioner. This would not have happened with faux leather. As for the quality of the leather, it is adequate for the cost. There is some difference in the appearance in different spots of the couch, but that is to be expected with real leather, however some of the leather appears to be cut from different types or sections of the animal skin. Also, as other reviews mentioned, the leather is very dry upon arrival. I was ready with a 32 oz bottle of Lexol conditioner. I have applied 2 coats: an initial thick coat that I left on and a second one a couple weeks later that was following the directions on the bottle. This has helped the dryness a fair amount and the leather does look richer now, but not substantially. I tested Leather Honey on a hidden part of the couch and I really liked how supple it made that part feel, however it was much darker. The Lexol did not darken the leather, and I am overly happy with the result I had from it. I might apply Leather Honey in the future though because it really did hydrate the leather much better. I got the dark brown. I read the black version is more dark gray, so you might get a better black if you were to condition with Leather Honey which is known to darken leather. On delivery, the couch was in a cardboard box and it seemed to have been roughed up pretty good. The couch inside seems fine, but there are light scuffs around the base. Leather conditioner helped with these. Once I opened the box, there was a slight smell, but it dissipated in two days. The feet are inside the zippered flap and they seem adequate. The cushions are not leather all the way around, so be careful with the fabric contact with the Velcro attachment. The couch feels very sturdy and is comfortable to sit and rest arms along the top of the couch all the way around, which I like. Ive fallen asleep on this couch several times already and it is comfortable. It is not plush, but it works great for my preferences. The styling is fine, however a critical eye will identify the flaws in the stitching, button placement, and some unevenness. This is NOT a luxury couch. This is a nice couch that will make most people think you dropped a lot more money than you did. The leather has started to wrinkle, crease already, but that is part of the charm, in my opinion. Overall, this seems like a great value for what you get if you are willing to put in some effort to condition it right away. It looks fabulous.