An alternative to real leather and increasingly popular as a planet-friendly choice for brands. PU leather, polyurethane leather, is an artificial leather made of thermoplastic polymer used for making bags, badges, accessories for bags, furniture, clothing and shoes. 100% PU leather is completely artificial and is considered vegan. There are some types of PU leather called bicast leather that have include real leather but has a polyurethane coating on top. This type of PU leather, takes the fibrous part of cowhide that are left over from making genuine leather and polyurethane is layered on top. Many styles of bag can be made from PU including tote bags, handbags and zipped pouches. Our stock range includes a few styles, we can also make bespoke PU bags.
The most common way to create PU leather is using a cover of plastic polyurethane or a polyurethane coating and apply it to a base made of fiber (generally polyester). The PU leather can be combined with real leather to make something called "double-cast" leather. The "double-cast" leather can use a base of divided real leather which later is covered by PVC or PU layer.
Is PU Leather the same as Synthetic Leather?
The short answer is, yes. PU leather, also known as synthetic leather, is a synthetic version of real leather. It looks like real leather and has the same feel and appearance but it doesn't hurt animals in any way. However, it does not last nearly as long as real leather and will begin to crack over time.
When it comes to purchasing a leather product, there are a lot of considerations to make. The most basic question of course is what type of leather do you want? There is of course genuine leather, but there are also synthetic materials like pu leather that are made to look like leather; and there is PU leather, which is not technically leather at all.
One way to tell the difference between real leather and PU leather is to do a water test — meaning dab a few drops of water on the material. Genuine leather will absorb the water and PU leather will not.
You also can tell the difference by looking at the fabric and inspecting it well. Real leather will show some imperfections and feature a genuine grain, whereas PU leather will have an almost perfect, patterned look.
PU leather is becoming more popular, especially as people become more conscious about sustainability and animal ethics. It's commonly used as a fashion alternative to leather for handbags, clothing and shoes.
PU versions tout the term "leather" — as do faux leather and vegan leather — but the name is mostly for marketing purposes.