This may simply come down to practical considerations or preferences, but let’s explore the options as a starting point for what you should think about to decide.
Ease of cleaning
One of the most crucial questions is who do you expect will be sitting on your lounge the most. If you have pets, it’s almost a certainty they’ll end up snuggling with you, leaving their fur on the lounge. With this in mind, the need for cleaning of the upholstery is something to keep in mind.
A leather couch can prove an easier solution if you also have kids. Children can be messy and have a tendency to spill drinks and food and leave tiny handprints everywhere they go. Leather offers the ease of cleaning with a quick wipe of its surface, whereas fabric upholstery will require a dry or clean steam from time to time, or at least a yearly wash in the machine, depending on the type.
Consider your climate
If you live in a hot or humid climate, selecting the right upholstery fabric can make the difference between a comfortable couch and one that clings to the skin. If your room is climate controlled, this shouldn’t prove too much of a problem, but in very hot weather where you likely have more skin exposed, sitting on a couch can feel quite sweltering. If you’re caught in regular heatwaves, a fabric upholstery may be the better option.
Longevity
We don’t go out and make yearly purchases of lounges. When you update your lounge suit, you generally expect it to last some time. Leather can be more durable over time, but can crack or split if not properly cared for. Regardless, you’re far more likely to need to refurbish fabric within a decade. Fabric tends to wear faster than its more durable leather counterpart.
Maintenance
As addressed above, whichever option you go for, your lounge will last a lot longer if you take some care to look after it. Fabric upholstery will need to be professionally cleaned from time to time. Spills on leather, however, are much easier to clean given its water-resistance.
Leather, on the other hand, is water-resistant, making it easier to clean. Stains can be quickly wiped up. Cleaning your leather furniture often requires nothing more than a quick wipe down with leather cleaner or warm water and a mild soap.
Design
While leather offers many benefits that fabric upholstery doesn’t, fabric is often the prefered upholstery given the wider variety of colours and styles over leather. If you’re a family who tends to spend a great deal of time lounging together, fabric can also offer a softer and more comfortable option. But for a more elegant and decadent lounge room, leather is likely to be more eye-catching.
If you’re looking to update your lounge suit but still feel undecided as to what choice of lounge is right, visit the experts at Gainsville for professional advice. With our showroom conveniently based in Melbourne’s Southbank, we offer a wide range of varying sizes and styles from the finest leather and upholstery fabrics. If you can’t make it to Melbourne, visit our website to browse through our thorough product descriptions and photos to find the right lounge for you.