5 Alternatives to Leather Furniture and Decor

While leather furniture offers a timeless and classic look for your home, there’s been a shift in demand for more ethical and sustainable sourcing of materials. This has led to the creation of high-quality alternatives to leather furniture and decor. These leather alternatives are being used to create high end furniture pieces like couches, zero gravity recliners, and other home decor like rugs and throws.

Gone are the plastic-feeling, uncomfortable faux leather furniture pieces of previous times. Today’s options have the texture, feel, and look of the real deal without any guilt! We’re taking a look at 5 alternatives to leather furniture and decor to add socially-conscious style to your home.

Benefits of Alternatives to Leather Furniture

Perhaps you’re concerned about the authentic aesthetics of alternatives to leather furniture but you don’t need to worry about them looking or feeling super fake. Faux leather furniture and decor fabric bases are treated with waxes, dyes, and chemicals to give them authentic leather qualities. Some of the primary benefits of alternatives to leather furniture are:

• They don’t retain moisture and therefore won’t dry out or crack
• Faux leather gives the durability of real leather
• Alternatives to leather are more sustainable and cruelty-free
• Fake leather furniture and decor require much less strenuous upkeep
• Synthetic leather fabrics can be printed and created in a variety of colors & patterns unavailable in natural leather furniture

So...What is Faux Leather Furniture?

There are many types of leather alternatives and faux leather furniture makes the top of our list. Selecting faux leather for your next couch or chair gives you a real leather interior design aesthetic with none of the guilt.

There are two primary types of faux leather (also referred to as vegan synthetic hide). The first is polyurethane, more commonly labeled as PU faux leather. The second primary type is polyvinyl chloride, called PVC faux leather. Instead of being created from actual hide, these faux leather furniture options are created from synthetic fabrics. Luxury furniture providers have shifted heavily into providing faux leather options on products ranging from couches to zero gravity chairs.

Looking for other animal-friendly home decor alternatives? This brings us to the number two spot on our list: faux animal hide rugs! 

Faux Animal Hide Rugs

Cowhide rugs have been around forever and maintain their popularity. It doesn’t have to be real, however, to be high quality and beautiful! Ultimately, the care given to any furniture or home decor piece will determine its longevity.

While less expensive faux hide rugs may be more visible, high end faux hide rugs are visually indiscernible from their real hide counterparts. Even more inexpensive pieces can look fantastic, though! As with faux leather furniture, fake hide rugs are available in a much wider variety of prints, colors, and styles. You can source your cruelty-free home decor and find styles to fit every aesthetic!

“Leather” Furniture Made from Fruit

Can you get any more vegan-friendly leather than being made from fruit? While this option is less widely-available at this time, fruit leather is an up-and-coming source for leather alternatives for those looking to get ahead of the trend!

Several eco-friendly companies are using fruit harvest byproducts to create leather-like materials while simultaneously reducing food waste. This makes it responsibly, sustainably-sourced while also reducing the carbon footprint of fruit harvesters.

As businesses specializing in fruit leather continue to grow, they’ve set their sights on offering sustainable alternative leather furniture on a global scale. Perhaps your next couch will be made from nature’s candy!

Microfiber Leather Furniture

While faux leather may be frequently used as an umbrella term for all alternative leather furniture and decor items, microfiber leather is technically different. Another alternative to real leather furniture for your home, microfiber leather, also sometimes called micro leather, consists of extremely fine synthetic fibers woven together. These fibers create a very dense fabric that undergoes a suede finishing process, resulting in a high quality fake leather alternative for couches, chairs, and other home decor.

Similar to faux leather options, micro leather is lightweight, won’t fade, breathes, and is very durable. This reduces the amount of upkeep needed compared to real leather furniture. As it is a synthetic material, micro leather furniture is available in a wide array of textures, colors, and styles so you’ll be sure to find one that suits your home. 

Mix Textiles and Vegan Leather Furniture Pieces

The last alternative to leather furniture and decor on our list may not provide the same leather look you’re going for but is certainly more sustainable and cruelty-free for those seeking socially-conscious designs. This is mixing up your faux leather furniture and decor with traditional textiles.

Mixing in fake leather furniture with natural fabrics can bring a light, organic feel to your home. Top choices for this are linen and cotton. Linen will require more rigorous and professional upkeep, so bear that in mind when selecting your next furniture piece. Cotton, on the other hand, is more durable and a classic staple in furniture fabric.

For those adamantly seeking a leather aesthetic in their home, mixing fabrics and faux leather pieces like a cotton couch with a vegan-leather zero gravity recliner will add contrast and visual interest to the space. Be bold, take risks, and lead the way in interior design for your space!

There are loads of high quality alternatives to leather furniture and decor for your home being produced today. Luxury brands are offering sustainably and ethically sourced faux leather furniture that incorporates style, durability, and social awareness. From adding the perfect sectional to choosing the ultimate zero gravity chair, fake leather alternatives bring all the luxury and none of the guilt!

Considering adding a vegan synthetic hide zero gravity recliner to your home and wondering about the various ways to use it? Read these zero gravity recliner ideas & alternative uses at home for inspiration!