Vegan Leather versus Full-Grain Leather

Full-Grain Leather vs Polyurethane

Debunking the age-old debate of vegan leather versus full-grain leather.

If you’re reading this, you’ve definitely had the "full-grain leather versus vegan leather" argument at some point of time. Opponents of leather often cite its environmental impact, and almost inevitably reach for the word ‘vegan’ as though that settled the question. While we can see where those arguments originate from, the foundation they are based on is, shaky at best.

Let’s understand where ‘vegan’ leather comes from. ‘Vegan’ sounds great and all, but is nothing but marketing-speak for polyurethane (now you know why they needed marketing-speak). Polyurethane, or PU, leather is manufactured using petrochemicals, and thus entails a whole host of environmental problems. The chemicals used in the manufacture of PU leather are not only bad for the environment, but quite horrible for the people who have to work with or around them too.

To compound this issue, the durability of PU leather is substantially lesser than that of full-grain leather, calling for more replacements and thus, ultimately, more production. A full-grain leather article, on the other hand, will probably outlive you.

You also have the problem of disposal. PU leather is, ultimately, a plastic, and thus, non-biodegradable. If thrown into a landfill, it will just sit there for eternity, and if burned, it will emit foul, toxic gases into the atmosphere. Full-grain leather, on the other hand, will last you a lifetime, thus making disposal redundant. In any case, it is biodegradable, considering it is a natural material to begin with.

It is worth being precise about what is being compared, because ‘leather’ covers several grades and they do not behave alike. Full-grain keeps the outermost grain layer intact, and it is the grade we work in. Top-grain has been sanded back a little. Corrected-grain has been sanded further and given a printed finish. Bonded leather is offcuts ground down and glued to a backing. PU is not on that scale at all: it is a plastic film on a fabric base. Most of what people mean by ‘cheap leather’ is corrected-grain, bonded or PU, and most of what they mean by ‘leather that lasts’ is full-grain. The comparison worth having is full-grain against PU.

Vegan leather poses other issues too: it lacks the depth, look and feel of full-grain leather. Every piece of full-grain leather is unique, carrying its own grain pattern and markings. Vegan leather, being a product of mass manufacturing, is standardised and sans character. Vegan leather also does not age well. Time cracks and peels vegan leather, and at the same time gracefully ages full-grain leather (provided you take care of it; read our handy guide on caring for your leathers). And lastly, vegan leather is just not as comfortable as full-grain leather. Full-grain leather has natural pores which allow it to breathe. Vegan leather, on the other hand, is a plastic, and as such, is a non-breathable material. This has obvious implications for leather apparel, but also makes a difference in maintaining the suppleness of the material in other leather goods: a material that cannot breathe is likely to stiffen and crack over time.

Vegan leather, ultimately, pales in comparison to full-grain leather. It’s more damaging to the environment, creates more waste rather than less, looks cheaper, ages poorly and isn’t very comfortable. It may cost less money in the short run, but its implications for your wallet and the world are far more negative in the long term.

For tricks to tell the two apart, check out how to tell full-grain leather from PU.