What are the limitations of faux leather?

Though there are a lot of advantages to synthetic leather, there are also a lot of limitations. Let’s know what are the drawbacks of synthetic leather.

• Smell: Since the raw material for the production of synthetic leather is mostly plastics such as polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride resin hence the smell of faux leather is similar to that of plastics and chemicals.
• Ageing: Unlike real leather, synthetic leather does not develop the patina coating on the surface over time. But genuine leather develops its own luster and appearance over time which cannot be imitated by synthetic leather.
• Breathability: The biggest disadvantage of synthetic leather is that it is not breathable. Due to the use of plastics and other synthetic materials, synthetic leather is non-porous in nature and hence does not allow the air to pass through it. Hence leather clothing is mostly preferred in winters when the weather is not moist.
• Flexibility: The flexibility in faux leather is not similar to that of real leather. Faux leather is very less flexible and is not pliable and stretchable.
• Heat sensitive: The raw material of synthetic leather is mostly plastics which makes them sensitive towards heat.
• Non-biodegradable: If the environmental aspect is concerned, most of the synthetic leather is made using non-renewable materials and is not biodegradable.
• Unlike genuine leather which can maintain its luster for years, synthetic leather cannot retain its luster over a longer period of time.
• The coating or lamination tends to crack over time which is applied on the surface of synthetic leather.
• When compared to real leather, faux leather is not torn resistant. Faux leather can be easily torn or punctured if misused.
• Faux leather doesn’t have the same hypo-allergic qualities which real leather has.
• The products made from synthetic leather need to be replaced more often as they tend to wear out after continuous use. This adds to the negative environmental impact of synthetic leather.