I found a very pretty sofa which the salesman says is leather but I think it is polyurethane leather. Can anyone tell me what exactly is polyurethane? The salesman is trying to pass it off as real leather.
Polyurethane is plastic, and smells like plastic. Just smell the couch. It should have a strong leather smell. If you don't want to, just read the label. They're usually somewhere on the back or bottom, sometimes under cushions.
Polyurethane has a plastic base. There is no such thing as polyurethane leather. Real leather is very durable and is made from animal hide. Polyurethane isn't able to stand up to the use and abuse leather can. Polyurethane and vinyls often crack and get disgusting looking. Simply look for the tag on the sofa and look to see what it's truly made of. In these economic times salesmen will tell you anything you wanna hear, if it means they will complete the sale.
Some leathers have a polyurethane coating on them which gives them extra protection. It is the thickness of this coating that will determine whether it can be classed as 'leather' or not. Some sofas have a split leather with a polyurethane coating bonded to it (this is generally called laminated or Bicast leather) In the UK it is illegal to sell Bicast leather as real leather if the thickness of the coating exceeds a certain level.
