What type of new sofa to get- leather or fabric?

[ChilliMochaCoco]

We need a new sofa for our family of four. We have had a leather one for many years but I have my eye on a lush velvet one.

However a friend said its easier and better to get a leather one as can wipe it down.
What are your thoughts please from your personal experience?

We bought our first ever leather sofas about 7 or 8 years ago. Tbh I don't think I'd ever go back to fabric, as it absorbs dirt and smells and it stains easily. Leather is so much easier and it ages nicely instead of getting faded or tatty.

We bought a fancy leather sofa after years of modest fabric ones. I hate it. Cold, slippery, has to be dusted every day and smells of dead cow when the sun shines on it. Never again.

Fabric!
Cannot stand the feel of PiL leather sofa. Cold and uninviting in winter. Sticky and sweaty in high summer.

We've had leather for 12 years and I miss fabric

Fabric. We bought leather one years ago and had to sell it. Stick to it in summer, freezing in winter. They smell, are hard to keep clean and just aren’t comfortable.

Husband conned me into cow hide because we had dogs. Always hated it. Twenty years on he admits he hated it. Now he has some fancy ergonomic chair from Scandinavian company. I have a sofa and armchair both elephant cord, with throws on because of dawgs. Everyone happy

Leather is more practical with young kids and pets…

Do you have pets is the question?
if yes - go for leather
if no - go for fabric

Fabric. Leather is cold and slippery, we had one; I hated it.

Varied responses but most people suggesting fabric. Yesterday we went sofa shopping and I came away confused.
We don't have pets but have children (and there's me!) who potentially could spill / mark the fabric.

Which is easiest to get marks out of?

When we had small kids we bought a sofa in dfs in the sale in charcoal fabric. Lasted a good 7 years and showed no marks at all. Was also very easy to wipe down.

We've just gone from leather to fabric. I prefer fabric at the moment 🙂