Leather sofa -- yay or nay?

[whenwillitbespring]

Usually, I am not inclined to get a leather sofa at all, but I do quite like this one from sofa.com and the price is not crazy as compared to the fabric sofas (in fact, cheaper than a lot of the fabric options.)

Is it wrong? Is it a bad idea? We have a kid and cats. We do have one leather chair that is secondhand that our cat never scratches but you never know . . .

Had them for 13 years as dh wanted them. I'm not a fan of how they look but they have been comfortable and durable with kids and a dog.

I'd love a beautiful fabric sofa but might actually get another (more stylish) leather sofa to keep for decades and then a fabric one which can be changed more regularly.

I disagree that they're cold in winter. A short time of sitting on them and they are super warmed up. I've never found it too hot or sticky in summer either. Perhaps it depends what kind of leather.

I still have a leather sofa & 2 chairs that I bought in 2004, still looks good/new and comfortable to sit on, I live alone with no pets though

I have leather chesterfield style sofa I like to be able to clean my sofa and you can’t do that with fabric unless a loose cover, the amount of ‘how often you wash your sheets’ and ‘carpets are grim’ threads on here I’m surprised people mentally cope with fabric sofas which can’t be washed on a weekly basis!

I think cat scratches add to the character of a leather sofa. Im doing my very small living room up now and I have a twenty year old sofa from Habitat bought in a seconds shop. It wont be going. I might either but love seat or some kind of recliner chair just so i can satisfy myself for wanting something new. No way will i get rid of the leather one.

@HarrietJonesFlydaleNorth I paid about £900 I think for a small two seater and an armchair back in c.2010. I got them from
Harveys.

Mines 17 years old. The cat has trashed the side of the chair but the rest of it has lasted really well. One of the seams has gone and it 13 years of children have led to some marks I can't remove...nailvarnish ffs!

I like it. It’s a classic style and probably more hard wearing than fabric.

I love my leather sofas. Absolutely NOT cold in winter or sticky in summer. Realky cosy. And washable!!
Rsalky easy to keep clean.

I don't have ans have never had leather sofas. But when I sit on them at friends houses, they are super slippery and I sort of slide down !! I can't be the only one?!

Easy to put a throw on a leather sofa if too cold or hot and bung in the washer when necessary.

Much easier than washing cushion covers and having to keep plumping the cushions up so they don’t look messy after a few years.

We used to have leather ones, then switched to fabric ones for about 6 years as I thought it might be more comfy. Never again so glad to get rid of them last year! Leather is so easy to maintain.

Our cat is trained to sleep in her very comfy bed not the sofa!

We have leather sofas from Old Boot, which are really sturdy and well-made, well worth a look (they have a shop in Fulham if you live in London).

We have two Hepburn sofas in the lounge and the Historian sofa bed in the studio.
https://www.oldbootsofas.com/leather-sofas-c1

I do think there is leather and leather - not saying you need to pay a fortune, it’s all in the finish. Glossy ones will be slippy and cold. You need a good matte leather that just gets better and better with age.

I love Arighi Bianchi, but have never been instore.

I had a leather corner sofa for about 20 years. It was still comfy but the leather had started to wear badly, plus (teenaged!) cat had kicked the shit out of it!

Just recently replaced it with a much better quality of leather and we love it! It does have a couple of scratches already as our mad cat goes on zoomies over it! I took out insurance that will cover repairs though.

I wouldn't have a fabric one again.

It’s a ‘Yay’ from me. I find leather sofas to be comfortable, practical & durable. As for whether they may or may not be fashionable, I neither know nor care.

Cats can make a mess of any sofa if they take a liking to it. I have an armchair that is plucked badly on the arms, but he leaves the sofa alone. Search me.

I don't like the look of that sofa at all, the back is very low.

I don’t like the look of leather sofas and swore I would never get one. Always had fabric, always covered with cat hair and various stains from stuff the kids had dropped. We went sofa shopping and took the kids who talked us into a leather recliner sofa. It’s bloody ugly but oh, so comfy that I am prepared to forgive its ugliness. Plus I sit on it all the time so I can’t see it!

I love a Chesterfield sofa but when I went to the factory outlet near us, fully intending to buy one, the owner talked me out of it due to the lack of support to neck and shoulders. He sold them mostly for hotel lobbies and office waiting rooms.

So we got our five-seat “elephant” grey leather sectional with plenty of neck support (130 back height). It can be sticky in summer but I just put a cotton throw over it. 12yo and still in perfect condition.

Have you read this thread?

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/ninety_days_only/4852462-sofacom-the-game-is-up?reply=127921716

The worst thing about leather sofas is that the buggers just WILL not wear out! Ours are about 20 years old now and refuse to give up the ghost. I’m so bored with them but we can’t justify getting rid.

I had one years ago when Chesterfields were fashionable - never again!

It was slippery, cold in winter, needed feeding with polish or it cracked, cat loved scratching it.

Never again !

I know not everyone likes leather but they are so easy to care for with babies/children/pets, I’ll always have a leather soft whilst I have children, I’d be a nervous wreck with a cloth sofa anytime anybody sat with a drink!

We bought 2x2 seater sofas (cos it was a small room) (Stressless) and a super comfy recliner (Himolla). All in cream leather and super easy to keep clean (apart from indigo dye from jeans)

Leather ages so well and look better and better.

Some leather sofas are ugly chunky things with massive arms so I'm not keen even though they are a practical choice. I guess there's more 'refined' designer ones around! A classic chesterfield style is available in many stores and cheaper than the one you've linked but perhaps it's better quality. You can get leather and fabric combo's if that's of interest.
I think with any sofa purchase you really need to try before you buy - go to the showroom and sit/lie on it for a while and get the feel of it. Ask about the guarantee on frame and upholstery.

I have only had one leather sofa and that was in a furnished rental apartment and I hated it. My biggest problem is the leather smell, it just never seems to go away and makes me feel like I’m sitting in a stable although my in-laws have just bought a brand new one and they love it so different strokes for different folks I guess!
If it helps, when we bought our latest fabric sofa this year, the salesmen said leather or microfiber are best for pets !