PU and PVC leather are both artificial and widely used in many industries like clothing, furniture, boat, etc. However, they are not the same material, and they’ve got many differences in property, price, application, composition, manufacturing, etc. It is important to learn about the difference between PU and PVC leather, which can help you select the right material when buying needed products. As a top faux leather manufacturer, let’s introduce you to the difference between PU and PVC leather.
What Is PU Leather?
PU leather stands for polyurethane leather, an artificial leather mainly made of thermoplastic polymer and widely used for various industries like shoes, clothes, and furniture.
What Is PVC Leather
PVC leather refers to polyvinyl chloride leather, an artificial leather mainly made of plastic resin. It is inexpensive and available in many applications like boat decoration, ship interior, furniture upholstery, raincoat material, etc.
Difference
PVC leather is mainly made of PVC resins mixed with other additives to form various textures, colors, and effects. PU leather is primarily made by combining polyurethane resins with other additives to create different effects.
Manufacture
The manufacturing process of PU leather is more complex than PVC leather. Generally, PVC leather’s pattern is made by hot pressing with a roller. PU leather’s base fabric is made with high strength, giving fair leather support, so PU leather performs better in abrasion resistance and tensile strength.
Breathability
PU leather is more breathable than PVC leather for its functional foam layer. Therefore, PU leather is more widely used in the clothing industry. However, PU leather doesn’t have a great non-porous surface as PVC leather, so it can be easily affected by stains and other dirt particles. For this reason, PVC leather is more popular than PU leather in upholstery.
Durability
PVC leather can resist more wear and weather elements than PU leather, so it is widely used in many outdoor items like raincoats, outdoor furniture, etc. PU leather can fade and wrinkle over time. In addition, PVC leather has a refined non-porous surface, making it more durable than PU leather.
Environment Protection
The manufacturing process of PVC leather can produce harmful materials to the environment. Instead, producing PU leather won’t give out harmful chemicals even during use. Thus, PU leather is more environmentally friendly than PVC leather.
Which to Choose?
PVC and PU leather are both high-performance artificial leathers, and the choice should be up to the actual applications. If you are planning to use leather for outdoor projects, PVC leather is the ideal option. If you want a solution to the clothing and shoe material, go for PU leather.
We are a professional artificial leather manufacturer and supplier, offering superior PU leather, PVC leather, faux leather, etc., for a wide range of applications. For more information about our products and service, welcome to contact us at anna@caiwing.cn. We look forward to hearing from you!
