Ultra Leather….worth it?

[Luther]

I’m having an interior renovation done and one of the items is replacement of the salon upholstery. It will be a lightish colour (beige, sand…).
I would love to have Ultra Leather fabric, but at $70/yard (I need 20 yards) it is a significant cost.
I’m interested to hear from others with experience of Ultra Leather, particularly those who live aboard most of the time, as to whether they think the cost is justified. Also ideas about any less expensive alternatives that have similar qualities.

[ggray]

Good question.

Following

[Rohan]

I have often wondered why boats generally have fabric cushions in the salon when leather/vinyl/etc makes more sense, and looks better to boot.

Are you planning on ever selling your boat? Consider while it may cost $1400, it could later add that much or more to your resale value.

[Muaddib1116]

Is leather or faux leather really a nice option in a hot, humid place?

[Luther]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

Is leather or faux leather really a nice option in a hot, humid place?

It’s a man made leather and claims to be cooler on the skin.

[Luther]

Originally Posted by Rohan

I have often wondered why boats generally have fabric cushions in the salon when leather/vinyl/etc makes more sense, and looks better to boot.

Are you planning on ever selling your boat? Consider while it may cost $1400, it could later add that much or more to your resale value.

Well I hope my boat will be my main residence for another 10 years (6 years so far) so the renovation is for me, as I think it will be depreciated by then.

[s/v Jedi]

Yes, original Ultra Leather is worth it… make sure you get the genuine product though, as there are many knock-offs and most fall apart in short time.

Even better is Ultra Suede (called Alcantara in Europe).

[Luther]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Yes, original Ultra Leather is worth it… make sure you get the genuine product though, as there are many knock-offs and most fall apart in short time.

Even better is Ultra Suede (called Alcantara in Europe).

Agreed but $100/yd Ouch!

[Tillsbury]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Yes, original Ultra Leather is worth it… make sure you get the genuine product though, as there are many knock-offs and most fall apart in short time.

Even better is Ultra Suede (called Alcantara in Europe).

Ultra suede is a knock-off Alcantara and nothing like as good as the real thing. Very hard to buy though as almost all production goes to superyachts and supercars.

[Rex Delay]

Yes, see attached if it worked.

[Bill O]

We did ours in ultra leather for the main cabin cushions a few years back and will say it's worth it. Ultra suede is also a good product (mast cover and forward cushions).

[JPA Cate]

Friends did their saloon in blue ultra suede that matched the admiral's eyes. They then spend years in hot moist places mostly in SE Asia and around Singapore, which is very close to the equator. They were always happy with it, and we sat on it in Thailand when it was still new: it was comfortable to me, there. It was still on the boat when they sold it, perhaps at that point 15-20 yrs. later. They were sort of perfectionist. One thing about it was that it washed well, even red wine stains came out.

We have leather. I like to cover it with terry when were in hot, humid places. (Slip covers for boat cushions are easy to make.)

However, if you're going to be dragging, wet, salty sails through there, vinyl or sunbrella makes sense, too. Also, may depend on how long you want to keep the boat. And if the boat is worth the expense to you.

Ann

[Bill O]

An additional thought. Depending on the age of your cushions, you may want to replace them before going through the expense of a high end upholstering fabric. Not sure if a quality foam material is easily accessible in Guatemala.

IMO the new high density foam makes a big difference and the cushions are good for a long time.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by Luther

I’m having an interior renovation done and one of the items is replacement of the salon upholstery. It will be a lightish colour (beige, sand…).
I would love to have Ultra Leather fabric, but at $70/yard (I need 20 yards) it is a significant cost.
I’m interested to hear from others with experience of Ultra Leather, particularly those who live aboard most of the time, as to whether they think the cost is justified. Also ideas about any less expensive alternatives that have similar qualities.

Just don't get talked into going with Ultra Leather's Brisa! What originally sold us on using this product is that it breaths like a fabric and not leather - no sticking to the seat - and it is soft and extremely durable, but it stretches horribly and makes the cushions look tired within a few months. We added batten, restitched, every trick we could, but they were always saggy.

-Matt

[robert sailor]

We used the same product as BMW uses in non leather applications and it wasn't cheap but it was a wonderful product and aged extremely well....still looking wonderful 10 years later. Is best to sit on towels if your not dressed as cleaning can be a pain. Ours was done in an off white.