Ultraleather, or the real thing?

[delmag]

i'm going to have my interior cushions covered in the near future. the cost difference between ulthraleather and real leather is not that great so, at the last minute, i am considering that option. is there a case to be made for real vs. imitation, aside from aesthetics? i'm concerned about cleaning/treating the leather and the possibility of mold/mildew. anyone have any experience/opinions that they would care to share?

[AiniA]

I am very impressed with ultra leather - you can clean it with anything short of a thermo-nuclear warhead and it lasts really, really well. Have only had real leather at home and it does not stand up nearly as well - you get tiny cracks and you have to be more careful with cleaning. Have you considered ultra-suede? I find it nicer to sit on with bare legs. It is also bullet proof.

[Matt Johnson]

Are you looking at Brisa by Ultraleather? If so, it's wonderful stuff. It breaths, is easy to clean, wears extremely well and sews without problem. Only negative is that it stretches with use.... If you fit the fabric tight now, you'll have to add fill later.

Matt

opps. I see the company is Ultrafabrics. They sell brisa along with ultraleather. We have experience with brisa.

[delmag]

Originally Posted by AiniA

I am very impressed with ultra leather - you can clean it with anything short of a thermo-nuclear warhead and it lasts really, really well. Have only had real leather at home and it does not stand up nearly as well - you get tiny cracks and you have to be more careful with cleaning. Have you considered ultra-suede? I find it nicer to sit on with bare legs. It is also bullet proof.

thank you. this is exactly the kind of comparative info i am looking for. i looked at it, but i'm not fond of the visual texture of the ultrasuede for some reason i can't put my finger on. it sure does feel nice, though.

[delmag]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Are you looking at Brisa by Ultraleather? If so, it's wonderful stuff. It breaths, is easy to clean, wears extremely well and sews without problem. Only negative is that it stretches with use.... If you fit the fabric tight now, you'll have to add fill later.

Matt

opps. I see the company is Ultrafabrics. They sell brisa along with ultraleather. We have experience with brisa.

yes, one of the colors i like the best is in the brisa line. another is in the ultraleather line. thanks for sharing your experience with these products.

[MV Wanderlust]

We recently had our dinette redone with ultraleather and love the results. Like others have said, it's very easy to clean and feels great to sit on. We're planning to get an ultraleather sofa, next. I doubt you'd be disappointed.

[a64pilot]

With "real" leather, there is leather, then there is leather.
Not trying to be sarcastic, but real leather to me is "un-protected" leather, most leather is essentially painted and often colored with this "paint" and corrected. I bet that is all you could or should put on a boat, and that stuff to me isn't "real" leather, so I think you would be better off with Ultra-Leather.

I have been strongly considering Ultra Leather myself, but am more than a little concerned about how it will work in the tropics in the heat, and suede stains easily doesn't it?

I am I think about 6 months away from having out interior redone so I need to figure it out myself by then

[MarkJ]

Mine are a micro-fibre and machine washable. Stain proof by science.

My boat I want to treat like a home where its comfortable, I don't have to say "don't put your feet up, get the sand off your feet, don't sit down in swimmers, don't relax, don't enjoy yoursekf, don't fart".

I just want to say: treat it like home and have fun. If we spill something it will come out.

[akprb]

We've recovered with ultrasuede (leather) on last two boats. Nothing but praise. Not "sticky", cool, comfortable and cleans up like new!

[bluewaterbill]

I have 25 year old ultra suede cushions in main salon and aft cabin. I also have removable (and washable) fabric covers on all but berths. As a result, my cushions look "almost new". The berth cushions don't look as good, but still in B+ condition. All are easy to clean and maintain.

[a64pilot]

You have fabric over the Ultra-Suede?

[robert sailor]

We used Brisa and we found its almost the same price as leather. Yes we did find over time that we got some stretch but nothing that bothers us. It breathes and isn't as sticky as leather in the tropics and continues to look like new after 4 years. We highly recommend it for marine applications.

[tml]

We used automotive leather for our main cabin on our Lafitte 44 in 1993. They still look very good particularly if cleaned and treated with Lexol cleaner and conditioner which is a simple spray and wipe process. Couple of cushions that had more of a saltwater opportunity over the years have some raised grain but its not particularly noticeable. Absolutely would do it again.
Not sure what the difference is between automotive leather and leather for house hold furniture but S&S in Newport insisted it made a difference. With 20 plus years of regular use I think they were right.
TML

[bluewaterbill]

Yes. Because i raced offshore, the covers served a useful purpose in protecting the ultra suede from sweat and salt. We continued to use them for cruising for the same reasons. They get laundered, when needed.

[Suijin]

I have friends with WHITE ultrasuede cushions through their boat. The Admiral of the boat says they are bombproof and that all attempts to stain them, including spilling used motor oil on them, have failed miserably. They look amazing.

While ultra leather might breathe, I've always found the suede version of the fabric to be more comfortable and more visually attractive. The fact that it stain resistant seals the deal for me.