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What PVC Leather Is?

Summary in one sentence:
PVC leather is a kind of “artificial plastic leather”, a leather-like material made of plastic (polyvinyl chloride) + cloth, which looks like real leather, but the cost is much lower.
 
🔍 What is it specifically?
 
‌Material‌:
 
The main component is plastic (PVC resin), mixed with softeners, pigments and other additives.It is applied on a layer of cloth (such as knitted fabric or non-woven fabric) as a “base”.
Simply put: plastic layer + cloth = PVC leather.
 
Features‌:
 
‌Cheap‌ (a fraction of the price of real leather)
Waterproof(just wipe it if a drink is spilled)
Hard and wear-resistant(not easy to scratch, but may become hard in winter)
Easy to care(clean with a wet cloth)
Disadvantages‌: Not breathable (hot in summer), hard to the touch (not as soft as real leather).
 

🌰What products use PVC leather?

‌Bags, wallets‌, sofas, car seats‌ (many “leather sofas” with smooth surfaces are PVC leather)
‌Sports shoe surfaces, mobile phone cases‌ (wear-resistant areas)
‌Plastic book covers for student textbooks‌ (essentially PVC leather)

💡 Tips:

When buying “leather products”, want to know if it is PVC leather?

👉 ‌Touch‌: The surface is smooth like plastic, and the texture is very regular (genuine leather has irregular texture).
👉 ‌Press‌: It rebounds slowly after pressing, and there is no wrinkle feeling of genuine leather.
👉 ‌Smell‌: There is a faint smell of plastic (genuine leather smells like animal skin).

Why do companies love to use PVC leather?

‌Very low cost‌ (genuine leather may cost tens or hundreds of dollars, while PVC leather can be made for a few to a dozen dollars)
‌Colors and patterns can be printed at will‌ (if you want a rainbow pattern, we can make it)
‌Fast production (factories can produce thousands of meters a day, while genuine leather requires raising and slaughtering cows…)


⚠️ Note: What is the difference between it and PU leather?


‌PVC leather‌ ≈ ‌pure plastic leather‌ (harder and cheaper)
‌PU leather‌ ≈ ‌rubber mixed into plastic‌ (softer, more breathable, a little more expensive)

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