Faux leather covers a wide range of materials of very different quality, and knowing which one you are buying predicts how long it lasts.
The Types
PU leather is a polyurethane coating over a fabric backing. It is the most common, it breathes better than PVC, and it feels closest to leather.
PVC or vinyl is a heavier plastic, more waterproof and less breathable. It is used where wipeability matters most.
Bonded leather is leather scraps ground up and bonded to a backing with adhesive, then coated. It is sold using the word leather and behaves like a coating.
How It Fails
- The surface coating cracks, then flakes away in sheets
- It starts at flex points: seat fronts, armrest tops, seams
- Heat and sunlight accelerate it dramatically
- Body oils and sweat degrade the coating over time
- Once flaking starts it cannot be repaired convincingly
Where a listing names the material specifically, of the kind at stellamia.org where PU leather is stated rather than described as leather-look, at least the expectation can be set correctly.
Heat Is the Main Enemy
The practical care point. A chair beside a radiator, in direct sunlight or near a heat source will crack years earlier than the same chair elsewhere.
Position matters more than any conditioner. A metre away from a window, and not against a radiator, buys a great deal.
Cleaning
A damp cloth and a mild soap, then dried. Nothing abrasive, no solvents, no alcohol-based wipes, which strip the coating.
Leather conditioners are formulated for real leather and are not necessarily right for PU, and some products for one damage the other. Follow the manufacturer’s guidance.
Wipe Up Body Oils
Headrests and armrests take the most, and they are where flaking begins.
Wiping contact points occasionally genuinely extends the life.
Against Real Leather
Real leather costs several times more, scratches visibly, needs conditioning, and lasts decades while improving.
PU costs a fraction, looks consistent, wipes clean and has a finite life measured in a few years of daily use.
Neither is wrong; they are different purchases.
Against Fabric
Fabric breathes far better, which matters on a chair used for long working days.
PU is warm and can feel clammy in summer, which is a real consideration for an office chair rather than an occasional one.
Expect Three to Five Years
On a daily-use chair, with good conditions.