What Is Artificial Leather Fabric? | A Synthetic Hide Primer

Artificial leather is a man-made material that imitates genuine leather, built from a fabric base coated with polymers like polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Walk into any furniture store or browse a jacket collection, and you’ll find artificial leather everywhere — sofas, car seats, sneakers, bags. It exists for a simple reason: it delivers the look of leather without the cost, weight, or ethical questions of animal hide. But the term “artificial leather” covers several distinct materials with very different qualities, and knowing what you’re actually buying matters more than you’d think.

The Basic Construction of Artificial Leather

Artificial leather is almost always a multi-layer product. A textile backbone — typically polyester, cotton, a blend, or microfiber nonwoven — provides structure and strength. Over that base sits a polymer coating, often embossed with a grain pattern to mimic the look of natural hide. The chemistry of that coating determines how the material feels, wears, and ages.

Two chemistries dominate the market. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is the lower-cost option, commonly found in budget upholstery and accessories. PU (polyurethane) is softer, more flexible, and generally closer to genuine leather in feel, which is why it appears in mid-range and premium goods. Beyond those two, you’ll also encounter water-based PU, microfiber constructions, and silicone-coated versions — each with its own durability and breathability profile.

What Are the Different Names and Types?

The naming gets confusing fast: synthetic leather, faux leather, imitation leather, pleather, leatherette, and vegan leather all describe the same broad category. The material itself is consistent — a textile base with a polymer face — but the marketing terms emphasize different things. “Vegan leather” tells you nothing about the chemistry or the environmental profile; it only confirms no animal hide is involved.

That distinction matters. A common mistake is treating all artificial leather as interchangeable, or assuming vegan automatically means eco-friendly. In reality, quality, durability, and care requirements vary dramatically across PU, PVC, microfiber, and silicone constructions. Some PVC formulations raise concerns about additives and combustion byproducts, while certain PU manufacturing methods involve solvent residues or hydrolysis issues over time.

Common Uses and Where You’ll Find It

Artificial leather shows up in three main applications. Upholstery and furniture coverings are the biggest market — sofas, chairs, headboards, and car interiors. Clothing and fashion goods make up the second: jackets, skirts, and accessories where a leather look is wanted without the weight or price. Footwear rounds out the list, from casual sneakers to dress shoes.

None of this is new. Wikipedia’s overview of the material traces industrial efforts to produce synthetic leather substitutes back over a century, with the modern formulation using coated textile backings gaining ground steadily since the mid-20th century.

One common confusion worth clearing up: artificial leather is not the same as genuine leather that received a decorative coating. Real leather comes from animal hide, tanned and finished. Artificial leather is a synthetic substitute built entirely from textile and polymer layers. Even a heavily coated genuine hide retains its animal origin; faux leather has none.

If you’re comparing materials for an actual project or purchase, the practical choice comes down to what you’ll pay and how you’ll use it. A PU jacket worn occasionally for fashion will serve fine. A PVC sofa in a busy family room with kids and pets will show wear quickly. And as Sewport’s fabric directory entry on faux leather notes, the care required differs by coating: PU wants gentle cleaning and low heat, while PVC is generally tougher but can stiffen or crack in cold conditions.

What to Look For Before You Buy

The single most useful question to ask is simple: which coating chemistry is actually being used? The term “faux leather” on a tag tells you almost nothing. “Vegan leather” tells you only that no animal was involved. Asking specifically whether a piece is PU or PVC — and whether it’s microfiber-based — gives you a real sense of durability expectations and care needs.

If you’re ready to browse actual products, our tested roundup of the best artificial leather fabric breaks down the top options by construction type and use case, with hands-on results on durability and feel.