Isn't leather hot in the summer and cold in the winter?
Leather conforms to its environment. It adapts to the temperature of a room, or your body on it and will maintain a consistent temperature that will feel good to your skin.

Will leather crack and peel over time?
No, leather will not crack or peel over time in normal using conditions. What can happen is the color finish that has been applied may crack or peel. This can usually be repaired, think of it like paint on a wall. Bear in mind that the finish cannot be easily repaired in all cases, and that the finishing process may leave scars.

Should I be concerned if my new leather furniture has small lines or blemishes on the surface?
Markings such as scars, insect bites, wrinkles and veining are natural characteristics of genuine leather. If you purchase leather from the Natuzzi Protecta family, one that has been protected and finished to create a consistent, uniform look and feel- then you will see fewer marks. However, leather from our Natural family will show more natural markings, such as insect bites, scars and stretch marks, as well as color variations. These color variations can occur within the same hide because there is no finish applied to give the look of consistent color like in our Protecta family. This is an indication of the authenticity of the leather, and should not be considered a defect. Actually, it should be treated as a “mark” of true, high quality leather.

Is it true that animals are not bred specifically for the upholstery industry?
Yes. Leather is actually a by-product from the beef industry. The largest consumer of leather is the shoe industry. Only about ten percent of the world's hide production is used for furniture.

I have pets and I don't want my dog or cat to damage the leather with its claws, what should I do?
If you are worried about your pets damaging leather you should look at the most appropriate leather for a home with pets. You probably should go with our Protecta family because it is more easily repaired. Repairs are also likely to be less noticeable because of the color finishing that is applied to this family of leather.

Why is one leather grade more expensive than another?
The main factor determining the grade of leather is the origin of the raw hide. Hides come from all over the world and are sorted by the amount of natural characteristics that are present on them. Since hides with fewer characteristics are rarer, they usually are more expensive, and require less processing to be turned into leather suitable for upholstery. Hides from the Southern Hemisphere are more abundant and tend to show more of the natural characteristics of leather. They are less supple than hides from the Northern Hemisphere. Hides from the Southern Hemisphere usually represent the majority of the Protecta family of leathers. Generally speaking, the higher grades of leather come from hides raised in the Northern Hemisphere. However, we do use some hides from the Southern Hemisphere in our Natural collection. Natural hides, by their nature, have some natural characteristics and will show some variation in color. This is not a defect.

Why can the price of leather furniture vary so much?
A very important part of the final product's price is based on the leather's characteristics. As grades of leather increase, the cost of the final product also increases. However there are many other factors that affect pricing including: dimension, style, leg type and stitching details. Natuzzi spends a great deal of effort to make sure your sofa is aesthetically pleasing from every angle. So if you decide to place your sofa or sectional in the middle of your room, you will notice the design detail given to the entire sofa.

What is the difference between natural and protected leather?
Natural Leather = Unfinished Leathers = More natural characteristics / shading differences Protecta Leather = Finished Leathers = Less natural characteristics / More uniform look

How many different types of leather can I choose from?
We offer several different articles of leather and each is available in a variety of colors. Some are thicker, some are thinner, some have a second color added for effect, some are embossed and some are smooth. The total color assortment changes constantly, and exceeds 150 different leather colors. The choice is yours, based on your taste and your lifestyle.

Leather Terminology:

  • Split Hide: all leather hides have to be split because a hide is too thick to upholster or use in any type of manufacturing. The hide goes into a machine where a blade slices the hide into two hides. The bottom hide is known as split leather. This hide can be sanded down (corrected) and embossed with a consistent graining pattern to be used on the outside back and sides of sofa for a slight cost saving to achieve certain price points. A split leather is still 100% leather, and has all the same finishing treatments as the top grain portion.
  • Top Grain: in the above process the top portion of the hide is the top grain portion. It is generally used in the areas that receive more wear since the fibre of top grain is more compact than that of split grain.
  • Full Grain: is top grain leather that uses the natural grain of the hide. No correction is made to the grain.
  • Corrected Grain: top grain leather that has been sanded down to reduce some of the visual natural characteristics. Of the various types of corrections, the most common is to sand down, and completely remove the natural grain and then emboss a consistent graining pattern. Another type of correction is to lightly buff the hide to remove the peaks and valleys of the grain.
  • Embossed Grain: a consistent grain pattern is “pressed” into the leather using rollers. It can be as subtle as a small natural looking grain pattern, or as different as a crocodile pattern.
  • Grades of Leather: the main determining factor of a grade of leather is origin of the raw hide. The grade of the leather determines its price.

  • Pull-up: aniline– dyed leather that has been waxed or oiled. When the leather is pulled, the oil/wax separates, causing the color to lighten.


How can I care for my leather upholstery?
A cleaning kit is available for purchase in our stores. Alternatively, we recommend that you clean your leather upholstery using a neutral soap diluted with water and a dry, soft, white cloth. We do not recommend any type of conditioner or chemical to be placed on the sofa. Simply dusting the sofa, and cleaning up spots when they occur, should help keep your sofa looking good for its expected life. Remember that leather is a natural material that can change appearance as it ages.


If you are not near a store you may click here to order quality leather care products online.

Will sunlight affect the color of my sofa?
All leathers will fade by some degree over time. Leather directly exposed to sunlight will fade faster. Protecta leathers will resist fading longer than Natural leathers.

Why is my leather stretching after only a couple of years?
Leather is elastic and its shape reflects the amount of use an area gets. Just as new shoes need some breaking in, so does your leather sofa. This stretching is not a defect but an inherent natural quality of the leather.

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