A real leather couch will add value and prestige to the owner.

For residential properties that want an item to sit and relax in while they watch television, read a book or entertain guests, to commercial operators who want visitors or clients to feel comfortable, it is hard to beat genuine leather.

However, those shoppers who are on the hunt for one of these products can often be sold a lie.

If you are fearful of purchasing a faux knock off, then follow through on these following steps when you are in the department store.

 

The Look

A leather couch should first be tested based on its appearance. This is a product that is famous for its grainy imperfections, having bumps and lumps that creates natural and worn aesthetic to it. A faux product will look too smooth to be true from the outside, taking away the rough edges to be a manufactured piece of upholstery.

 

The Feel

woman sitting in a leather sofa

It is important to get real close and personal with a leather couch to test if it is genuine. From the wrinkles and patterns that will provide an irregularity, there should be a warmth to the couch if others have sat on it. A fake item will remain cold even after others have taken their seat.

 

The Smell

Depending on your sense of smell, testing a leather couch based on its aroma might be too difficult. A faux item will likely produce a smell that is overtly chemical and sanitized, much like a plastic toy. Genuine leather won’t have that issue as there will be a unique character to its aroma, offering a rich smell that derives from the added layer of protective coating.

 

Side Panel and Swatch Check

So you have checked the leather couch on account of the look, the feel and the smell of the item. The next phase is to do a little bit of added examination and look towards the edges for the side panels. If these sides have large, flat and inflated stretches without any imperfections, or if they are inconsistent with the themes and colouring on the seating, then you have likely found a faux product. The same can be said for the swatch sample, something that any genuine retailer should be able to produce at a moments notice. Ensure that the colour is a match on the swatch as well as those lovely imperfections that marks a real couch from a fake knock off.

 

Checking the Price

The final facet to consider when finding an authentic leather couch is to examine the price tag on the item. This might be a very basic and superficial means of determining if you have obtained the real thing or not, but it is the most direct means of ensuring you have not be ripped off. If the price is below expectations and there is no direct sign of a clearance sale or a special user discount, then more times than not you will have come across a faux leather couch. Retailers understand how valuable genuine leather is in the marketplace and they will not want to undervalue a product that will be in demand by businesses and homeowners alike all across Australia and exported to overseas markets.

 

Summary

No one will expect the general shopper to be a connoisseur when it comes to picking a genuine leather couch from a fake. There are ways and means of going into an in-depth examination. However, these quick steps you can take before investing hundreds or thousands of dollars of your own hard earned cash can make all the difference. Some of the faux leather designs have become more sophisticated to make this exercise all the more challenging, but if they pass these five core tests, you can rest assured you have a quality couch on your hands.