Leather or Cloth?

Good leather is NOT cold. It's buttery soft and warm in winter and cool in the summer.
Cheap leather--yep--Brrrrrrrr!

Leather is SO easy to clean.
In the winter, just sit on a throw blanket if it is that cold.

We have brutal winters here too, and I've never felt that my leather sofa was too cold to sit on.

Good leather is not cold. Here's why: when leather is made, an animal's hide is split into three sections. The bottom is used for shoes and stuff like that. The middle makes cheap furniture. The top, also called top grain, is used to make nice furniture. Top train leather takes on the temperature of it's surroundings. So if your house is chilly, it will feel a bit chilly when you sit on it and will then warm up to your skin temperature - and reflect your heat back on you. It's delightful. Warmer than a cloth couch in the winter, and not at all "too warm" in the summer.

So when you go to buy new furniture, just make sure you're getting top grain or full grain (all three pieces still together). If they use words like 'split hide' - run away.

My leather sofas are never cold. Ever. If your room is warm in the winter, your couches should be. Get leather couches that are soft leather - not that staid office type leather that doesn't move when you sit on it. Maybe that's what you're thinking of.

After my dog threw up multiple times on my cloth sofa, I decided I had had enough. My kids have spilled more stuff than I can remember on our sofas. We can "sling beer and pizza" and not have to worry about it at all. And mine have lasted 20 years (though we need a new set now!)

Good luck looking!
Dawn

I would have nothing but leather.

It is easy to clean, very durable, keeps looking nice for years. There are a lot of different grades of leather so be careful and don't go with the cheapest you find, you'll be unhappy. Never go with the fake.

We have a Natuzzi sofa in the upstairs game room that is at least 18 yrs old and in great shape. We paid just under $1000 for this sofa at a good quality furniture store.

We have a Natuzzi set in our family room that is 12 yrs old and still looks great. We just happened upon this set at Dillards of all places. We got a sofa, loveseat, chair and 2 ottomans (use the ottomans a LOT) and we paid around $3500 for the set.

We have a custom made sofa and loveseat from Leather Sofa Company in our formal area. It is about 6 yrs old and still looks new.

I really like the Leather Sofa Company because you create your own pieces. You choose the leather, brads, design, firmness of the seating, etc. LOVE this set and the 2 pieces alone were around $5000... pricey but well worth it.

I vote leather all the way and leather for my cars as well.

REAL leather isn't cold, or hot. But it can be expensive. So, you get what you pay for.

Just a quick note:

I still have the leather couch my mom and dad bought when I was a baby. Yes, it's worn, but still comfortable and handsome.

They paid an arm and a leg for it, but we sure have gotten our money's worth!

When we did our remodel and got new family room furniture, we went with leather. It is wonderful! It just feels much cleaner, and it is actually easier to clean imho.

Our previous Thomasville (so it was good quality) cloth couch seemed to look shabby very quickly.

I like leather in the car too.

I have had leather furniture for about 9 years and I cannot give you any cons about it. We bought a high end set, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Spills just get wiped up, and you don't have to have it profesionally cleaned like you would cloth. No animal odors on it either. Our animals have been laying on it for years, no problems. I will say, that when we first got our cat, before she was declawed, she put a few scratches in it, but that is it. If you take care of it, you will have it for years and years, and that could be a true savings in the long run.
Oh, and if it does get cold in the winter, just put a blanket down and sit on that. No really much of a bother.

We have both a cloth sectional (Lazy Boy) and a leather set.

I love both. For different reasons.

LOVE:
Leather - easy clean. Just wipe it off and be done with it.
Cloth - you don't stick if you are wearing shorts.

CONS:
Leather - stick to it (sometimes) if you are wearing shorts
Cloth - pain in the rear to clean.

If you have young kids - I would say LEATHER. For the cleaning and durability. Unless you are going to fork over the money for the stain treatment stuff (that I haven't really seen in action).

Besides the fact that leather looks better than 99% of cloth couches, it is more sanitary. We have cats and we used to have a dog and our set which is 10 years old still looks great. Don't get the couch that looks like puffs on top of eachother and get some shade of brown. That is just my personal opinion since white, black, red, ect. leather looks cheezy and dated. I have "stuck" to the couch in the summer which is a little annoying but I have never thought the couch was cold in the winter. I mean, I am wearing long pants and a long sleeved shirt so not an issue I have ever encountered.

We have had a leather couch for 10 years and I would never go back to cloth. It is a little bit cold sometimes in the winter, but we just throw a blanket over it. I have never had a problem with sticking to it when I'm hot and I live in Florida. I have a 5 year old daughter and a cloth couch would have been ruined long, long ago. I LOVE how easy leather is to clean. After 10 years our leather couch still looks great but we're considering replacing it because the springs are starting to get worn out - and we want to upgrade to a leather couch with reclining seats.

I absolutly love my leather furniture and will not buy anything else. Have had several leather couches for 18 yrs

ADDING : we do have cats and they don't bother the leather at all.

We have leather. We used to have microfiber and I couldn't stand it. It was always getting dirty and looked crappy once you cleaned it off. I keep a couple of throw blankets on the sofa and loveseat in case anyone gets chilly.

I bought my first real leather set recently, and yes, it does feel cold (not cold, but colder than cloth). I keep throws on it all the time to cover up, even when it's hot. All in all though, I prefer it. I can't stand upholstry or carpet (except for in the car. I hate leather car interior), because I imagine all the bacteria & smells that get stuck in it and it grosses me out. You can never REALLY get upholstery clean once you get it dirty. Plus, it just looks cleaner, I think. So far, the cushions seem to hold their shape better than the cloth ones ever did. And for small spills/stains, just wipe them right off. I would never have leather with cats in the house, though. My in-laws have cats and their leather couch looks TERRIBLE.

leather with kids..as long as you don't have a cat with a scratching problem!

I will never have anything but leather in my family room. Love it!

We recently bought living room furniture and compromised on this same question. We bought a cloth couch and a coordinating leather chair and ottoman.

We only have leather. It is so much easier to clean up. I can't imagine having cloth with kids.

Nothing but leather in this house with kids and dogs. I live in Minnesota and I've never thought of my leather as "cold." Never noticed. The only downside to me is that one of my leather couches is scratched from former dogs. I allow my dogs on the furniture. I agree with others that if you are going to go the leather route invest in high quality. There really is a difference.