When looking to buy a nice leather belt, there are a few things to be aware of regarding the quality of leather. As with most things, the better the quality of the leather, the more expensive the belt, so do a bit of homework and be sure that you are buying something that suits your budget but is good value too.
Bonded leather belts
Bonded leather is a mix of both real and fake leather. It is made from the leftover scraps from producing genuine leather that is then mixed with a polyurethane binder. The fibres are rolled together using adhesives to bond them onto a paper backing. Some manufacturers may add an additional coating of polyurethane to the bonded leather and print it with the leather texture to make it look like real leather. Bonded leathers tend to comprise of only 10-20% genuine leather. Some manufacturers market bonded leather as real leather when it in fact only contains a small percentage of genuine leather so be very careful!
Genuine Leather Belts
‘Genuine leather’ is very variable in quality – it is a stamp that is widely used – the material comes from real animal skin, or there is some kind of leather in the finished material. While its quality comes nowhere near full-grain leather or top-grain leather, it is still from real animal skin. Genuine leather belts may make a good first impression, but they do not tend to last and will not offer value for money. They are often made with scrap pieces of leather that have been recycled and glued together. Often the glue is not good quality and the belt will not last, so be very wary of ‘Genuine leather belts’!
Full-Grain leather belts
The type of leather we use at Peachy Belts! Full-grain leather or ‘top’ grain leather is the top layer of the leather, the part that retains all of the natural grain and the lovely characteristics of the original skin. The hair is removed and the hide goes immediately into the tanning process, the oil-absorbing properties and original characteristics of the leather remain intact. Full-grain leather is far stronger and more durable than other leathers and will soften and improve with wear, making for a belt that you will own for many years and enjoy every time you wear it. It really is worth the investment. I will certainly judge someone and their ability to see high standards by their shoes and their belt, and the quality of leather that they have bought – so don’t skimp on these essentials!
Vegan leathers
Traditionally vegan leathers were nasty materials made from the worst forms of plastic, now significant investment is going into new leather feel plant-based textiles made from organic cotton, cactus and lotus fibre. There are several designer handbag brands who are producing vegan bags that are impossible to tell from real leather until you take a really close look! Gucci has been developing a material made from organic cotton, recycled steel and recycled polyester, Hermes has created a bag using mushroom leather, Chanel and Burberry are still using the finest leathers for their accessories.
We keep looking at vegan alternatives, and when they are really proven to be lovely and wear as well as leather, we may make a sample up and see what our customers think!