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Leather used on Leather Furniture:
Two types of leather often used on furniture are Protected Aniline and Semi-Aniline Leathers. Protected Aniline Leathers are a bit easier to maintain and are more resistant to wear, soiling, and fading; versus Semi-Aniline Leather which has some of these qualities but is much more natural.
Protected Aniline Leather is top grain leather that is dyed for color and then receives pigment. This makes the natural imperfections of the hide less noticeable. The pigment also ensures color consistency, protects against fading, and helps the leather wear well over time. A clear water based topcoat is then applied for additional protection.
Semi-Aniline Leather is pure aniline leather that has only a small amount of pigment or clear finish thus allowing the natural characteristics of the hide to still show through while offering some of the benefits of color consistency and increased wearability.
There is also bycast leather, a.k.a. bicast leather or split leather. This leather has a layer of polyurethane applied to the surface. The result is a less expensive, consistent textured leather that's easier to maintain than top grain leather.