Leather versus fabric chairs

I have just had a quote for recovering and restuffing my loved sofa and its half the price of a new one. I also have two old Parker Knoll chairs and had them done up. Much better and eco friendly too.

Interesting comments about furniture. We have had 2 leather IKEA sofas and a matching chair for 15 years now and they still look pretty good and are VERY comfortable. Weren't cheap but were worth every penny. I noticed that somebody had commented on the quality of M&S furniture; can't comment on their upholstery but we bought our dining room furniture and coffee table from them about 8 years ago. Table is easy to extend for events like Christmas, chairs very comfortable and coffee table is brilliant with two large drawers for storage - relieves clutter and puts valuables & remote controls out of reach of grandchildren!

I have decided to go for fabric again, but a different fabric. I weighed everything up and thought that the best option. I have to wait 10 weeks for the replacement, but can keep the original until then.

Like Oldie730 I have longterm back problems and finding comfortable seating is a nightmare. The seat swabs of most chairs are too long for my little legs and if the seats are soft or low and lean at just the wrong angle backwards my back will start to hurt as a nerve gets squashed. Going out anywhere is difficult. Most "comfy" hotel seats are wrong for me.

I go out for a meal armed with my "backfriend"a fibreglass back support which only helps with some chairs.

I love the look and feel of fabric. When our navy sofas faded we looked around to have them recovered and found that the end-of-end-of sale price at Laura Ashley's beat recovering so we replaced them. Two sofas and a chair in cream top of the range fabric had to be the most lunatic purchase ever but they looked gorgeous. There was a really good reason they were left in the shop despite being beautiful.

To cut a long one short I spilt a whole glass of port all over the largest sofa - and on the arm too where it was most visible and most difficult to remove. Nevertheless, I experimented with all sorts of stain removers and got the marks out and I feel happier about them now that I don't have to be so precious about them.

OP you should definitely push for a refund on the basis of not being fit for purpose as mentioned earlier by MiniMouse (and it should last a reasonable length of time). It's covered by the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and there's a very good guide here. The guide includes link to a free tool to help you draft your complaint and manage it too.

One of the important dates in the legislation is 6 months after the sale. Less than 6 months and the company has to prove the chair wasn't faulty when you bought it (which it was because it was made with unsuitable fabric). After 6 months you have to prove it, so I would push for the first time you contacted the company about the problem to be treated the start of your complaint.

You're not automatically entitled to a full refund, but in the circumstances that's what I would push for because of the short time you have had the chair which is something you could expect to get good use from for years to come.

At the very least I would expect the recovering in leather to be free of charge, but that's something that can be negotiated.

Hope this helps.

Love leather for the living room, but I must admit, the minute the weather turns cold I add fleecy blankets on the seats. Elsewhere I like velour type fabric. It seems to stay cleaner longer and accidental deposits by muddy shoes just brushes off.

My daughter has a fabric sofa and 2 small children - its 7/8 years old and looks almost new. Get your money back!!
As for leather - I love my leather sofa - real leather is never cold.

I now have a leather sofa, always said I didn't like them, but always had difficulty finding a comfy sofa as I have a spinal problem and arthritis, so after years of sitting propped up with back rests, etc. I decided to try and find a more upright sofa, and went round a local showroom sitting in all the sofas that looked okay, and couldn't find anything until in a corner there was a leather sofa which I sat down in as I was exhausted, and hey presto it was so comfy and I could sit without cushions and could get up again!! It was in a sale and had been in the show room for some time so was very cheap. Bought a couple of fabric chairs in the sale also. Not often I find bargains!! Put a throw to sit on in the winter which my dog shares!

We have had both but prefer leather now. Very easy to keep clean & very comfy. I was worried about getting it as we have cats & they think the sofas belong to them. 8 years on there are a few slight marks but nothing drastic. I use Lord Sheraton Leather Shine spray on them every week. It protects the leather keeps it supple & shines it of course. Also smells gorgeous for a whole day. Local Sainsburys have stopped doing it in favour of same brand Caretaker polish which is not so good. Robert Dyas stocks it.
We have the fully reclining chair & sofas & I must admit it is really tempting to lay back & sleep in the evenings- so comfy. DH often sleeps there until early hours. One Sunday afternoon 3 of the GC were staying over & we were all snuggled up watching a family film with the sofas in full recline when there was a power cut. We couldn't get the leg bits down so we had to clamber out & over them & wait until power came back on. They thought it was hysterical! That's the only downside I can think of.

Could you ask for a different type of fabric, rather than having a like for like replacement or paying extra for leather? Presumably as it was an expensive chair you got to choose the fabric?

When we retired we got things up together and decided to redecorate and buy new furniture, we had a leather suite which had done well but was very worn and some of the stitching had given up. So after much debate decided to go for fabric. Set off to look, there is so much choice! After sitting in so many different chairs and much discussion we reverted to leather, we had two cats and my husband is a wood turner and comes in very dusty so it would be easier to keep clean, we didn't want squashy as it can be difficult to get out of and we didn't want hard and uncomfortable but found firm which has given into soooo comfortable with feet up rocker by lazy boy and I would now say always comfortable and visitors always ask where we got it so others feel the same

I have a Parker Knoll suite bought over 25 years ago. Initially Velour type fabric, never had a problem. Twelve months last July had it recovered in cream and springs replaced cost £1600 but no problems with bobbling and I think it is mostly man made fibres as most things are these days. I cover one of the chairs with a throw for the dog to sit on. I think yours is not fit for purpose. Don't fancy leather as they are slippery.

About fifteen years ago I finally bought the sofa of my dreams with matching armchairs. It's the well known make with wooden arms and back with fabric covered cushions. It is still incredibly comfortable and has worn very well. I find leather hard and unforgiving.

Yes, I realised you meant the scatter cushions gillybob.

We have a leather sofa and chair and fabric ikea chairs that you can buy replacement covers for. All are years old and doing well. I can't count the number of spillages etc. that have been simply wiped up! We have laminate floors downstairs for the same reason.
Can't abide houses where you can't even have a cuppa without fear of a drip on precious furniture.

I've never had leather chairs or sofas, always preferring fabric. The first suite we bought as newly weds came from Remploy who employ sufferers of mental health problems. The latest is a corner group in burgundy cord fabric. I've never had smooth fabric, so no problem with pilling.

Sorry I should have made it clearer. I meant it was the scatter cushions that slipped off jings not the main seat cushions.

DH has a Next Sherlock chair in his computer room, music room, den, mancave. Its is beautifully comfortable.

No way should the cushions have slipped off!

I like Next stuff. The armchairs in there look lovely. DD has a sideboard of theirs. Very nice it is too.

I don't think you can bank on Marks and Sparks' furniture being good quality tbh.

I had a small leather sofa(bed) that we bought for the dinning room.

We thought the bed part would come in handy for overnight guests , (it was never used) and my mum can't make the stairs up to my lounge which is on the first floor. It looked very nice and was of excellent quality (M&S) however I hated the stark look of the dark brown leather, the way cushions slid off, the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter. Couldn't wait to get rid sell it on Gumtree.

Now replaced with a lovely cream and pale blue checked (think coastal) one from Next. I use throws when the children are around as I would really rather it stayed cream and pale blue. I have only had it for 4 weeks so can't comment on any bobbling although the woven fabric doesn't appear to be the bobbling type.

Perhaps you should accept the replacement Luckylegs9 with the agreement that if it happens again they will refund/replace for a different fabric all together.

Here in the subtropics, leather chairs are awful, but people still buy them. We always have fabric: the lounge suite is 28 years old and the fabric is still OK. No bobbling at all.

We've never had fabric bobble on the furniture either. Six months use? That's it??

I don't like leather either although a friend has a leather sofa that is quite comfortable. But then, she has white carpet and 2 small children, so I can only assume she's nuts.

If you are thinking of leather, be sure to test before you buy - my neighbour has a leather sofa and it's like a whoopee cushion!

I would go for good quality fabric but then I don't particularly like the feel of leather seating or the one leather coat I had C 1965.