Leather vs. Fabric Furniture in Walla Walla, WA
Trying to decide between leather and fabric furniture? Wall 2 Wall Furniture & Mattress in Walla Walla, Washington offers sofas, sectionals, recliners, chairs, and other upholstered furniture in a wide range of fabrics and select top-grain leathers.
Both materials can be excellent choices. The better option depends on how you use the room, the look you want, how much maintenance you prefer, whether you have children or pets, and how you want the furniture to feel.
This guide compares leather and fabric furniture so you can make a more informed decision before ordering your next sofa, sectional, recliner, or chair.
Leather or Fabric: Which Is Better?
There is no single answer that is right for every home.
Leather and fabric each offer different advantages in comfort, appearance, maintenance, durability, and available colors.
The best choice is the material that fits your room and lifestyle.
Why Choose Leather Furniture?
Leather furniture offers a distinctive look and feel that is difficult to duplicate with fabric.
Potential advantages may include:
Natural Appearance
Soft Feel
Easy Surface Cleaning
Long-Term Character
Classic Styling
Modern Styling
Multiple Color Choices
Durability When Properly Maintained
Top-Grain Leather
Wall 2 Wall Furniture & Mattress offers select furniture in top-grain leather.
Top-grain leather uses the outer portion of the hide and retains natural characteristics that help give genuine leather its appearance and feel.
Leather availability varies by manufacturer and frame.
Natural Variation in Leather
Real leather is a natural material.
Color variation, grain differences, healed marks, wrinkles, and other characteristics may be visible from one section of hide to another.
These variations are part of genuine leather and are not necessarily defects.
How Leather Changes Over Time
Quality leather can develop additional character as it is used.
Depending on the type of leather and finish, the surface may soften and develop subtle variations in color and appearance over time.
Leather Furniture Is Easy to Wipe Down
One reason customers choose leather is that many everyday spills can be wiped from the surface more easily than they can from some fabrics.
Leather still requires proper care and should be cleaned according to the furniture manufacturer's instructions.
Leather Furniture & Pets
Leather can be easier to remove pet hair from than many fabrics because hair does not become embedded in a woven surface.
However, claws can scratch or puncture leather, so pet behavior should be considered before choosing upholstery.
Leather Furniture & Children
Leather can be a practical option for busy households because many spills can be addressed quickly.
That does not make leather damage-proof, and proper cleaning products and care should always be used.
Leather Temperature
Leather can initially feel cooler in a cold room or warmer when exposed to direct sunlight.
Once you have been sitting on it, leather generally adjusts closer to body temperature.
Why Choose Fabric Furniture?
Fabric provides one of the broadest selections of color, texture, pattern, and overall style.
Potential advantages may include:
Hundreds of Color Choices
Patterns & Textures
Performance Fabrics
Soft Initial Feel
Wide Range of Price Points
Traditional & Modern Looks
Easy Coordination With a Room
Hundreds of Fabric Options
Many of our American-made upholstery collections are available in hundreds of fabrics.
This allows customers to choose beyond the single color displayed on the showroom floor.
Available options may include neutrals, earth tones, blues, greens, bold colors, patterns, textures, and other upholstery choices.
Performance Fabrics
Performance fabrics are designed for households that want easier everyday care and increased durability.
Depending on the material, performance features may include:
Stain Resistance
Moisture Resistance
Easier Cleaning
Higher Durability
Fade Resistance
Heavy-Use Performance
Performance characteristics vary by fabric.
Fabric Furniture & Pets
Homes with pets may benefit from tightly woven or performance upholstery.
Some fabrics may be easier to clean or more resistant to everyday wear than others.
No fabric is completely pet-proof, so the best upholstery depends on the pet and how the furniture will be used.
Fabric Furniture & Children
Performance fabrics can be especially useful in homes with children or high-use family rooms.
Choosing a durable material and a practical color can help make everyday maintenance easier.
Fabric Offers More Colors & Patterns
One of the biggest advantages of fabric is selection.
Fabric can provide significantly more color, texture, and pattern choices than leather and can make it easier to match a specific room design.
Leather vs. Fabric Comfort
Comfort depends on much more than upholstery.
Seat depth, cushion construction, springs, back design, frame size, and padding can affect comfort more than whether the furniture is leather or fabric.
That is why trying the furniture in person is important.
Leather vs. Fabric Durability
Both leather and fabric can be durable when high-quality materials are selected and properly maintained.
Durability depends on the specific leather or fabric, how often the furniture is used, exposure to sunlight, pets, children, cleaning methods, and other factors.
Leather vs. Fabric Cleaning
Leather generally has a smooth surface that can make routine dusting and wiping easier.
Fabric may require vacuuming and occasional spot cleaning.
Performance fabrics can make fabric furniture much easier to maintain than traditional upholstery.
Leather vs. Fabric With Allergens
Because leather has a smooth surface, dust and pet hair may be easier to remove from the surface.
Fabric is woven and can hold more debris between fibers, although regular vacuuming can help keep upholstery clean.
Leather vs. Fabric With Sunlight
Both leather and fabric can be affected by prolonged direct sunlight.
Leather may fade or dry, while some fabrics can fade over time.
Keeping upholstered furniture away from intense direct sunlight can help protect the material.
Leather vs. Fabric Price
Leather furniture often costs more than the same or similar frame in fabric because genuine leather is a premium upholstery material.
However, fabric pricing can also vary significantly depending on grade, performance features, and manufacturer.
Pricing varies by frame and upholstery selection.
Which Material Looks More Formal?
Leather is often associated with a more tailored or upscale appearance, but it can also be used in casual, rustic, contemporary, and modern furniture.
Fabric can range from formal to extremely casual depending on the pattern, texture, and frame style.
Modern Leather Furniture
Leather is not limited to traditional furniture.
Clean track arms, lower profiles, contemporary sectionals, modern recliners, and Scandinavian-inspired seating can all be available in leather.
Traditional Leather Furniture
Leather also works well with traditional styles, including rolled arms, nailhead trim, tufting, larger-scale seating, and classic brown or warm-tone leather colors.
Modern Fabric Furniture
Fabric provides extensive options for contemporary furniture, including clean textures, neutral tones, performance materials, and bold accent colors.
Custom Fabric Furniture
Many of our sofas, sectionals, and chairs can be special ordered in a large selection of fabrics.
This allows you to choose furniture based on the frame you like and then select upholstery that works with your room.
Custom Leather Furniture
Select furniture can also be special ordered in multiple top-grain leather colors and textures.
Leather options vary by manufacturer and frame, and some styles are not available in leather.
Leather Sofas
A leather sofa can provide a clean, durable centerpiece for a living room, family room, office, or entertainment area.
Select leather sofas are available in both stationary and reclining designs.
Leather Sectionals
Select sectional collections can be ordered in leather.
Depending on the frame, available configurations may include stationary, reclining, chaise, modular, or other layouts.
Multiple configurations may be available, and pricing varies.
Leather Recliners
Leather is also available on select recliners and motion furniture.
Depending on the model, leather recliners may include manual reclining, power reclining, headrest adjustment, lumbar support, Zero Gravity, and other comfort features.
Fabric Reclining Furniture
Fabric reclining sofas, loveseats, sectionals, and recliners are available in many colors and textures.
Performance upholstery can be especially useful for heavily used motion furniture.
Omnia Leather
Omnia is one of our strongest options for customers looking for premium American-made leather furniture.
Omnia offers sofas, sectionals, recliners, sleepers, and other seating with extensive leather choices.
American-Made Upholstery
Wall 2 Wall Furniture & Mattress carries American-made sofas, sectionals, chairs, and reclining furniture from manufacturers that offer extensive upholstery selections.
Depending on the brand, customers may be able to choose from hundreds of fabrics and select top-grain leathers.
Which Upholstery Is Best for a Family Room?
For a heavily used family room, durability and maintenance are usually just as important as appearance.
Performance fabric and quality leather can both be strong choices depending on the household.
Which Upholstery Is Best for a Formal Living Room?
Rooms that receive lighter use may allow more freedom to choose based primarily on appearance and texture.
Premium leather, textured fabric, patterns, and lighter colors may all work well depending on the design.
Which Upholstery Is Best for a Recliner?
Both fabric and leather work well on recliners.
The more important questions are often seat fit, back support, reclining mechanism, cushion comfort, and whether you prefer the feel of fabric or leather against your skin.
Which Upholstery Is Best for a Sectional?
Sectionals usually receive a lot of use, so durability should be considered carefully.
Performance fabric can provide extensive color options and easier care, while leather can provide a premium appearance and smooth surface.
See Upholstery Samples Before Ordering
Fabric and leather can look significantly different in person than they do on a phone or computer screen.
Viewing actual samples allows you to compare:
Color
Texture
Pattern
Leather Grain
Fabric Weave
Material Thickness
How Light Changes the Color
Take Samples Home When Available
When sample availability allows, seeing an upholstery choice near your flooring, walls, rugs, cabinets, and existing furniture can make the final decision easier.
Think About the Entire Room
The sofa or sectional is often one of the largest visual elements in the room.
Consider how the upholstery will coordinate with:
Flooring
Area Rugs
Wall Colors
Window Treatments
Wood Furniture
Accent Chairs
Tables
Existing Furniture
Interior Design & Upholstery Selection
If you are unsure whether leather or fabric will work better in your room, Wall 2 Wall Furniture & Mattress offers personalized interior design services.
Our one-on-one service can help with furniture selection, room layouts, fabric and leather coordination, colors, finishes, and choosing pieces throughout your home.
Compare Leather & Fabric Furniture in Person
The best way to choose between leather and fabric is to experience both materials in person.
Visit our Walla Walla showroom to compare upholstery samples, sit on different furniture, and see how materials look under real lighting.
Free Local Delivery, Professional Setup & Removal
Wall 2 Wall Furniture & Mattress offers free local delivery and professional setup on qualifying purchases within our service area.
Our team can deliver applicable sofas, sectionals, recliners, and chairs, assemble and position them in your home, and remove your old furniture.
We also service the furniture we sell.
Furniture Financing Options
Financing options are available for qualified customers purchasing leather or fabric furniture and other qualifying products.
Ask our team about current promotional financing and payment options.
Leather & Fabric Furniture Serving Walla Walla & the Surrounding Region
Our showroom serves customers throughout southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon, including:
Walla Walla, WA
College Place, WA
Dayton, WA
Kennewick, WA
Pasco, WA
Richland, WA
Milton-Freewater, OR
Pendleton, OR
Hermiston, OR
La Grande, OR
Visit Wall 2 Wall Furniture & Mattress
Visit our Walla Walla showroom to compare fabric, performance fabric, top-grain leather, sofas, sectionals, recliners, and custom upholstery options in person.
Wall 2 Wall Furniture & Mattress
527 East Main Street
Walla Walla, WA 99362
509-876-8618
Our team can help you compare materials and find an upholstery option that works for your room, lifestyle, and furniture choice.
Product images are factory representations and may not reflect the exact furniture, fabric, leather, color, texture, feature package, or configuration available or ordered. Genuine leather naturally varies in grain, markings, texture, and color. Fabric and leather availability varies by manufacturer and frame, and some frames are not available in leather. Performance characteristics vary by material. Some products may require special order. Prices, specifications, dimensions, upholstery options, and availability are subject to change. Contact Wall 2 Wall Furniture & Mattress for current details.