See all your options, and learn more here: rubnrestore.com/how-to/bonded-leather-blues/ Shop our products here: rubnrestore.com/leather-restoration-products/
I like your video because all other videos don't show how repaired bonded leather will wear after month or two. And I know that most repairs on high use areas will not hold. I have more than 20 years of experience in furniture repair. Thank you for your honesty.
Thanks for uploading this video! I have a faux leather recliner that's peeling like a skin with a bad sunburn. The chair is still functional and comfortable so I thought it was worthy of repair. I've been doing research and the possibility of repairs looked hopeful until I saw your video. After watching your video, I decided to buy a slip cover which isn't a perfect fit, but good enough. Again, a *BIG THANK YOU* for saving me time and money from doing a DIY repair that was doomed for failure.
This video was so funny to me. I love how casually she expresses her dislike for the fake leather material. Why not trash this but here’s a video. 😂 gotta love it! ❤️
@@RubnRestore I have a massage table and they NEVER cover them in leather. It's pretty annoying to spend $2000 on something I'll have to ditch. You have any ideas about stuff like that?
Thanks for being honest. I have a down vest that's in great condition except the faux leather that's been stitched on a pocket in the front. I watched a couple videos on how to repair it but it never looks very good. You were the first person that basically said not to bother fixing it.
Very good advice! I tried the same method repairing my chair few months back. It didn’t last for a week because it is not real leather. Don’t waste your time and money on this! Save up and get a real leather chair or couch. They’re more comfortable and less work to take care of them.
Thank you! The greatest joke (on us) is that this is merchandised as "ECO-leather", probably even more so in EU, when it'll disintegrate even without ever been used, often in a matter of months, forcing you to discard the entire item. So much for "green", "protecting the planet" and "environmentally friendly"! Real leather will last almost indefinitely, with proper care, and then if it does wear out, it is completely fully biodegradable, unlike this pathetic excuse for an invention.
I have babied mine, just noticed it separating from sitting on it... wow a little upset bought the thing brand new 6 years ago. I don't think I'll ever buy a $330 chair again.
Thank you 🙏 Yes the real deal is always best & more beautiful I am opting to fix my handbags & the straps but think i will use textile Will see if i can use shoe conditioner or shoe cream colour 🤔
thank you for posting this, i know you said it isn’t worth it but the chair i’m fixing was a gift and i certainly don’t like the idea of so much plastic going to a landfill without getting some real use. my wife is also very attached to this chair already ^-^ it certainly will be worth the time to me even if i have to redo it regularly and end up redoing the whole thing w fabric paint later. i didn’t really care how it looked and expected the fix to be ugly (it’s sentimental not a particularly great chair, and i personally believe in self repair and don’t care too much for aesthetic of furniture or dishes, although i’m picky about clothes) so seeing that filler’s final result was a shock, i’m sure she’ll appreciate it looking nicer than expected even if it does end up looking patched! tangent aside my point is that even though you didn’t think it worked out it was really cool to post it and 1) help people who are persistent and 2) help people who would have ended up trying this themselves and been disappointed. your channel in general seems like it will be a gift and i’m definitely gonna check more videos out since i’m trying to get better at this stuff. anyways my point is thank you haha
Thanks a lot for this, your instructons are clear and your honesty is apreciated. My grandpa got me a faux leather jacket some time ago and after it started peeling i wondered if it could be saved but after watching this i realized it's probably not worth the effort. I guess you can't compete with real leather.
Great video - I came here for tips on how to restore the worn areas on a Chala cross-body bag, which is a laminate like this. I used furniture markers and a clear acrylic gel matte from the art supply store - but I love your texturizing method - that's how I need to finish it! But now I've come away with great ideas for adopting free leather furniture that I see on Craigslist all the time - thanks!🙏🏽
Great idea. Body bags take a lot of abuse, even more than furniture, and we'd love to hear how the acrylic gel holds up. Thanks for watching, commenting, and happy couch surfing Craigslist.
Thank you for a great demo! Very good to know that a small tear can be fixed. I will not bother to reupholster a nice chair I have with anything other than leather. Good advice, many thanks!
Unfortunately, I HAVE to. After our rv in storage, we have to do our captains chairs and sofa. I’m crying. Legit. I’m balling my eyes out because we cannot afford to replace. I’m glad I learned something today. Thank you. I also learned to pay more attention to curing this material in the future. Someone send help n materials🙏🏻❤️💪🏼🤗
Thanks for posting! I have a faux leather jacket that I ADORE and couldn't stand to throw out when it started peeling...but after any attempt at repair, it's gonna be brushing up a lot more than a pocketknife clip, so I can now see I have to mourn its loss.
I appreciate you and this video so very much. I came with a can of Flex Seal in hand and now it gets to serve another purpose. I learned a lot, actually. Thank you for making a "real" video.
You are really awesome. This video saved me a lot of hard work and heartache. Yes I wish I could repair my recliners, but they are the peal away kind and not worth it. Keep up the great work.
Yep wasted $1500+ on a couch and love seat because of it delaminating. I used it for two years, then had kids and put it in my basement covered up for another 5 years. Recliners werent kid friendly at the time so i swapped it out for my other leather couch. Moved the couches to my new house and they were in pristine condition. After just a month of use i guess it got brittle over the years and started peeling and flaking everywhere. It was an endless vaccuuming nightmare. I peeled an entire seat section off and sat on it for another month before i had enough and took it to the dump. I cant believe i got duped into thinking bonded leather would be just fine. Still using my parents old leather couch thats 25 years old and still looks awesome for its age. It needs a little bit of leather dye in a few areas but that should be an easy fix. You get what you pay for and i definitely learned my lesson.
The flex seal was a great idea I think you did a great job also coloring it in too it's just too bad that the bonded leather comes off so easily. I've got a bonded leather jacket I bought from the store which is now peeling. Thanks for posting this video it was very informative.
Hmm, the repaired patched actually did pretty well except for where the owner's metal pocketknife clip continued to scratch it. The other sections started to peel, not the repairs.
I appreciate the time skip test at the end. I was skeptical of the review till that(im naturally a skeptic) thank you, good video. I may try to save some faux boots I have.
The term "bonded leather" is a lie. To call something bonded leather all there has to be is 5%-10% leather dust mixed in the coating. Fabric lasts longer, vinyl lasts longer, leather lasts longer. Once a bonded chair starts to peel, it will not stop and "repairing" is a ridiculous notion. Repairing a bonded chair is like gluing hair on your head to stop balding. Never fall for the term "bonded leather" or "PU leather"..they are both the same and not REAL leather.
Awesome video, thankyou. Im aan auctioneer and specialised in selling furniture at auctions , and if unsure if a material is real leather or not , a good way to check is by using a lighter on a non conspicuous area of the item. Leather will not burn or melt, the PU material will. Sometime these days its hard to tell and some furniture will be mixed, a lot of the times where your feet are on a lounge suite will be PU leather that your main seat and your backrest will be real leather so it's always good to check if your after the real stuff.
PU also has more elasticity than leather and a different smell. Try these tricks for discerning real from fake: rubnrestore.com/how-to/bonded-leather-blues/#option-3
Excellent tips, I'm going to try to fix some peeling vinyl detailing on a mostly-fabric phone case, using the soft filler method I think --- but I have to pause to say your hairdos are sooo cute!! Love the two braided buns :)
Thanks for sharing this with us. I brought a big office chair home. It was getting thrown out at my job site. I thought I could use same-color tape or something to "fix" the tears...NOT!😅 It's okay though. I put it in my basement "man cave". I put a covering over it and still use it. My wife doesn't have to look at it!😁
Thank you for the video. Very helpful! I was searching for just this kind of info and so happy to have the month later results. It made My decisions so much easier! Thanks again!
Thank you for this, your patience is admirable. In the end, you are right, just buy yourself genuine leather items. I was thinking of repairing this very nice storage box I have that came with faux leather but now I see it would be better to buy leather and have it redone or re-wrapped in actual leather. Will look better, be faster and last way longer.
I purchased a swivel rocker electric recliner from Costco that said leather all over the box. However is only leather where the body touches kind of sort of. Costco has offered to give me my money back since the bonded leather part of it has started peeling off. But I like the chair too much to let it Go. The trick is to get rid of as much of the peeling as possible and very simply use craft paint from Walmart for 50 cents a bottle to get as close as close of a match as possible and simply dye the fabric underneath the peeled surface. I tried making the surface shiny with clear fingernail polish but that doesn't look very appealing. At the end I'm very happy with the died fabric and it has made my chair quite presentable and since my chair is very dark color it is hardly noticeable. Just control your urge and try to peel off as much as possible before dying.
Thank you...this helped me decide NOT to buy the recliner I was considering that had PU “leather”. It’s gotta be real leather or a good upholstery fabric. And actually, I think a good fabric will stay better looking longer than leather.
Thulas Mash yes it is. If it does not feel like the leather that’s on my 25 year old leather jacket. Not buying it. The wife still doesn’t realize a couch should last for decades ! Not just a couple years. You could buy 7-900 dollar couches every 3 or 4 years. Or buy a real one and be finished with it. You come out better In the long run spending more on the high end stuff for sure . My Grandpa made furniture and his stuff is still around and in good shape and it’s worth re doing. This crap in most places now you just throw it in the garbage after so long. It Makes no sense at all to even try to refurb all this stuff on the market these days. It’s all disposable and people stay in debt with furniture stores returning to buy more. I’m disgusted with it Ooooh it’s old I’m throwing it away and I’m Buying this new stuff that’s going to be trash in a couple years. I don’t see the logic in it. If it’s ugly and a real piece. You’re better off restoring it. I don’t see why it so hard to understand. Just like with dresser drawers and tables. Solid oak can get scratched and banged up. Stain it. They take and throw it out and sell it to buy veneers and sawdust that you can’t sand and restore. And my wife is the worst for that crap. Ugggh.
Your great. You really make a science out of this process lol. I like your use of clinical terma and your final prognosis! When you mentionee "curing" it reminded me of salami lol. I agree, the labornis not worth puting into something like fake leather ....buy the real stuff from the start. I nebwr thought of buying a used real leather couch because of possible bed bugs? Your braid is beautiful btw 🙂
Bed bugs are a legitimate concern. Just be sure to inspect a used piece closely. Look in the nooks and crannies for dark brown or reddish spots from their feces. For all the years we've been recommending used leather furniture to folks, none have complained of a bed bug acquisition. Happy hunting.
Glad I watched this video! I had faux leather shoes that I got from a thrift store 2 years ago and it started to peel and bubble. I love the shoes but I see it's not worth the time and money to fix them.
Can you recommend anything which will create a better coating on these chairs ? I'm in a recording studio so these chairs get BEAT up. I'm tired of replacing. Chairs aren't supposed to be disposable !!! I just want a tougher coating. Something durable which is still cool to sit on. >> I mean >> I see you have flex seal, but is that preferred ? Did you try a bunch of stuff and that is the way to go ?
I love how you used a seemingly untraditional leather fixing product like the spray Flex Seal. Gets myself thinking out of the box for creative solutions to a crappy substrate of the faux leather
Awesome video! Thanks! We have a fabric sofa which unfortunately has vinyl on the arm rest on one side and on the back. The side back of the sofa is in the middle of the room so always visible and the vinyl is peeling off. Can we upholster it with real leather? The couch itself is amazing and the fabric in great condition.
@@RubnRestore thanks so much! We looked at a second hand leather one. My husband is concerned as we have a dog, a cat and 3 kids. Is leather a bad idea for a family or if regularly treated would it still last well? My great grandma used to have this leather couch and it was like 50 years and every few months she would “feed it” (she would call it that) and it looked amazing still. I do remember us kids having to sit on blankets on the sofa though 🤣
A neighbor just tossed his "Leather" office chair out, so I grabbed it to replace the VERY small chair I currently use. It is damaged just like the chair you used here, but worse. I figure I'll pick up some Hyde of the rare and beautiful Nauga, but may try one of these techniques instead. Great video !
Great video! Thanks - you talked me into just tossing my fake leather coffee table that is pealing on the corners. Loved that thing but obviously not worth fixing.
If you wouldn't wet the surface but would have cleaned it first; then what would you have used? Also very great getting to see how things held up! Seems like the very important step most others skip.
What would you think about early placement on an area that doesn't get a lot of physical flexing? Asking because a kitten has been climbing on a chair, putting little puncture wounds. Its on the rigid side parts of a gaming chair, that gets limited to no body contact. Physical damage is right now, only seen with close inspection where you can see the tiny claw punctures. We are trying to decide whether to just wait for it to go to shit, or to try to pre-emptively seal the damaged points with something that dries clear.
We made the BIG mistake of buying a sofa and recliner made out of bonded leather not knowing the peeling and cracking would be the eventual outcome. I tried repairing it with the kit when I noticed the start of the peeling. Just like she showed in the video ~ you fix one area and three more pop up.
Thank you! I have so many belts, shoes and purses that deteriorate quickly in FL. I peeled it and am just going to fabric paint and embellish with broken jewelry or glitter paint.
Well then. I am thoroughly convinced that I won't be trying a repair job considering you literally did it as well as it could be done in 2 separate ways and it didn't even matter in the end... I did not think about that. Thanks for saving me a ton of time and effort
@@RubnRestore Yeah, got a Serta branded office chair as a gift, started getting little cracks quickly and only now 2 years later they're starting to get bad. Gotta fight the urge to be cheap over and over again rather than replace it once with something that will last the first time!
@@Skystrike70 Go to an estate sale or thrift store in a wealthy neighborhood. There's probably a fine quality leather one with water or oil stains or sun fading. This article has more info: rubnrestore.com/how-to/bonded-leather-blues/#option-3
Cool video, and great info..thx for showing your entire experiment! Just an idea I had, when someone has appealing chair like this with faux leather, why not use fabric glue and just glue some nice fabric onto the chair seat to cover the seat?
I've had some success with just gluing a sheet of faux leatherette as a shabby chic look, using contrasting colour to create a funky look. Generally, I peel off the bonded/faux leather off in a section and replace it with the faux leatherette or alternative fabric, it certainly works better than the soft fillers which I would only use on very small areas and not in impact areas as it will not last. The spray I would never use as you cannot get a decent finish and it looks like a right bodge job.
Who's watching because their gaming chair is peeling? Never buying a PU leather chair again lol. It's peeling like crazy after 3 years! (akracing chair) Just gonna look for a real leather (or mesh) office chair instead with a similar style shape. EDIT: I bought a mesh style office chair. So much better! Doesn't get hot in the summer too. Sihoo M57
Yep. DX Racer King Series, it's 5 years old and the peeling started this week, getting worse really fast. Paid $550 in my country for it, which is a lot of money.
@@matn7743 Amazing seeing your comment - I've had my King series chair about 6 years and the peeling is getting pretty bad. I contacted customer support and they basically just told me good luck The chairs must only be made to last 5 years. Last time I'll be buying one!
Thanks for this video ... just had this happen to some really beautiful burgundy couches in our finished basement and was ready to try and fix them but now I know it's not worth it
Yeah, the whole time I was saying to myself, it ain’t worth it, then you got there. Nice job showing the whole truth. I stopped wasting my time with this bonded junk a long time ago.
This is a great video! Very informative & helpful + you saved me a good amount of time, money, and energy; and for that I thank you. There is a gorgeous computer chair with wooden armrests with brown (I suspect faux) leather underneath, and which also composes the entire base and back of the chair. It is ripped, torn, and damaged ALL OVER but is $5 in a local classified ad and I was on my way to go purchase it and then stop at the hardware store to buy supplies for a DIY home repair. Thanks for saving me all the trouble, lol!
Luckily my chair was black so I bought 1 yard of black bonded leather, took off the arms and back, staple gunned the new fabric over the other for about $10. As an artist, I'm always getting paint on everything so I didn't want to purchase a brand new chair but I didn't want the black peeling stuff sticking to the back of my legs either. It worked out really well - as long as one doesn't mind not having any stitching showing on the seat. Also I have enough "leather" left over in case it needs it again in another 8 -10 years
What would your advice be on a headboard? I have a nice cali king bed with this material on the headboard and base board. I already started to peel the stuff away but there’s grey residue under the peeled away faux leather. I tried running it off and using a razor blade but it’s not been easy and it’s left it scratched and uneven. Can I paint it or should I cover with fabric? If I paint it, I’m afraid it’ll show the scratches underneath the paint. I need advice 😩
Thanks a lot. My heels have the same peeling issue and I really like them since I need soft soles (kinda hard to find that in heels) might try out just peeling it all off and dying the fabric! I dont mind losing the luster haha
That's what we did with the FlexSeal, and it didn't hold up. You could try a fabric paint or latex paint diluted with water and some fabric softener, but the latter is never going to look like faux leather. It will just be a woven fabric coated in paint.
We have ab RV with pleather seats. Is this the same as you are working on? Pleather issues are an RV industry-wide issue nowadays. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
I have my late mother's faux leather Chantelle red sun glasses case where the paint or coating has worn away down to a woven base. After stabilizing with watered pva glue, can you suggest how to re coat and what materials - e.g. type of filler to look for here in the UK.
Im lookingto fix a huge rip in my recliner chair. I dont know if i should use a glue called goop ir loctite vinyl repair. I used that goop glue and now its dried with the residue left behind, should i sand it?
Hi there, I really appreciate your video. I have a couple jackets that need repairs... I am curious though as to how long the soft filler would last? I do plan on peeling away all the top layer of th material so there is no future peeling
Steer clear of bonded leather. Always go for "Top Grain" leather. It's the best and is virtually going to be around longer than you if you give it a little maintenence. I've learned the hard way myself.
I bought a beautiful, espresso brown sofa and club chair 14 years ago that I thought was real leather. It was before this PU garbage came on the market and came from a better furniture store (not a big chain store with $500 sofas). It was only used for about 5 years as I had it in and out of climate-controlled storage (carefully wrapped) and then it started flaking and is now a huge mess. I figured I needed a leather repair person. No, it's actually "bicast leather" with a polyurethane coating for "durability." How was anyone supposed to know what that meant in '06? The set was not cheap and I can't find a replacement due to the current mid-century look that doesn't work for me. I so wish it were real leather like I thought. I feel cheated and am literally sitting on fabric to avoid the flakes as it does not peel off in huge pieces like the PU leather. The cushions are attached so I can't even remove those and have them replaced. I have no idea how to even get the furniture out of my new home as it's all oversized and it clearly can't be donated. This material should absolutely be banned. Imagine the landfills! I wouldn't even believe furniture was leather these days unless I had an expert with me.
Normally, like you, I would not touch faux or bonded leather with a 10-foot pole (way too many bad experiences with it, almost every faux leather item I've had would peel in a few years, even with little to no use). However, I could not find a real leather chair in the modern and organic style I wanted (not for under $1,000 anyways). I fell in love with this chair from West Elm that I thought would look perfect in our space. I was very disappointed they decided to make such a beautiful chair with faux leather, but I could not find anything else that compares to its aesthetic. So when it went on sale, I took the chance. I am praying it holds up for many many years or else I will have to get it reupholstered or replaced with real leather cushions. 🙏
I have 2 faux leather bra's that were produced a few years ago, the wings have a small elastic panel that when stretched to fasten the item, the faux leather started peeling, I am looking for a solution, do you have an idea? I was wondering if one of the bonding items could be put on the 2nd (still unstretched wing, optically perfect) to seal it so that when stretched it wouldnt peel. I would be grateful for any feedback. Many Thanks!
I'm unaware of anything that can adhere to the polyester substrate and withstand the expansion and compression. Your best bet is just staining the underlying fabric to make it less noticeable. See here: rubnrestore.com/how-to/bonded-leather-blues/#option-1
I’m curious as to whether just peeling the faux leather off (if the color of the fabric base is acceptable to taste) is there any reason you wouldn’t try that? I have a gray sectional that the headrests are peeling and the material underneath is a nice fabric and gray color. What’s the least labor intensive way to remove the plasticky layer? Love your videos :)
I just got a chair from a friend that has a bunch of tiny dimples from his dogs claws, but isn't exactly peeling.. should I bother fixing this or will the repairs not hold? The holes are no bigger than 1-5mm
Absolutely... Look at heirloom traditions repairing leather peeling and even scratched leather or even holes in leather. Their product is low voc unlike what she's using.. it's actually a flexible paint that they manufactured. The manufacturer of heirloom traditions paint is a furniture expert...all furniture including leather. Her family has sold, and repaired furniture forever. So they have the expertise. They're very clear on directions. And one of the couches they repair..is over 2 years old. So please look up their TH-cam videos, also heirloom traditions paint fb site where you can see others who have used the product too. It's specifically their bond and flex kit. Using their own all surface flexible paint that is low voc so you absolutely can use indoors.
Let me clarify..the couch repair is over 2 years old .. not the couch itself. And it's heirloom traditions paint company. I highly recommend it. Have used it ,it works beautifully. On all leather, vinyl,bonded leather etc... And their paint is also amazing for painting furniture, and cabinets.. almost everything.
See all your options, and learn more here: rubnrestore.com/how-to/bonded-leather-blues/
Shop our products here: rubnrestore.com/leather-restoration-products/
great video, thanks for taking the time to come back and film a month later.
It's so exciting to see big TH-camrs commenting on the random video I'm watching haha :D I love your videos!
ann!!! 😱💜
I like your video because all other videos don't show how repaired bonded leather will wear after month or two. And I know that most repairs on high use areas will not hold. I have more than 20 years of experience in furniture repair.
Thank you for your honesty.
This is a well-done vid! No annoying music or fancy lights or camera angles, just straight on shots!
Thanks for uploading this video! I have a faux leather recliner that's peeling like a skin with a bad sunburn. The chair is still functional and comfortable so I thought it was worthy of repair. I've been doing research and the possibility of repairs looked hopeful until I saw your video. After watching your video, I decided to buy a slip cover which isn't a perfect fit, but good enough. Again, a *BIG THANK YOU* for saving me time and money from doing a DIY repair that was doomed for failure.
Love that your video doesn't overload the listener with background music. Straight forward. Thank you.
This video was so funny to me. I love how casually she expresses her dislike for the fake leather material. Why not trash this but here’s a video. 😂 gotta love it! ❤️
@@RubnRestore I have a massage table and they NEVER cover them in leather. It's pretty annoying to spend $2000 on something I'll have to ditch. You have any ideas about stuff like that?
Thank you for saving me time, energy and money. I really appreciate you showing that over time it did not hold up.
thanks for doing the one month later.
I think we figured out the problem.....your friend needs to remove his pocket knife before sitting down. Hahaha
Thanks for being honest. I have a down vest that's in great condition except the faux leather that's been stitched on a pocket in the front. I watched a couple videos on how to repair it but it never looks very good. You were the first person that basically said not to bother fixing it.
cover both pockets with something that looks good. it will be a custom designed upcycled vest.
Very good advice! I tried the same method repairing my chair few months back. It didn’t last for a week because it is not real leather. Don’t waste your time and money on this! Save up and get a real leather chair or couch. They’re more comfortable and less work to take care of them.
Thank you! The greatest joke (on us) is that this is merchandised as "ECO-leather", probably even more so in EU, when it'll disintegrate even without ever been used, often in a matter of months, forcing you to discard the entire item. So much for "green", "protecting the planet" and "environmentally friendly"! Real leather will last almost indefinitely, with proper care, and then if it does wear out, it is completely fully biodegradable, unlike this pathetic excuse for an invention.
Llp]
I have babied mine, just noticed it separating from sitting on it... wow a little upset bought the thing brand new 6 years ago. I don't think I'll ever buy a $330 chair again.
ikr? They also like labelling it as "vegan-leather", when in that case just get another material that isn't pretending to be leather.
Greenwashing allowed by deregulation
Living in UK (EU until recently). Never heard/seen it described as eco-leather before. Sounds like a con.
Thank you 🙏
Yes the real deal is always best & more beautiful
I am opting to fix my handbags & the straps but think i will use textile
Will see if i can use shoe conditioner or shoe cream colour 🤔
thank you for posting this, i know you said it isn’t worth it but the chair i’m fixing was a gift and i certainly don’t like the idea of so much plastic going to a landfill without getting some real use. my wife is also very attached to this chair already ^-^ it certainly will be worth the time to me even if i have to redo it regularly and end up redoing the whole thing w fabric paint later. i didn’t really care how it looked and expected the fix to be ugly (it’s sentimental not a particularly great chair, and i personally believe in self repair and don’t care too much for aesthetic of furniture or dishes, although i’m picky about clothes) so seeing that filler’s final result was a shock, i’m sure she’ll appreciate it looking nicer than expected even if it does end up looking patched! tangent aside my point is that even though you didn’t think it worked out it was really cool to post it and 1) help people who are persistent and 2) help people who would have ended up trying this themselves and been disappointed. your channel in general seems like it will be a gift and i’m definitely gonna check more videos out since i’m trying to get better at this stuff. anyways my point is thank you haha
I think this lady has a piece on the internet that I just read before watching this video and I truly appreciate her wisdom acknowledge and candor.
Thanks a lot for this, your instructons are clear and your honesty is apreciated. My grandpa got me a faux leather jacket some time ago and after it started peeling i wondered if it could be saved but after watching this i realized it's probably not worth the effort. I guess you can't compete with real leather.
Great video - I came here for tips on how to restore the worn areas on a Chala cross-body bag, which is a laminate like this. I used furniture markers and a clear acrylic gel matte from the art supply store - but I love your texturizing method - that's how I need to finish it! But now I've come away with great ideas for adopting free leather furniture that I see on Craigslist all the time - thanks!🙏🏽
Great idea. Body bags take a lot of abuse, even more than furniture, and we'd love to hear how the acrylic gel holds up. Thanks for watching, commenting, and happy couch surfing Craigslist.
Thanks. A great tutorial with a very helpful "maybe not worth the effort to repair". I really appreciate your work.
Thank you for a great demo! Very good to know that a small tear can be fixed. I will not bother to reupholster a nice chair I have with anything other than leather. Good advice, many thanks!
Thank you for saving me a lot of work in trying to repair an old recliner.
Unfortunately, I HAVE to. After our rv in storage, we have to do our captains chairs and sofa. I’m crying. Legit. I’m balling my eyes out because we cannot afford to replace. I’m glad I learned something today. Thank you. I also learned to pay more attention to curing this material in the future.
Someone send help n materials🙏🏻❤️💪🏼🤗
Thanks for posting! I have a faux leather jacket that I ADORE and couldn't stand to throw out when it started peeling...but after any attempt at repair, it's gonna be brushing up a lot more than a pocketknife clip, so I can now see I have to mourn its loss.
I appreciate you and this video so very much. I came with a can of Flex Seal in hand and now it gets to serve another purpose. I learned a lot, actually. Thank you for making a "real" video.
This was really helpful, thank you for taking the time to share it in such a thorough way!
You are really awesome. This video saved me a lot of hard work and heartache. Yes I wish I could repair my recliners, but they are the peal away kind and not worth it. Keep up the great work.
Awesome video I learned a lot! Thanks for not having a click bait title
I invested about $ 50 for a task chair and armrest covers. Now chair is fine and i don’t have to pay hundreds to replace it with a leather one.
Yep wasted $1500+ on a couch and love seat because of it delaminating. I used it for two years, then had kids and put it in my basement covered up for another 5 years. Recliners werent kid friendly at the time so i swapped it out for my other leather couch. Moved the couches to my new house and they were in pristine condition. After just a month of use i guess it got brittle over the years and started peeling and flaking everywhere. It was an endless vaccuuming nightmare. I peeled an entire seat section off and sat on it for another month before i had enough and took it to the dump. I cant believe i got duped into thinking bonded leather would be just fine. Still using my parents old leather couch thats 25 years old and still looks awesome for its age. It needs a little bit of leather dye in a few areas but that should be an easy fix. You get what you pay for and i definitely learned my lesson.
The flex seal was a great idea I think you did a great job also coloring it in too it's just too bad that the bonded leather comes off so easily. I've got a bonded leather jacket I bought from the store which is now peeling. Thanks for posting this video it was very informative.
Hmm, the repaired patched actually did pretty well except for where the owner's metal pocketknife clip continued to scratch it. The other sections started to peel, not the repairs.
I appreciate the time skip test at the end. I was skeptical of the review till that(im naturally a skeptic) thank you, good video. I may try to save some faux boots I have.
Great vid. Straight to it and lots of information.
Very satisfying process to watch, also.
One solution, just buy a car bucket seat cover and you can adjust to fit with pins or sewing.
The term "bonded leather" is a lie. To call something bonded leather all there has to be is 5%-10% leather dust mixed in the coating. Fabric lasts longer, vinyl lasts longer, leather lasts longer. Once a bonded chair starts to peel, it will not stop and "repairing" is a ridiculous notion. Repairing a bonded chair is like gluing hair on your head to stop balding. Never fall for the term "bonded leather" or "PU leather"..they are both the same and not REAL leather.
The image of a bald guy glueing a hair to stop balding gave me a chuckle. :) Thanks for your comment.
Awesome video, thankyou.
Im aan auctioneer and specialised in selling furniture at auctions , and if unsure if a material is real leather or not , a good way to check is by using a lighter on a non conspicuous area of the item. Leather will not burn or melt, the PU material will. Sometime these days its hard to tell and some furniture will be mixed, a lot of the times where your feet are on a lounge suite will be PU leather that your main seat and your backrest will be real leather so it's always good to check if your after the real stuff.
PU also has more elasticity than leather and a different smell. Try these tricks for discerning real from fake: rubnrestore.com/how-to/bonded-leather-blues/#option-3
Excellent tips, I'm going to try to fix some peeling vinyl detailing on a mostly-fabric phone case, using the soft filler method I think --- but I have to pause to say your hairdos are sooo cute!! Love the two braided buns :)
@@RubnRestore Thanks! :)
Thanks for sharing this with us. I brought a big office chair home. It was getting thrown out at my job site. I thought I could use same-color tape or something to "fix" the tears...NOT!😅 It's okay though. I put it in my basement "man cave". I put a covering over it and still use it. My wife doesn't have to look at it!😁
Thank you for the video. Very helpful! I was searching for just this kind of info and so happy to have the month later results. It made My decisions so much easier! Thanks again!
Thank you for this, your patience is admirable. In the end, you are right, just buy yourself genuine leather items. I was thinking of repairing this very nice storage box I have that came with faux leather but now I see it would be better to buy leather and have it redone or re-wrapped in actual leather. Will look better, be faster and last way longer.
I purchased a swivel rocker electric recliner from Costco that said leather all over the box. However is only leather where the body touches kind of sort of. Costco has offered to give me my money back since the bonded leather part of it has started peeling off.
But I like the chair too much to let it Go.
The trick is to get rid of as much of the peeling as possible and very simply use craft paint from Walmart for 50 cents a bottle to get as close as close of a match as possible and simply dye the fabric underneath the peeled surface. I tried making the surface shiny with clear fingernail polish but that doesn't look very appealing. At the end I'm very happy with the died fabric and it has made my chair quite presentable and since my chair is very dark color it is hardly noticeable.
Just control your urge and try to peel off as much as possible before dying.
Thank you so much! Would you take all the same steps for a faux leather jacket?
Thank you...this helped me decide NOT to buy the recliner I was considering that had PU “leather”. It’s gotta be real leather or a good upholstery fabric. And actually, I think a good fabric will stay better looking longer than leather.
Even when they say it’s real leather a lot of it is not these days. Everything seems to be cheap or a scam these days
totally
Yeah, lots of people just throw the word leather about these days when it isn't real leather.
If it's cheaper it's fake leather
Only use faux and bonded if its an item that no one touches :)
Thulas Mash yes it is. If it does not feel like the leather that’s on my 25 year old leather jacket. Not buying it. The wife still doesn’t realize a couch should last for decades ! Not just a couple years. You could buy 7-900 dollar couches every 3 or 4 years. Or buy a real one and be finished with it. You come out better In the long run spending more on the high end stuff for sure . My Grandpa made furniture and his stuff is still around and in good shape and it’s worth re doing. This crap in most places now you just throw it in the garbage after so long. It Makes no sense at all to even try to refurb all this stuff on the market these days. It’s all disposable and people stay in debt with furniture stores returning to buy more. I’m disgusted with it
Ooooh it’s old I’m throwing it away and I’m
Buying this new stuff that’s going to be trash in a couple years. I don’t see the logic in it. If it’s ugly and a real piece. You’re better off restoring it. I don’t see why it so hard to understand. Just like with dresser drawers and tables. Solid oak can get scratched and banged up. Stain it. They take and throw it out and sell it to buy veneers and sawdust that you can’t sand and restore. And my wife is the worst for that crap. Ugggh.
Your great. You really make a science out of this process lol. I like your use of clinical terma and your final prognosis! When you mentionee "curing" it reminded me of salami lol. I agree, the labornis not worth puting into something like fake leather ....buy the real stuff from the start.
I nebwr thought of buying a used real leather couch because of possible bed bugs?
Your braid is beautiful btw 🙂
Bed bugs are a legitimate concern. Just be sure to inspect a used piece closely. Look in the nooks and crannies for dark brown or reddish spots from their feces. For all the years we've been recommending used leather furniture to folks, none have complained of a bed bug acquisition. Happy hunting.
Glad I watched this video! I had faux leather shoes that I got from a thrift store 2 years ago and it started to peel and bubble. I love the shoes but I see it's not worth the time and money to fix them.
Can you recommend anything which will create a better coating on these chairs ? I'm in a recording studio so these chairs get BEAT up. I'm tired of replacing. Chairs aren't supposed to be disposable !!! I just want a tougher coating. Something durable which is still cool to sit on. >> I mean >> I see you have flex seal, but is that preferred ? Did you try a bunch of stuff and that is the way to go ?
"fabric paint"? does this product just dye the fabric the bonded leather delaminated from or does it add fabric?
can I do this for my shoes??
I love how you used a seemingly untraditional leather fixing product like the spray Flex Seal. Gets myself thinking out of the box for creative solutions to a crappy substrate of the faux leather
Thankyou! This video was invaluable. I will not be wasting my time trying to repair fake leather furniture. It's just not worth it!
Thank you for saving me potentially 2-3 hours of time and money on purchasing the material to "fix" my chair.
Awesome video! Thanks! We have a fabric sofa which unfortunately has vinyl on the arm rest on one side and on the back. The side back of the sofa is in the middle of the room so always visible and the vinyl is peeling off. Can we upholster it with real leather? The couch itself is amazing and the fabric in great condition.
@@RubnRestore thanks so much! We looked at a second hand leather one. My husband is concerned as we have a dog, a cat and 3 kids.
Is leather a bad idea for a family or if regularly treated would it still last well? My great grandma used to have this leather couch and it was like 50 years and every few months she would “feed it” (she would call it that) and it looked amazing still. I do remember us kids having to sit on blankets on the sofa though 🤣
A neighbor just tossed his "Leather" office chair out, so I grabbed it to replace the VERY small chair I currently use. It is damaged just like the chair you used here, but worse. I figure I'll pick up some Hyde of the rare and beautiful Nauga, but may try one of these techniques instead. Great video !
Great video. Saved me a lot of time as I realize it's NOT worth it!!!
What about making a slipcover for the seat of a pu leather (fake leather) gaming chair?
Would that help make the chair last longer?
Brilliant explanation and demonstration thank you
What is the name of these products? Is it applies on leather jacket ?
your repair looks GREAT! The guy with an external knife is nuts! Give him a beatup wooden bench! HaHa🤣🤣🤣🤣
Great video! Thanks - you talked me into just tossing my fake leather coffee table that is pealing on the corners. Loved that thing but obviously not worth fixing.
Thanks for the video. I will refrain from repairing my chair now. Save myself some time and money. it was very helpful!!
If you wouldn't wet the surface but would have cleaned it first; then what would you have used?
Also very great getting to see how things held up! Seems like the very important step most others skip.
Always use alcohol. It evaporates quickly and is needed to remove body oil, conditioners, and other residues that soap and water won't touch.
Thanks for your demo. "bonded leather" - I have a guitar strap where the end pieces are peeling like that. Now I understand what is happening.
What would you think about early placement on an area that doesn't get a lot of physical flexing? Asking because a kitten has been climbing on a chair, putting little puncture wounds. Its on the rigid side parts of a gaming chair, that gets limited to no body contact. Physical damage is right now, only seen with close inspection where you can see the tiny claw punctures.
We are trying to decide whether to just wait for it to go to shit, or to try to pre-emptively seal the damaged points with something that dries clear.
We made the BIG mistake of buying a sofa and recliner made out of bonded leather not knowing the peeling and cracking would be the eventual outcome. I tried repairing it with the kit when I noticed the start of the peeling. Just like she showed in the video ~ you fix one area and three more pop up.
How could you not know? Were you born last year or something?
@@nextbook4494sorry for the late reply but your must be such a loser making comments like that.
@@nextbook4494 Unnecessarily nasty.
Thank you! I have so many belts, shoes and purses that deteriorate quickly in FL. I peeled it and am just going to fabric paint and embellish with broken jewelry or glitter paint.
Well then. I am thoroughly convinced that I won't be trying a repair job considering you literally did it as well as it could be done in 2 separate ways and it didn't even matter in the end... I did not think about that. Thanks for saving me a ton of time and effort
Glad to be of help, and sorry you're another victim of hydrolysis-related failure!
@@RubnRestore Yeah, got a Serta branded office chair as a gift, started getting little cracks quickly and only now 2 years later they're starting to get bad. Gotta fight the urge to be cheap over and over again rather than replace it once with something that will last the first time!
@@Skystrike70 Go to an estate sale or thrift store in a wealthy neighborhood. There's probably a fine quality leather one with water or oil stains or sun fading. This article has more info: rubnrestore.com/how-to/bonded-leather-blues/#option-3
Cool video, and great info..thx for showing your entire experiment! Just an idea I had, when someone has appealing chair like this with faux leather, why not use fabric glue and just glue some nice fabric onto the chair seat to cover the seat?
Worth a try! Round the corners of the fabric so they don't catch and peel back.
This was an excellent video! Thank you for the update.
Great video thank you
I've had some success with just gluing a sheet of faux leatherette as a shabby chic look, using contrasting colour to create a funky look. Generally, I peel off the bonded/faux leather off in a section and replace it with the faux leatherette or alternative fabric, it certainly works better than the soft fillers which I would only use on very small areas and not in impact areas as it will not last. The spray I would never use as you cannot get a decent finish and it looks like a right bodge job.
I wonder what kind of adhesive you used to fix the new leatherette and fabric over the newly bald areas?
Who's watching because their gaming chair is peeling? Never buying a PU leather chair again lol. It's peeling like crazy after 3 years! (akracing chair)
Just gonna look for a real leather (or mesh) office chair instead with a similar style shape.
EDIT: I bought a mesh style office chair. So much better! Doesn't get hot in the summer too. Sihoo M57
I see you've been at the desk a lot recently, Spider
Yep. DX Racer King Series, it's 5 years old and the peeling started this week, getting worse really fast. Paid $550 in my country for it, which is a lot of money.
me.. hahaha
My killabee chair is peeling! It’s the worst
@@matn7743 Amazing seeing your comment - I've had my King series chair about 6 years and the peeling is getting pretty bad. I contacted customer support and they basically just told me good luck
The chairs must only be made to last 5 years. Last time I'll be buying one!
where do I purchase your products? Thought a link would be in the description. I SUBSCRIBED!
Thanks! so much for my expansive Need For Seat I thought was real leather.
Thanks for this video ... just had this happen to some really beautiful burgundy couches in our finished basement and was ready to try and fix them but now I know it's not worth it
@@RubnRestore we're going to get custom fitted covers for cushions instead - your videos are awesome please keep making them
Yeah, the whole time I was saying to myself, it ain’t worth it, then you got there. Nice job showing the whole truth.
I stopped wasting my time with this bonded junk a long time ago.
What is the filler name? I want to try this with a pair of shoes!
@@RubnRestore how sad but thanks for the reply!
@@RubnRestore better tonbe sincere! Haha
This is a great video! Very informative & helpful + you saved me a good amount of time, money, and energy; and for that I thank you. There is a gorgeous computer chair with wooden armrests with brown (I suspect faux) leather underneath, and which also composes the entire base and back of the chair. It is ripped, torn, and damaged ALL OVER but is $5 in a local classified ad and I was on my way to go purchase it and then stop at the hardware store to buy supplies for a DIY home repair. Thanks for saving me all the trouble, lol!
Luckily my chair was black so I bought 1 yard of black bonded leather, took off the arms and back, staple gunned the new fabric over the other for about $10. As an artist, I'm always getting paint on everything so I didn't want to purchase a brand new chair but I didn't want the black peeling stuff sticking to the back of my legs either. It worked out really well - as long as one doesn't mind not having any stitching showing on the seat. Also I have enough "leather" left over in case it needs it again in another 8 -10 years
Great video!
My verdict is same! Never to waste money buying bonded leather chairs.
I had a faux leather wallet I scraped off the vynil and repainted it with fabric paint I love the result
Your breakdown and explanation is thorough and succinct. Thanks VERY much!
Great tutorial first of!
Does anyone now where i could get a soft filler in Europa?
Cheers from Vienna!
What would your advice be on a headboard? I have a nice cali king bed with this material on the headboard and base board. I already started to peel the stuff away but there’s grey residue under the peeled away faux leather. I tried running it off and using a razor blade but it’s not been easy and it’s left it scratched and uneven. Can I paint it or should I cover with fabric? If I paint it, I’m afraid it’ll show the scratches underneath the paint. I need advice 😩
Thanks a lot. My heels have the same peeling issue and I really like them since I need soft soles (kinda hard to find that in heels) might try out just peeling it all off and dying the fabric! I dont mind losing the luster haha
what about peeling it all and painting it? and what paint should I use? thank you
That's what we did with the FlexSeal, and it didn't hold up. You could try a fabric paint or latex paint diluted with water and some fabric softener, but the latter is never going to look like faux leather. It will just be a woven fabric coated in paint.
We have ab RV with pleather seats. Is this the same as you are working on? Pleather issues are an RV industry-wide issue nowadays. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
I have my late mother's faux leather Chantelle red sun glasses case where the paint or coating has worn away down to a woven base. After stabilizing with watered pva glue, can you suggest how to re coat and what materials - e.g. type of filler to look for here in the UK.
wow thank you so much for making this video!!
Im lookingto fix a
huge rip in my recliner chair. I dont know if i should use a glue called goop ir loctite vinyl repair. I used that goop glue and now its dried with the residue left behind, should i sand it?
Excellent advise, thank you
Hi there, I really appreciate your video. I have a couple jackets that need repairs... I am curious though as to how long the soft filler would last? I do plan on peeling away all the top layer of th material so there is no future peeling
Thank you! I was wondering if I could or should my damaged Ikea chair.. Look like better not 😬
Very honest and useful advice. God bless you.
What's that recoating with fabric paint mentioned around 7:03?
Steer clear of bonded leather. Always go for "Top Grain" leather. It's the best and is virtually going to be around longer than you if you give it a little maintenence. I've learned the hard way myself.
I bought a beautiful, espresso brown sofa and club chair 14 years ago that I thought was real leather. It was before this PU garbage came on the market and came from a better furniture store (not a big chain store with $500 sofas). It was only used for about 5 years as I had it in and out of climate-controlled storage (carefully wrapped) and then it started flaking and is now a huge mess. I figured I needed a leather repair person. No, it's actually "bicast leather" with a polyurethane coating for "durability." How was anyone supposed to know what that meant in '06? The set was not cheap and I can't find a replacement due to the current mid-century look that doesn't work for me. I so wish it were real leather like I thought. I feel cheated and am literally sitting on fabric to avoid the flakes as it does not peel off in huge pieces like the PU leather. The cushions are attached so I can't even remove those and have them replaced. I have no idea how to even get the furniture out of my new home as it's all oversized and it clearly can't be donated. This material should absolutely be banned. Imagine the landfills! I wouldn't even believe furniture was leather these days unless I had an expert with me.
@Mike Studmuffin Go with "Top Grain" leather. That's the real deal. Fabric will wear out and is subject to stains and tears.
Normally, like you, I would not touch faux or bonded leather with a 10-foot pole (way too many bad experiences with it, almost every faux leather item I've had would peel in a few years, even with little to no use). However, I could not find a real leather chair in the modern and organic style I wanted (not for under $1,000 anyways). I fell in love with this chair from West Elm that I thought would look perfect in our space. I was very disappointed they decided to make such a beautiful chair with faux leather, but I could not find anything else that compares to its aesthetic. So when it went on sale, I took the chance. I am praying it holds up for many many years or else I will have to get it reupholstered or replaced with real leather cushions. 🙏
I have 2 faux leather bra's that were produced a few years ago, the wings have a small elastic panel that when stretched to fasten the item, the faux leather started peeling, I am looking for a solution, do you have an idea? I was wondering if one of the bonding items could be put on the 2nd (still unstretched wing, optically perfect) to seal it so that when stretched it wouldnt peel. I would be grateful for any feedback. Many Thanks!
I'm unaware of anything that can adhere to the polyester substrate and withstand the expansion and compression. Your best bet is just staining the underlying fabric to make it less noticeable. See here: rubnrestore.com/how-to/bonded-leather-blues/#option-1
I’m curious as to whether just peeling the faux leather off (if the color of the fabric base is acceptable to taste) is there any reason you wouldn’t try that? I have a gray sectional that the headrests are peeling and the material underneath is a nice fabric and gray color. What’s the least labor intensive way to remove the plasticky layer? Love your videos :)
I just got a chair from a friend that has a bunch of tiny dimples from his dogs claws, but isn't exactly peeling.. should I bother fixing this or will the repairs not hold? The holes are no bigger than 1-5mm
Absolutely... Look at heirloom traditions repairing leather peeling and even scratched leather or even holes in leather. Their product is low voc unlike what she's using.. it's actually a flexible paint that they manufactured. The manufacturer of heirloom traditions paint is a furniture expert...all furniture including leather. Her family has sold, and repaired furniture forever. So they have the expertise. They're very clear on directions. And one of the couches they repair..is over 2 years old. So please look up their TH-cam videos, also heirloom traditions paint fb site where you can see others who have used the product too. It's specifically their bond and flex kit. Using their own all surface flexible paint that is low voc so you absolutely can use indoors.
Let me clarify..the couch repair is over 2 years old .. not the couch itself. And it's heirloom traditions paint company. I highly recommend it. Have used it ,it works beautifully. On all leather, vinyl,bonded leather etc... And their paint is also amazing for painting furniture, and cabinets.. almost everything.