How do you tell the difference between leather and leatherette?
01-08-2008, 11:39 AM
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My Ride: 2007 530i. Purchased 6/28/07. Titanium Silver Metallic, Black Dakota Leather, Dark Poplar Trim, Steptronic, Premium Package, Cold Weather Package, Bluetooth, Adaptive Control Xenons. 10/30/07 Added OEM 124s with 245/40/18 & 275/35/18 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires. Installed red Cal Covers� from BavAuto. 11/21/07 Added OEM all-weather floor mats (for winter, carpet in summer) and coat rack. 6/26/08 installed M5-style rear spoiler. 6/30/08 put on red reflectors. 8/22/08 Euro turn signal stickers applied. 3/20/09 Installed Shadowline Trim. 3/27/09 Added Matte Black Kidney Grilles from Trinity. 4/03/09 Installed Bimmian Shadow Matte Black 530i Badges. 4/04/09 Installed LED license plate lights from Trinity. 5/01/09 Installed Brabus Interior LED Kit and White Angel Eyes. 5/02/09 Put in Brabus 6K Fogs. 5/14/09 Removed charcoal filter. 5/15/09 Installed light smoke LED side marker lamps from Trinity. 5/21/09 Sprint Booster. 6/12/09 Painted exhaust tips flat black. 6/13/09 Pulled red Cal Covers and painted calipers low gloss black. 6/27/09 RPI Ram Air Scoop from Trinity. 8/15/09 Installed Brabus's silver invisibulbs front and rear. 9/24/09 Installed R-Dash license plate LEDs from Brabaus (John).
Originally Posted by andyb' post='514441' date='Jan 6 2008, 03:10 PM
I have just bought a second-hand 530i in the UK and I'm not sure if the interior is genuine leather or leatherette. It looks and feels like leather, but judging from some of the other discussions on this site, the leatherette is pretty convincing. There's no discernable smell, although that may change when the weather warms up! Are there any other simple and foolproof methods for distinguishing between the two materials? I'd like to know so that I use the right cleaning materials on the seats. Thanks in advance for your help.
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thewifescar (09-22-2023)
01-08-2008, 07:34 PM
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Originally Posted by iversonm' post='514711' date='Jan 7 2008, 12:03 PM
Back to the original question:
The leatherette has a bit more rubbery feel when you poke at it, and typically conforms very tightly to the seat with no visible wrinkles.
Leather does not stretch as much, and has a looser appearance with some wrinkling at the seams.
Depending on the age of the car, leather will show wear and creases in high-wear areas like the driver's seat bolsters, while leatherette will look brand new for decades.
The leatherette has a bit more rubbery feel when you poke at it, and typically conforms very tightly to the seat with no visible wrinkles.
Leather does not stretch as much, and has a looser appearance with some wrinkling at the seams.
Depending on the age of the car, leather will show wear and creases in high-wear areas like the driver's seat bolsters, while leatherette will look brand new for decades.
01-08-2008, 07:49 PM
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Originally Posted by CWS530' post='515170' date='Jan 8 2008, 03:39 PM
As others have stated, the most reliable way to determine what your car has is to contact a dealer and run the VIN. I buy various leather goods in South America, Europe, and Asia for my small business, and another quick way is to feel the back of the material in question. The Dakota leather that BMW uses on many of its cars is a pebbled grain cowhide. That is, it comes from a mature cow, versus a calf for calfskin, for durability. The pebbling is a heat embossing technique that adds visual depth and texture. It also has been treated for repellency, hence the somewhat waxy (or some say artificial) hand. Unfortunately, that same pebbling has been done to the Leatherette, which already has a slicker feel since it is synthetic. It can be tough to tell them apart, as you have seen. One fairly quick way is to feel the back of the material. For example, if I reach down between the driver seat and hand brake area, I can feel an small opening in the leather where it attaches to the seat frame. What I feel is a fuzzy, suede-like nap, indicative of genuine leather. By contrast, the Leatherette or vinyl seats I have felt generally have either a crosshatched nylon fiber backing or a slick nylon backing, neither of which is soft to the touch.
01-09-2008, 07:16 AM
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My Ride: 2007 530i. Purchased 6/28/07. Titanium Silver Metallic, Black Dakota Leather, Dark Poplar Trim, Steptronic, Premium Package, Cold Weather Package, Bluetooth, Adaptive Control Xenons. 10/30/07 Added OEM 124s with 245/40/18 & 275/35/18 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires. Installed red Cal Covers� from BavAuto. 11/21/07 Added OEM all-weather floor mats (for winter, carpet in summer) and coat rack. 6/26/08 installed M5-style rear spoiler. 6/30/08 put on red reflectors. 8/22/08 Euro turn signal stickers applied. 3/20/09 Installed Shadowline Trim. 3/27/09 Added Matte Black Kidney Grilles from Trinity. 4/03/09 Installed Bimmian Shadow Matte Black 530i Badges. 4/04/09 Installed LED license plate lights from Trinity. 5/01/09 Installed Brabus Interior LED Kit and White Angel Eyes. 5/02/09 Put in Brabus 6K Fogs. 5/14/09 Removed charcoal filter. 5/15/09 Installed light smoke LED side marker lamps from Trinity. 5/21/09 Sprint Booster. 6/12/09 Painted exhaust tips flat black. 6/13/09 Pulled red Cal Covers and painted calipers low gloss black. 6/27/09 RPI Ram Air Scoop from Trinity. 8/15/09 Installed Brabus's silver invisibulbs front and rear. 9/24/09 Installed R-Dash license plate LEDs from Brabaus (John).
Originally Posted by JSpira' post='515366' date='Jan 8 2008, 10:49 PM
That is an excellent overview of the leather production process. Even though I knew some of it, it was very informative to have this put together like this. Danke!
Bitte.
01-09-2008, 11:30 AM
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My Ride: 2008 535i: June 6th start build, complete June 17th, at NY Port July 5th, at dealer July 10th, took delivery Friday July 13- Plantimum Bronze/Natural Brown Leather/Light Poplar, Sport Package, Sport Auto, Active Steering, Premium Package, CWP & PDC. Dinan Performance Software 384hp & 421 ft/lbs.
Originally Posted by iversonm' post='514711' date='Jan 7 2008, 11:03 AM
Back to the original question:
The leatherette has a bit more rubbery feel when you poke at it, and typically conforms very tightly to the seat with no visible wrinkles.
Leather does not stretch as much, and has a looser appearance with some wrinkling at the seams.
Depending on the age of the car, leather will show wear and creases in high-wear areas like the driver's seat bolsters, while leatherette will look brand new for decades.
The leatherette has a bit more rubbery feel when you poke at it, and typically conforms very tightly to the seat with no visible wrinkles.
Leather does not stretch as much, and has a looser appearance with some wrinkling at the seams.
Depending on the age of the car, leather will show wear and creases in high-wear areas like the driver's seat bolsters, while leatherette will look brand new for decades.
01-09-2008, 02:19 PM
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My Ride: 2005 535D, Mystic Blue with Black Exclusive Leather;
Active Steering | Comfort Seats | Dark Poplar Wood | Front & Rear Seat Heating | Head-up Display | Headlamp Washers | Logic 7 | High Beam Assist | Media Package | Rear Electric Blind | Sun Protection Glass | Visibility Package
Originally Posted by ressla' post='514459' date='Jan 6 2008, 10:05 PM
Bet you've never seen a 540i e60. Nobody has. They only exist in the brochures.....
01-09-2008, 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted by iversonm' post='514711' date='Jan 7 2008, 10:03 AM
Depending on the age of the car, leather will show wear and creases in high-wear areas like the driver's seat bolsters, while leatherette will look brand new for decades.
01-09-2008, 04:36 PM
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My Ride: 2007 530i. Purchased 6/28/07. Titanium Silver Metallic, Black Dakota Leather, Dark Poplar Trim, Steptronic, Premium Package, Cold Weather Package, Bluetooth, Adaptive Control Xenons. 10/30/07 Added OEM 124s with 245/40/18 & 275/35/18 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires. Installed red Cal Covers� from BavAuto. 11/21/07 Added OEM all-weather floor mats (for winter, carpet in summer) and coat rack. 6/26/08 installed M5-style rear spoiler. 6/30/08 put on red reflectors. 8/22/08 Euro turn signal stickers applied. 3/20/09 Installed Shadowline Trim. 3/27/09 Added Matte Black Kidney Grilles from Trinity. 4/03/09 Installed Bimmian Shadow Matte Black 530i Badges. 4/04/09 Installed LED license plate lights from Trinity. 5/01/09 Installed Brabus Interior LED Kit and White Angel Eyes. 5/02/09 Put in Brabus 6K Fogs. 5/14/09 Removed charcoal filter. 5/15/09 Installed light smoke LED side marker lamps from Trinity. 5/21/09 Sprint Booster. 6/12/09 Painted exhaust tips flat black. 6/13/09 Pulled red Cal Covers and painted calipers low gloss black. 6/27/09 RPI Ram Air Scoop from Trinity. 8/15/09 Installed Brabus's silver invisibulbs front and rear. 9/24/09 Installed R-Dash license plate LEDs from Brabaus (John).
[quote name='Allen' date='Jan 9 2008, 07:26 PM' post='515727']
This is very true...here are a couple of shots of my '95 E34 after 13 years & 250K miles...I was original owner...until it got rear-ended and totalled 3 weeks ago. The leatherette literally looked brand new...actually the entire interior looked brand new...
That's amazing. Looks like the whole interior was kept perfect! Kudos. What kind of cleaner/protectant did you use?
This is very true...here are a couple of shots of my '95 E34 after 13 years & 250K miles...I was original owner...until it got rear-ended and totalled 3 weeks ago. The leatherette literally looked brand new...actually the entire interior looked brand new...
That's amazing. Looks like the whole interior was kept perfect! Kudos. What kind of cleaner/protectant did you use?
01-09-2008, 05:40 PM
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My Ride: '04 545iS 6 spd, bought new via eBay, 11/05; Blk/Gry, Cold, L7, PDC, BMW Rear seatcover for pets.
First "Bumwa" was a new 1971 2002. High performance 5s since 1987. Beamer motorcycles too, currently on an 07 BMW K1200 GT; also a Moto Guzzi 1000 SP III.
Leather burnishes and cracks; vinyl sweats.
Ray Hull
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