Animal Hides

When purchasing your leather recliner, you will need to consider what type of animal you want the leather recliner to come from. Since different animals have different characteristics, the animal you chose can have a big impact on the look and feel of your leather recliner!

Moo-ving on Up
Cattle hide makes up the biggest portion of leather recliner chairs - over 50%! Since cows are large animals, it is easy to remove a large area of the animal in tact. Cow hides are often preferred because of their uniform grains and their durability. These hides are easy to clean and care for and are extremely affordable and functional. The majority of leather recliners come from this animal.

Wild and Wooly
Sheep and lamp hides account for about 20% of leather chairs. They are not as strong as cow hides, but their porous fibers cause them to be very soft and feel luxurious. The velvety feel of this hide makes it appealing to many. It is easy to clean, but more expensive than cow hide.

Miss Piggy Notwithstanding
Pig hide is very versatile, and the large pores of a pig result in delicate patterns and textures. Pigskin is often made into a fine suede, and incorporated in Southwestern leather recliners. However, it is not as durable as cow or sheep hide, and is often of a lesser quality.

Those Crazy Kids
Goat hide, know as morocco, makes up a smaller portion of products, about 5%. Goats hides leave a distinct hair marking on the grain, which give your leather office chair a lot of character! They are extremely durable, due to their compact fibers. Watch out though! A goatskin armchair will cost you a lot of money!

Look Out for That Snake
Exotic hides, such as alligator, snake, frog, stingray and ostrich, are generally not used in leather recliners. They would, however, serve as a nice decorative piece.