Leather Grades Explained Featuring Bradington-Young

One question that your friendly Carolina Rustica Furniture Specialist will ask you as you’re selecting your new Bradington-Young furniture piece is “What leather grade would you like?” Lots of people are unsure of the reasoning for certain prices for certain leather grades. What do the numbers mean? Is one better than the other? Basically, the grades are determined by the cost of the hides. Determining the grade of leather you need should be based off how often the furniture will be used.

Price and Leather Grades
Bradington-Young offers 6 grades of leather – all of which are excellent in quality. Grade 1 is the lowest in price of leather and Grade 6 is the highest in price. We usually recommend Grades 1 and 2 for every day usage. These leather grade prices are the lowest due to the amount of changes the leather must go through in order to withstand the elements of an environment. Grade 6 leathers go through the least amount of processing, therefore leaving the hide to be more pure and show natural characteristics like barbed wire marks. These leathers also give off a great worn-in look. Grade 6 leathers are also the most delicate; the less that is done to a cow hide, the more delicate and expensive it will be.

Leather Protection

Lower grades of leather can come protected/finished (F) which is recommended for durability purposes. Another option is Aniline Plus. Aniline Plus (AP) leathers are soft and supple like true aniline but also has a protective coating for durability. Aniline (A) are the most delicate of leathers and have the least amount of processing.

Hopefully this will help clear up some confusion when deciding on a leather grade for your new leather furniture. If you have any questions or need more details, you can always call us at 800-205-7819 and we will happily assist you! Click here to view more Bradington-Young furniture.