What Is The Difference Between Leather And Rexine?

If you’re a history freak you must know that back in the early 90s when real leather was expensive and the world was going through inflation, people looked for cheaper alternatives for clothing. That is when something called Rexine came up. Leather was most popular among soldiers as it was considered as a protective armor against crazy cold weather. Initially, rexine was crafted using a mixture of cellulose nitrate, camphor oil, and alcohol. All these ingredients came together to form a material that looked and felt somehow like real leather. Apart from clothing, it became quite common among the bookbinders as well as the motor vehicle industry. Now you know where the idea of the leather car interior came from.

Basically, the whole point of this fake leather, also called Rexine, is that some people don't go for real leather because of ethical reasons or because of how expensive real leather could be. Rexine is the ideal alternative for them. Modern ways have been developed to produce rexine that is considered less damaging to the environment and less toxic. It is generally plant-based and modern plastics.

What Is Rexine Material?

Manufacturers have come up with a number of ways to produce rexine over a period of time. Initially, no one paid much attention to the fact that chemicals used in the making of rexine can have a detrimental impact on the environment. But lately, with many awareness campaigns on global warming and climate change, there has been a shift to more natural products such as plants. To give it a more leather-like feel and texture, some manufacturers also use animal hide in the smallest quantity. The durability of rexine comes nowhere near real leather but for those who usually get bored of one piece of clothing or accessory after a while and need a new one, this could be your perfect pick.

Cars are exposed to heat and dust more than anything else and a real leather interior can be very costly to maintain which is why people go for a cheaper and convenient alternative that is Rexine. It gives almost the same feel as leather without having to spend much. The plastic might be at a high risk of damage during extreme hot weather though, so beware.

Is Rexine Waterproof?

Rexine, as mentioned above, is a fabric material that is manufactured using chemicals that make it waterproof. Commonly, it has nothing to do with real leather at all, however, in some cases, a tiny amount of real leather is mixed with rexine for clothing to enhance durability. Such items might not be resistant to water. So it’s better to avoid exposing them to rainy weather.

Disadvantages of Rexine Leather

If we compare rexine with real leather, the list of disadvantages of the former will keep ongoing for a long time. However, to name a few, rexine is not durable and will make you go through the trouble of replacing it after a while. Rexine can actually produce heat which makes it unfit for use during summertime. Your rexine sofa of low quality may actually leave the dye on your outfit so beware. Cleaning the rexine couch or clotting time can be a bit tricky because it can easily be damaged if you’re not gentle with it.

To conclude, rexine doesn’t come close to real leather when it comes to luxury, charm, and durability. It may cost you some extra buck but will save you the trouble of having to replace it or every once in a while. You can actually pass your real leather couch or clothing item down to your next generation.