The short answer
- Choose faux if you want a trend for a season, you avoid animal products, or the budget is tight right now.
- Choose real leather if you want one jacket for many years, one that softens, takes on character and can be conditioned and repaired.
- Either way, read the label. The words on it tell you more than the price tag does.
What faux leather actually is
Faux leather is a fabric base with a plastic coating made to look like hide. The coating is usually polyurethane (PU) or PVC. You will also see it sold as vegan leather, synthetic leather, PU leather or leatherette. These are different names for the same kind of material. Real leather is animal hide that has been tanned, so it is a natural material with its own grain, pores and small marks.
One label causes confusion. Genuine leather is real hide, but it is a lower grade than full-grain. It is not faux. Our guide to genuine leather vs full-grain explains the grades.
How to tell real from faux
No single test is perfect, but together these usually settle it:
- Read the label first. Words like man-made, PU, polyurethane, synthetic or vegan mean faux. Leather or genuine leather means real hide.
- Look at the cut edge or the inside. Real leather shows a rough, fibrous back. Faux shows a fabric backing, often a knit or woven layer.
- Look at the grain. Real leather has small irregularities, so no two patches are identical. A perfectly repeated pattern points to faux.
- Press it. Real leather creases and wrinkles in a soft, uneven way. Faux tends to stretch smooth, or fold in sharper, more uniform lines.
- Smell it. Real leather smells like leather. Faux often smells of plastic or chemicals.
- Feel the temperature. Real leather warms against your hand. Faux usually stays cooler and feels more even.
How each one wears over time
This is where the two part ways. Real leather is stiff when new, then softens and shapes itself to your shoulders and elbows. Creases become part of the look, and a little conditioning once or twice a year keeps it supple. Our leather care guide covers the routine.
Faux leather does not soften in the same way, because the surface is a coating. At the places that bend most, such as the elbows, cuffs and the line of the hem, that coating can crack or flake as the jacket ages. Once it does, it is hard to fix. That is the main reason a cheap faux bomber often looks tired sooner.
Comfort and warmth
Real leather is a natural skin, so it tends to breathe better and sit more comfortably across a day. Faux leather is a plastic surface, so it can feel warmer and less breathable once you are moving around. A leather bomber layers well over a tee in mild weather and over a knit in cold. A ribbed hem and cuffs keep the warmth in on either material.
Price versus cost per wear
Faux wins at the till. Real leather costs more up front. The fairer comparison is cost per wear. A jacket you wear every week for many years spreads its price thinly. A jacket that cracks after a couple of seasons does not. If you buy once and wear it often, real leather tends to be the cheaper choice in the long run. If you will wear the jacket a handful of times, faux is the sensible spend.
Care: what changes
- Real leather: wipe with a soft cloth, dry slowly if it gets wet, condition once or twice a year and store on a wide hanger.
- Faux leather: wipe clean with a damp cloth, keep it away from heat and direct sun, and do not use leather conditioner, which it cannot absorb.
- Both: never use a hair dryer or radiator to dry the jacket, and never machine wash it.
When faux makes sense
- You do not use animal products and want the bomber look.
- You want to try the style before committing to it.
- It is a one-season piece for a trip or an event.
- You need the lowest price today and understand it may not last.
When real leather makes sense
- You want one bomber for many years and many outfits.
- You like a jacket that looks better with wear instead of worse.
- You want to condition it and, if needed, have it repaired.
- You would rather buy once than replace a cheaper jacket every few seasons.
If you choose real leather: our options
Every jacket below is real leather, and each product page states the material exactly as the supplier gives it, so you can compare like for like.
- Noctelle Zipline Bomber: black, 100% genuine leather, with shoulder zips and a ribbed collar. $199.
- Roselyn Crimson Rib Bomber: red, 100% genuine leather, relaxed fit. $199.
- Aurelia Amber Utility Jacket: amber, 100% genuine leather, with a shirt collar and flap pockets. $199.
- Noir Arden Zip-Front Jacket: black, cropped, leather. $199.
- L-Khat Leather Bomber Jacket: black sheep leather, soft and supple, made to order from XXS to 4XL. $249.
Most styles are currently available in a single size, so check the size guide before you pick a colour. Not sure which jacket or size suits you? Book a free fit consultation and a stylist will talk it through with you before you order. Orders over $120 ship free in the US, and returns are accepted within 30 days on unworn jackets.
