Thickness of leather is confusing for a variety of reasons. The most confusing issue is salespeople. They will often claim that some sets have thicker leather and are accordingly a higher quality (and thus cost). Despite what many salespeople will tell you; thickness is not a measure of quality. A cheap poor quality hide can be cut as thick as a very nice one so if you have a thick, cheap hide well... making it thicker didn't make it better.
The second reason is the samples you can sometimes get from a store. Leather samples are just that: samples and usually taken from unusable parts of the hide since the primary purpose of a sample is for color so sample thickness can vary widely.
So, why are there different thicknesses for leather furniture? The primary reason for having different thicknesses is for the feel of the couch. Thicker hides feel tougher and don't tend to break in as soft as thinner ones SO there are many Italian "glove" type leathers that you would want thinner to give a softer glove like feeling. That said, there are some finishes (dyes) that feel better when they are a little thicker so it really becomes a style and finish decision based on the sofa and what look and feel is trying to be achieved.
If you have more questions about the thickness of leather for your furniture, please feel free to call us at 800-876-9655 or email us at Info@BariLeatherFurniture.com
