Fabric vs Leather Gaming Chair: Which One to Choose?

Did you just drop that pizza or the cola when dining in your gaming chair?  Tired of sweating while gaming?  Is your three-hundred-dollar chair flaking and tearing up so quickly?

Well, the reasons may be many, but you cannot afford to lose a game just because you have been moving around in your chair.  Why?  Of course, you have been uncomfortable or not feeling too good while playing games!

What should you do?  Which gaming chairs are the best for you, fabric vs. leather gaming chair?

Let us explore more before you decide.

What is PU Leather?

One of the main questions that most folks ask is, what is PU leather?  While most folks know leather, PU leather is, more often than not, a question mark.  PU leather is an artificial leather that is made from thermoplastic polymers.  As per Wikipedia, the main reason to use artificial leather is the aesthetics and the low costs.  Some manufacturers use the leftover animal hide after the main leather is removed as the first quality.  This is then treated and wrapped in polyurethane before finishing touches are applied.

PU leather is also known by different names globally, like leatherette or vegan leather.  In some regions, they are better known as faux leather, imitation leather, or even p-leather.

What Fabrics are Used for Gaming Chairs?

You may tend to think of a cloth material when you hear the word fabric.  Well, you are not completely wrong.  However, the term fabric encompasses cotton, silk, velvet, polyester, linen, and mesh.  Most of these may be natural fabrics or could be synthetic fabrics.

How Do You Decide Fabric or Leather for Your Gaming Chair?

While the fabric for a gaming chair is more of a personal choice, there are definitely some pointers that you should consider before buying a fabric or leather gaming chair.   Though we are discussing the material of a gaming chair, don’t miss the fact that you also need it to be an ergonomic chair.

Here are the top things to watch out for.

Aesthetics

A fabric vs PU leather gaming chair?  Which offers you better aesthetics?

PU leather-covered gaming chairs look much more appealing than most fabric-based ones, though it is a personal choice.  And yet, the design, feel, comfort and color of fabric-covered gaming chairs make them more appealing.  

Much as manufacturers have tried, PU leather just does not resemble original leather.  Most folks who are particular about genuine leather may never go with PU leather.  So, if you are gifting a PU leather-covered gaming chair, you may need to think this over and go for a fabric gaming chair.

Affordable

There is high competition between PU leather and fabric-covered gaming chairs.  Unless the fabric ones have a special design, a richer fabric, the difference in pricing is negligible.

Breathability

As PU leather is synthetic, they tend to pass less air.  They usually trap body heat that makes you sweat on a higher side than most natural fabrics.  You may find a PU leather gaming chair uncomfortable

 if you tend to be in your chair for long hours while gaming, 

On the other hand, a fabric gaming chair offers you higher breathability.  Fabrics keep you cool even during long working hours.  Some synthetic fabrics like polyesters may not offer you higher comfort.

Here is our recommendation for a breathable gaming chair.

Comfort

Two other things that you need to watch out for are the ambient temperature and your body's comfort.  If you are based in geography with hot summers, you may need an airconditioned room to reduce sweat as you use a PU gaming chair.  However, a PU chair may feel too cold to sit on initially if you are operating in a cold region.

Your body comfort is altered by how much you tend to sweat.  A PU chair may not be the best bet for a gaming chair for people who tend to sweat a lot.  Remember, this is also affected by how long you are on the console, playing games.

Do remember that PU leather is available in different grades or quality.  The ones with higher quality are much closer to leather finish and offer you better breathability (or less sweaty) material.

Some folks report irritation to the body skin when they use a PU leather gaming chair.  You may need to watch out if your skin is allergic to such material if you buy one for yourself.

Do read our blog on fabric office chairs. 

Designs

Here is another difference between fabric vs. leather gaming chairs. A PU leather gaming chair may have an economical touch and lesser design range options for you. Fabrics fare better in offering you a range of designs, colors, textures, or the cloth material's feel.

Durability

PU leather is prone to tatter or chip away when used in a dry or air conditioned room.  It cracks or peels due to constant use and looks very dirty.  The only resolve then is to change the material.  Patchy and broken PU leather is certainly not for your gaming chair.

Fabrics fare better on this feature.  When maintained well, they last longer than most PU leather-covered gaming chairs.  Regular cleaning and maintenance of fabric make them last longer.

Immunity from Stains

There is no material that does not get stained.  However, stains are easily removable from PU leather compared to most fabrics.  Food and beverages are the usual culprits when you are at your gaming chair.  Hence, gaming chairs are easy to clean and maintain when covered by PU material. 

Stains from your body sweat are the next one on the list to spoil the appearance of your gaming chair.  PU leather makes it easier to clean and maintain in comparison to fabrics.  Fabrics absorb the sweat and leave stains that appear dirty unless washed and cleaned.  Have you considered these tips on how to clean leather chairs? 

If you have high-quality (near pure) PU leather on your gaming chair, removing stains is not as easy it sounds.  You may need special treatment for near pure PU leather-covered furniture.  This could be an expensive affair.

Wrap-up

You now have a detailed comparison of PU leather-based or fabric-covered gaming chairs.  Do consider these factors as you buy one.  In either case, your body's comfort should come first.  Don't miss out on the fact that gaming chairs need to be ergonomically designed for your comfort and good health!  After all, isn't that what you want?  Happy gaming.