Leather bags are famous among both men and women since they are robust and can resist daily wear and tear. Leather bags are often associated with fashion, making them even more appealing. Leather bags are available in a variety of sizes, colors, and styles. However, the type of leather is an important factor when it comes to selecting a leather bag.

If you want to make your place in the leather bag business, you should use the best materials to create unique leather bag designs for your customers. But which leathers are most popular for bags? 

The Best Leathers For Bags

Natural leather is made from the hides of animals. The hides of animals are cleaned, stretched, and tanned using chemicals. Depending on the process and chemicals, leather can be soft or hard.

Manufacturers use many grades and types of leather for making leather bags. For example, it can be full-grain cowhide, lambskin, goat hide, or mixed leathers. It can also be mixed leather like suede or nubuck leather. 

Artificial leathers, such as PU, PVC, and Semi-PU are also popular as they are available at comparatively lower prices than genuine leather. These leathers have the natural leather look and finish that makes them fashionable, just like natural leather.

So, let us learn more about some of the best leathers for bags.

Full-Grain Cowhide 

Among all the kinds of leather available, full-grain cowhide leather is the best leather for making any bag. This type of leather makes the bags strong and durable. So, you can expect the bags to last for years. 

Full-grain cowhide is highly durable because it is leather produced from the outer layer of a cow’s hide. It is the skin just below the hairline. The leather is split from the outer part of the cowhide. It does not go through any processing, like buffing or sanding. Thus, the bags made from full-grain animal skin get a natural look and feel. 

There are many benefits of full-grain cowhide leather bags. 

• They are durable. So, the bags can last 10 to 15 years. 
• The bags do not get scratch marks easily. 
• Even if they do not go through sanding or any extreme processing, there is no odor. 
• The bags are available in different styles, finishes, and patterns
• Also, full-grain leathers are well-known for being water-resistant.

Since full-grain cowhide leather is durable and water-resistant, it is in high demand for leather bags. So, they are more expensive than other leathers available on the market.  

Goat Leather 

If you are looking for softer leather for bags, goat leather should be your choice. Compared to full-grain cowhide leather, goat leathers are soft and lightweight. The texture of leather has a tight and grainy texture. This pattern makes it water-resistant. Customers can also expect to have a vintage look with goat leathers. 

Like cowhide leather, goat leather can also last for a long time with proper care. As the size of the goat hide is not as large as cowhide, the leather is often used to make small-size bags, handbags, purses, and money bags. 

Lamb/Sheep Leather

Lambskin leather comes from the hide of young sheep. It is lightweight, like goat hide, and is fine-grained leather. The soft texture and buttery smooth feel of lamb leather make it quite a popular material for bags. Although the leather is soft to the touch, it has good elasticity. Thus, it is perfect for making bags.

Because of its fragility, lambskin leather is not an ideal choice for rough-use bags. Therefore, they are often used for making high-end products like luxury handbags, purses, jackets, and other leather products.  

Suede 

Suede leather is a kind of corrected-grain leather. It has a thin and soft feel to it. Suede leather comes from the inner layers of calf hide.

However, suede is top-grain leather. So, it is one of the highest quality leathers. Many people admire the fluffy texture of suede-style bags. 

Nubuck

Nubuck leather has a similar fluffy texture as suede. It is also a high-quality top-grain leather, but the leather is from the outer layer of calfskin. Hence, it is slightly different from suede leather. 

Nubuck leather is more durable. Because of its soft touch and durability, leather is a great material for many leather goods, such as bags, shoes, and leather clothing. 

Best Alternatives for Leather

Genuine leather bags are in high demand for their durability and stylish looks. However, they can be quite expensive and also require high maintenance. 

Thus, many people are opting for more eco-friendly alternatives. Artificial leathers have gained a large following in the market. They are identical to leather and can even be more flexible. Some of the most well-known artificial leathers are:

PU Leather

PU leather is a high-quality artificial or synthetic leather. It is made from polyurethane. Also, it is a perfect imitation of leather, having a similar feel and touch. 

Since PU leather is much cheaper than genuine leather, the bags also come at an affordable price. Customers can get fashionable PU bags in various patterns. The leather can be water-resistant and easy to clean. 

PVC Leather

Another popular artificial leather is PVC leather. It is a product of polyvinyl chloride (vinyl), a solid plastic. PVC leather can be stiff, but it can also be flexible. So, it makes a durable material for bags. 

PVC leather is moldable and lightweight. You can also create different color bags and attractive patterns for customers. PVC leather is also eco-friendly, as it is reusable. 

Semi-PU

Finally, if you want a synthetic leather that is similar to both PU and PVC leather, use semi-PU leather. Semi-PU leather has a softer feel and touch compared to PVC leather. Manufacturers can customize PVC bags according to the demands of customers.

You can work on the thickness, color, gloss level, and pattern to create a unique style of bags with Semi-PU leather. The semi-PU bags can be extremely durable and long-lasting. Besides, they are a lot cheaper than genuine leather. 

All artificial leathers come in different styles and patterns, such as cowhide, pebble, crocodile, snake, wrinkle, lamb, jeans texture, lychee pattern, nubuck, and suede. 

Conclusion

So, which leathers are most popular for bags? By now, you must have learned which leathers to use for stylish leather bags for your customers. Both natural and artificial leather are attractive, comfortable, long-lasting and make great materials for bags.

If you are looking for high-quality bags made with the best materials of your choice, contact us right away! Our professional designers and technicians use traditional craft techniques and equipment to produce high-quality bags to meet the high expectations of your customers. We are eagerly waiting to hear from you.