What is better: Alcantara or eco-leather?

Alcantara or eco-leather – which is better, let’s find out

It's nice to see, and even better to sit in, a car that's covered in leather. You immediately feel status, self-esteem grows and the feeling that life is a success.

But genuine leather is an expensive, albeit prestigious pleasure. Therefore, many motorists choose more affordable substitutes.

Today there are enough leather substitutes, fortunately chemists don’t get paid for their work in vain. But most of all, car owners hear such names as Alcantara and eco-leather.

About Alcantara and eco-leather

Externally, Alcantara resembles suede, and it also feels similar to it. The material has been produced (over 50 years) from three derivatives:

• cotton;
• polyester;
• polyurethane.

Prestigious car brands such as Mercedes or Lexus have seat upholstery made of this material.

Eco leather - a relatively new material that is gaining popularity not only among car enthusiasts, but also shoemakers and fashion designers.

Fabric base and polyurethane film are the components of the material.High-quality polyurethane is non-toxic and does not harm the human body. Eco-leather covers look prestigious and status-worthy. Externally, eco-leather is practically no different from natural leather, but it costs several times less.

Eco-leather Arigon or Alcantara, which is better?

The new materials eco-leather and Alcantara cannot be compared with the first prototypes of leather substitutes. For example, leatherette was made from polyvinyl chloride with an artificial base. And modern eco-leather and Alcantara are materials of half natural origin.

Eco-leather is produced in various versions, but our consumers are most familiar with the Arigon brand. The material is popular and in demand for car seat covers or upholstery and for tuning studios (finishing any parts in a car showroom).

The latter is generally popular to improve the basic properties of a car. Arigon is made only by hand, so the quality of the material is at the highest level. In addition, Arigon has a variety of colors, which makes it possible to choose the ideal option for your car.

Products made from argon are breathable, which significantly increases its performance properties. Arigon is a type of eco-leather that comes in different designs. But if a car owner wants to get a unique and exclusive interior, then the Arigon brand is the best solution.

Advantages and disadvantages of Alcantara

Alcantara - a fairly durable material that is wear-resistant in use and mechanical stress, such as cutting objects or heat from a cigarette. Alcantara repels dust and dirt.

Remarkable ventilation performance allows the material to breathe, and good thermoregulation does not accumulate either heat or cold.The anti-slip effect is especially noticeable during sharp turns.

According to experts, the material has no particular disadvantages, but there are a couple of comments that it is advisable to take into account, when choosing Alcantara as seat upholstery:

1. Suede fabric requires regular care. Therefore, weekly cleaning of the interior and covers is mandatory.
2. Suede is not always the preferred upholstery option for car enthusiasts.
3. The cost of Alcantara is much higher than eco-leather, which is not an advantage in choosing the material.

Advantages and disadvantages of arigon

Arigon – eco-leather produced by the brand of the same name. Users who chose Arigon as seat upholstery note the following advantages of the material:

1. The ventilation rates of eco-leather are not too high, so in the hot season the seats quickly heat up, and in winter they remain cold for a long time.
2. The thermal conductivity of ecological leather is comparable to natural leather, so it is pleasant to the touch.
3. The material levels itself. This is important as there may be cases where it gets crushed in aggressive mode.
4. Eco-leather is “indifferent” to temperature fluctuations, so it does not crack and has a long service life.
5. Eco-leather is easy to care for. It is enough to simply wipe it with a sponge. Even a difficult stain is not a problem. The material can be dry cleaned.
6. Eco-leather covers do not come apart at the seams and do not lose their shape throughout their entire service life.
7. Only a good specialist will be able to see eco-leather, which is difficult to distinguish from natural leather, which gives prestige and status to the car.
8. Wide application makes the material in demand for many sectors of light industry.
9. The material is hypoallergenic and does not cause negative reactions in humans upon contact.

The disadvantages of the material, such as seat upholstery, are the mandatory impeccability of the size of the covers relative to the seats. If there is insufficient tension or vice versa, the covers will begin to wrinkle and wrinkle or crack.

To make the right choice, you need to know exactly the dimensions of the seats and select the covers individually, excluding averages.

Conclusion

There is no clear answer to the question of what to choose for car covers or upholstery. It all depends on how the car is used, whether animals and children are transported in it. You also need to consider how often the machine is used and when it is used most often. If you want durability, prestige and practicality, choose eco-leather from the Arigon brand. All performance qualities will be maintained for a long time. If the primary goal is status, then Alcantara is the best choice. Even Maybachs are trimmed with Alcantara.

The second aspect of the issue is cost. In terms of price, Arigon eco-leather is much cheaper than Alcantara. Arigon undoubtedly wins in terms of cost, and taking into account its performance qualities, this becomes doubly profitable.

When deciding on the choice of material between Arigon eco-leather or Alcantara, experts tend to give preference to Alcantara. It is more wear-resistant, which is important when the car is used frequently. And the choice must be made based on your preferences.