[Practical Information] Introduction to Microfiber Leather for Car Seats and its Supply Chain

Microfiber leather, a high-tech synthetic material, is widely used in the manufacture of car seats due to its fine texture and high abrasion resistance. This material not only mimics the feel and appearance of natural leather but also offers greater durability and easy-to-clean properties.

In the 2023 Voyah Dream official interior kit, the car seat surface material is made of microfiber synthetic leather, which is lightweight, waterproof and stain-resistant, and combines comfort and support.

The Changan Oushang X7PLUS, launched in 2021, uses microfiber leather for its interior seats. The perforated leather provides a comfortable and luxurious feel, is breathable and durable, and is known as a "breathing seat." The seats are also 10-20mm thicker on both sides, which provides better support and comfort.

With the continuous development of the automotive industry and consumers' increasing awareness of environmental protection and animal welfare, microfiber leather has become a popular alternative, meeting environmental requirements while maintaining the comfort and aesthetics of seats. Therefore, microfiber leather plays an increasingly important role in modern automotive seat design.

1. Overview of Microfiber and Microfiber Leather

Microfiber is a general term for ultra-fine fibers. It is made by weaving non-woven fabric from island-type microfibers, impregnating it with polymer materials, and then performing fiber reduction, dyeing, and surface finishing processes. The final synthetic leather is microfiber leather. Microfiber leather belongs to the third generation of synthetic leather and is similar to natural leather in appearance, structure, and performance.

Microfiber leather has high tear strength and tensile strength, good folding resistance, excellent cold resistance, and good resistance to mildew. The finished product is thick and full, with good simulation of real leather. It has low VOC (volatile organic compound) content and the surface is easy to clean. Therefore, microfiber leather is currently commonly used to replace genuine leather in car seats.

2 Classification of Microfiber Leather: 

Microfiber products can be classified into two types based on texture: laminated microfiber and suede microfiber. Laminated microfiber refers to synthetic leather with a surface texture such as lychee grain; suede microfiber feels like genuine leather, with no pattern on the surface, similar to suede, but its mechanical properties are higher than suede and napped textiles. It also has a delicate feel, good wear resistance, and is more technically challenging to produce than smooth microfiber.

3. Automotive Microfiber Leather Market

According to relevant statistics, the Chinese automotive microfiber leather market reached 733 million yuan in 2021, of which the market size of laminated microfiber leather was 426 million yuan and the market size of suede microfiber leather was 307 million yuan. The market size is projected to reach 8.223 billion yuan by 2025.