With the passing of time, the furniture industry has outdone itself. It started with the wooden chairs and now so many other options are out there in the market like Mesh, Leather, Padded, Memory Foam etc. Among these options, mesh and leather chairs are the most preferred ones. In this post, we compare mesh vs leather office chair, understand the pros and cons and which is the right one for you.
The mesh office chair is a revolutionary invention in the furniture industry. It rapidly became popular as it is breathable and fits according to the curve of your spine. With a comfortable sitting experience, the mesh office chair became a great alternative to the leather office chairs in no time.
On the opposite side, the leather office chairs look classy, and their thickly padded seats feel comfortable. They are highly durable and come with adjustable seats and padded armrests. Their wide range of colors just goes perfect with your office decor.
It would be a neck to neck competition to choose between the mesh chair and leather office chair. Let’s gear up for a great debate!
[su_note note_color=”#ecebd6″ text_color=”#000000″ id=”Recommended”]Recommended: Can Office Chairs Explode?[/su_note]
Head to Head – Mesh vs Leather Office Chair
Both the mesh and leather office chairs come with their own share of pros and cons. It would be tricky to find out which one will be the best for you. To simplify your dilemma, we will analyze these two types of chairs based on some features.
These features are
- Comfort
- Durability
- Ventilation
- Cleaning and Maintenance
- Warranty
Let us see who steals the ramp in which category.
1. Mesh vs Leather Office Chair – Comfort
Comfort is the most important thing that you should look for in an office chair. It is one of the major concerns of any customer who is going to buy an office chair. The material of the chair is highly responsible for its comfort level. We are going to check which one among the mesh office chair and leather office chair is more comfortable.
Mesh Office Chair
The mesh material allows you to lean your back comfortably on the backseat, and it has a posture fit design. However, the seats are not padded, and it may not always come with a padded headrest. Mesh office chair is not something that you would like to sit on for a long time. Though it is flexible enough, one may not feel snug in it.
Leather office chair
Leather office chairs come with thickly padded seats, armrests, and headrest. They are great to sit for long hours. The heavy padding of the leather chair offers a great support to your back. Even for heavy people, leather chairs are quite comfortable. The sturdy structure of the leather chair makes you feel stable which the mesh chair cannot.
[su_note note_color=”#ecebd6″ text_color=”#000000″ id=”Winner”]Winner: In this specific category the leather office chair steals the show. [/su_note]
2. Mesh vs Leather Office Chair – Durability
The durability of any office chair depends on its material. When you invest in an good office chair, you have to check the durability of the material. All the great furniture brands stress upon this feature to ensure the long lifespan of their chair. Let’s see which one among the mesh office chair and leather office chair steals the show in this category.
Mesh Office Chair
Though the mesh material is lightweight, it starts sagging soon. It loses its elasticity and stretches away. Sometimes, the soft mesh becomes ripped. Mesh chairs lose their sturdy structure soon and are not long-lasting. Mesh chairs do not perform so well in this category.
Leather Office Chair
For most of the upholstery furniture, leather is the first choice of any manufacturer for its great durability. Leather can pass the test of time, and unlike the mesh material, does not lose its sturdy structure. It can also absorb heat and water.
[su_note note_color=”#ecebd6″ text_color=”#000000″ id=”Winner”]Winner: Clearly in this case, the leather office chair comes on the Top.[/su_note]
3. Mesh vs Leather Office Chair – Breathability
There are very few office chairs in the market which are breathable. It depends on the material of the chair whether it can ventilate heat and humid or not. Breathable material does not stink and ventilate the heat, generated between the body and the chair. Ventilation also adds to the relaxing sitting experience. This is a great selling point for any chair brand. Let’s see which one wins this category.
Mesh Office Chair
Mesh chairs are 100% breathable, and they fall in this rare category of chairs which have a ventilation system. Mesh allows air circulation and ventilates the heat and sweat between the body and backseat. This ventilation process makes mesh chairs odour free.
Leather Office Chair
While faux leather is breathable they are thickly padded and create a lot of heat between the body and the backseat. During summer, it can be an issue with the leather chairs. They might even end up stinking at times. The best alternative in this case is to get a breathable seat cushion for your leather office chair.
[su_note note_color=”#ecebd6″ text_color=”#000000″ id=”Winner”]Winner: In this category, the mesh office chair cuts above the leather office chair since it is breathable and ventilates the heat as well.[/su_note]
4. Mesh vs Leather Office Chair – Cleaning and Maintenance
You surely don’t want to spend a lot of time cleaning and maintaining your office chair. It is up to the component of the chair, which decides whether it needs much maintenance or not. Let’s see who leads over the other in this category.
Mesh Office Chair
Mesh chairs need minimum maintenance, and it is easy to clean them. Don’t worry if you spill your drink on the chair. Just rub it with soap and water to get rid of the stains. After cleaning, you can even let your mesh chair enjoy a sunbath!
Leather Office Chair
On the contrary, a leather office chair is a bit tricky when it comes to cleaning them. The leather can form some chemical reactions with certain elements. The leather bleaches out if not properly maintained. Moreover, they cannot be soaked in the sun after cleaning. Since it comes with minimal elasticity, it needs a lot of safety measures while cleaning.
[su_note note_color=”#ecebd6″ text_color=”#000000″ id=”Winner”]Winner: No doubt, the mesh chair takes the lead over the leather office chair as the mesh is easy to maintain. [/su_note]
5. Mesh vs Leather Office Chair – Warranty
Have you ever thought about why the warranty of any product becomes so important? This is because the brand value of that product is proportionately related to its warranty period. You surely don’t want to buy a new office chair every year.
Here you need to consider the warranty of your office chair. Let’s see who the winner is regarding the warranty period.
Mesh Office Chair
Mesh chairs offer an average warranty period. Although most of the mesh chair brands claim that their chairs have a warranty of up to 12 years, they start to decay within 4 to 5 years. The backseat gets ripped and starts to stretch away very soon.
Leather Office Chair
The leather office chair can withstand a time period of nearly 12 years. They come with a hardy construction and do not stretch away soon, like the mesh office chairs. All the renowned furniture brands give a warranty of 12 years for their leather chair, but it can last up to 25 years if maintained properly.
[su_note note_color=”#ecebd6″ text_color=”#000000″ id=”Winner”]Winner: Both the chairs have warranty yet leather office chair becomes the winner as it can pass the test of time for a longer period than the mesh office chair. While the mesh chair starts to lose its structure within 5 to 6 years, leather chair can give it a hardcore competition.[/su_note]
Conclusion
While both mesh chairs or leather Office Chairs will do the job for you, it depends on the purpose and type of chair you are looking for. If you are looking for a chair for long working hours, we suggest going for a mesh office chair. However, if you are looking for a chair that you would like to use occasionally and for shorter periods we recommend you to buy a good leather chair.
