This choice is usually made on appearance and then lived with for a decade, so it is worth a few minutes of thought. Both materials can be excellent and both can disappoint, and the right answer depends far more on how the sofa will be used than on which looks better in a showroom.
Comfort
Fabric is more forgiving day to day. It stays close to room temperature, so it feels neutral whether the room is warm or cold, and it has a soft texture that most people find immediately comfortable.
Leather takes on the temperature of the room, feeling cool when you first sit down in winter and warm in a hot room. Many people love that quality and some do not. In a humid climate leather can feel less pleasant against bare skin, which is worth considering for a warm location.
Cleaning
Leather wins for spills. A liquid sits on the surface and wipes away, which makes it a strong choice where food and drink are involved.
Fabric absorbs, so a spill needs attention promptly. This is where construction matters more than the material. A sofa with removable washable covers turns a stain into a laundry job, and that single feature often decides the question for families.
Performance fabrics with stain resistant finishes have narrowed the gap considerably.
Durability
Both last well when specified properly, and the specification matters more than the category.
For fabric, the number to ask for is the Martindale rub count. Around 25,000 to 30,000 cycles suits a family sofa, and 40,000 and above suits hospitality and public areas.
For leather, the grade matters. Full grain keeps the natural surface of the hide and is the most durable, developing a patina rather than wearing out. Corrected grain has been sanded and given a surface coating, which makes it more uniform and slightly less breathable. Bonded leather is made from leather fibres bound together, and it does not perform like the others, so check which one is quoted.
Pets and children
This one is genuinely mixed.
Leather does not hold hair or absorb odours and it wipes clean, which suits pets. It does show claw marks, and on a smooth aniline finish those are permanent.
Fabric handles claws better if the weave is tight, since a flat weave gives nothing to catch. It does hold hair and absorb odours more readily.
For a household with children, removable washable covers usually beat both.
Ageing
Leather ages into something many people prefer to its original state, softening and developing tone across the surface. That is the main argument for it.
Fabric does not improve with age, though it can be replaced. A sofa with a good frame and removable covers can be given a completely new look for a fraction of the cost of a new sofa.
Colour and style
Fabric offers a far wider range of colours, patterns and textures, and it can be changed later. Boucle, velvet, linen blends and flat weaves each give a different character to the same frame.
Leather comes in a narrower palette and carries a particular kind of formality. In a lobby or a study it looks settled and expensive. In a bright informal room a fabric sofa often suits better.
Cost
Good leather generally costs more than good fabric on the same frame. Both ranges are wide enough that they overlap, so the useful comparison is between two specific specifications rather than between the categories.
Climate
Worth a note for anyone in a hot humid location. Leather needs a little care in high humidity and benefits from being kept out of direct sun, which dries and fades it. Fabric is more tolerant, and a solution dyed acrylic holds its colour in bright light better than almost anything else.
How to decide
Choose leather when spills are frequent and quick cleaning matters, when you want a piece that improves with age, when the room is formal or commercial, and when you are happy to keep it out of strong direct sun.
Choose fabric when comfort and warmth matter most, when you want a specific colour or texture, when the room is bright, when a family uses the sofa daily and washable covers would help, and when you may want to change the look in a few years.
What to ask either way
For both, ask about the frame material and whether corner blocks are fitted, the suspension system, the foam density and the seat depth. Those decide comfort and life far more than the covering does.
For fabric, ask the rub count and whether covers are removable. For leather, ask the grade and the thickness, and whether it is the same material on the sides and back or a lower grade in the less visible areas, which is a common and acceptable practice worth knowing about.
If you are choosing seating for a home or a project and want help matching a specification to real production, our team in Foshan is glad to help.