Most vegan leather is polyurethane — "PU" — a flexible plastic coating bonded to a fabric backing, textured to look and feel like leather. That's the honest, unglamorous answer, and knowing it is exactly what lets you tell good vegan leather from bad.
How PU leather is made
A woven or knit base fabric is coated with liquid polyurethane, then embossed with a grain pattern and finished. Quality varies enormously at each step: thicker PU layers resist cracking; denser backings hold stitching better; better embossing looks organic instead of printed. When a bag is described as "premium vegan leather," these three variables are what the word premium should mean — and it's what we specify for our Everyday collection.
PU vs. PVC: the distinction worth knowing
The older generation of faux leather is PVC (vinyl), which is stiffer, less breathable, and environmentally worse in production and disposal. PU is softer, more flexible, and the standard for quality vegan bags today. If a product listing doesn't say which it is, the hand-feel usually tells you: PU drapes; PVC creases.
What about "plant-based" leathers?
Cactus, mushroom (mycelium), apple, and grape leathers are genuinely exciting materials — but in nearly all current commercial versions, plant matter is blended with polyurethane binders for durability. They're best understood as PU composites with reduced plastic content, not plastic-free alternatives. The technology is improving fast; today, honest labeling matters more than the buzzword.
Is PU "good"?
For daily-carry bags: yes, with the right expectations. Premium PU is lighter than genuine leather, needs almost no maintenance (five-minute care routine here), handles rain without spotting, and costs meaningfully less. Its limits: it won't develop the decades-long patina of genuine leather, and lifespan is typically three to five years of daily use rather than ten-plus. That trade-off — lower cost and effort, shorter maximum lifespan — is a completely rational choice for trend styles and lighter-duty bags, which is exactly how we use it. For the full head-to-head, see our vegan vs. genuine leather comparison.