Pull-up leather is a dumb name. Why? Because it describes a leather characteristic rather than a leather type. Let's start with what pull-up means, and then dig into which kind of leather can be found with it.

Pull-up is a performance characteristic found on certain leathers. It refers to the "bursting" of color when the leather is stretched. Typically, a leather with a darker overall color will show lighter, more vibrant color when stretched.

Why does this matter? Leather gets stretched during the upholstery process, so these colors will come into view when the leather for your sofa is pulled tight, tufted, and folded. This creates a more sophisticated, distinctive appearance on a sofa.

So, which types of leather will exhibit pull-up? Aniline leathers that are finished with oil emulsions and natural waxes. This is the most traditional form of upholstery-grade leather and typically shows a good amount of sheen in an assortment of rich colors.

Oh, and just an FYI: If you see a product described as "P/U leather" and think, not unreasonably, that this is an abbreviation of "pull-up", think again. "P/U leather" refers to polyurethane faux leather.

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