Leather is a high-quality material used in many fields, including leather goods, furniture, clothing, saddlery and shoemaking. When it comes to leather projects, the gluing stage is essential to ensure good adhesion and hold without damaging the leather. It is essential to choose an adhesive that is adapted to the specific needs of each project. There are several types of leather glue, each with its own characteristics and applications. Here is our selection of the best adhesives for leather.
Polyurethane adhesives are particularly effective for bonding leather, thanks to their tensile and flexural strength. As a living material, leather is subject to daily stretching, so it’s essential that the adhesive used for leather assembly is both flexible and strong. Polyurethane glue is also renowned for its resistance to water and heat, making it particularly suitable for leather goods and automotive upholstery projects. Here is our selection of polyurethane adhesives for use on leather:
PU adhesive can be water-based or solvent-based, and is an easy-to-use, reactive adhesive that hardens in contact with air and moisture.
Considered the benchmark for wood glues, vinyl adhesive can also be used to glue leather. This white adhesive, which belongs to the family of water-based adhesives, has the advantage of setting slowly, offering the luxury of being able to adjust the position of the leather bond up to 30 minutes after application! It’s perfect for complex projects requiring meticulous attention to detail.
In the solvent-based adhesive category, the glue that stands out from the crowd for use on leather is polychloroprene adhesive. This adhesive is considered the benchmark for bonding substrates of different types. It can be used to bond leather to all types of hard surfaces such as metal or wood, and is more resistant to vibration and temperature variations than most other adhesives. The latter is the solution of choice, as it is waterproof, has good elasticity to resist the bending stresses of the material, and adheres well to leather. Polychloroprene adhesive is therefore often used on soft leather products such as jackets, shoes and leather goods.
It is important to choose the right professional adhesive for your leather project because the quality and longevity of your work depend on it. Not all adhesives are created equal, so it’s best to choose high-performance products. The ‘Lineo France network offers a wide range of professional products to help you with your leather goods and saddlery projects. These adhesives are available in our dedicated A’Lineo leather gluing catalog.
