| There's just something about a leather office | | | | known quantity. Before you purchase a brand |
| chair that conveys a sense of luxury and | | | | name chair, you have the option to read plenty of |
| authority. Walking through many office buildings, it | | | | reviews and see what others have said about |
| isn't uncommon to see a 'hierarchy' of office | | | | that chair. Most major manufacturers also offer |
| chairs. Lower-level and more active positions tend | | | | good warranties and guarantees. |
| to have a standard fabric task or manager's chair | | | | You only have to glance at a page of office chairs |
| to go with them. Mid-level employees and | | | | to see the variance in color, shine, and grade of |
| managers gravitate toward bigger, more | | | | leather available. From leather with a |
| comfortable manager's chairs. Specialist | | | | see-yourself-in-it shine to understated |
| employees often have high-backed ergonomic | | | | matte-finished leather, from basic black to bright |
| chairs. And right at the top? You'll see leather | | | | green or red leather, you have many choices |
| office chairs. | | | | available. Generally the most expensive leather |
| A few decades ago, a leather office chair was a | | | | office chairs will be made with top grain or |
| serious status symbol - and it still is today. But | | | | full-grain leather. This is the leather from the very |
| with the advent of newer, better distribution | | | | outside of the cow hide, and is the strongest and |
| channels and leather making processes, leather | | | | contains the hide's natural marks. The next most |
| office chairs have become much more affordable. | | | | expensive kinds of leather are corrected-gain (top |
| Just glance at the Sunday specials in your local | | | | grain leather that has been altered to add |
| newspaper, and you're bound to see several | | | | smoothness and remove blemishes) and split |
| models on sale. | | | | leather (the leather layer below the top grain). |
| If you thought your couldn't afford your own | | | | If you want the most affordable leather choice, |
| leather office chair, think again. There are many | | | | though, you'll investigate bonded leather and |
| different kinds of leather office chairs, and the | | | | bycast leather. These types of leather will cost |
| price you pay for one will vary seriously | | | | significantly less than others. Bonded leather is |
| depending on brand name and type of leather. | | | | leather made from reconstituted leather fibers. |
| Most major office furniture brand names - like | | | | Bycast leather is made up of split leather that is |
| Hon, Mayline, and Boss - will cost more than their | | | | chemically treated, sealed, and then pressed to |
| less well known competitors. This is partly | | | | achieve a natural-leather look; it is less supple than |
| because a brand name carries more cachet, and | | | | other leathers, but is also easier to keep and |
| partly because with a brand name you're buying a | | | | clean. |