Ultraleather®: The King of Interior Faux Leather
An alternative to real leather, synthetic leatherlike fabrics have taken the textile industry by storm due to their high endurance, appealing look and animal-friendly manufacturing process. Ultraleather®, made by Ultrafabrics®, is one of these performance fabrics. It combines the look and feel of real leather with the strength, dependability and versatility of a manmade textile. Let’s learn more about this quality textile that sits at the top of the list of faux leather upholstery fabrics.

Dining room chairs upholstered in Ultraleather Original Parrot.
What Is Ultraleather?
Ultraleather fabric has a 100% polyurethane surface on a rayon backing. It's a PVC-free faux leather. Soft and supple to the touch, Ultraleather fabrics offer high-end style and durability. They are engineered for long-lasting, high-performance applications and offer an impressive 400,000 double rubs for a high level of abrasion resistance and tear strength.
Ultraleather fabrics feature unique climate control technology that is more resistant to temperature change than other faux leathers and real leather material. These fabrics stay cool in warmer weather and resist cold weather stiffening and cracking; they remain soft and comfortable in all types of seasons and temperatures.
Characteristics & Applications
At Sailrite®, we offer two Ultraleather collections: Original and Promessa® Outdoor. They both offer incredible endurance, style and luxury. These fabrics are easy to tailor and sew, making them a joy to work with for your upholstery project. Wonderfully easy to clean, most stains are removed with soap and water or a diluted bleach solution for sanitizing.
Ultraleather Original is an indoor-only fabric with a classic, natural grain appearance that delivers the look of leather with the convenience of a synthetic performance fabric. It’s designed to mimic the look and feel of the finest European calfskin, making it a luxurious and high-end choice for your boat cabin and RV interior, as well as living room and dining room upholstery needs.

A selection of popular Ultraleather Original fabrics.
Ultraleather Promessa Outdoor has a 100% polyurethane surface with a polyester/rayon blend backing. This fabric collection is indoor/outdoor, making it a great choice for a wide range of upholstery applications. Promessa Outdoor has a more pronounced, pebbled textured pattern than Original, making it a bolder choice of upholstery fabric. This fabric collection can be used for yacht and boat interiors, sunrooms, indoor home furnishings, RV and DIY auto interior upholstery, and covered outdoor seating areas.
Promessa Outdoor has a higher UV resistance than Original. It is recommended over Original for glass-enclosed areas such as sunlit entryways and modern superyachts. Neither Ultraleather Original nor Promessa Outdoor is recommended for center console boats or fishing boats where unprotected sun exposure is constant.

The Ultraleather Promessa Outdoor fabric collection.
Qualities of Ultraleather
- Highly abrasion resistant
- Highly UV resistant (Promessa Outdoor)
- Water-repellent (Promessa Outdoor)
- Mold/mildew resistant
- Flame retardant
- Easy to clean
- Climate controlled
- Easy to sew
Awards & Certifications
Both Original and Promessa Outdoor hold the SCS Indoor Advantage™ Gold certifications for indoor air quality. SCS Global Services is a trusted, third-party service that audits, tests and certifies products in the textile and building manufacturing industries for low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emissions. The certification is recognized by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as promoting healthy indoor air quality. When you use Ultraleather inside your home, boat and RV, you can rest assured that you’re choosing a fabric with low VOC emissions that is safe for your family’s health.
Both fabric collections are also IMO Certified, which means they’ve been tested and passed fire safety testing. The IMO Certification is a prestigious fire safety certification earned by leading textile manufacturers. Upholstery fabrics that pass the IMO Fire Test Procedure are certified to be used in marine commercial applications, but they’re also appropriate for residential use.

A seating area on a yacht upholstered in Ultraleather Original Bayou.
Explore Ultraleather
See for yourself the beauty, quality and softness of Ultraleather fabrics. Original is sold by the yard in a wide variety of solids that will suit all tastes and styles, and Promessa Outdoor is offered in a select color palette of dark and light neutrals. We offer samples of all Ultraleather fabrics for your convenience. They’re in stock and ready to ship to make your fabric selection process a stress-free and enjoyable experience.
Footnote:
This blog was updated in July 2019 with new information regarding the brand's air quality certifications. Ultrafabrics products have now been awarded the SCG Indoor Advantage Gold certification for healthy indoor air quality. Previously, they were awarded the GREENGUARD® Gold Certification.