If you love the look of cowhide rugs and cowhide home accessories, you may contemplate whether you’d prefer a natural cowhide or a faux cowhide. This may be a big consideration, especially if you love animals and feel as though it’s a cruel trade (it’s not, by the way!) In our previous blog, Everything You Need to Know About Cowhide Leather, we touched on the qualities of natural cowhide leather and debunked the myth of cowhides being sourced inhumanely. Here, we’ll run you through the top five benefits of choosing an authentic cowhide over a faux one. 

High Quality

Authentic cowhides are extremely durable. They have the ability to withstand high foot traffic, which is of great benefit if you have an active home with children and pets. The leather properties of cowhide rugs are resistant to sun damage, tears and cracks. A genuine cowhide will last for years if maintained properly. 

Easy to Maintain

There’s nothing worse than the fear of spilling a brightly coloured drink onto a brand new rug. Fortunately, cowhides are both waterproof and naturally stain-resistant. Both the hide’s hair and skin have repellant properties, so if a spill does occur, as long as it’s cleaned up quickly, nothing will be absorbed. The hide can then be air-dried or sun-dried to remove any moisture, and it’ll look as good as new! 

Naturally Hypoallergenic 

If you suffer from allergies, the smallest amount of dust, pet hair, or pollen can trigger them. A fantastic benefit of authentic cowhides is that they are naturally hypoallergenic and can even help reduce the allergy pathogens that exist in your home. A synthetic rug, made of polyester, for example, can trap allergens amongst the fibres which become difficult to remove, even with regular vacuuming. Cowhide hair actually repels these particles and any dust that compiles can easily be removed with a quick shake or vacuum. 

Chemical Free

Harsh chemicals used in the creation of faux cowhides can irritate and cause adverse effects on your immune system. Each natural cowhide from IZEL DESIGNS has been carefully tanned and processed in an environmentally friendly matter. As the patterns featured on the rug are from the natural colouring of the cow, no harmful chemicals need to be used to dye them. This means that our genuine cowhide leather product is safe for those who matter most; your family, friends and your pets. 

Versatile

In our previous blog, Different Uses For Your Cowhide, it’s clear that there so are so many ways to feature a genuine cowhide product in your home, whether it be cowhide furniture, cowhide rugs, or cowhide pillows. Another great benefit is that the neutral colours of browns, whites and blacks can blend amongst any brightly coloured or monochrome space. These natural patterns won’t be overpowering enough to distract from a feature wall, they’ll instead give the room an interesting naturistic texture. 

Shop Natural Cowhides at IZEL DESIGNS

Because authentic cowhides are made with high-quality, environmentally friendly craftsmanship, they present as more of a long-term investment when compared to faux cowhides. Further so, as every cow has its own distinctive pattern, no two hides will ever truly be the same. This offers a fantastic opportunity to own a one-of-a-kind exotic product.

We can also assist you in finding that perfect style product for your home, whether that's requesting a specific colour/size cowhide rug that we might not already have in stock! Please feel free to contact us for any enquiries as we are always happy to help.