Clifford Leather Chair 2pk - $599.99 delivered at Costco.com

There is a critical word to note in the description - "bonded" leather.... stay away!

Just to clarify - see below from wikipedia....

"Bonded leather or reconstituted leather is a material made of varying degrees of genuine leather combined with other substances to give the appearance of leather at reduced cost. Bonded leather can be found in furniture, bookbinding, and different fashion accessories. Examples of products that are most commonly constructed with different varieties of "bonded leather" are: Bibles, diaries, art books, desk accessories, hymnals, bags, belts, chairs, and sofas.

There are different types of bonded leather, but the type being used on upholstered furniture today is a polyurethane or vinyl product, backed with fabric and then a layer of latex or other material mixed with a small percentage of leather fibers in the product's backing material. The leather content contained in bonded leather upholstery is about 17%. None of it is contained in the surface of the bonded leather. The polyurethane surface is stamped to give it a leather texture.

In the home furnishings industry there is much debate and controversy over the ethics of using the term "bonded leather" to describe a vinyl upholstery product."

Wikipedia is just that - a collection of opinions. "Stay Away" is another.

If you want leather chair at the cost of fabric - go bonded.

There are three basic choices of leather for the most part. Top grain (the top of the hide), bicast (under the top) and bonded leather.

I can't tell the difference from bonded leather and bicast leather unless I'm looking at swatches side by side. When bicast leather first hit the market a few years back, people had the same reaction as the previous post. But the look suited the trends and the market overcame the newness and critics. Now it is commonplace.

It is my personal opinion that bonded or "engineered leather" will perform as good if not better than bicast leather.

Top grain leather would be the other alternative, but as we all know that comes with a much higher price tag. Then there is corrected top grain and analyn dyed and semi analyn dyed top grain to confuse matters.

In short, if you like the look and the price - go for it. Costco has a satisfaction guarantee.

Good luck.

Thanks for the post, Danzilla. Good points, though i think it's important to show both sides of the spectrum:

Ehow said: Pros: Because it doesn't undergo chemical tanning, bonded leather furniture contains low levels of environmentally unsafe formaldehyde. As a result, it may be better for people with environmental allergies or for those who are looking for "green" furniture. In addition, the manufacturing process for bonded leather is almost waste free. Bonded leather is highly durable and comes in many colors and finishes. It also is less expensive than leather; in 2009, bonded leather sofas start at $699 and real leather retails around $1,199 for a similar piece.

Cons Chemicals such as lead and cadmium that are used to create the shiny, bonded leather finish may be harmful to consumers. When looking for leather furniture, unscrupulous retailers could mislead consumers into paying higher prices for bonded leather furniture by promoting it as higher-grade leather. It can be difficult to tell the difference visually in a furniture showroom.
Furniture Today - this is the full article referenced below. The article title is "Bonded leather making headway," which i think paints a little more positive picture on this material. Here's a good quote from the article: Bonded leather, a new leather-look cover featuring pieces of leather joined with adhesive that made its debut in a handful of showrooms last year, is receiving favorable reviews at retail, surprising some initial skeptics.

Like bycast (leather splits coated with polyurethane), which had its naysayers when it appeared five years ago, bonded leather is not without its critics. Many manufacturers have shied away from offering the product, citing the fact that it isn't truly leather and that consumers may be confused about its quality. Retailers also have expressed reservations, and those stores that have opted to try these covers have done so in a very limited way.

But as with bycast in the past, bonded leather now has been given the yellow light — "proceed with caution" — by Top 100 retailers and independents that see it as an attractive, affordable alternative to genuine hides. Many are adding second and third frames to their floors.

But again, I was just posting a deal. I own bonded leather products and am happy with the feel and quality. I think we can both agree that being educated and knowing what it is you are buying is certainly the way to go! Thanks for the help!