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Leather is a widely used material that you bump into frequently. That is why the team at Cleaning King made this list on the best glue for leather.
We find leather in our shoes, belts, clothes, furniture and so many other products. The uses for leather are endless, but what happens when you need a quick repair on your leather item? Or you are looking to include leather in your projects and use glue?
Leather is a complex material usually made from the hide of animals. The most common animal hide used for leather comes from cattle. You will find leather from other animal skins as well, the most common being crocodile, pigs and snakes.
Because of its unique characteristics and different types, not all glues can work on leather. Leather has so many varieties and subtypes that we cannot possibly go over them all in detail in this article.
The Cleaning King Team has done some research on your behalf, though, and we have narrowed down the most common types of leather that are available. The type of leather you have will affect the kind of leather glue you should buy.
There are 5 types of leather and they include:
The choice in what kind of leather adhesive to use will depend on the type of leather you have, it will also depend on what you are planning to use the leather glue for, on your preferred way of application and on how strong your bond needs to be.
In this article, the Cleaning King team looks at the best leather glues that you can use in the comfort of your home.
Overall Best Glue for Leather
The Cleaning King Team rated this glue by Fiebings as the overall best glue for leather not only based on the multiple customer reviews but also on the strength and hold that it provides for leather.
The glue is made specifically for leather products, and it is a non-toxic adhesive. You can wash your leather products even without the glue curing completely. (Though we would not recommend that).
Though water based, the glue provides a really strong bond. It comes in a 4 ounce bottle that has a pointed applicator tip for easier application. It can bond together metal and other non-porous materials. So whether you just need to repair your leather handbag or your leather car seats, this glue does it all.
It is non-flammable and dries clear, meaning no unsightly stains on your leather material. It is odorless so you can use it in the home with no issues.
Best Glue for Leather Shoes
Who doesn’t love a leather shoe? They are durable, waterproof and very stylish. There are millions of people that love wearing leather shoes all over the world. That is why we at Cleaning King decided to give you a review of the best glue for leather shoes.
We know things happen and when your leather shoe starts to fall apart, you will need a quick fix. Leather shoes are very delicate and not every leather adhesive should be used. Aleene’s15594 Leather & Suede Glue is specially formulated to bond your leather shoe together without damaging them.
This glue is fast drying, which will save your shoes because the glue will not soak into the leather itself. Glue that soaks into leather will leave it stiff and ruined. It is the best non-toxic leather glue and you can use it for a variety of tasks.
Aleene’s leather glue will not stain your leather shoes and it offers a permanent, flexible bond between leather and other materials.
The selling point of this leather glue is the multi-flow application tip. The tip is customized to release the glue in varying degrees of intensity, that way you can never have too little or too much glue coming out at once. It is easy to remove from unwanted areas, even after it has cured completely.
Best Glue for Faux Leather
Faux leather is a synthetic type of leather often made from plastic. They treat it with wax, dye or polyurethane to create a specific color and texture. Because faux leather is synthetic and it is coated, you will need a glue whose bond strength will not be affected by this.
We chose the E6000 237032 Craft Adhesive as the best temperature resistant and non-flammable glue on our list. The glue has an industrial strength bond that is formulated to meet high industry safety standards.
What the Cleaning King Team loves about this glue is that it is versatile, flexible and adheres to most substrates. It will not ruin or stain your leather and it cures clear so your repairs or DIY projects will have a smooth professional finish.
Faux leather is sometimes bonded with a fabric base such as polyester, and it is used to make clothes like jackets that might need dry cleaning. The great thing about this glue is that it is waterproof and washer and dryer safe.
The bond is really strong and you are rest assured that your repair work will hold for many, many years. The Cleaning King Team highly recommends this glue for all your faux leather products.
Best Glue for Leather to Leather
Glueing leather to leather requires a leather glue with a powerful hold. Different types or characteristics come into play if you are glueing leather of different types. So you will need a glue that can overcome any of those challenges.
The Barge All-Purpose TF Cement Rubber is the perfect glue for the job. It is the contact cement family, and it provides a ridiculously firm hold. You will have to be really careful with this type of glue because it is nearly impossible to break this bond. Once cured, the bond is permanent.
When applying a contact cement adhesive, both surfaces need to have the adhesive applied on them. This glue comes in a small 2 ounce bottle that you can use for multiple. The product is highly flammable, so you need to keep that in mind when you purchase it. Store it in a cool dry place away from children or pets.
It comes in an easy-to-use applicator bottle; it is waterproof, toluene free and dries within 15 minutes. So not really ideal if you are looking for a quick fix.
Best Glue for Leather to Metal
The type of leather glue that you need for a durable bond is all dependent on the type of surface you plan to glue together. Metal and leather are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Given the unique characteristics that come into play, you will need a glue that will overcome this challenge.
The Loctite Super Glue Precision Pen is just the glue for that. The Cleaning King Team has rated this glue as the best budget and the easiest to use leather glue on our list because it is very easy on the pocket.
Loctite is a well-known brand in the glue industry, and their glues provide strong bonds. This product is no exception. It bonds securely and permanently to leather and to metal, so if that belt buckle becomes loose, this is a superb choice for you.
It comes with a precision pen for easier application on small surface areas. It is temperature and water resistant, making it the perfect leather glue to have for repairs on items that are prone to extreme wear and tear. The consistency is excellent and makes for an easy application on vertical surfaces, porous and non-porous materials.
Best Glue for Leather Belts
Leather belts are meant to be durable and stand the wear and tear that we expose them to. There is nothing as frustrating as your favorite leather belt fraying and showing visible rips. That is why we believe that this Gorilla 7700111 20 Gram 2-Pack Super Glue Gel, Clear, is the best glue for leather belts.
It is our top pick for the best glue for leather belts because of several reasons. This super glue gel comes in two user friendly 20-gram tubes. You will get multiple uses from just one bottle. It comes with a handy use friendly applicator, which is the perfect size for gluing small objects like leather belts.
The applicator also makes it easier to control the flow of the glue so you will not have to worry about accidentally applying too much glue on your beloved leather belt. This leather adhesive is quick setting, so if you are in a hurry you can apply your glue and wait for roughly 30 seconds. You are good to go after the waiting period.
Quick drying, durable and waterproof, this Gorilla Super Glue Gel is the perfect companion for all your leather products and materials.
Plastic is a very complex material, combine that with leather, and you have yourself two very complicated surfaces that have a lot of chemical treatments on them. Some glues suitable for leather will burn through the plastic, some glues suited for plastic will stain and ruin the leather.
What you need is a glue that provides a powerful bond without ruining the materials. The Barge 50-2128 All Purpose Cement the perfect glue for this job.
This leather glue is an industrial grade cement glue that offers a permanent bond. The glue comes in a small tube with a user friendly applicator tip. A single coat on both surfaces is enough to do the job.
The average curing time is long, you will need up to 12 hours for the glue to completely dry. So it is not meant for quick repairs, it is more suitable for large surfaces that will require you to not touch or move them as the glue is curing.
The glue cures clear, and it is water-resistant, toluene free and versatile. We rate this as the best glue for bonding together two very versatile materials.
Making a choice about the best leather glue to use can be quite a daunting task. As this guide has shown you before, leather is complex. The tanning process, the vanishes used, the coatings, layer of the hide that is used and the type of animal hide will all contribute to how your leather glue bonds to different surfaces.
Aside from these facts, we at the Cleaning King Team have come up with other factors that you should consider before you purchase leather glue.
Consider the type of leather glue and the surfaces
Knowing the type of glue that you should use is a crucial first step that must not be overlooked. We have identified that a good leather glue should have certain key properties above. Now let us take a look at what you should have in mind before you purchase any glue.
Think about the Drying Speed
A key factor in your hunt for the best leather glue is to look at how quickly the glue will dry. If you are planning on doing a minor repair job, then a quick drying adhesive is your best choice. An example of this is replacing a loose belt buckle, or patching up a small tear on your leather jacket.
If however you are embarking on a big DIY project or repairing a big and heavy piece, then you will need a slow drying glue that will not cure quickly. This will give you ample time to move things around or place things in order before the drying sets in.
Keep in mind that some glues will not only require a long cure time, but will also need you to use some clamps to keep everything together.
Element Resistant Glues
If your leather item will spend some time outside, for example your leather shoes, then picking a waterproof or water resistant glue is your best course of action. You need to ensure that as you are waiting for the curing to complete, your glue will not be ruined by any accidental moisture or water, otherwise your entire project or repair work will be ruined.
Another consideration to make is the temperature resistance of the glue of your choice. It is always a good idea to get a glue that can resist high levels of heat regardless of whether there is a big possibility of the item coming into contact with fire or flammable material.
Extreme cold resistance is also a good thing for your glue to have. Nothing is as frustrating as having your recently repaired leather shoes crack open because the glue bond has been weakened by the cold.
The adage saying “prevention is better than cure” is very relevant in this scenario
Value for money
There is absolutely no need for you to buy the most expensive leather glue on the market. When it comes to buying glue, the best thing for you to do is to stick to your budget.
Find a glue that has good value for money and that will give you a strong, long-lasting bond. Storage and wastage is also important to consider. Some questions you might ask yourself include:
All these questions are important to ask and find out as you shop around for the most suitable leather glue for you.
Safety
The more industrial type of adhesives can pose several safety risks. Some glues that we reviewed in this article had flammable and toxic warning labels.
Analyzing the purpose and the environment that you are going to use the glue in is a very important step before you buy.
If you have pets or young children storage of the toxic leather glues become an issue. Also, ventilation is a priority should you choose these types of adhesives.
Besides the toxic safety warnings, if the glue you are eyeing is highly flammable and you live in a pretty hot area, you might want to reconsider buying such a glue. It is not unheard of for certain flammable chemicals to spontaneously catch fire because of high temperatures.
The bottom line is that going for the more eco-friendly options is good for the environment, good for your health, good for your safety and just easier to store and use. Fortunately, there are a wide range of non-toxic water-based glues that will provide a strong bond for your leather items.
Choosing the correct leather glue is an essential skill that you should have, especially if you work with leather or you are thinking about buying a leather item.
A good leather glue should have great permanent bonding qualities and should not damage the leather, you or the environment.
The Cleaning King Team chose Fiebing’s Leathercraft Cement glue as the overall best glue for leather because it possesses all the qualities. If you are after an easy to use and easy on the pocket glue, then we recommend the Loctite Super Glue Precision Pen. It will give you a durable hold, and it is very easy to use.
In this guide, we have outlined the types of glues that are appropriate to use on leather and on other surfaces. We have also shown you some factors that you need to consider when you purchase leather glue.
We hope that this guide will help you make an informed decision that will keep your favorite leather item intact for as long as possible.
Yes, super glue can technically work on suede, but it will not be our first recommendation. Suede is soft and superglue will leave a rough finish that can be quite visible on suede. A better option for suede material is the Aleene’s Leather & Suede Glue.
No, fabric glue does not bond leather well. If you are looking for a temporary hold, let’s say in an emergency or whilst you are completing other parts of the project, then yes, you can use fabric glue. For a permanent job, we would not recommend it at all. In fact, you might end up ruining your leather.
The best leather glue to use on leather, for general repairs and bonding, is Fiebing’s Leathercraft Cement. It is just as strong as some contact cements; it is eco-friendly, dries clear and flexible, and works on multiple surfaces.
Yes, there are glues that are made specifically for leather materials. Leather is a naturally occurring material, and these special glues take all its characteristics into consideration so that you get a firm hold. There are several special glues on the market and our guide included some of them.
Yes, superglue will work for fast repairs and on small surface areas like a leather belt. The only major downside of using superglue on leather is that it dries hard. Leather needs a glue that is flexible especially for enormous surface areas.
No, we do not recommend epoxy glue for use on leather. Epoxy hardens as it dries, and this is not ideal for leather materials. Epoxy is more suited for hard surfaces like metal, wood or ceramics.