Whether you work with leather in your DIY projects at home, or you need to patch up your favorite jacket or a pair of shoes, you will need a proper leather adhesive. Leather is a tricky material to work with because it is heavy, tough, and semi-porous. Therefore, you will need a glue that is capable of standing up to its demands.
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In this article, we will make a list of the best glues that are suitable for leather as well as a comprehensive Buyer’s Guide so you can make an informed decision when in the market searching for a proper glue.
1. Leather Max Quick Blend Refinish and Repair Kit
The Leather Quick Blend Rescue and Repair Kit by Blend It On is an easy-to-use glue kit, coming in three different color shades for a perfect blend. Ideal for repairing holes, restoring scratches, and refinishing peeling, this glue kit is an excellent choice for repairing couches, car seats, office chairs, jackets, and boots.
It’s designed to work with all types of leather and vinyl items. All you need to do is to mix up colors to get a perfect match, use a sponge applicator or cotton swabs to fill in rips and tears, and let it dry.
It dries pretty quickly and doesn’t rub off on clothes. With this repair kit, you’ll be able to entirely restore any damaged furniture and postpone shopping for a new one for a while. It comes with full and comprehensive instructions as well as DIY instructional videos.
- Great for a variety of repairing projects, including furniture, jackets, shoes, and others
- Thanks to the variety of different colors, you don’t have to worry about the color match
- Extremely easy-to-use
- Doesn’t stain or rub off on clothing
- For larger projects, you’ll need bigger kits with more products and a bigger selection of colors
2. Gorilla Super Glue Gel
If you visit hardware stores and craft stores often, you’ve probably come across the Super Glue Gel by Gorilla brand. Although this glue is not specifically designed for leather, it’s proven great for this type of material.
It’s formulated with no-run gel, which makes it ideal for use on vertical surfaces. The glue bottle is designed with an anti-clog cap, making the product last longer without drying out. The glue gel itself dries quickly, in only 10 to 45 seconds, and there’s no clamping required.
The formula is reinforced and is impact-tough, meaning it has better strength and impact resistance. The Gorilla Glue gel is perfectly versatile, suitable for bonding different types of materials, including leather, wood, plastic, rubber, ceramic, metal, paper, and others.
- The glue is waterproof, perfect for use indoors as well as outdoors
- Creates strong bonds with all kinds of materials
- Dries super-fast
- Suitable for painting on it once it dries
- It’s not suitable for polypropylene or polyethylene plastic, so you need to be mindful of that;
- As it dries fast, it’s hard to remove excess glue.
3. Aleene’s Leather & Suede Glue
Specifically designed for leather and suede, Aleene’s Glue is perfect for repairing belts, purses, shoes, and other similar items. If you’re trying to rescue your favorite handbag or a pair of shoes, this glue should be your go-to choice.
This glue is fast-tacking, offering strong and permanent but yet flexible bonds between leather, suede, as well as other fabrics and leather. Since it’s fast-tacking, you don’t have to worry about it soaking in and ruining your beloved leather items.
For an even and more secure bond, you can apply this glue to both materials before bonding them. It dries extremely fast, leaving a smooth texture and no discoloration. Once it’s completely dry and cures, you can easily remove it from any unwanted areas, leaving a cleaner finished result. Aleene’s is ideal for home arts and crafts as it’s designed with a non-toxic formula.
- It doesn’t soak through the leather and leaves no stains or discoloration
- It creates super-strong bonds, but it’s also quite flexible
- It dries quickly and clear
- Easy to apply and remove, but don’t try to remove it while wet
- This glue is made for repairing leather and suede, and it’s not suitable for other materials
- Since it dries fast, you need to be careful and work quickly
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4. Tandy Leather Eco-Flo Leather Weld Adhesive
The Eco-Flo Leather Weld Adhesive by Tandy Leather is a super-strong bonding agent for cloth, leather, paper, chipboard, and others. Unlike other leather glues with strong smells, the eco-friendly Tandy Leather Glue has no smell at all.
This water-based adhesive is low in VOC, meaning it contains less volatile organic compounds, resulting in the decreased off-gas. Above all, it’s really easy to use. As the glue has a high bonding strength, you don’t need much. Just spread a very thin layer on either one or both surfaces. Join the surfaces while the glue is still wet, and continue to apply pressure until it dries, which doesn’t take long.
- Eco-friendly
- Safe to use as it’s low in volatile organic compounds
- It has a high bonding strength
- Great for repairing leather and suitable for paper, cloth, and wood
- Extremely easy to use
- When applying, make thin, and even layers as the glue dries quickly and can’t be easily removed
- Not suitable for cold climates as it can freeze quickly
5. Fiebing’s Leathercraft Cement
Another non-toxic and eco-friendly leather glue. The Fiebing’s Leathercraft Cement is a water-based adhesive specifically designed for leather. It’s an excellent choice for repairing leather sofas, jackets, bags, and many others.
Even though it’s water-based, it has super high bonding strength, which is safe to use and non-flammable. Thanks to its ability to create powerful bonds, it’s not only suitable for leather but can also be used for joining leather and metal as well as other non-porous surfaces.
Another great thing about this adhesive is that it can be easily washed away while wet with only water.
- Has high bonding strength with long-lasting results
- Can be used for bonding leather with other materials, such as metal
- Doesn’t give off toxic fumes
- Can be washed with water while it’s still wet
- It’s eco-friendly and non-flammable
- It dries clear and leaves no stains
- It doesn’t dry as quickly as you might want
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Buyer’s Guide to Help You Make The Right Choice
Before buying a leather glue, you should think about the types of projects you plan to use it for. Whether you need to do some patchwork on your sofa or jacket, fix your leather shoes or bags, or you just need a good and strong adhesive for a variety of DIY arts and crafts, there are several factors you need to consider. In this Buyer’s Guide, we will highlight the most important factors that will help you choose the right glue for your needs.
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Factor #1 The bonding strength of the adhesive
Unquestionably, this is the most important factor when choosing leather glue. To ensure your leather adhesive has a high bonding ability, read labels, and choose those that contain polyurethane, rubber cement, and cyanoacrylate.
This video may help you learn the difference between various types of leather glues and how to use them:
Factor #2. The time it takes to dry
If your repairing project involves pulling together a smaller rip or tear, you might do well with glues that dry faster. However, if your working on a bigger project and need some time to put all the things into place, choose leather adhesives that allow some wiggle room and dry a bit slower.
Factor #3. Waterproof and heat resistance
If your workshop is outside and you plan to do most of the repair jobs outdoors, your leather glue needs to be completely water-resistant and waterproof. This will make sure that your finished product won’t be ruined if it comes into contact with water. Likewise, to ensure the effectiveness and durability of your work, the leather glue needs to be heat-resistant and able to withstand extreme heat.
Factor #4. Easy to apply
If you’re not a professional and need leather glue for home DIY projects, you’ll want something easy to work with. Preferably, you need your leather adhesive easy to apply as well as remove if you make a mistake.
Factor #5. Color
Depending on the color of the surface you plan to use it on, your leather glue should come in matching color or be completely clear. Be careful as some adhesives leave a darker color when they dry up. Of course, you can never go wrong with clear glue that also dries clear and leaves no staining.
Factor #6. Environmental considerations
You should be working with leather adhesives that are non-toxic and safe for you and the environment. To make sure your leather glue is eco-friendly, you can go for a water-based product that contains non or a low number of toxic chemicals. Luckily, there’s a wide array of these on the market to choose from.
Factor #7. Budget
When deciding how much you’re willing to spend on glue for leather, you need to outweigh all the pros and cons. For home repairs and DIY projects, you won’t need a high-grade professional glue. Therefore, you can probably find a lot of options for a lower price. Nevertheless, always inform yourself before buying, and compare different brands and find the right balance between quality and price.
To Wrap Up
Everybody owns at least one leather item at home, be it a piece of clothes, furniture, or a pair of shoes. To repair rips and tears, having leather glue at hand can be quite useful and cost-effective since paying a professional to do the job can be quite expensive. Therefore, before buying a product, you need to carry out proper research and find suitable leather glue.
We are confident that with the help of our list of best-reviewed leather adhesives and the detailed Buyer’s Guide, you will be able to find the right glue that will meet all your needs and requirements.
FAQs
Q: How do you glue something to leather?
A: The first and most important step is to find the most suitable glue for your needs. Then you need to prepare your space and materials, which means you need to find a well-ventilated room as most leather glues give off toxic fumes. Preparing your materials should make your repair job easier, so make sure to remove any loose threads or small particles. Then apply the leather glue and make the bond. You should always follow the instruction manual provided by the manufacturer. Then, clamp the bond, secure it, and give it time to cure and completely dry.
Q: What is the best glue for leather to rubber?
A: All the leather glues from our list can be used for bonding leather and other porous and non-porous surfaces, except the Aleene’s Leather & Suede Glue, which is item number 3 on our list.
Q: Does fabric glue work for leather?
A: It can work but only temporarily as fabric glues usually don’t have a high bonding strength and durability. It can, however, serve as a temporary solution until you find a proper leather glue.
Q: Can you glue leather on leather?
A: Leather is a material that constantly bends and flexes. Therefore, you will need a glue that is specifically designed to be used for leather. Avoid using ordinary wood glues on leather as these don’t have a good bonding strength and can cause damage to your leather items.
Q: Does hot glue stick to leather?
A: Hot glue can’t be used for leather. Essentially, hot glue is only a layer of melted plastic, which is used to hold an object into place, rather than glue the two object. Once it’s cooled, hot glue can easily break or pop off even under minimal pressure.
Take a look at this instructional video on how to glue leather to leather:
Here are some other good products that may suit your needs:
