The Best Leather Repair Kits

The Fortivo Leather and Vinyl Repair kit is our top choice for mending a range of items.

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leather repair

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Whether it’s mending leather shoes, a couch, a jacket, or even the seats in your car, taking good care of your leather helps protect your investment and ensures that you can buy fewer new things overall. This can help shrink your environmental footprint in the long term, and keeps materials out of the landfill.

Yes, leather is an animal product that many vegans prefer to avoid, but for others leather is a natural material that is highly durable. Either way, if you’ve already own a leather item, why not make sure your product will last as long as possible? Many of these kits can also be used to repair other materials, like vinyl.

We researched the market to find the best leather repair kits for all of your wares.

Best Overall

FORTIVO Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit

5
FORTIVO Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit

Amazon

Whether you’re trying to repair leather or vinyl, this kit is great for both and covers a wide array of items, such as furniture, shoes, jackets, car seats, bags, gloves, and more. The leather filler is a great quick fix to scratches, holes, burns, tears, rips, or cracks. The kit comes with a free instruction guide, and is accompanied by an online color mixing tool, making it our top all-around choice.

The kit includes seven different colors, plus a spatula, mixing bottle, backing fabric, and a practice leather patch. This kit also gets bonus points for the 30-day, money-back guarantee and the one-year replacement warranty. 

Price at time of publish: $20

Best Budget

Numola Leather Repair Patch Kit

Numola Leather Repair Patch Kit

Courtesy of Amazon

For a quick fix for leather and vinyl furniture, car seats, leather handbags, jackets, and other types of leather or vinyl products, Numola’s repair kit comes at a great price. Simply cut the patch to your desired size and shape (or leave it whole for larger spots), then peel off the backing and stick it on to the damaged area. The patch's edges are anti-curl and extra sticky, so you won’t have to worry about the patch coming off any time soon.

These patches are made from synthetic leather, so they are a form of plastic, but no animals were harmed in the making of them. Numerous color and size options are available.

Price at time of publish: $9

Best Liquid

Leather Max Mega Kit/Leather Restorer

Leather Max Mega Kit/Leather Restorer

Amazon

Tackle scratches, peeling, holes, and faded or discolored leather with Leather Max’s Mega Kit, which comes with white and black 1-ounce bottles to darken or lighten your color, top coat satin sealant that is waterproof and nontoxic, and filler and backing material for full repairs. This product is water soluble until it dries, which means it won’t rub off on clothing and cleanup is a breeze.

Simply choose the color of Leather Max Furniture Restorer you’d like (if you’re not sure, you can buy a 1-ounce tester bottle), test the color using a Q-tip on a spot that’s not noticeable, then use the white or black to lighten or darken the color. Then, use the Cleaner Conditioner to thoroughly clean and prepare the surface for coloring, and use the applicator to apply the Color Restorer to the item. Once finished, apply the top coat/satin sealant to lock in the refreshed look.

Price at time of publish: $40

Best for Vinyl

MASTAPLASTA Self-Adhesive Leather Repair Patch

MASTAPLASTA Self-Adhesive Leather Repair Patch

Amazon

Crafted from a water-based glue (no PVC for the win), these repair patches from MastaPlasta work well for vinyl and leather alike. They are made from a breathable and PETA-approved vegan material. The peel-and-stick design is great for quick fixes like large rips and stains. You can also cut the patch to fit oddly shaped flaws.

Numerous sizes and 11 different colors are available from MastaPlasta, so fret not about your beloved sofa, antique chair, vintage jacket, or designer handbag. To clean your newly-repaired item, wipe it down with a damp cloth or leather cleaner, as the patches are not suitable for machine washing. The packaging is both made from recycled paper and is recyclable itself.

Price at time of publish: $18

Best for Boots

Coconix Vinyl and Leather Repair Kit

Coconix Vinyl and Leather Repair Kit

Courtesy of Amazon

Those boots are made for walkin’, but for how long? With time, all leather boots are going to get scratches, tears, cracks, peeling, and general wear. Remedy that with this repair kit from Coconix, which helps bring shabby shoes back to life.

Multiple colors are provided, plus extra compound to patch up large areas without heat tools, putty, paint, glue, tape, or dyes. The quick-dry formula also means there’s no mess, and the kit comes with access to instructional videos, personalized repair advice, and a complimentary e-book.

Price at time of publish: $20

Treehugger Tip

If repairing boots yourself seems daunting, don't despair—you can let a pro take care of it. A visit to a cobbler is almost often cheaper than buying a new pair of leather boots, and they can do other things to extend the life of your shoe, like adding new sole or mending any damaged stitching.

Final Verdict

We like Fortivo for its wide range of uses on car seats, jackets, shoes, etc. Leather Max is also great for those wanting to attempt a repair without the use of patches.

What to Consider When Shopping for a Leather Repair Kit

Conditioner

Lots of times, repair kits will contain a conditioner that you apply after you do your repairs. Conditioners are great for keeping materials soft, and help prevent further cracking. 

Eco-friendly Ingredients

If you can find products using eco-friendly ingredients in their products, that’s another plus on our list. Lots of times, these patches and repair kits contain glues, dyes, paints, etc. so finding ones that are nontoxic, PVC-free, and in any way more eco-friendly is a plus. 

Dry Time

Look for products with a quick drying time, that way you don’t have to keep pets, kids, and guests off of your couches, chairs, or car seats for long periods of time. 

Color Options

Be sure to look for kits that contain lots of color options, or lots of shades within the most common neutral colors in order to find the best match possible. You don’t want to be stuck with a kit that doesn’t offer colors that match what you’re trying to repair, so make sure to find a kit with lots of options. 

Frequently Asked Questions
  • What kinds of damage can be fixed with a leather repair kit?

    Depending on the extent of the damage, leather repair kits can remedy lots of booboos, including tears, scratches, peeling, cracking, rips, and discoloration. Look for a kit that caters to what you’re trying to fix, as there are lots out there.

  • How is leather filler different than leather conditioner?

    Leather filler is used to repair leather, while leather conditioner is used to maintain the softness and hydration in leather. You can use leather conditioner a few times a year to maintain the hydration of your leather products, but bringing leather filler into the game means you’re trying to repair your leather. Leather filler can help fix scratches, cracks, thinning leather, and general leather repairs.

  • How do you fix peeling leather?

    Typically, quality leather doesn’t peel. If you have an item that’s peeling, most likely it’s made from polyurethane or “pleather.” It’s hard to fix this type of damage in a meaningful way, but if you’re willing to live with a fix that may not last for long, you can try using one of the kits in on our list. Be sure to remove as much of the flaking material as possible before you start. 

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Author Amanda Ogle is a veteran reporter who loves writing about sustainability and believes it is important that we all strive to be as environmentally friendly as we can. She enjoys giving readers an honest idea of where to buy sustainable products.