It depends on your lifestyle. Fabric is comfy cozy. Leather can handle a beating with children and pets. Wipe clean. Kids? Pets? Pool? Entertain a lot?

Darzy is right. It depends on your lifestyle as well as the look you're going after. We recently redecorated our LR/DR and we went from an upholstered sofa to a leather. It just worked better for the "look" we were going for.

Agree with both above. We've had a leather sofa for about 5 years now and it just keeps getting better with age. We were considering moving it to an office and replacing with upholstery, but I don't know if I can give up how forgiving and low-maintenance the leather is.

there are performance fabrics now that stand up to dogs, kids, life. depends on style you are going for. some leathers are not as durable, make sure you research the different types

Budget leather generally is not going to wear well. It flakes, cracks, and peels. However, you can sometimes strike gold. I just gave away my practically indestructible budget leather couches after 12 years because they were very slightly worn, I did not want black anymore (actually I never wanted black), and I wanted to replace a sofa and loveseat with just one large sized sofa. Leather is cold in the winter, sweaty in the summer, but that was ok. The maintenance was very easy, just wiped with damp microfiber sponge.

I replaced the leather with a white slipcovered sofa and I love how squashy and warm it is. No regrets. Yep, I have to wash and bleach the slipcover sometimes, and I have thrown white towels over the spots where the cat loves to sit the most. I have a mid-level sectional in the basement that has upgraded microfiber on it (not the microfiber that shows butt-prints!!!), and it still looks practically new after 5 years of hard child and pet related use. I had wanted leather when I got it but didn't want to pay $4-$5000 for a leather sofa when kids can ruin it with scissors, pet claws can ruin it, it can get peed and barfed on, etc. Now I'm glad I got the microfiber anyway.

Do not get anything that cannot be cleaned very easily and well.