Permatex Vinyl And Leather Repair Kit Review & Buying Guide

The Permatex Vinyl and Leather Repair Kit (80902) is an excellent set of repair equipment that can help you restore your leather sofas, car seats, and even leather luggage cases. Although the kit can repair vinyl goods, it is especially effective when it comes to repairing tears, burns, cracks, gouges, and holes on leather.  

The Permatex Vinyl And Leather Repair Kit contains seven colors of repair compound, clear vinyl adhesive and filler, grain paper pattern, heat transfer tool, plastic spatula, and an instruction sheet with a matching color chart for your ease. All these tools and compounds will be used to make repairs to your leather upholstery.

In this review, we will cover the contents of the repair kit and how the product performs on leather upholstery and any other type of leather articles. 

Kit Content

In this section, we will be breaking down the contents of the repair kit and explaining the function of each of these items, so that you’ll know what they are used for. 

• Heat Transfer Tool – A heat transfer tool that cures the compound once applied to the leather. It’s heated up with an iron to transfer the heat. 

• 7 Colors of Repair Compound – The colors of the repair compound are used to create  a color that matches the leather material and mask the damage. 

• Clear Adhesive and Filler – The adhesive is applied to the area where there is an opening gash or damage to fill it. 

• Grain Pattern Paper – The closest grain pattern paper to the leather material is placed on the damaged area, in order for the compound to match your leather texture. 

• Cloth Backing Fabric – The cloth backing fabric is cut slightly larger than the gash, hole, or burnt area and placed behind it in the upholstery. It creates support for repairing the leather material.

• Plastic Spatula – The plastic spatula is used to place the cloth backing fabric properly under the damaged area of the upholstery. It can further be used to apply the adhesive and color repair compound in the damaged area. 

• Instruction Sheet – The instruction sheet carries easy-to-follow instructions and usage warnings for proper use.

• Color Matching Chart – The color matching chart acts as a guide that you can use to mix the repair compound colors needed to create the color of your damaged leather.

How It Repairs Damaged Leather

The Permatex Vinyl and Leather Repair Kit is used to repair the damaged leather of your car or home upholstery, as well as various other leather articles such as bags and suitcases, by masking the damage.

What Damages This Kit Can Fix

This repair kit can be used to fix a variety of leather damages such as burns, cuts, holes, etc. Not only that, but it can also be used to repair leather types like full-grain, aniline, semi-aniline, top grain and even genuine leather. Let’s take a closer look at what type of damages it can mask:

• Holes – Holes can form into your leather pet bites or sharp objects.  Holes are tricky to fix, as parts of your leather are removed.  

• Tears – Tears can occur on leather if excessive force is used against the material or if a small cut is not repaired immediately.

• Burns – Burns can be caused in your leather material by cigarettes, candles, or even matches.

• Cracks – Leather can crack if it is not maintained properly or if it is exposed to water or sunlight for a prolonged period.

• Gouges – Similarly to holes, gouges can be formed through excessive force of an object or tears that expand into gouges. 

What Leather Products It Can Repair

This repair kit can repair various types of  leather products, such as upholstery for your car and your home. Whether it is your infant leather car seat, bar stools, chairs, luggage, handbags, car seats, or sofas, this repair kit can be used to repair it all. The Permatex Vinyl and Leather Repair Kit can:

• Fill and mask a cigarette burn on your car seat. 
• Repair a gash on your leather sofa caused by your cat’s scratching.
• Mask a small hole on your leather handbag caused by a pen nib.
• Repair cracks on your leather computer seat that was kept in direct sunlight for too long.

Directions

Using this kit to repair leather is simple and straightforward. We’ve also created a comprehensive guide on how to use the Permatex Vinyl and Leather Repair Kit. 

Here’s a quick summary: 

1. Clean and Trim Leather
2. Insert Cloth Backing into Damaged Area
3. Fill Damaged Area with Adhesive
4. Create a Matching Color 
5. Heat Cure the Compound

Make sure to check out our step-by-step tutorial from the link above, as we teach you how to use each of these items inside the kit and also break down the steps into an easy-to-follow process. 

Frequently Asked Questions

In this section we’ll be answering some of the most frequently asked questions about the Permatex Vinyl and Leather Repair Kit. If you have any questions that are not answered in here, feel free to get in touch. 

How Much Filler Is Included?

The adhesive filler included in the DIY repair kit is 0.34 fl. oz (10 ml)., which is a good amount to fill up a large gash or several small, damaged spots. 

How Do I Match Colors?

You can match the exact shade of the color of your leather by using the color matching chart included in the kit. The color chart will show you what colors you have to mix and in what ratio to get the color closest to your leather. 

Here’s a trick that you can make use of. Hold the color chart against your leather item to see which shade it most closely represents. If you can’t find an exact match, use the following:

• To Lighten: Add white color
• To Brighten: Add yellow color
• To Darken: Add black and/or brown color

What Are the Ingredients of the Filler?

The filler contains acetone (30 – 60% by weight) and tetrahydrofuran (10 – 30% by weight). Acetone is an organic compound that is used as a dissolvant, while tetrahydrofuran is used in leather repair products extensively. 

While we don’t recommend using acetone on leather, it’s perfectly fine to be used as a compound to repair it. 

Can I Store Leftovers from the Kit?

Yes, this repair kit can be used again if stored with the proper care. You should store this kit in an area that is cool, dry, and well-ventilated. It should be locked up with all containers tightly closed. Ensure that you wash the spatula thoroughly before reusing it.