What is Alcantara?
Most people have touched Alcantara long before they knew what it was called. If you have ever sat in a performance car and run your hand across a steering wheel that felt like soft suede but gripped like nothing else, that was almost certainly Alcantara.
What it actually is
Alcantara is a microfibre material, roughly 68% polyester and 32% polyurethane. It is not leather, and it is not suede. It was developed in the early 1970s by Miyoshi Okamoto, a scientist at the Japanese firm Toray Industries, and it has been produced in Italy ever since by Alcantara S.p.A.
The result is a material that looks and feels like fine suede but behaves far better. It resists stains, holds its colour, does not crack or dry out the way leather can, and stays soft through years of handling.
Why carmakers use it
Look inside a performance car and you will find Alcantara on steering wheels, seat centres, gear surrounds, headliners and dashboards. Marques including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, BMW and Audi have all specified it.
The reason is grip and temperature. Leather turns slippery under warm hands, and it becomes cold in winter and punishing in summer. Alcantara grips, stays close to room temperature, and weighs less than leather, which matters in cars built around shaving off grams.
It is not only cars. Alcantara has been used in Formula One cockpits, on Microsoft Surface devices, on high-end headphones, and inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
Alcantara is not leather, and not suede
Suede is the underside of animal hide. It marks easily, stains from water, and stiffens with age. Leather is tougher but heavier, and it cracks and dries out over years.
Alcantara was engineered to give you the feel of suede without either problem. It is lighter than both, more resistant to stains and sunlight, and it is not an animal product at all.
How to look after it
Alcantara is easier to live with than suede, but it is not indestructible. The manufacturer's own guidance is simple:
- Dust it regularly with a soft brush or a dry cloth.
- For marks, dampen a plain white cotton cloth with clean water, wring it out well, and wipe gently. Printed or coloured cloths can transfer ink.
- Let it dry naturally, then brush lightly with a soft brush to lift the fibres back up.
- Avoid scrubbing hard, soaking it, and steam cleaners.
That is genuinely all it needs. A case that gets a wipe every few weeks will still look new years from now.
Why we build with it
We started Alca Club because we wanted the material we loved in cars on the thing we actually hold all day. A phone lives in your hand for hours. It should feel like something.
Every case, wallet and keychain we make is cut from 100% Italian Alcantara, and every one can be engraved with your initials, a car logo, or anything else you want on it.
Alcantara is a registered trademark of Alcantara S.p.A. We are not affiliated with any of the car manufacturers named above.