There's not much you can do, that's the nature of that particular hide. Typically the more 'finished' the leather is, the more it can make those movement squeaking noises. The very first recliner I bought (my 1987 Hancock and Moore) is like that and it still does it today, 21 years later (yes, it can be irritating). I learned the hard way as well. Its not going to break-in or go away, sorry.

You can try a little leather conditioner on the friction points, which is where the seat cushion contacts the inner arm. I've experimented with this and it does help some, but of course you have to remember to re-apply periodically. I now buy finer hides for my own personal use on motion furniture and with less topcoating they stay quiet and supple.

In all the years I've been selling leather, I find two axioms on customer purchasers to be fairly constant.

1) Most people are very apprehensive to buy the finer 'unprotected' hides for fear they will soil and stain excessively (my experience with them in my own home with my own kids shows that to be not as much an issue as most people think it is).

2) The vast majority of customer (probably 90%) buy on price, and stay in the less expensive leathers which are finished / stiffer / squeakier.

-Duane Collie

Duane, we recently ordered a W.Schillig sectional (no reclining parts or loose cushions) in a Z76 grade leather. It appears to be at the higher-end of the midrange/protected/semi-aniline leather grades.

Will it have any of that squeaking or any other drawbacks that you can think of?

Sorry, I'm not familiar with that brand and can't advise on that one.

Duane Collie

Thanks anyway Duane. I enjoyed reading your advice on other threads BTW.

Same boat. Just bought not one, but two H&M leather recliners. Beautiful. Quite expensive and the squeaking is so annoying. Kind of defeats the relaxation that’s meant to be in these chairs. It is a protected leather as opposed to the unprotected we’ve had or have and love. But, for this particular spot we wanted two matching and found these. They check all the boxes EXCEPT for the noise. I did not notice that in the store. Can I condition without concern of harming the color? Or, use powder? Thanks.

Some leather squeaks or makes noises, and it takes getting used to. It's like bringing a chiming clock into your home, it takes a few weeks before your mind tunes it out and after awhile you won't even notice it. In the meantime, take some talc or baby powder and rub it on the vertical part of the seat cushion where it contacts the inner arm, that will quiet the noise. Don't use any more than you need as that's a lot of white in the powder. It won't hurt the leather in the least.

Duane Collie