How do I know if my leather chair is actually leather?

[DialMforMummy]

Well that's it really, I have this nice black chair, I think it's leather but I am not sure. How can I find out without damaging it?
TIA

[spaghettina]

Sniff it! Real leather usually has its own distinctive smell.

Or you could gently scrape it with a fingernail in a part that won't show, and see if the surface scratches. If it doesn't, it's plastic.
If it's real leather, it will naturally get "damaged" anyway, with use.
If it's synthetic I imagine it will stay looking the same, then start to peel after a while with heavy use...