Does Tear Repair Really Work?

Tear Repair is leather and vinyl repair kit that is supposed to allow you to permanently repair holes and tears. This would be great if it could really work, because leather repairs can be expensive, so let’s see how it sizes up.

Overview
Leather is a great material because it’s so durable and can last a long time, but sometimes accidents happen, and it gets punctured or torn and then looks really bad. Trying to fix it yourself can result in making things worse, bringing even more attention to the area that was fixed. In some instances it would have been better to just leave it alone because it’s so obvious that the repair job was botched.

The Claim
The makers of Tear Repair say that it’s an easy three step process, and that you can match any color with just one product. They also say that it dries in minutes, and doesn’t require any heat to work. The product is shown being painted on, then a cloth is placed over it, then when the cloth is removed it looks as good as new. Things might not be as easy as they’re shown to be on TV, but the point is that it’s not supposed to be very hard to apply this, and you don’t need any extra tools or experience to make it work.

The Hype
The hype comes from the fact that they’re saying you can avoid the high cost of leather repairs with this, which basically means their product can do the same quality job as a professional leather repair shop. That’s a tall order to fill, because these shops have seen all types and colors of leather, and have special tools and solvents to get the job done the right way. In many instances you can’t even tell that there was every any damage done.

The Cost
The cost of Leather Miracle Tear Repair is $26, and comes with the original offer of the Tear Repair which works on vinyl and leather, as well as the carpet repair kit that works on both carpet and upholstery. They also give the option of paying an additional $8 to add on a product called Miracle Stitch that allows you to make repairs to torn seams on clothing. They say it’s guaranteed to pay for itself the first time you use it. They do offer a 30 day guarantee, but keep in mind that you’ll only get back the original price of $10.

The Commitment
The big selling feature to this is that you won’t have to spend too much time fixing the problem, and you also won’t have to take your items to a professional to have them repair it for you. If you have been waiting to get an item repaired in your home, this is presented as a way to finally get it fixed without having to pay an arm and a leg, and without worrying about damaging the item further with your repair attempt.

Evaluation
They provide an assortment of colors, and include the primary colors and a mixing guide so you should be able to mix this to the precise color of the leather you’re trying to repair. The same can be said for the carpet repair kit they send you, also with its own assortment of colors, mixing guide, and special cloth. It seems they’re really piling on the free offers, which is odd because most people are probably just wanting to fix a leather item and aren’t in need of additional products. All it does is jack up the total price so you’re in it for $26 rather than $10 plus reasonable shipping.

If you just want to repair vinyl we did find a vinyl repair kit that is highly rated and should do the job for you. It’s less than $10 and you can get it shipped free, so it’s a potentially better purchase than Tear Repair.

Final Tear Repair Review

The Tear Repair leather and vinyl repair kit is getting our Risky Try rating. While it’s possible that this may be a kit that works on some leather applications, there’s just not enough evidence that it works. Similar products sell for far more and get lousy reviews so it’s a stretch to think that this could work at a price of just $10. It doesn’t’ make much sense to return this if you do get it and find it doesn’t work, so you’ll be out anywhere from $16 to $24 and you’ll have to pay to ship it back.

Our Recommendation
Getting your leather item professionally repaired is the best way to go. It beats having to buy a new item, and it’s the only way that we’ve found that works well almost every time. We did a thorough search of other leather repair kits and were unable to find one that is worth buying.

What do you think? Does Tear Repair work or not?