Is leather impossible to maintain? On the contrary, leather boots are not impossible to maintain. You just got to care for them. Same with leather furniture.

Keep leather furniture out of the way of blinding sunlight. Leather furniture wears like iron. It gets better with age. Just buy top-quality, top-grain leather.

Don't buy cheap leather because it's quite often bonded leather, but it'll destroy itself in a couple years. Buy top-quality leather, and you'll enjoy it for years. Just keep it away from direct sunlight.

You don't need any harsh chemicals on the leather either. Just wipe it with a damp cloth. Every couple weeks, you're good to go.