Leather vs cloth seats in car

[Janeway]

Which do you prefer? Thanks.

[scholastica]

Leather. So much easier to clean.

[gaillardia]

Leather...and I'll tell you why...animal hair, possibly on my clothing, will stick to my car seat if it is cloth. I might get into my car after taking the dog out with us (this happens frequently) and have dog hair (or cat hair) all over the seat which then gets on my clothing and when I get to where I'm going, VIOLA! covered in animal hair. Yay, not.

 

I think it's easier to keep the leather clean. The cloth needs to be vacuumed.

[JoJosMom]

Leather.  Unless you live somewhere that gets hotter than Hades.  In that case, cloth.  It might be harder to keep clean, but it is also less likely to cause major burns. :scared:

 

 

[Pawz4me]

Cloth. It does get hotter than Hades here.

[MomtoCandJ]

It's a toss up... I mostly like the leather seats in my car... Except on days like today when my butt gets stuck to the seat

[Guest]

I love leather for cleaning but in a cold climate the fabric seats are more comfortable and they hold up better - leather seats have a nasty tendency to crack when frozen and a heavy butt sits on them repeatedly.

[JFSinIL]

Cloth. Our last used car had leather - too cold in winter and hot in summer.

[wendy not in HI]

I thought I liked leather best, but here's our two car fabric experiment results:

 

1999 chevy silverado - cloth seats - they look great, feel great, they they are getting close to 20 years old!

 

2004 chevy suburban (almost the same size and seat style as the truck) - leather seats - nice to clean when the kids were little - but the driver seat has cracked and looks bad. I think it was a combination of getting old and the move from Hawaii (warm and humid) to South Dakota (cold and dry) in the middle of a very cold winter.  All of the other seats in the 'burb are in great shape, but the driver's seat looks pretty bad.  I'm the driver.  It's a little embarrassing knowing that my own rear end has destroyed a whole seat...

 

I'd still probably go with leather again, but the fabric really has held up better. 

[cjzimmer1]

I much prefer cloth.  I don't like the feeling of leather against my skin. 

[Guest]

Leather because I like climate controlled seats. Having that with cloth has not ever been an option in any of the cars we've owned. Throw kids into the mix and I would get leather even if I didn't get climate controlled seats, because kids are well, MESSY and often gross. Especially if you have any that get car sick!  :ack2:

[Ali in OR]

Our 2000 Honda Odyssey has cloth. We had to get leather in our 2012 Odyssey to get the options we needed (wheelchair conversion van). We all prefer the cloth. Leather is too cold in winter and too hot in summer. And being easier to clean only makes a difference if you actually have time to clean them! The seats in both cars are covered in crumbs from kids eating in the car between activities. We'll get both vacuumed out soon now that summer is here, but most of the time the leather seats are as dirty as the cloth but cloth are more comfortable.

[MEmama]

Cloth, hands down.

 

Leather is freezing in winter and scorching in summer. Plus it's sticky against bare skin (vomit emoji). And it shows everything--crumbs get stuck in the little crevices, sunscreen permanently bleaches it, etc.

 

Cloth is easy peasy. Comfortable year round, many show no spills (gray, according to another recent discussion), easy to vacuum if necessary.

[Guest]

(Just throwing out if you get climate controlled seats and automatic start your seats will be the perfect temperature when you get in. ;) )

[Guest]

Leather (or in some cases the mock-leather).  Here's why:  it allows mini and micro physical adjustments while you are driving.  Cloth keeps you in one place.  The mini/micro movements make for much greater comfort on road trips/long drives.  Cloth seats, you tend to get out sort of stiff and back-achy.

 

Note that in most cars, only the actual seating area is real leather; the rest is a synthetic of some type.

 

ETA:  There's leather and there's leather, as well.  Our leather seats still look great, but the cars were not cheap cars, and part of the reason is the materials quality.  

 

[gardenmom5]

I have, and am happy with, leather.

 

I also have really liked the sheepskin (the real stuff, NOT fake) seat covers. warm in winter, cool in summer.   Costco carries them. (dh had them in a previous car with cloth seats.)

[zoobie]

Leather, gray so it's not as hot. It's so much easier to clean. Cloth seats get so gross so quickly.

[Truscifi]

Cloth. It does get hotter than Hades here.

 

:iagree:

 

Leather car seats really can cause burns here.

[lllll]

nm

Edited November 30, 2016 by cathey

[Happy]

I prefer cloth.

 

 

 

[edelweiss]

Leather! I would never buy a car with cloth seats again.

[kitten18]

Leather.

 

Heated seats for the winter (not much of a winter here).

Cooled seats for the summer.

[Shellydon]

Leather, no matter the climate.  Cloth seats are impossible to clean.

[sheryl]

We've had both.   Leather, hands down.

 

We live in NC (miles from SC border).  Leather will be fine if parked in the shade.  Easier to clean. 

 

We have heated car seats so in the winter we turn the seat heaters on (manufactured that way, not after market).  It does take about 1-2 minutes but that's fine.

 

All around, leather offers so much more. 

[KungFuPanda]

I prefer cloth on my furniture and in my vehicles. We have a leather chair in the house. It looks brand new, but I never want to sit in it when it's hot or cool. Cloth is more comfortable.

[Liz CA]

I have, and am happy with, leather.

 

I also have really liked the sheepskin (the real stuff, NOT fake) seat covers. warm in winter, cool in summer.   Costco carries them. (dh had them in a previous car with cloth seats.)

 

I was thinking of this today as I looked at all the dog hair in the back of my car - cloth seats. Leather could be wiped clean but would possibly tear from paws, and other sharp objects. It gets way too hot here to be comfortable with leather so I would have to cover them. I wonder if that would impair the micro-adjustability PattyJoanna talked about?

[Suzanne in ABQ]

The last car we had with cloth seats convinced me that I never wanted cloth seats again.  My friend's 3yo puked orange soda in the back seat, and it stayed orange forever.  Leather would have wiped right up.  (I also learned never to give a child orange soda on during a long car ride).

 

We've had leather ever since we had kids (1997 Subaru Outback and 2007 Honda Odyssey).  They are still in great shape.  For awhile, I would clean them twice a year with saddle soap, and condition them with leather conditioner.  I haven't done that in several years, but they still look great.  

 

I live in the desert, so it does get hot in the summer.  When I used to wear shorts, I'd keep a hand towel in the car to sit on.  Also, we keep the cars in the garage, so maybe that helps with the heat.  The windows are tinted in the van, so that helps.  In winter, I love the seat heaters, and have never had a seat crack.  But, it doesn't get as cold here as it does other places (and when it does, we generally stay home).  My kids don't have seat heaters in the back, but they've never had them, so they don't know the difference.  They've never complained about hot or cold seats.  

 

Our newest car, a VW Golf, has cloth seats.  I find them very uncomfortable, but it's more because of the cupped shape and not being able to adjust (the cloth further prohibits change of position).  The kids are older, so cleaning the seats isn't as much of a concern.

 

We are due for another car.  I will probably opt for leather seats again.  To me, leather is forever.  Cloth is just until it gets stained, or torn, or worn through.

[mom2att]

Leather and I live where it's hot. Bonus points for the fact that leather dries quickly after occupied by wet bathing suits on the way home from the beach or pool. Cloth--not so much.

 

 

[gardenmom5]

I was thinking of this today as I looked at all the dog hair in the back of my car - cloth seats. Leather could be wiped clean but would possibly tear from paws, and other sharp objects. It gets way too hot here to be comfortable with leather so I would have to cover them. I wonder if that would impair the micro-adjustability PattyJoanna talked about?

 

yes - you can move around fine.

[J-rap]

I prefer leather, but mostly because that was the only option available for heated seats -- sooo nice here when it's -25.

 

 

 

[Lanny]

I would prefer Leather, because I believe it is more durable than the thin cloth they use in car seats. . Also, I believe it is much cleaner. You can wipe Leather seats wtih a damp cloth or baby wipe ,to keep them clean.  Disadvantages of Leather: Hotter during Summer and with time the Leather might crack.  I believe the Cloth Seats are less durable and much harder to keep truly clean.  

[AmandaVT]

I used to think I was a leather seat person until I had a car with leather seats in a VT winter. Brrrrr.....I've been a cloth convert ever since and my bum has thanked me.

[MomtoCandJ]

Does anyone know if you can use seat covers on heated leather seats??? I have the heated leather seats in my Fusion but I want to put cloth seat covers on them for the summer (so my butt doesn't get stuck while wearing shorts)

[StaceyinLA]

I miss my cloth seats. I have leather in my Yukon XL and I can't stand it. It is so hot here that I am usually sticking to the seats and it's disgusting. I wind up keeping a folded towel on the seat (I guess I could also get a seat cover of some sort).

 

Yes they are easier to clean, but I also think they look cracky over time and I'm not a fan of that either.

 

If I had animals in my car a good bit, I might want leather because of the animal hair, but otherwise, I'll take my cloth any day.

[73349]

Definitely cloth! We do not have a garage, and most places we go require parking in the sun.

 

We only have an animal in the car when her fuzzy majesty has to go to the vet, and then she's in the carrier. It's pretty rare for us to eat or drink in the car. And since we keep cars a long time (currently at 11 and 15 years), we aren't worried about appearance for resale value anyway.

[lllll]

nm

Edited November 30, 2016 by cathey

[happypamama]

For comfort, cloth.

For ease of cleaning, leather.  Or vinyl.  My van has vinyl seats, and they're easy to clean.  We can put a towel on them in the summer if they're hot.

[sassenach]

Cloth for comfort.

[Guest]

Cloth for as long as i have kids. I can clean almost anything, but i cant repair leather rips.

[RebeccaS]

Leather.  I've got pukers.  No way will I have cloth so long as I have kids.

[rebcoola]

Leather so the kid seats can be cleaned but with cloth cover for my seat in the summer so I don't burn my bum.

[4arrows]

Cloth.  I don't like how hot/cold leather gets, depending on the weather.  In the summer, if I wear shorts, I don't like having my skin almost ripped off when I get out of the car.

[Carrie12345]

My seats are both leather and suede. I find the combo more of a pain than one or the other simply because I have to do both.

 

I don't find it to be such a big deal in the big picture now that my kids are older and can accept "when we get there" bribes vs. "right now" bribes, iykwim. You'll almost never find sticky or crumby messes in there these days. Just field dirt!

[cottonmama]

Leather because of the lovely smell.  (But it's not worth the extra money to me.  We ended up with a used van with leather because we got a great deal on a private sale.)

[kroe1]

No brainier for me, LEATHER, baby.

Edited June 19, 2016 by Minniewannabe

[StephanieZ]

I prefer leather. Easier to clean and to keep dog-hair free. 

 

But, I don't prefer it $5000 worth of other things I like, so I generally go with cloth seats (assuming there is a big price difference, which there generally has been when we've bought new vehicles). 

[Danestress]

Leather - or leatherette. Yes it is hot here in the summer. One can use a seat cover. It's is also muggy here, and it absolutely rains pollon. We are all about leaves, and that seems to make the world dusty. When I look at the layer of dust/pollon/God knows what that I wipe from my dashboard, I am not willing to have that in my cloth seats. I like being able to easily wipe it away. I also like the way leather/leatherette seats feel overall, though I agree they would feel gross on the back of sweaty skin.

[kewb]

I do like the the heated leather seats and ease of cleaning but I prefer cloth. Too many childhood memories of hot car seats, leg sweat causing one to stick to the seat, cold in the winter, cracked leather poking your leg. I shudder just to think about it.

[callapidder]

Leather, although I can live with cloth as well. My top considerations are ease of cleaning and having heated seats in the winter. Yes, they get hot in the summer, but for some reason, that's easier for me to handle than being so, so cold in the winter. :)

[FriedClams]

I got leather so I could have seat heaters, but I had to put a cloth cover on them recently because they got SO FREAKISHLY HOT that my legs were sticking to them and I thought I was going to tear the flesh off my legs. I'm not kidding. I love the leather though, and it's worth the sliding cover hassle for the warmth in the winter.