The choice of an upholstery or covering for your car seats often comes down to these two options – leather and fabric. If you are to choose one of the two, it has to be with a serious consideration for the longevity, cost and overall usage.
In this article, we highlight the benefits and downsides of choosing either fabric or leather for your vehicle’s seats.
Why Considering the Upholstery for Your Car?
When you purchase a car, it is often for one of these reasons – ease of movement or luxury. Sometimes, it could be for both reasons.
With time, you begin to look into how the car looks. The upholstery is always a major concern because that is what you and your passengers would most likely gaze upon when entering the car.
Another reason for paying attention to the upholstery or car interior is the exposure to the elements. When a car is parked under the sun for a long time, it tends to wear out the upholstery. For this reason, your choice of an upholstery should be based on the one that can withstand overt exposure to the sun.
The third and most important factor for choosing a car’s upholstery is to save costs. You want to maintain that look and feel without breaking a bank.
Related: How Much Leather Do I Need for Car Seats in Nigeria?
Fabric vs. Leather Car Seats: What do they Offer?
Your upholstery options are often narrowed down to fabric and leather. These two are commonly used for vehicle interior.
On the one hand, car owners prefer leather because of the luxury it brings – that touch of being sophisticated. It is also preferred because of the better resale value, which helps you get more money if you are selling the car.
On the other hand, we have the fabric upholstery, which doubles as the most-preferred. Many car owners go for this because of the practicability, affordability and the varieties of options they present.
Now, if you are to choose between the two, you tend to do so because of the quality, look, feel and financial aspects of making the purchase.
Let us now go into the details of why either of them is better.
Why Are Leather Seats Better?
Besides the plush look and feel it offers, having a leather upholstery in your car can also offer a wide range of benefits, including:
1. Stain Resistance
Leather upholstery has some elements of resistance, especially when it has to do with stains. The material withstands stains and only in the extreme cases would you have it been discoloured.
2. Durability
Due to the design and the retention of some rawhides, leather car upholstery often lasts for a longer time. This is much better than the tear and wear that the fabric variant is constantly exposed to.
3. Less Porous & Easy Maintenance
Your car seats wouldn’t stay in the same shape as they were when bought. That is why you want to choose between leather seats vs. fabric seats for the upholstery.
It is common to derive better maintenance from the leather material, because of the less porosity. This also translates to making it easier for crumbs to be brushed off and water spills cleaned or wiped.
4. The Luxury Aspect
Luxurious and classy looks are two major upsides to the leather seat covers’ outlook. You get to upgrade or add a plush look to the seats’ interior.
5. Better Market Value
Car owners with intentions of selling their vehicles later in the future often go for leather upholstery. It offers a better market value and fetches more money than a fabric upholstery.
Why Fabric Seat Covers are Better
Now that we are clear about the advantages of leather seat covers, let us see what the fabric upholstery has to offer.
1. Affordability
The costs of running a car – fueling, maintenance and parts’ replacement can dip a big hole in your pocket. One best way to reduce costs from one angle is to go for car seat covers that are affordable. Fabric upholstery ticks that box, mainly because of the pocket-friendly production and the fact that you can replace at ease.
2. Practicability and Durability
You can expect your fabric car seat covers to be practicable, in the sense that they can be easily washed.
In terms of the durability, the upholstery is not always prone to punctures and cracking.
3. Wide Ranges of Choices
You are not limited to one type of option when choosing fabric seat covers. You are offered a wide range of colours and designs to choose from, including corduroy, polyester, oxford and velour.
Differences Between Leather Seat Covers & Fabric
The differences between the premium cloth seats vs. leather include the following:
1. Temperature Resistance
Due to the fact that leather is “heavy,” it tends to retain most of the temperature it is exposed to. For example, you can expect the seats to be hotter if the car has been parked under the sun for a long time.
The reversal is the case with the fabric upholstery. With the softened design, fabric stands up to the weather, both in summer and winter. You can expect the seats to be warmer when it’s cold and cooler in heat.
2. Resale Value
It is easy to adjudge leather the winner in this comparison, due to the fact that it is more durable than fabric.
However, a lot of factors go into determining the resale value of the two. One of such factors is the maintenance. Leather car seat covers that weren’t well-maintained would only be exposed to wear and tear that reduces the market price. The same applies to the fabric upholstery.
3. Cleaning and Maintaining Considerations
Another factor worth considering is the ease of cleaning and maintaining both. On the one hand, you can easily take off, wash and replace the cloth/fabric. The same is not applicable to leather, which you need to brush or wipe, depending on the extent of the spillage or debris on it.
At the end of the day, you must exert extra maintenance tactics to keep your leather car seat cover shining.
Related: 5 Reasons You Should Change the Cover of Your Car Seat
Conclusion: Are Leather Car Seats better than Cloth?
Car seat covers, irrespective of whether they are made from leather or fabric have three goals – to protect the seats from tears, wears and stains.
If you are not particular about the budget and looking for more value for money, go for the leather upholstery. It offers a better market resale value, add a stylish element to the car’s interior and improve the seats’ durability.
However, if you are working with a tighter budget and looking for a balance of durability and interior protection, go for the fabric car seat covers instead of that of leather.
Would you like to purchase upholstery fabric, leather or tarpaulin? Contact any of the Nestken Masters’ offices in Lagos or Aba. Call: 08039388366