Choosing the right seat covers for your car seats can be a difficult process. There are a lot of things you need to consider in order to find the right seat covers. The two important factors you need to assess before picking a car seat cover are fabric and fit.
Picking the right fabric:
There are more different fabrics for car seat covers now then at any time in the past. Everyone has a different preference, but in general you want something that will not get too hot in the summer sun and will not be freezing cold in the winter. A material like polyester would be a terrible choice because it causes sweating. The most common materials are neoprene, sheepskin, leather and beaded.
- Neoprene is very durable and soft to the touch. It comes in all kinds of colors, is water resistant and is great for those days you come of the beach.
- Sheepskin is fairly cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It absorbs perspiration keeping you feeling dry.
- Leather is stylish and easy to clean.
- Beaded seats provide a little massage to your back and legs while you drive
You should probably consider the following before you settle on a fabric choice:
- How often do you plan to wash your cover? (sheepskin is essentially not washable for example)
- Do you want something that is waterproof?
- Are you as interested in style as in fuction?
Picking the right fit
The critical consideration here is whether you want to get custom fit or universal covers. The general rule is that custom seat covers cost more but get you a much better fit. Always keep in mind that poor fitting covers can cause considerable aggravation because they crumple up under you, slip off the chair and become generally uncomfortable.
Be sure to get the right style
Cars have different seat styles. Some have front bucket seats with a high back, some have front bucket seats with low back, others have front bucket captain’s chairs and yet others have a plain bench, or a split bench. Make sure that whatever you are buying is going to fit your style of seat. Also, you need to understand what features are built into your chair. You cannot use universal seat covers with chairs that have built in air-bags or electrical controls that will be covered by the seat cover. THIS AIRBAG POINT IS IMPORTANT: DON’T PUT YOURSELF AND YOUR PASSENGERS AT RISK BY COVERING THE AIR BAG. Also, check on the headrests because some have one post and others have two.
Universal Seat Covers (the less expensive and easier to find option)
Universal seat covers have the advantage of being cheap to purchase, and can be found in a variety of department stores throughout the US. However, as the saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” Universal covers are made cheaply to keep the cost down. That means that they tend not to be as long lasting – less expensive fabric plus less focused assembly. By definition, universal covers are created to accommodate a large variety of seat sizes which means that more often than not, they are manufactured a few sizes too large or too small to properly fit your seats. Too large and the seat covers will bunch and slide. Too small and the seat covers will wear too quickly.
All of those issues aside, universal covers can be a great option. There tend to be lots of styles and choices available so just make sure you get all the dimensions and read the reviews for sizing. Ditto for understanding the construction. Remember, not everyone needs handmade products with superior stitching and design.
Custom Made Seat Covers
To put it simply: custom fit seat covers are created specifically for the make, model and year of your vehicle. They will provide a better fit for your car and will have openings in the right places for you to access electronic controls and for air-bags to deploy.
Many custom made seat cover sites will go on at length about a superior manufacturing process with machine aided design, superior fabrics, and hand assembly. Remember that all of the information is advertising copy to say we have told you in the paragraph above: custom made seat covers fit better and should last longer but they are more expensive. The issue of safety is only applicable if you ignore our advice and get universal seat covers that cover your airbags. As for fabric choice, with the hundreds of universal covers out there, you can find a fabric that you like.
We are not opposed to custom made seat covers but we are opposed to the way they are positioned by sellers as the only safe and viable choice. Without a doubt, the fit is usually better and the quality is usually superior. But, what is generally true is not always true. There are tens of thousands of satisfied buyers of universal car seat covers too.
Thanks for the information. Now what?
Gather up the information on your exact make and model of car. Add to that the information on your type of seats. Then look through an amazing selection of car and truck seatcovers and check out posts, reviews and editors picks.