Cloth vs Leather Seats- Why Cloth Is Best For Car Seats
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When I go car shopping, one of the first things I look for is what types of material the seats are made of. In fact, cloth vs leather seats is a huge debate among lots of parents.
Depending on your tastes and where you are in life, either can be an excellent choice.
But what about parents with children?
For those of us with little ones running around, cloth seats are actually best.
Cloth vs Leather Seats – Why Cloth Is Best For Car Seats
Let’s look at the price, maintenance, and comfort of riding in a car and you’ll see why cloth is best for car seats.
Price
Leather is just more expensive.
Of course, the extra cost depends on the quality of leather you choose.
There is low-end faux leather up to the ultra-luxurious Nappa leather.
Leather will cost anywhere from a few hundred to few thousand dollars depending on the choice.
For families with children, every dollar counts.
Hot Weather
During hot seasons, car seat leather can exceed 150 degrees which will burn skin in a second.
Leather can actually be dangerous to you.
It will also make you uncomfortable and sweaty. Adults can deal with the heat, but add children to the equation and leather suddenly seems to have the potential to create some difficult situations.
Cold Weather
Leather is also affected by cold weather too.
Leather seats get so cold they can be tough to sit on.
To combat this, car manufacturers have optional seat warms to make the seats comfortable.
Of course this adds to the cost of the car.
For families with children, it might not make sense to pay for seat warmers when you could just opt for cloth seats.
Maintenance
Leather is marketed as high luxury yet it’s also high maintenance.
Cloth seats will need the occasional vacuuming and spot cleaning, but leather requires cleaning and conditioning with special products every few months.
Without maintenance, it will become worn, hard, and possibly crack.
Families with children may not want to add something else to their already busy schedule.
Slippage
Leather seats are similar to hardwood floors – easy to slide across.
Anything sitting on a seat will slide right off on turns.
Cloth seats are similar to trying to slide on carpet. Items will tend to stay where they are placed.
A cell phone placed on a cloth car seat will generally stay there, for example. This can make life much easier for families with children.
Comfort
Cloth seats are so much more comfortable. Skin will not stick to it or slide around. With leather, the comfort depends on the quality.
The less expensive leather will be hard and awkward to ride on.
Of course, the high-end leathers will be comfortable, but at a cost.
People with families will enjoy the comfort and relaxation that cloth seats provide.
Cloth vs Leather – Which Is Your Favorite?
Share with me! I prefer cloth for the reasons I mentioned but which do you like most?
The cloth vs leather car seats debate will continue on, share your opinion.
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