When you start shopping for a new car, you likely aren’t thinking about seat materials. You are probably considering gas mileage, seating capacity, towing capability, and more. Of course, you want comfortable seats, but have you given them much thought?
Many vehicles come standard with cloth seats and offer leather as an upgrade. Which one is right for you? Here are some things to consider that should help you decide.
Style
Whether you like leather or not, it’s stylish. It also looks and feels high-class. Leather couches, leather jackets, leather shoes, leather purses — they all give off a chic vibe.
For many people, their vehicle represents who and what they are or wish to be. A fully electric vehicle says you are environmentally conscious, while an eight-passenger minivan says you’re a family person. If you want to make a statement about style, leather is the clear choice over cloth seats.
Money
The flip side of this argument is the cost of leather seats. Unless you’re buying a luxury car, most vehicles come standard with cloth seats and offer leather as an upgrade. If you’re trying to save money, you might opt for the cloth interior. After all, you’re only sitting on the seats.
Weather
Where you live or, more specifically, what the weather is like where you live, can help you decide on seat material. Leather — especially black leather — absorbs heat extremely well. Getting into a hot car can actually be painful if you have leather seats.
The inverse is true in cold-weather regions. If it’s 10 degrees outside, sitting down on your leather seats can be a chilling experience. Nowadays, many manufacturers offer heated and ventilated seats to help cool or warm your seat before you sit down. That feature costs more, but if style is what you’re after, you either pay the price or deal with the discomfort.
Children
If you have children, especially young ones under the age of 6, you can pretty much guarantee spills will happen. Cloth seats are particularly good at soaking up liquids, and a squished piece of chocolate on cloth makes a permanent stain. That fruit juice box will turn your cloth seats a nice shade of purple, too.
Leather, on the other hand, is easy to wipe clean and does not absorb liquids well. It’s simpler to clean when something spills; however, it is more expensive to replace if it is torn. Kids will find a way to mark up your leather seats, too, so this is a tough choice. The edge goes to leather here, but with a note of caution to be vigilant with sharp objects.
Smell
Odors are a side effect of spills, whether it’s coffee or something else. Cloth seats absorb the liquid and retain the smell. Leather will wipe clean with no lingering odor.
As is the case with any choice, you must weigh the good and the bad to make a decision that’s best for you. Hopefully, this insight helps you make yours.
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