# leather or cloth interior for car seats?



## momofmine (Jan 8, 2007)

I'm trying to make some decisions about buying a new car, and I have never had leather seats in a car. I always had the presumption that leather would be hot and sticky when wearing shorts in the summer (I know you can turn on the AC but it just seems that would still take a few minutes) and cold in the winter. And I also thought that leather would probably not last as long and look as new as long as cloth would, like it would crack and look worn before cloth would.

All my friends who have leather say that, in a new car, leather is so much better because it's so easy to clean up. I have two boys who get very muddy on a regular basis, playing soccer, at the park, etc. So this sounds pretty good to me.

But I was also wondering if leather would be harder to get a tight install for car seats. Would it be more slick, or in an accident, be more slippery? Or are the latch, tethers, and systems for installing new car seats in new cars so good that this doesn't matter?

What would you get if you had two active, dirty boys, and could get cloth or leather?

Oh, also, are there any additional offgassing issues with leather vs. cloth? I did also read somewhere that cloth holds in dust and crud over time, and so it is not as good for health and allergies.


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## mumofboyz (Jul 11, 2008)

I have those muddy, wet, dirty boys in my car all the time. Leather is definitely the way to go. Unlike vinyl seats (do they even make those anymore?), leather is not horribly hot or sticky and it is way easier to clean over the fabric ones.

I guess if the seat was too hot for them, I would offer a towel to put down before they sat down. With active boys, I keep a couple of towels in the car anyway.

I have no idea about out-gassing.


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## lifeguard (May 12, 2008)

If you can afford it leather would definitely be nicer. I would think that there would be more offgassing with fabric than leather because leather is a natural fibre (I highly doubt they use any natural fabrics in carseats).


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## TheGirls (Jan 8, 2007)

Several of the cars I ride in regularly have leather seats. It does sometimes make it harder to get a tight install with a carseat, I feel. I don't think it's less safe though, once you get it in tight. I don't find the seats terribly hot/cold though. It also seems like the carseats could damage the leather permanently if they were left in there for a long time. My kid isn't old enough for me to have an opinion on the other considerations!







But for me, right now, I prefer cloth. I may feel different when I have muddy kids in and out all the time.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

The other important thing with muddy kids are nice plastic floor mats! The type you can take out and hose off!


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## momofmine (Jan 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DahliaRW* 
The other important thing with muddy kids are nice plastic floor mats! The type you can take out and hose off!

Yeah, that's a good point! Do you have leather? I think I remember that you have a new Sienna? Do you love it still? I am trying to decide between a Pilot/Highlander or a Sienna/Odyssey.


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## JBaxter (May 1, 2005)

My past 2 vehicles have had leather and I LOVE it. I have never had a car seat damage the leather and with extended rfing ( to age 2) the seat wipes off wonderfully. I will NEVER have another car w/ cloth seats as long as I have children.

If remotely possible get the leather. You wont be sorry.


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## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

I have leather and I love it. My seats are dark gray, so they do get hot in the summer, but I just put a small blanket or towel on my seat and leave it there all summer. Clean up is so easy, I just wipe them off. I've had my car for 2 years (and it was a year old when I got it) and my seats look brand new. I did not notice a difference in carseat installation.


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## mamalemon (Mar 25, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DahliaRW* 
The other important thing with muddy kids are nice plastic floor mats! The type you can take out and hose off!

So true! We have an Odyssey with the rubber mats and they are fantastic.

After ruining the cloth seats in our last car with melted crayons and various other kid-related messes, we went with leather. I keep a towel in the front to lay over my seat if it gets too hot. The kids are in car seats in the third row and the second row is SO shaded from the combination of tinted windows plus the pull shades that the seats never get hot.


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## momofmine (Jan 8, 2007)

Okay this is all good to hear, I think you guys have me convinced. Now, what's your favorite color? Gray, dark gray, or tan?


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## KayleeZoo (Apr 8, 2003)

Chiming in to vote for leather, too. With 3, soon to be 4, kids in seats, I'll never buy another vehicle w/fabric seats again!

My Yukon XL has light grey leather, and I prefer it over the tan, but would have opted for a dark grey if that had been an option.


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## orangefoot (Oct 8, 2004)

We are newly converted to leather seat and it has been so easy to keep the car clean. Ours is a dark kind of cream which over her is called beige.

I scorched by bum on the drivers seat this week for the first time ever and it took me right back to the 70s and sitting on a towel lid on the vinyl seats in our Peugeot. Happy times!


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## Thisbirdwillfly (May 10, 2009)

I've had tan leather seats for ten years and they still look nice. I find the seats to be easy to clean and the few little dings they've taken over the years do not stand out against the tan.


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## sunnymw (Feb 28, 2007)

We had light grey leather in our 97 Buick and it was wonderful. ERFing seats in 2 positions. One note--it will NOT ruin your leather, but make sure the bottom of the car seat is CLEAN before installing. If there's gravel/sand/dirt on the bottom of the seat it'll rub on the leather during the miniscule amt of movement the seat does during loading/unloading. We had one tiny spot rubbed a little bit when I installed our BV during a beach trip.









I loved the leather on MIL's 03 Quest. Kind of rough leather (comfy, just not shiny/slick). I hate the leather in her new Flex. Something about the way the seat belts sit and the way the leather is so slick make a seatbelt install w/ an Uptown RFing *impossible*. Has to be LATCH. And believe me did I try some tricks









GMIL's Civic is cloth and I don't like it from a mess standpoint. Our Durango has that cloth-mesh type stuff and I actually prefer that most


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## momofmine (Jan 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sunnymw* 
Our Durango has that cloth-mesh type stuff and I actually prefer that most









Well the cloth in the Honda Pilot almost looked like that, not really a fuzzy cloth. Is this what you mean? This link shows a close-up of it.

Is that what you mean? Do you like that over the leather?


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *momofmine* 
Yeah, that's a good point! Do you have leather? I think I remember that you have a new Sienna? Do you love it still? I am trying to decide between a Pilot/Highlander or a Sienna/Odyssey.

Nope, cloth. But I find the floor gets MUCH dirtier than the seats! No way dh would pay for leather.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the Sienna. Can't say enough good things about it. We have the LE AWD model.


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## lotus.blossom (Mar 1, 2005)

A word of warning: puke + leather = naaaasty! Our couch has been ruined by vomit so if your kids ever throw up in your car clean it immediately or you'll never get the smell out!!


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## momofmine (Jan 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DahliaRW* 
Nope, cloth. But I find the floor gets MUCH dirtier than the seats! No way dh would pay for leather.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the Sienna. Can't say enough good things about it. We have the LE AWD model.

Yeah I have found this the case so far in my current car. But then again it's 15 years old and I haven't really cared much about the seats one way or the other in a car of this age.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lotus.blossom* 
A word of warning: puke + leather = naaaasty! Our couch has been ruined by vomit so if your kids ever throw up in your car clean it immediately or you'll never get the smell out!!










Eeeeek. Not good. I'm sure that's bound to happen someday. Ugh, so many things to think about!


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

I'm a huge fan of leather seats, but they can be a PITA for installing seats on. My mom's Taurus was awful for installing seats, but I've never had a problem with my van seats.


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## eckmannl (Nov 9, 2004)

I had leather seats in my last van. They were a lot easier to clean up. I didn't have any trouble installing car seats. The kids car seats were in it for about two years and they left permanent dents in the leather seats.


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