Detailing my car with leather seats and...

[Aisling]

I don't know if I made the right decision. I had my car detailed today, inside and out, and I had them put leather seats in to replace the cloth ones. My dog and sons are often in the car with me, and soda spills and especially white dog hair made the cloth seats really crappy looking because the hair is HARD to get off.

Anyway, it cost me a bundle to have them changed to leather, but I LOVE the way it looks, smells, and will be SO easy to keep clean. BUT my neighbor said leather seats get HOT in the summer if the car is parked in the sun, hot like burning your skin hot. I thought only the "pleather" fabric was like this, not real leather. Doesn't leather stay cool even in heat? I guess I'll find out soon enough, but I'm hoping I didn't waste all that money by having to cover the leather with seat cushions to protect my rear end from the hot seat.

Any advice or opinions on leather seating in cars?

 

[MIGrandma]

My Blazer has leather seats. I've had it for several years and have never had the seats get so hot from the sun that I couldn't sit on them. I do love them in the winter, because they are heated. Sure feels good on a really cold winter day.

I know someone who just got a new car with leather seats and they now come not only heated for winter, but cooled for summer. She thought that was odd at first, but then decided she did like that feature.

 

[minnie56]

Hmmm..I have leather seats and have never noticed them unduly hot? I love them! I find them cold in the winter though till the heated seat warms them up

 

[minkydog]

I love my leather seats! In fact, I refuse to buy a car without them. They are easy to clean and need almost no upkeep to have them remaining nice. My son Christian has been known to wet himself in the car, so I always bring a thick towel for him to sit on. But even so, we've had a few "accidents". With leather, I just wipe them up with leather cleaner, no problem. If we had cloth seats...just, ewwwww...

As a furniture salesman once told me when we were choosing between cloth and leather couches: "Leather is just skin. You just wash it!" We bought the leather couch anyway.

 

[minkydog]

I know someone who just got a new car with leather seats and they now come not only heated for winter, but cooled for summer. She thought that was odd at first, but then decided she did like that feature.

Our new SUV has these A/C seats. It feels a bit like you're sitting on an Air Hockey table.

 

[Aisling]

Wow, I never thought to ask about the heated/cooling seats. Oh well, as long as I don't have to wait outside the car for a few minutes for the seats to cool off with the regular AC, it's all good.

Thanks so much for the input! Looks like I made the right decision.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I live in TX - always buy cars with leather seating surfaces - and I've never found them to be a huge issue.

 

[design_mom]

My last two cars have had leather seats. They can get warm if the car is sitting in the sun, but not usually burn-yourself hot. (My parents had a car with vinyl seats when i was young, and those would burn you! It's not the same at all.)

 

[jodifla]

Leather in a car is great!!! It wears so much better than cloth.

It doesn't get that hot.

 

[Carl Fredricksen]

Our leather seats aren't too bad, but I did get a collapsible windshield sunscreen for when we visit WDW.

FWIW, the finest leather conditioner I have ever found is GOOP lanolin hand cleaner. It's in the auto section at Walmart, runs about $2 a tub, and is absolutely the best conditioner/cleaner I have ever used. Got the tip from an auto forum I frequent, and have been using it for years. Save you money on the expensive stuff, because GOOP actually works better IMO.

Congrats on the new seats, money well spent IMO.

 

[golfgal]

Yes, leather gets hot on the summer and cold in the winter. If you have tinted windows that helps quite a bit. Those windshield sun shade things help as well.

 

[mtemm]

my dh picked a car with black exterior and black leather interior. I have no idea what he was thinking at the time, but this car is now my car and OUCH. summer is rough if it is parked in the sun. I keep a towel or light blanket covering the seat so I can get in.

I suppose I should be grateful that we live in new england, so this isn't an issue for long.

 

[mtemm]

Our new SUV has these A/C seats. It feels a bit like you're sitting on an Air Hockey table.

ooooh...nice! ours has heated seats which is wonderful for the winter, but a/c seats would be awesome at least to cool them down!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I sit on a towel for the summer, the leather does get hot.

I don't have cooling seats (now that sounds "cool") but we do have heated seats for the winter. Ah, so nice.

Leather wears better so we have leather. The benefits outweigh the negatives.

 

[mtemm]

meant to add, I would definitely go leather again, I just wouldn't get BLACK leather.

 

[Bob NC]

People that don't have leather seats say that they are hot in the summer. People that don't have leather seats say they are cold in the winter. People that have leather seats love them.

 

[Aisling]

FWIW, the finest leather conditioner I have ever found is GOOP lanolin hand cleaner. It's in the auto section at Walmart, runs about $2 a tub, and is absolutely the best conditioner/cleaner I have ever used.

Thanks for the tip!!

 

[Carl Fredricksen]

People that don't have leather seats say that they are hot in the summer. People that don't have leather seats say they are cold in the winter. People that have leather seats love them.

We will never have a car without leather again. It is a deal breaker on what car we would purchase.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

People that don't have leather seats say that they are hot in the summer. People that don't have leather seats say they are cold in the winter. People that have leather seats love them.

That is so true. Love my leather seats even in Florida in the dead of July without a windshield cover.