A seat cover protects car seats from damage, depreciation, and dirt while enhancing the appearance of a vehicle interior. From polished leather exuding luxury to casual and cosy velour to sporty, modernistic neoprene, seat covers come in a wide variety of fabrics, each of which has unique characteristics that cater to specific needs and aesthetic preferences.
The materials used for seat cover fabrication are subjected to a number of mechanical and thermal stresses even before use. The fabric must be lightfast, nonflammable and easy to clean; it must also have good abrasion resistance, permeability to air and moisture, and be durable enough to last for the life of the car. The fabric can be woven, knitted or knitted in one piece to avoid panel cutting and sewing; it is usually laminated to a foam layer that may be polyester polyurethane or polyether polyurethane foam. The foam must be flame retardant and easy to fabricate into a variety of shapes and thicknesses. A scrim backing fabric is added to control stretch properties and abrasion resistance and to improve the adhesion between the seat cushion and the cover.
Woven fabrics are more common and have good strength, abrasion and tear resistance. They can be made into a variety of designs and patterns to suit customer preferences, but require more sewing time than knit fabrics. They can be re-woven to reduce abrasion and extend their service life. Woven fabrics are often coated with polyester or other synthetic fibres to increase abrasion resistance, improve colourfastness and to make them more flame retardant.