A seat cover is a great way to protect your car seats from dirt, spills and wear-and-tear while adding style and comfort. There are a wide variety of fabrics available, from neoprene to canvas to CORDURA, but what’s best for your needs really depends on how you use the vehicle.
For example, if you drive in wet or dirty environments then you’ll want a fabric like neoprene that is soft and flexible but tough enough to stand up to spills and stains. A neoprene cover with a mesh panel also helps keep you cool by wicking away perspiration.
If you want to add a little luxury to the ride, Popular Mechanics recommends velour or microsuede covers. These are a bit more expensive, but they offer the look and feel of leather. The latter is especially luxurious and is available in a wide range of colors.
Another important consideration is how thick a fabric is. A cover that’s too thick can interfere with your seat’s airbag deployment, while a light and breathable cover will let cooling air flow through.
Most seat covers are trilaminates, with a face fabric laminated to a foam layer and a scrim backing. The face fabric provides an attractive appearance and must meet requirements for lightfastness, soil resistance and abrasion resistance, while the foam layer adds softness and comfort. The scrim backing fabric controls stretch properties and dimensional stability (Sen, 2008). The best seat cover fabrics are durable and stylish and match your interior decor, but you’ll also find a few that stand out with their color or print.