Are you basking in the glory of your new car? It’s quite a milestone for you since you’ve always wanted to have your own. Now that you’ve achieved that, the excitement is through the roof and you just can’t wait to take it out for a spin. But before you do that, you want to equip it with all the practical and useful car accessories necessary to ensure that it keeps running for a long time.
With all the usual accessories such as navigation, flashlights and vacuums, perhaps the one that’s most important is right under your nose. Think about it for a second, whenever you get into your car, what’s the first thing you make contact with? That’s right, your seat. You sit down before you do anything else. And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having bare seats, they can get damaged with everyday wear and tear. If you really want to keep the interior of your car spotless and tear-free, the best course of action would be to get a comfortable automotive seat cover to get all that extra cushioning and support. Luckily for you, we’ll guide you through the whole process. Strap in and enjoy the ride.
What Are the Different Types of Car Seat Covers?
First thing’s first, you need to figure out what kinds of seats you have. All vehicles are different and come in a multitude of shapes and sizes. Your seat covers have to be a snug fit in order to produce the expected results. With that in mind, there are two main types of covers for you to choose from.
Universal
This one’s called universal because it’s supposed to fit well on most regular seats. It has a stain and spill-resistant surface that you can easily glide over your existing interior. Once it’s put into place, the cover’s non-slip back ensures that it’ll stay securely in place no matter how much you move around as you drive.
The only downside of these types of covers is that they don’t necessarily match the shape of every seat out there. Sure, they might cover the bottom and back areas but the headrest might not cut it. If you want full and thorough coverage, you might want to look into custom-made car seat covers for the best results.
Custom
As you might have already guessed, these are specifically designed to match the particular design of your seats. This is perhaps the best option for those of you that want to retain your interior’s original appearance and design without making any modifications.
What makes custom covers so convenient is the fact that they’re meticulously created to match every cut and crevice of your seats so that they fit like a glove. They normally come in full sets with front and rear covers along with headrests so you won’t have to shop for each one individually.
What Are Car Seat Covers Made Of?
The next major factor you’ll have to think about is the kinds of materials you want to line your car interior with. Here’s a quick breakdown of the most common ones.
Neoprene
This nylon-based material is highly resistant to moisture, dirt, debris as well as harmful UV rays from the sun. This means that it’s the perfect choice for off-road adventures because your seats won’t get messy no matter how much mud or rain you bring along inside. Your seats will stay clean and scratch-free which is your ultimate goal as a car owner.
Leather
If you want your interior to have a more luxurious and high-class feel, then leather seats are definitely the way to go. It’s a somewhat more expensive option when compared to the others but it’s definitely worth the cost. The premium leather feel will undoubtedly bring some elegance and sophistication into the mix, which will upgrade your car’s aesthetic appeal.
While this material is quite durable and breathable, it’s most suitable for use in areas with a colder climate. The main disadvantage is that leather can be a real challenge during the hot summer months because it can cause you to sweat buckets by heating up your skin.
Moreover, leather seat covers provide limited versatility in terms of design. The usual options include either black or brown but that’s about as far as it goes. So basically, if you want to include some other colour, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Canvas
This is practically the most cost-effective option if you’re on a tight budget. Canvas seat covers are lightweight yet long-lasting and resilient. Plus, it’s a stretchy material which means they’re easy to install and maintain. This leaves little room for awkward wrinkles and odd shapes because it’ll stretch over your seats perfectly. All in all, it’s the most suitable material for family owned-cars since kids are the main culprits when it comes to making a mess.
Key Considerations when Buying Car Seat Covers
With the whole typology thing out of the way, it’s time to direct our focus on a few additional factors you should think about before you reach a final decision.
Design Pattern
The seats’ functionality and practicality aside, the design pattern is the key to boosting your car’s aesthetic appeal. The good news is that there’s absolutely no limit to what you can do, so feel free to experiment with lots of different colours and styles until you find something you like.
Budget
The most important question you should ask yourself here is, how much are you actually willing to spend on your automotive seat cover? Surely, you’d want what’s best for your car but you shouldn’t deplete your entire budget on that just because you want those fancy ones you first laid eyes on.
