Are Car Seat Covers Worth It? | Things You Should Know

If you love traveling in your car, then good car seat cushions for long drives can be a worthwhile investment. To top it off, you can get a decent car seat cover that will protect the cushion from dirt and general wear. 

Unfortunately, not a lot of people may want to cover up their car seats. They may cite the reason that it will conceal the beauty of the car’s interior, especially if the seats feature a premium leather upholstery. And while that is a valid point, we disagree. 

In our opinion, car seat covers are absolutely worth it for several reasons. For starters, they protect your seats and car cushions, as we have stated before. Apart from that, there are other car seat cover benefits that justify getting it. 

If you are wondering what these are, then keep reading! 

Why Should You Get A Car Seat Cover?

Some of the most common reasons for getting a car seat have been discussed below. 

1. Protection Against Dirt And Damage

The biggest and most obvious reason for getting a car seat cover is protection. Believe it or not, the surfaces of your car seats can get extremely dirty if you use your car on a regular basis. And if you have children, preventing stains and keeping the seats clean is an impossible feat because of the typical shenanigans they’re always up to. 

Over time, the dirt and grime may accumulate, making your car seats extremely unhygienic. Besides, if the upholstery gets too dirty, its original sheen will be lost, while the colors and textures will be covered up by the dirt.

Subsequently, the cleanup process that you will have to undertake to restore their original appearance will take some serious elbow grease. That is why we suggest getting a car seat cover, which will get rid of this problem altogether.

Not only will they keep your upholstery intact, but they are also a lot easier to clean. Simply remove them from the seats, and toss them into the washing machine.

In addition to dirt protection, car seat covers offer protection against damages. You won’t need to worry about your car seats getting scratched or torn up. Meaning, they are the perfect solution for those who use their car too frequently, as well as for pet owners.

2. Covering Up Existing Damages

Aside from appearing untidy, visible damages on your car seats can drastically reduce the car’s resale value. After all, who would want to purchase a vehicle that has torn-up seats and scratches all over the upholstery?

But with a good car seat cover, you can effectively cover up any existing damages to protect its resale value. Moreover, if you find replacing the damaged car seats to be an expensive affair, simply wrap it up with a good seat cover to conceal the unsightly damages.

3. Increased Practical Utility

Many car owners have pets, children, or use their car to move heavy stuff. For such people the vehicle seats are often prone to getting stained, covered with pet hair, and becoming flattened or disfigured, among other things. 

If you are also one of them, you’ll find car seat covers to be useful. Most seat covers are made of durable materials that are highly stain-resistant. This means that you can say goodbye to unsightly marks left by drink spills, oils, or grease.

What’s more, the materials used in car seat covers are quite odor-resistant as well. So, if your child or pet accidentally pees during one of those long rides, you can easily get rid of the bad smells.

Likewise, car seat covers provide an additional level of cushioning to your seats. Because of that, you won’t have to deal with annoying crease marks left behind by heavy or sharp-edged objects.

On a side note, the materials used in car seat covers are pretty good at retaining heat. Thus, if your car does not come with heated seats, this is a convenient alternative.

4. Changing The Appearance Of Your Car Interiors

Normally, most car manufacturers use fabric or leather car seats, which come with minimal variation in colors or texture. As such, you may become bored of seeing the same interiors after a while.

So, as a wise man once said, “variety is the spice of life,” you may feel tempted to give your car’s interior a full-on makeover. This is where car seat covers come in handy since they allow you to do just that. 

You can find a wide range of car covers that come in a range of colors and textures. Use them to cover the original seats to considerably jazz up the overall vibe inside your car.

Are There Any Downsides To Getting Car Seat Covers?

While getting seat covers is advantageous, it does have a couple of drawbacks that you should keep in mind. We have discussed them below, so if you are curious, read on.

1. Safety

One of the most common questions we get asked by people is, “are car seat cushions safe with covers?” Well, they are perfectly safe if you use an older car model. For modern cars, though, using covers on car seat cushions might not be entirely safe.

Modern automobiles come with different features to ensure the safety of the passengers inside. One of these safety features is the inclusion of airbags below the seat cushions. Similar to steering wheel airbags, they deploy instantly whenever the vehicle gets in an accident to protect the people inside from getting injured.

If you install seat covers in such vehicles, the airbags might fail to deploy during an accident. So, you will be inadvertently putting yourself in danger in this case. Thankfully, not all vehicles come with seat airbags. For those that do come with this feature, you can get a cover that has been designed keeping the airbags in mind.

2. Quality

There are hundreds of seat covers available for different car models, but not all seat covers have good enough quality. If you opt for low-quality covers to save some bucks, you will be doing more harm than good.

For example, you see a really cheap seat cover, and you decide to purchase it, thinking it to be a steal at such a price. However, after using it for a couple of days, there may be odd smells coming from your car. Or the fabric of the cover might fail to protect your original seats against food and liquid spills.

Those are one of the many defects that you will start to notice if you buy a cheap cover. So, tell us, would you consider it a worthwhile investment then? 

That said, if you own a high-end, exotic car, getting a seat cover might not be the wisest choice. This is because the seats for such cars are made from premium quality materials, and concealing them with covers might diminish their luxurious feel and look instead.

What Are Car Seat Covers Made Of?

Now that you know about the pros and cons of car seat covers, a question may pop up in your mind – what are these seat covers made of? Well, we are glad you asked because the material used in these covers is what makes them worth buying.

Below we have discussed some of the most common materials used for manufacturing car seat covers.

1. Canvas

Canvas is a popular material used for making seat covers for heavy-duty vehicles. It is highly durable and, therefore, provides a decent level of protection to the seats. On top of that, it is machine-washable, which makes it easier to maintain. But it is not as comfortable or visually appealing, due to which it is not used much in regular passenger cars.

2. Neoprene

Neoprene is a material that is akin to synthetic rubber, typically used for making wetsuits. Because of that, it is highly water-resistant, which makes it easy to maintain. It is also pretty soft and cushioned, making it suitable for passenger cars. However, the material is quite expensive, which can deter people from purchasing it.

3. Polyester

Polyester is one of the most popular car covers for regular passenger vehicles since it is both affordable and durable. It is a great choice for people with pets and children since it provides adequate protection against staining, scratching, or tearing. 

Even maintaining it is relatively easy since the material is readily machine-washable. However, they are not that visually appealing, so compared to leather or neoprene, they may make your car interiors look slightly dull.

4. Leather

When it comes to looks, very few materials can top the premium feel of leather. That is why it is the material of choice for many luxury car owners. Conversely, if your original interiors look a bit shabby, you can go for leather seat covers to add sophistication without breaking the bank. 

Leather seats are relatively resistant to damage and wear, which is an added bonus. But owing to the nature of leather, these car seat covers are a little difficult to wash and maintain.

Car Seat Cover Frequently Asked Questions ?

Are car seat covers universal?

Some manufacturers may claim that their seat covers are a universal fit, which means that the cover can fit across all types of car models. But in reality, car seat covers are not universal since every car has a different seat design. So, there is no way that a single cover will fit the car seats of different models.

Reputed manufacturers often offer custom-tailored car seat covers that are specifically designed to fit your car’s seats. However, there are some cheaper universal car seat covers available as well, which are universal in the sense that they will fit different car models of the same make. For cars of a different make, or for higher-end cars, these universal seat covers will not be suitable.

Do you need to purchase a full set of car seat covers?

When manufacturers make car seat covers, they generally create a complete set to cover all the seats of a car. So, yes, you will need to purchase a full set of car seat covers, which can be somewhat expensive.

With that being said, there are a few manufacturers that offer individual covers for your rear seats or front seats separately. They are very hard to come by and will cost you almost the same as a complete set, which reduces their feasibility.

How much do car seat covers cost?

The cost of a good quality car seat cover depends on the materials used and the car model. Usually, covers made from leather or neoprene come at a higher price than covers made from polyester or canvas. Also, if you purchase a custom-tailored car seat cover, it will cost you more than a universal cover. 

Car Seat Cover Final Words

That’s about everything that we have to say about this topic. People have often come up to us with questions such as “why are car seats so uncomfortable?” or “how to revamp my car interiors for cheap?” Well, we have always suggested getting good car seat covers. 

As you can see, the benefits of getting a car seat cover far outweigh its drawbacks. So, if you have the same doubts and questions in your mind, you can put them to rest and get a car seat cover. 

However, we would say that getting car seat covers for a new car is a better investment than getting them for an old, dilapidated car. If your car looks like a rustbucket on the outside, then getting brand new covers for the seats might not be the best idea, wouldn’t you agree? 

Like this article that answers your questions! Checkout our website for more similar articles on other topics for more information such as why fans blowing hot air, are car seat cushions safe, and many more. 

Anyways, it’s time to wrap it up. Until next time!