Cloth vs Leather - in cars

Kaitlin'smom wrote: So this year I am most likly going to get a vehichle and while I am searching for cars I keep running into the question cloth or leather. I am not a fan of leather but on the flip side it is easier to clean up spills and such with kids. (or so I am told)

My question what do you have and which do you perfer? I woudl reall tlike to hear your view on this so I can take it all into consideration.

TIA

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Besides the fact that I am married to a car guy, I would never have anything but leather in my cars. It is easier with kids and I have heated seats so they don't get cold in the winter. My next car will have heated and cooled seats. A lot of people just want stripped down models of cars. Scotty has to have all the bells and whistles. I can honestly say that I don't mind.

TANNER'S MOM replied: Now see I am opposite. I prefer cloth. Leather cracks and is cold and hot unless u have the new fancy stuff.

Of course cloth does get dirty, but you can have it detailed and cleaned up nicely. But when leather cracks and peels then u can't do anything but a cloth seat cover anyway.

I think your climate might come into factor!

Boys r us replied: All of our cars have leather and I wouldn't have it any other way! It's easier to wipe off when there is a spill and as long as you keep it conditioned (wipe it down with a leather creme every few weeks) it will stay nicer looking than cloth for the long haul!
Think about how many cars you have seen where the cloth seats are all stained up and gross looking..

Plus most cars that offer leather seats also offer climate controled seats and I'll tell you what..having heated seats in the winter and cooled seats in the summer is SOOOOOO NICE! I would have never really though it was too important before..but now that 2 of our cars have them..Ic an say that having a toasty tushy on these cold days has been a really nice perk!

Kaitlin'smom replied:
as in the more likely it is to crack?

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I've never seen leather crack. I've seen that vinyl stuff crack (that was in the older trucks/cars)

Kaitlin'smom replied: well my other issue with leather was the one time I put Kaitlin's car seat in to my sisters SUV with leather seats it slid around and just did not seem safe to me.

course it could be that the leather today is better


How are your car seats on your leather?

TANNER'S MOM replied: No, leather cracks....it my take 15m years but it does. I mean is this a vehicle that you will driver for 20 years or trade off in 5.

Yes humidy and heat seem to be worse on cracking. I know they sale stuff like conditoner and stuff to is suppose to help it from cracking.

Maddie&EthansMom replied:
We put our carseats on towels so it won't slide around and rub the leather. They also make mats to put under the carseat.

Boys r us replied: Leather will crack, if it's not cared for properly! But every week when I vaccum my car out, I run a leather conditioner over the seats and dash and doors, takes about 5 minutes.

As for the splipping, you can do a towel, we have mats under ours.

kit_kats_mom replied: The leather in my 10 year old van was cracking but I still would prefer leather seats.

They are easier to clean and they don't cause static.

They do get hotter and colder but if you stick with light colored leather, they should not get too hot.

That said, I ended up with cloth in my new van since it was the only used one on the lot that had everything else we wanted...I sucked up the cloth seats even though I didn't want too. I have put towels down on the seat where the kids seats are.

Maddie&EthansMom replied:
That is true about the lighter color and also if you have a lighter colored car it won't be bad. My last car was black with light leather and the leather still got hot, but I have a white car now with light leather and it doesn't get as hot inside (and we're in Texas)

Kaitlin'smom replied: thanks everyone, I think I might be leaning towards leather, while I am still not a fan, I have never had leather seats and maybe I will like them. Guess I will just have to dive both and see which is more comphy

coasterqueen replied: Definitely leather. I was so happy when DH went all out on the bells and whistles of my mini-van and leather was one of them.

And leather WILL crack, especially in our climates of hot/cold extremes. Dh's old mustang...I remember the leather cracked in that car.

Anyways, probably once a month we use that spray stuff (can't remember the name) that conditions leather and the dashboards, etc.

aspenblue1 replied: We have both leather in dh car and cloth in mine. I hate cloth now leather is easier to clean up. My seats have stains on them.