Can Car Seat Covers Damage Leather Seats?


To most people, leather car seats are a luxury. The comfort and value of this type of car seat makes most car owners go the extra mile to protect their precious possession from any damage.

They usually do this by installing car seat covers. For the most part, car seat covers do not damage leather seats. Seat covers covers actually have a positive impact on your car seats, preserving them and enabling your truck to maintain its value for a longer period of time.

More importantly, in case the seat covers become damaged, most owners won’t freak out as much since seat covers are easily replaceable. As long as the leather seat itself remains intact, they do not mind as much of the seat cover condition.

Is there a chance seat covers can damage car seats?

Just as the name implies, car seat covers are meant to envelop and protect the seat’s material from damage. However, you can ask yourself, will car seat covers damage the leather seats?

It is important to note that seat covers will not guarantee you full protection for your leather seat. The answer to whether the cover will protect your car seat, or still contribute to its damage lies with the owner of the vehicle.

Ask yourself: what measures do you put in place to shield your car seat from situations that initiate damage? For instance, most people will purchase the covers to safeguard their leather seats from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Normally, the UV rays will dry out the leather material, which instigates the fading off of the leather’s color, and the cracking of the leather. Even with seat covers, the leather on the seat is still susceptible to the same UV damage after prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.

Don’t get me wrong. Seat covers will protect the leather from most of the UV ray exposure, but there’s still that minute risk of slight leather damage if exposed enough.

What seat cover material is best for leather seats?

Since leather attracts UV rays easily, resulting in faster damage, it is best to use seat cover material that is the most impenetrable. Therefore, fabric is more favorable, readily available, and cost-friendly compared to other seat cover materials.

Fabric is softer and remains cooler when exposed to heat, and stays warmer in colder weather. This is important to note during extreme weather conditions since uncovered leather seats are more susceptible to damage.

In addition, several types fabric are durable and are resilient to punctures. Fabric is also easier to clean, hence simple to maintain.

Denim is a type of fabric that is hard, yet relatively comfortable. The denim used for seat covers is made mostly of high quality material with a froth backing. The froth backing makes them have a smoother finishing.

Neoprene is also an excellent type of fabric for your leather seat. It is very comfortable, durable, and highly resistant to water. It is rubbery, hence favorable to kids, who tend to be more rough with seat covers.

Other materials are only favorable to specific climatic conditions. For example, mesh and velour are best for extremely hot climates. They allow air to travel beneath the seat covers, circulate freely, and prevent sweat from accumulating on the seat.

Other owners may prefer sheepskin covers on their leather seats. However, sheepskin covers are very expensive and require dry cleaning. The dry cleaning alone is a huge turn off.

CarId provides a very in-depth description of the different types of car seat covers out there if you care to learn more about them.

Universal vs custom seat covers: both as safe on leather?

Most vehicle owners may wonder how seat covers are connected to safety. It is important to note that, for more modern vehicles, improper seat covers can have a detrimental impact on the deployment of the side airbags.

During an accident, the wrong seat cover can prevent a side airbag from inflating, thus risking the safety of the driver or passenger.

On the market, seat covers are either universal of custom-fit. Universal seat covers are one-size fits all. Custom-fitted seat covers are tailored specifically for a certain vehicle.

For example, a custom cover for a driver-side, front seat of a Toyota Tacoma may not fit the same seat on a Chevy Colorado.

Both offer similar kinds of security. However, each has its downsides and upsides.

Universal seat covers

Universal seat covers come in different designs, but are not appropriate for cars containing seat airbags, and hence may present with safety issues. With this type, you should also expect an improper fit for your car’s seat since they are not tailor made. An improper fit means a lot of sliding around.

With universal seat covers, you are limited in your choices. You may not be able to choose a specific fabric that appeals to your level of comfort and durability.

Custom seat covers

In contrast, custom-made seat covers are designed for a particular vehicle model. They allow for the safe deployment of seat-mounted airbags.

Just be sure to match the seat cover to the make, model AND year of your vehicle. Model designs, including side air bag placement, can change from year to year.

With custom-made designs, you can select certain materials that are not only appealing but also longer-lasting. This characteristic makes it safer for your particular vehicle, instead of the one-size-fits-all types that may not meet your needs.

Finally, if you are uncertain whether or not your car contains side airbags on your front seats, check your vehicle manual. You can also find a tag on your seat labeled ‘side airbag’ or Supplemental Restraint System (SRS).

Will improperly fit seat covers damage leather seats?

It is easier to obtain seat covers that fail to fit correctly on your car’s seats. Such issues will usually arise with the universal-made covers, which are designed as a one-size-fits-all.

The impact of using improperly fit covers on your leather seat may be significant. For example, portions of your leather seat may remain exposed to the harmful UV rays, hence drying out the exposed parts of your car seat.

The UV rays will also create cracks in the leather material, as well as fade its color. This will leave your seats with unmatched colors, such that, the improperly covered areas appear older than the areas under the seat cover.

You then end up spending an exorbitant amount of money reupholstering your leather seats and finally deciding to shell out money for custom covers. It is essential to make an informed choice when selecting covers for your leather seats.

Will seat covers damage any material seats?

Just as leather material is prone to damage even with seat covers, different materials are also predisposed to the same level of damage risk.

In most cases, whenever the seat covers are exposed to long-term damaging factors, the same effects go into the material seat itself. The UV rays that damage leather seats due to prolonged exposure can cause equal damage for any material seat.

This happens such that the material of the seat may end up fading, looking old, and tearing, all of which weaken the fabric. Either way, you are taking a bigger risk without seat covers than with them.

Wrapping Up

Whether the car seat cover is universal or custom-made, any damage to the seat will depend on various factors such as the car’s usage. The covers for your leather seats are a worthwhile investment since they add into the life of your car’s seat by protecting it from various damaging factors.

To realize long-term benefits, you must be extra careful not to expose your vehicle to constant high temperatures. You should also avoid carrying your pets openly on the car seat, since they may easily scratch not only the seat covers but also the seat material beneath.

Also, to avoid unnecessary damage, ensure that the type of seat cover material you choose for your vehicle will reflect your need. If, for instance, your car is normally full of kids, you may select fabric, vinyl, microsuede, or mesh, which are friendly in case of issues like spills or stains.

If you cannot avoid traveling with your pet, you should choose specialized pet seat covers.

Above all, treat your truck with respect. You spends thousands of dollars on your truck. Make sure you keep it as clean and new-looking as possible.


If you’re thinking of different ways to accessorize your truck or make it more functional, consider checking out my recommended accessories page. I spent a good amount of time picking out mods that can be useful for most pickup trucks.

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