Do I Need a Car Seat Cover?
I usually exercise a couple of times each week. When I get into the car, I am perspiring, and some moisture tends to transfer to the seat. That’s why I decided to get a neoprene seat cover. Now the seat cover protects the seat and gives me a comfortable place to sit.
You need a car seat cover for protection from sweat, dirt, food spills, and grim that might get onto your car seats. Most people can benefit from the protection that car seat covers provide.
I have spilled my share of food items in the car. I’m glad that my car seat is easy to clean up, yet my other car seats don’t have protection, and I have had spills that took some time to clean.
Who are You Driving?
When considering if you need a car seat cover, think about who regularly travels in the car and how often. Are you or your passengers a little messy or a lot? How often do you clean your car? And do you eat by yourself or with others in the car? Do you travel with pets?
When answering these questions, you may want to also consider the last time you looked at your car and when the last time it was cleaned. These can question, and your awareness of your normal daily car driving activity can help you determine if you need a car seat cover.
I definitely benefit from a car seat cover, not only because I regularly exercise and don’t want to sweat on the car seat but because I tend to wait a while between car interior cleanings.
Lots of food, dirt and other particles are easily swept away from my car seat cover. I don’t have to worry about my car seat getting particles ground into the fabric over time. When I vacuum, I rarely see anything on my seat and can move on to the floors and other seats that aren’t covered.
Most pet owners would agree that having the right car seat cover will help prevent a ton of shedding hair from sticking onto their fabric seats.
How Often Do You Clean?
It can be easier to clean the interior of your car if you stick to a regular schedule. But many people lack the time or commitment to clean their cars frequently. If you do clean regularly, you will notice how clean the car seats are.
As you clean regularly, you will help prevent stains and dirty seats and may decide a car seat cover is not needed.
If you don’t notice your spills and stains for a while, things get more difficult. Once you realize your car seats need to be cleaned, getting stains and food spills off of them can be more difficult. So, depending on your cleaning schedule, you may decide that getting a car seat cover is worth the protection it provides.
Do You Eat in the Car?
If I ever go to In n Out for a burger, I usually eat in my car. There’s no way to prevent every particle of food from falling onto the seat. A small piece may drop on the seat, even when you’re being your most careful.
If you have a leather or faux leather seat, you might not worry too much about some food falling because these types of seats tend to be easy to clean up. But without a seat cover, small pieces of bread or other items can go into the seat crevices. Cleaning up may then be more difficult.
I would generally agree that having a car seat cover while eating in the car is a good idea. You can clean up much easier and prevent stains from occurring. The food doesn’t touch the seat, and you can wait to clean up the spills until later, depending on the seat cover you get.
Are Your Clothes Dirty?
If you work or play areas that get your clothing dirty, greasy, or messy somehow, it is a good idea to protect your car seats before you sit down. An auto mechanic is going to have a difficult time preventing any grease from contact with their seat.
Your clothing and hands can have all sorts of waxy, sticky, oily, and dirty particles on them. While climbing into and out of the car, you’ll likely touch the seat a few times. If your activities involve these types of particles, a car seat cover can help protect your seat.
While you may not get as dirty as the man in the picture, the spread of many types of items can get onto the car seat from the activities you participate in on a daily bases. Even the oils from your skin can build up over time on a car seat heat rest can cause discoloration.
Which Seat Type Do You Have?
My Recommendations
Leather & Faux Leather
If you don’t clean often, I recommend getting leather or faux leather seat cover if you are concerned about the look of your car.
Otherwise, any good quality cover can be helpful, especially if it has full protection for your seat.
Fabric Seat
If I had a fabric seat, I would always choose a seat cover. I like neoprene seat covers because they are soft and can help protect me from most dirt and spill issues that I encounter when driving.
Neoprene Seat
Some seats come with a removable cover. You can take them off and clean them if needed. This is a great option to have on a car.
Although once the seat cover gets ripped or stained, you will have to replace it, which could cost a ton.
Getting a reasonably priced seat cover can save you time and effort for a much smaller investment. See link. (Amazon Link)
Care Seat Cover. Yes or No?
When deciding whether I wanted or needed a seat cover, one reason I was reluctant to get one was the overall look of the seat cover. Would it match my car? Now I feel that the practicality of having one outweighs any style uncertainty I have.
There are wide varieties now available that may perfectly match your car’s interior. Choose from leather, faux leather, fabric, neoprene, waterproof, dog seat covers, and more.
Those who are maintaining a clean original look for their vehicle may be able to find a premium seat cover that enhances the look of their vehicle. A car seat cover can create the accents you want to stylize your car interior so it looks even better.
So choosing a car seat cover makes sense for most people who care about keeping their car seat protected from the sun, heat, and all sorts of food and grim that occur in many cars. But there are also reasons someone would avoid getting a car seat cover.
A car seat cover may detract from the car’s original look, so it may not be as appealing for some. Having car seat covers doesn’t allow you to show your car off to others, so they can get a feel for what an original car interior for that make and model is like.
If you are a regular cleaner of your car interior, many of the issues that make a mess on your car seat fabric or leather can be wiped away fairly easily. You are likely to clean your car interior from weekly to monthly, and if spills occur you clean them right away.
These regular car seat cleaners may not need car seat covers because of their diligent care for their car seats. They are likely to vacuum, clean, and condition their seats once or more a month. They love the original seat for their car and would never cover it up.
So if you find it difficult to want to cover up your seat, it may be that you are already taking good care of your car regularly and don’t need a car seat cover because of the protection your giving to your car seat by using seat care products and investing the time to care for them.
Pros and Cons of Car Seat Covers
Pros
- Sun Screen: Many car seat covers stop the sun’s harmful rays. Seats are less prone to cracking and drying out.
- Moisture protection: Spilled drinks, moisture, and other liquids can be stopped from touching the seat when using some types of car seat covers.
- Style: Many car seat covers add style to your car’s interior and help give your vehicle a custom look.
- Renew Seats: An old car seat can look new again when you place a new car seat cover over it.
- Comfort: Some car seat covers have padding and fabric that is comfortable to sit on.
- Children and Pets: You drive children and or pets in your car. A seat car cover can help clean and protect your car seats.
Cons
- Not Original: The original seat may be the look you want for your car. Covering it might make the car look strange.
- Comfort: The original seat has the feel and comfort you enjoy. A cover may impact overall enjoyment.
- Cleaning Regularly: You are always careful while in your car and clean the seat regularly. A spill or grime isn’t likely.
- Difficulty Cleaning: Washing your car seat covers takes a long time because they are difficult to install and remove.
- Doesn’t Fit: Some car seat covers don’t fit well on your car seat. This may be due to your car seat design or the car seat cover design.
- Too Warm: Some car seat covers may make your back start to sweat. This could be said for some car seats as well.
How to Decide?
If you agree with more pros or cons when considering getting a car seat cover, you should choose the one that best matches how you feel.
Conclusion
My opinion is that most people will benefit from a car seat cover. Some cars look much better without a fabric car seat cover, although getting a more premium car seat cover can enhance your car’s appearance.
A car seat cover will protect your car from many things that could make a mess of the car seats. Having a regular schedule of cleaning will help protect and clean car seats, and using car seat covers can protect your seats from weathering and getting soiled.
Depending on your situation and preferences, a car seat cover may enhance your car care experience or detract from it. Pros and cons list can help you decide what is best for you. For more information on cleaning your car interior, read this article.
