The usefulness of the covers for car seats will not be questioned by any motorist. Car seat covers retain their original upholstery from dirt and damage and can pay off many times before the car is sold.
They are especially relevant if the driver or passengers smoke in the cabin, or if children drive in the car – most covers can be quickly removed and washed in the washing machine, removing all the stains and unpleasant smells. The cost of dry-cleaning the cabin is quite comparable to the cost of a good set of seat covers.
But seat upholstery protection is not the only function of covers. They are also able to increase the comfort of the driver and passengers due to the material, which is more comfortable than the upholstery material and due to the cut, which provides a more comfortable fit.
We must not forget about the decorative function – with the help of covers dreams of a luxury leather interior can become reality for the amount much less than the price difference between the usual and luxury equipment of the car.
Today, the motorist is offered a large selection of covers of all kinds of forms, types and materials. And, having decided to buy a seat cover, it will be useful to understand the main characteristics of the seats, so that the purchase would not disappoint and serve for a long time.
Characteristics of car seat covers.
The type of cover is directly related to its main functions.
Headrest covers are the cheapest type of seat covers for car seats and are designed to ensure that the headrest is not so much upholstered with the headrest itself as the driver’s and passenger’s hair is clean. Hardly anyone would have liked to sleep on a pillowcase that was last changed three years ago.
The headrest in this sense is not fundamentally different. So if you care about the purity of your hair, then cheap, easily removable headrest covers will be a very useful purchase, even if your car already has seat covers.
The capes are the easiest to install car seat covers. As the name suggests, they are simply thrown on the seat. They are most often used to protect the seat upholstery and will be especially useful when (for one reason or another) you often have to get into the car in dirty clothes. For example, capes are popular among hunters and fishermen – you can put a cape on the seat before leaving, and upon return – remove it.
Advantages of capes:
- Simplicity and speed of installation/removal;
- Versatility (suitable for all seats) ;
- Low price.
Shortcomings:
- usually only protect the driver’s seat;
- do not protect the entire surface of the seat, and when used for a long time under a cover, there is a noticeable mark;
- are not well fixed to the seat;
- spoil the appearance of the interior.
T-shirt covers are also designed to protect the seat upholstery from dirt. They are installed not much more complicated than the capsules and almost as quickly. The set of such covers can be both for the driver’s seat and for the front pair of seats or for the whole interior. Usually made in single-layer, without fillers, which allows you to wash them in the washing machine.
The advantages of washcovers are similar to those of capes:
- Simplicity and speed of installation/removal;
- Simplicity of washing;
- Versatility (suitable for all seats) ;
- Low price.
Disadvantages:
- can not protect the entire surface of the seat, and when used for a long time under a T-shirt there is a noticeable trace;
- spoil the appearance of the cabin.
High-quality full covers for car seats, with proper installation, are devoid of flaws in the capes and washcovers. They completely protect the seat and can change the appearance of the interior for the better.
But such covers are more difficult to pick up under concrete seats – there are many kinds and forms of seats, and any (even the most “universal”) cover will not look equally well on all types of seats.
Often on the packaging of covers contains information on what makes and models of cars they fit. If this information is not available, the size of the seat should be adjusted to the size of the seat and special attention should be paid to the number of cover adjustments that can be used to adjust it to the shape of the seat.