High-quality car seat covers are an ideal way to highlight the uniqueness of your car and create a cozy atmosphere in it. They will protect the "native" upholstery of your car seats from wear and tear and dirt. Many drivers do not know what Alcantara is, but seat covers made of this material are the highest quality and most durable. This article describes the characteristics of the most common fabrics for car seats and how to choose the right ones for yourself.
Pros and Cons: Comparison of Materials
The main characteristics that are worth paying attention to are the wear resistance of the material, the price of the covers, moisture protection, hypoallergenicity, aesthetics and safety.
Alcantara: what kind of material is it?
Alcantara is an artificial suede. The material is 80% polyester, and the rest is polyurethane (these figures can vary up to 65/35). The main properties of Alcantara include:
- short pile length (shorter than that of natural suede);
- elasticity surpasses natural leather;
- the material is dimensionally stable and elastic;
- Alcantara allows air to pass through and does not retain odors;
- safety;
- the base feels soft and silky to the touch;
- does not change color under the influence of UV rays;
- The material is hypoallergenic and does not harm health.
Please note! Most car owners ask themselves the question "Alcantara or eco-leather: which is better?" After reading the next point and comparing the characteristics of these two materials, you can draw a conclusion.
Advantages and disadvantages of eco-leather
Eco-leather is considered a high-tech base, as it has retained many of the advantages of natural leather, and in some respects it even surpasses them. The advantages include the following:
- Safety. This material does not contain plasticizers, which have an unpleasant odor that is released along with harmful fumes when the temperature inside the car increases.
- Aesthetics. Presentability and a variety of color choices are the advantages of eco-leather.
- Ventilation. The polyurethane film contains pores through which air can pass freely.
- Hypoallergenic. This feature is the main difference between eco-leather and leather. The latter has a specific smell and can contribute to the development of allergic reactions in people prone to it (especially children).
- Durability. With proper care, a car cover made from this base can last more than 10 years.
The disadvantages include the following:
- The material gets very hot in the sun.
- Eco-leather quickly loses its attractiveness if it is damaged by animals.
- If the polyurethane (top) layer is damaged, the base fabric can no longer be restored or painted over.
Combined fabrics
Combined fabrics are used for sewing covers, in which the load of certain areas is calculated. For example, when using eco-leather, the seat and upper material begin to stretch after 6 months.
Please note! During each trip, the base becomes thinner and the eco-leather goes in waves. Over time, the material will simply tear.
Important! The average service life of covers made of eco-leather in practice is 1-2 years, and combined ones, which are supplemented with Alcantara, are 4-7 years.
Alcantara or velour: which is better
Alcantara wins due to its practicality and luxurious external characteristics. It is often used for inserts, as the velvety fabric is durable and retains its aesthetic characteristics. This base is more elastic than leather. However, compared to velour, Alcantara has a higher price.
Depending on the design of the pile of the velour cover, it can be smooth, shaped, embossed, etc. This adds variety to the decor options. The pile lines can be vertical, horizontal, laid out in the form of some drawings, a diamond, a stencil, etc. Most cars come standard with velour, as it is inexpensive.
Between these two materials, the advantage should be given, of course, to the first one for its wear resistance, excellent appearance, ventilation and hypoallergenicity.
Which eco leather to choose for a car
There are several types of leather that can be used to make covers. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
- Dermantin is a fabric with a nitrocellulose coating applied to it. It is cheap and has low resistance to abrasion, so the material is considered short-lived.
- PVC leather, or vinyl leather, is a fabric coated with polyvinyl chloride. This material is quite durable and elastic, but during its production, chemical additives are added to the coating, the vapors of which can be harmful to humans. These vapors have a specific smell, almost everyone has felt them while sitting in a cheap Chinese car.
- MF leather, or microfiber. This material is used for re-upholstering car interiors. It is distinguished by the presence of pores through which the material "breathes", and a fairly high cost.
Please note! If the question arises as to which eco-leather is best for a car, you need to start from the safety of the material and its durability.
Tips for choosing
Before buying covers, you need to decide what they are being purchased for, so that you are not surprised later that this accessory is absolutely useless. In addition to the protective function, the material should be easy to wash and dry quickly. If there are small children among the passengers, then an extremely important characteristic is hypoallergenicity and the presence of pockets that will be located in close proximity to the seat. The best option in terms of the cost of the cover and the duration of its use are materials that use Alcantara.
To maintain the original appearance and color, all car covers require regular maintenance, which consists of wiping with a damp sponge and polish.
Cost of covers
Prices for car covers:
- Car fabric covers: 3750-6250 rub.*
- Eco-leather covers: 6250-14500 rub.
- Combined covers (with Alcantara) 6300-1500 rub.
Important! There is no fundamental difference in price between the two leading fabrics. Therefore, if a car owner asks the question "Alcantara or leather, which is better?", one should proceed from the aesthetic characteristics of the cover.
Prices are for a set of covers.
Reviews
Natalia, 34: "I've tried many materials, but Alcantara remains one of the best. It can withstand various mechanical impacts, does not stretch over time, and does not change color. Plus, it is quite easy to care for and does not absorb odors after washing."
Alexander, 43: "I prefer covers made of combined fabrics. When buying a whole set, you can get a discount, and the price of the covers is justified by their convenience and wear resistance. After a year of wear, the material has hardly changed in appearance."
Thus, Alcantara is an artificial suede that is used to create car seat covers. It is of very high quality and durable, so it is in demand among car enthusiasts. However, one should not forget to properly and regularly care for seat covers made of this material in order to preserve their original appearance and color.
*The prices indicated are valid as of May 2019.
