Leather seats

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Thu 16 May 2019 17:01
Leather seats - Penumbra

Been offered a top-spec Astra at at an attractive price (relative selling one). Trouble is that the seats are leather which I really don't like. Can anyone recommend some decent seat covers.

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Thu 16 May 2019 17:41
Leather seats - badbusdriver

Not sure there is such a thing!. The type you can buy in car accessory places are not that great, and will almost certainly move around.

Had a look on t'internet and found this place, it is not entirely clear what the materials are, but some of them appear to be other than leather. Probably going to be pricey though!.

www.seatskinz.co.uk/

I get where you are coming from as i also don't like leather seats (either in the house or the car!).

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Thu 16 May 2019 19:00
Leather seats - Penumbra

Not sure there is such a thing!. The type you can buy in car accessory places are not that great, and will almost certainly move around.

Had a look on t'internet and found this place, it is not entirely clear what the materials are, but some of them appear to be other than leather. Probably going to be pricey though!.

www.seatskinz.co.uk/

I get where you are coming from as i also don't like leather seats (either in the house or the car!).

Quick check on prices - pass on that one at £490 for 2 seats!

Perhaps the best bet would be a couple of front seats from a breakers.

Thanks for the reply

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Thu 16 May 2019 19:36
Leather seats - Andrew-T

<< Perhaps the best bet would be a couple of front seats from a breakers.

You'll get an oddly mixed result with fabric front seats and leather ones in the back, so you may find it not much dearer to change all of them for the sake of appearances?

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Thu 16 May 2019 21:33
Leather seats - gordonbennet

I buy sheepskin covers for the drivers seat, cost between £80 and £300, the more expensive jobbie (tailor made from Easirider) is still in perfect condition after some 14 or so years, the cheaper ones will not last more than a few but are quite comfortable.

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Fri 17 May 2019 01:06
Leather seats - Senexdriver
The leather upgrade option is always one I’m happy to forego. A leather interior looks premium, but oh the sweaty @rse!!
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Fri 17 May 2019 09:55
Leather seats - RT

The problem is the colour, not the material - black absorbs and emits heat much more than light colours.

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Fri 17 May 2019 10:33
Leather seats - Andrew-T

The problem is the colour, not the material - black absorbs and emits heat much more than light colours.

Fifteen years ago SWMBO had a premium Clio with pale grey leather. She remembers the seats being cool and comfortable.

Any kind of seat trimming is labour-intensive and won't come cheap. The only time I have used a back-street trimmer to repair leather bolsters it cost about £200 for one seat - and TBH the results weren't impressive.

Edited by Andrew-T on 17/05/2019 at 10:34

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Fri 17 May 2019 09:31
Leather seats - CHarkin

If you are talking about the current model Astra Elite then the seats are among the best you will get. The Elite is made in Germany by Opel and uses seats made by a specialist company, they are much better than the seats used in other Astras.

Had a Golf GTi colour concept many years ago, black outside and black inside. Wife said it was like a Mafia staff car. Not liking the leather seats I took it to a vehicle trimer, they were part of a company that did camper van conversions. They offered to replace the central seat panels with Alcantara but the price was scary, something like £650 for the two front seats. I just lived with the leather.

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Fri 17 May 2019 09:59
Leather seats - Cris_on_the_gas

If you don't like the seats then don't buy the car. Simples

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Fri 17 May 2019 19:51
Leather seats - John F

I too prefer fabric. I had a carsick childhood when the old leather was impregnated with petrol fumes and Players No3 cigarette smoke. The stench would evoke a Pavlovian feeling of nausea even before the journey started. Try a thin cushion; that's what I use except in winter when the heated seat's on.

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Fri 17 May 2019 20:10
Leather seats - focussed

I love my leather - the perforated leather seats in my Accord are cool in summer and the seat heating warms them up quickly in winter. I suppose it's like the tea-bags "The secret's in the perforations"

As opposed to the horrible shiny leather seats in a Volvo 245 estate years ago. Freezing in winter and red hot in summer if it had been standing in the sun.

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Fri 17 May 2019 21:48
Leather seats - Metropolis.
Turtlecovers make good quality covers that fit well, or alternatively you could see what Vauxhall themselves offer, will cost more but tend to fit better!
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Sat 18 May 2019 13:28
Leather seats - Penumbra

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Ive been offered the car to try for a week. Perhaps it won't be as bad as I remember leather seats of old.

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Sat 18 May 2019 14:23
Leather seats - FP

"Perhaps it won't be as bad as I remember leather seats of old."

Quite possibly.

I've had leather seats in a Ford Focus Titanium and now in a Mazda CX-5 and have found them very comfortable indeed.

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