I Would Love Your Opinions on Cloth Versus Leather Interior in the Car!

Leather gets hot. Leather gets cold. Leather requires a lot of maintenance and is easy to rip. You can get away with not maintaining it for awhile, but eventually that will catch up with you. As you can tell, I definitely prefer cloth, especially being a Navy family and knowing that we could end up somewhere a lot hotter than here. I grew up in the desert and had leather seats and that is REALLY bad. You have to keep a towel on them or never wear shorts! Good luck!

V., I say leather all the way. It is much easier to keep clean and looking nice. If you are investing in a new car, and can afford it, it is well worth the money! Good luck! L

V.,
I have had leather in the last two cars we've owned and I wouldn't go back to cloth. Especialy with kids. It is sooo much easier to clean up.

S.
Mother of three girls,12, almost 9 and 4 1/2.

HI there!
If you go for the cloth make sure you get it Scotchgard. It will be more comfortable all year long. With leather the summers will be hard if you wear shorts or skirts. Burning flesh is not a good thing. Even if the kids climb in they will burn there little hands and knees.
I hope this helps!
T.

YES to leather! NO to a minivan...LOL! That is a whole other debate.

I have 3 kids & an SUV with leather heated seats. Besides cleaning up the everyday spills, when a little person gets sick in the car...leather is the best!

I lay a blanket on the backseat so that the carseat won't indent the leather.

Have fun minivan shopping!

Hi. I had always had cloth interiors in my car until I purchased my last car in 1998. My children were about 7 and 8 then. I am not sure I would ever go back to cloth unless I was single, lived in a climate that had no snow, rain or dirt, etc.! I love it. It's easy to clean and care for between both children and animals. You think you'll never let anyone eat in your car, etc., but that didn't last long.

Prior to that I put blankets over the seats to protect them, and/or seat covers, but nothing ever stayed or was comfortable.

You do need to car for it properly in hot weather, keeping it clean and properly moisturized with a leather polish to keep it from cracking. The seats can burn - just like the old vinyl seats when they are hot. So having an alternative plan in hot weather is something to think about - weather towels on the seats, seat covers, etc.

It's wonderful. It you find it's not affordable when you go to buy a car, the other option which I find is like receiving a new car - is having your car detailed once to twice a year, which I do with my car due to the winters - I usually do it in the spring after the winter weather passes.

Good luck.

Good luck!

We have always had cloth until last May, we purchased our first vehicle with leather (heated seats!) - and I love it. We managed to make it through both of our children with cars w/cloth seats (they are 8 & 12 now). I bought large towels that were the same, or close to, the color of the seats and put them on the seats - cheaper than seat covers, easy to remove and wash. I never let my kids have drinks without good lids, and taught them to throw away their trash in the trash bag(s) in the car. I'm not a complete neat freak, but I do like to take care of our things. I've never had anything spill in our cars that I wasn't able to get out, so they always stayed nice. I do like the leather in our new SUV. It's super easy to clean - but our son, who doesn't need a car seat or booster, complains of it being cold (no heaters in the back), so in the winter I have a towel or blanket he can put underneath him. Our daughter is still in her booster, so she doesn't notice it at this time. We buy our vehicles based on price and what will work for us - leather or cloth hasn't really been one of the decision makers or breakers for us. Just make it work for you. Happy hunting! :)

LEATHER!!!! Of course, you've raised some kids in cloth already but we had leather first and switched to cloth because we didn't think it mattered. I already have dirt, snack foods, etc. ground into the cloth and I hate it. The leather was SO easy to wipe off. It was cold in the winter but you are already bundled up. My biggest annoyance and nervousness with leather was in the summer when it got heated up and our skin touched it. tinted windows in the back and a sun visor in the dash seemed to help that. I miss my leather!

I think leather outweighs the cloth purely based on the ability to clean it much better. I have a minivan with leather seats and all it takes is some leather seat wipes or any wipes really. I would recommend carseat protectors under the carseats so you don't get the permanent dents. I wouldn't be surprised if you could find a minivan with seat warmers too, even used. If not you can always put on a seat cover for the winter for yourself to take the initial chill off.

Leather is definitely worth it!

We have leather in all our furniture, cars it keeps cool in the summer and is warm in the winter, when you first sit it may be cool but warms quickly and stays warm. I have 4 kids and the cleaning factor alone makes it worth the upgrade PLUS the resale value of the car is always higher.

Take good care,
H.

I have had several vehicles can can tell you what I have learned. Yes, leather is easier to clean!! However, car seats have a tendency to ruin leather interior. We had leather interior, and when we installed the carseat, correctly, we found that the bottom edges of the seat, cut into the upholestry. We tried putting towels down first, and we also put down a foam padding, but then we found that the car seat was not as secure. You are correct that in the summer time the seats get very hot, and in the winter they get very cold. That was the biggest complaint that I had from the kids, that either their legs burned from the seats, or they were cold during the winter. They even got to the point where, they wouldn't get into the car until I had ran the air conditioner for a while, or the heat. On the flipside, when we had cloth upholestry, anything that got spilled, was a pain to clean up, and no chocolate milk does not clean up well!!! But I did find that carseats, were more secure in cloth interior, only because the gripping was better. The nice thing, is that minivan's are very roomy and great for traveling!! Our kids loved them. We have a SUV now, with cloth interior, and we love it. One additional note for you, I have owned 2 minivans, back to back, both of them were Dodge/Chrysler caravans. Let me just tell you, don't waste your money... both of our minivans, spent more time in the dealer repair shop then they did in our garage. Both vehicles had transmission problems that we had to completely replace both tranny's. (thank god for extended warranties) If you do decided to purchase a dodge/chrysler product, definately make sure that you either have an extended warranty or can purchase an extended warranty that covers the engine/transmission. Trust me you will be glad you did. The other big problem we had with our Dodge Caravan, was headlight fluxuation. The headlights would fluxuate, from bright to dim intermitently. To the extent that one evening they completely went out, only for about 3 seconds, then came back on. Unfortunately Dodge could not fix the problem. It got to the point, that I would not take that car out of town for fear that if I was driving after dark, and the lights went out, I could crash. In doing research I learned that other people had experienced the same thing, to the point that they had actually had crashes. After reading about those incidents, and realizing that the safety admin. was not going to issue a recall for the vehicles, we opted to find a new vehicle. We have since went to Chevrolet. Best of Luck with the purchase of your new car, I hope you enjoy it!!

Leather.

This is my first leather interior. NO STAINS. Yeah heated would be nice, but.... I wear a long coat in the winter. the only time I notice a cold fanny is when I, for some fashionable reason, don a shorter coat. Now I have a long leather coat too for dress up.

I did this search about 4 years ago & come up with a HONDA Pilot It has 8 seats, but the back 3 fold completely flat (more space for gear), & are more comfortable than the GMC Envoy's back two. These are SUV's not mini vans, but I can tell you I love mine. Another feature is that you have doors on both sides, so buckling in children may give you easier access. Pilots being out 4 years out, you can get them used.

I heard recently though that the value of the Honda Oddesy has plummeted, because the market got saturated with them. This is good for you, because they will be cheaper. There are also older models available.

Hope this helps, Ang

After Reading the other responses I see that I should be "taking care" of my leather. 4 years out, I've had no cracking. I've never ran a cleaner over my seats, never had too, things just don't stick too it. Although there are French fries in crevices I cant get out.... :)

I currently have leather seats, only good about them is they are easier to clean. My Expedition is 3 yrs old and was bought used 2 yrs ago, the leather is dry and cracking. I have taken care of it, but there is no way to repair.
Biggest problem is the temp. in winter it gets very cold and worst in summer( not sure about here, only lived here for 3 months) it gets hot enough to burn you.We lived in Mojave Desert and many a time I ran out and got in the car only to jump back out because it was way too hot.
I would go with cloth and invest in a little green machine.

Hi V.!
We have had both now, and I have to say I will never go back to cloth! I was afraid of the hot leather in the summer, cold seats in the winter and they werent bad at all! And with a little silly story to tell, you're right when you say they are easier to clean because I recently left the sunroof open (should have listened to my 10 year old!) and thought I would be just a minute and a seagull pooped right on my seat... such an easy clean, gross but easy! I couldnt imagine that in my car with cloth! :) But I still put a carseat protector under the carseat so it wont make dents.... and also just to throw this out there, I know people who have the Honda Odyssey and LOVE it! If it fits in your budget! Good luck!

I have had both leather and material and in my opinion ,material is way better! Leather is not only cold in the winter, but in the summer it is very HOT!! You stick to the seats when the car is warm and leather just isn't comfy like material! I like the like crushed velet material best, it is cozy in the winter and comfy in the summer. Good Luck D. D. in Sagle

Leather, all the way. It's so much easier to clean and maintain.

leather all the way!
so easy to clean up stuff. put the pads that go under carseats to keep the leather safe there, can use blankets if you think it would be cold or hot in the summer time..

Personally, when we were expecting and went truck hunting (we can only afford one vehicle and my husband needs a truck for work) I wanted a vehicle with cloth interior due to the wear that leather takes, especially from car seats, but was surprised to find that most trucks don't have cloth, that it is becoming outdated. But, I don't know if that is the case with mini vans. If you do get one with leather "One Step Ahead" sells good seat covers to help protect your leather.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking your car seats and making sure they all fit and that it is easy for you to get them all in and out of the car. Be sure to take your baby carrier too. Especially if you are putting the three of them next to each other on a bench seat, you want to make sue the doors can close.

If the mini van you are looking at are used and have built in car seats you need to find out if that vehicle has been in any type of accident and if that affects the integrity of the built in car seats.

Good Luck!
M.

I hate leather interior!!! My husband has it in his car and while it is easier to clean, I burn the backs of my legs all summer when I wear shorts. It's also extremely cold in the winter.

I love my leather seats! It is the best for kids. Cleans up very easily, just wipe them down with leather wipes you don't have to shampoo to get the milk/juice etc off the seats. Mine has heated seats which is nice in winter, but I have had leather without heat and it does warm up quickly. Hope this helps!

Hi V.,
We bought the Honda Odyssey on a friend's recommendation and couldn't be happier! It was rated in 2005 as one of the safest minivans because it has full side curtain airbags and all the regular ones. You can open the remote (you can order remote start but that I saw as a danger with toddlers who like to jump in and turn all the knobs and buttons), and it has 3 LATCH's for the carseats (we have triplets). It drives wonderfully and we have cloth - I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN LEATHER! The cloth wears well but after just 3 years, the front seats are looking like they've been used. We may have it redone in a couple of years when the kids go to boosters in leather. I also had a friend who had twins and they are smart with money - they bought the Toyota Sienna with cloth so they weren't locked into a high-end "bells and whistles" model and then had leather installed after market. I can get the vendor info from them if you want. It turned out beautifully and I wish I would have done the same. I suggest Parker Johnstone Honda in Wilsonville - vey nice guy who gives back to the community in every way he can.

I have always found that leather seats can be VERY slippery! My child is now 35 years old-however, we do have a 80 pound dog that likes to ride in the car, and every time we stop or go around a corner, the poor dog is holding on with her claws trying not to slide...so you might want to keep that in mind. I, myself, like cloth seats-comfortable all year round. By the way, leather can be hard to clean-we have light gray leather seats and they are very hard to keep nice looking. C., Rainier,OR

I have had both and we just purchased a honda odyessy and it has leather and i love it. With cloth you would have to use more then just a rag if something got on the seats. now if i have muddy shoes on the seat a baby wipe or paper towel and we are done. Juice same tthing. I love the leather way better!! good luck we got lucky and found one we loved the first place we went too!!

Leather...it is the most forgiving and wears like iron. Once I switched to leather 17 years ago, I will never switch back and in fact switched to leather sofas and chairs in my home.

Fact: Barf, urine, poo, food etc all comes out and does not hold smells like cloth. Make sure it is a thick hearty leather and it will last even longer. Fine soft leather is beautiful but will not hold up as well for kids.

I have hauled dirty dogs and just wiped out when done...they are fabulous.

About the heated seats, you know you can buy the pads that plug into cigarette lighter to use as a heater.

My car has cloth and my husbands truck has leather. Leather is easier to clean. But if you are like us (sounds like it) and don't buy new cars every couple of years you need to take care of it. Using the proper cleaner and keeping the leather moisterized or it will dry and crack and split on the sides. Somebody from the dealership told our friends to clean their leater in their H3 (PRICEY!) with SOAP $ WATER! Did not do wonders for the leather! We prefer Meguiars, they have this great leather wipes that are hand if there is a mess that needs immediate attention and the also have the regular conditioner for when you are cleaning out the car. And for a new vehicle, I don't know if you have your heart set on a mini van, but I have been researching for 1 1/2 years now on SUV/Crossover and I say the Subaru B9 Tribeca! Things that are extra on others are standard on it! You can get it in a 5 or 7 seater and the 7 seater comes with wireless DVD! Check it out! GOOD LUCK!
S.
PS As far as leather being hot/cold, REAL leather is not that bad, PLEATER and VINYL are the ones that are COLD and SCRORCHING

As long as I have small children I will never ever buy cloth again! We have a Honda odyssey and we got the leather and I love it. it is easy to clean. i had heard that car seats slip back and forth on leather but I had my seats (3 of them) professionally installed at Segals for Children and they have never moved an inch (this only costs a couple $$). I don't use covers under the car seats and there is a little intenting in the leather but with my previous car that had cloth the seat began to wear a hole where it pushed into the cloth and it doesn't seem like the leather is anywhere close to doing that. My two year old spilled his sippy cup full of milk in my hubbys truck with cloth not too long back and we had to have it professionally cleaned TWICE to get the smell out. Also my van has the seat heaters in the front and it's not brand new or top of the line. I'm originally from AZ so maybe I'm just used to a really really hot climate, but since I've lived here I don't think my car has ever become hot enough to actually burn me in the summer time; this has never been a problem for us - only the metal buckles have been that hot. Overall we love the odyssey. Good luck!

Well, I have had cloth in the past and now we have leather in all our cars. I also have leather sofa's too. They are easy to clean and easy to keep up. With kids it is something I would not go with out. Don't worry about the cold or heat. You can always have warmers put in after market if you wanted. But they warm up very quick to your body temp or if you start the car first and let it warm up for just a sec. Also, the same with the heat too. They might be warm but they addjust quickly. Good luck to you both in your new car search.

I hate leather seats because in the summer I like to wear shorts and your legs always stick to the seats. Seems to me that leather tears and/or cracks without maintenance. Although leather might be easier to clean with 3 kids.

Leather is easier to clean, but if you don't clean it regularly or have dogs or kids eating, it can get stained/ruined beyond repair. If you usually clean your car out often then you'd just wipe it down but I have seen leather look horrible too and you can't just use carpet cleaner to get it out.

I can tell you from experience leather is the way to go with kids!!! I have two kids ages 10 and 4 and made the mistake of going from leather to cloth. Cloth stains so easily and no matter how many times I've cleaned it really holds in smells like spilled milk!! Personaly I fully regret switching. A.

Hi V.,
I've done both, cloth and leather. By far, leather is easier to clean when you have small children. I'd go with the leather and get cloth seat covers for the driver & front passenger seats. You'll have the comfort you like up front. Since the kids will be in car seats or booster seats for several years yet, they won't be sitting on cold leather either they will be in their padded seats. So if they spill you can still clean it up.
btw...I have heated leather seats and I'm totally spoiled to it so I feel your pain :)

Hi V.,

Leather for sure! I don't really even notice the cold or heat of the leather. It's something you'd just get use to. Having children and leather is the way to go when you have muddy shoes, spills, or etc. I have seen my friend's vehicles with cloth and their seats are horrible. I run down to the car wash to have the inside done and it looks new again! I hope this helps.

~M.

Go for leather. Easier to clean, doesn't stain like cloth. Might be a little cold at first in winter, but warms up quickly. If you are using car seats, I would reccommend putting in a seat cover underneath the car seat, just to protect it from the "dents" caused by the car seat and a little extra protection. Also, use a leather cleaner and protectant at least once a year to keep it in excellent condition. I have had both cloth and leather and hands down leather is the best.

Leather without a doubt. The seats might be hot or cold depending on the season (and whether or not you park in the sun - but car seat covers are fairly inexpensive if that's a big concern.

Leather is easier to clean and is harder to accidentally damage.

I highly recommend the Honda Odyssey. (My husband has been investigating vehicle collisions for the better part of the last fifteen years - and after he personally saw how well Hondas act in real crashes time after time, I've owned nothing but Hondas since.) We've had our Honda Odyssey for a year and absolutely LOVE it. It rates super high on all of the safety standards and, though expensive, is a great value for the money. I plan to be driving this one for the better part of the next twenty years - so I definitely consider this a long term investment.

My children are all grown and gone now but I have had vehicles with both leather and cloth seats. I prefer cloth. I have cloth seats in my van and don't want anything else. Leather is to hot in the summer and to cold in the winter for me. I've never had the pleasure of having heated seats in any of my vehicles so I don't know what that is like. If you do go with leather though you could always put a seat cover over them and that will take care of the hot/cold issue for you plus give you a cover that you can usually take off and wash in your wash machine to keep it clean.

I am a care giver for elderly and/or disabled and I transport some of them in my vehicle if it is necessary (which it is with one of my clients one day a week). My once a week client peed all over my cloth seat and I had a dickens of a time getting that seat cleaned but I found that a product that I had around to use when my mentally and physically handicapped 26 year old son made a mess in my vehicle worked very well for cleaning my seat; needless to say I applied it quite liberally when cleaning the seat. It is called Kids 'N' Pets Stain & Odor Remover; you can get information about this product at www.kidsnpetsbrand.com . I also promptly purchased a square cloth pad like they use in hospitals and nursing homes to place on the seat so that when and if she has that kind of accident again all I have to do is take the pad out and wash it in my wash machine with out having to clean my vans seat again.

I am from a hot place, and I would say that leather is a nightmare in the summer, it sticks to your legs and can be too hot to sit down if the car has been sitting in the sun. If you are leaning that way because you can wipe it down, I think vinyl might be better. A cow will thank you! Haha.

My main piece would be this: carseats seem to be a huge issue. I have always had a vehicle with cloth interior. That is, up until this past December when the vehicle I chose came with leather. I have two kids still in carseat/booster seats. My 2 and a half year old son rode rear-facing up until then. I would still prefer that he do, but it was not happening with the leather. It is SO slick!! Even with protective mats underneath. The tightest I am able to get his seat was when it was forward-facing and fully upright. I realize that most parents turn their children into that position waaaaay before I did, but he's a little guy- and comfort wasn't an issue, he could comfortably ride that way while I knew his neck/spine were as protected as possible- because we went through the loss of a six year old girl who died 6 years ago from injuries she sustained in a collision. Our 11 year old is an inch away from being legally able to ride without a booster, and this is causing me much anxiety, regardless of her age. (She, however, cannot wait for that one inch!) So definitely the only thing I would stress importance about while you are car shopping, is making sure that you can get those safety seats fully and properly installed before you buy. I told my husband while we were out doing this several months ago, that if I loved the SUV enough, but if the carseat did not tighten and stay put to my standard, then we either passed on the vehicle and kept looking or sprung for a new carseat. Not so much an issue with our 11 year old, she just sits in the under the butt, backless, kind. Other than that-- good luck and have fun! Everything else- mainly messes- is a lot more convienant with the leather! Oh and as far as the coolness of the leather in the winter... I didn't seem to notice that much (but I've never had heated seats either, lucky you!) and obviously it didn't affect the kids because of their carseat/booster.

Kim

I have a Suburban with leather seats and I love it! It is roomy and the leather cleans up great. I have an 11 yr old daughter, a 21 month old daughter and a 75 pound lab who rides with us frequently. It takes seconds to clean and make the seats feel soft and conditioned. The leather holds up well for the dog toenails too. I do have a towel placed under the car seat for protection. Good luck with your shopping.

Leather is so much easier to clean with kids! There have been diaper and food incidents that would have been a huge problem had I not been able to just wipe them off! Plus it increases the value of your car when you sell it or trade it in later (my husband is a sales manager at a dealership, I hear all these things). I have heated and cooling seats , it would be hard to live without them now! The seats can be a little cold in winter and hot in summer but only for a minute, and in winter you're usually wearing enough clothing to not get too cold. In summer I would set a blanket down before getting out of the car, might work in winter too actually!

I like cloth. When I was looking for a vehicle, I test drove a car with leather. My son got in the back and yelled in surprise, the seat was hot. It seems they would be quite cold in the winter also. I like the cloth, but I do get a shock after I get out and touch the car door or other metal. I guess I should spray the seats with static guard. I hope this helps.

V.,
Over the last 11 yrs I have had vinyl, cloth and leather seats. What I like about cloth is that it doesn't seem to be as cold in winter. What I didn't like about it was if something spilled on the seat, it soaked into the foam cushion and made it difficult to clean. Also if someone needs to sit there, the seat is soaked and needs to dry. What I liked about the vinyl was that it was easier to clean; however, It had vent holes on the seat and the dog I had at the time had long hair and it would stick in the holes and was difficult to get out.
My last two vehicles over the last 13 years have been leather. My most current has heated seats both front and rear. It is cold in winter. With the car seats, we can't turn on the heated seats for the kids. The benefits are that when my kids spill, it is easier to clean up.
When we first purchased the vehicle, we took an extended road trip. My son and my nephew spilled Orange Tang on the carpet. 6 yrs later I still can't get the Orange stain out of the carpet, but the seats are clean. A downfall to the leather is that we originally draped, single layer, a towel over the seats to protect them from the carseats scratching and spills. Eventually we got lazy and only had a towel draped, single layer, on the bottom of the seat. The stress points where the car seat was has left permanent indentations and some of the points have been rubbed raw. This has even happened to the drivers seat from getting in and out of the vehicle, so it's not just the carseats, it normal wear and tear.
Bottom line, I would still choose a leather over the cloth simply because not only do my kids spill in the car, my husband has a knack for spilling his coffee. (You should see the stains on the brand new carpeted stairs in the house.)It's easier to clean up with unscented diaper wipes or a soapy cloth. Cloth seats soak up the mess and is difficult to clean. There is also the concern of mold growing if you can't get the food out of the cushion.
Good luck.
-A.

Hi, congrats on your pregnancy.
I have had leather seats since my oldest [now 4] was born and I would not have it any other way! They wipe up so easily and never stain. I have not had any of the 'slickness' or sliding issues that another mom mentioned. I have used both regular and rear-facing carseats on the leather.
I am shopping for a new car right now and one of my 'must-haves' is leather seats.
Go leather!

I have a mini van with cloth, and an excursion with leather. I can tell you that the leather with the car seats, although cleans easy, the leather can stretch and become misshapen. For resale purposes, you might want to go with the cloth. The car seats would also need some protection under them regardless of cloth or leather for stain fighting. The car seats also could potentially scratch the leather. I also had a car with leather heated seats and it was wonderful, but I am glad that the daily driver is the minivan with cloth...just in case! (I wish they would make one with leather in the front and cloth in the back!)
Good luck! B.

I've had both, and with toddlers, would never buy another car without leather. We have seat warmers, which makes it nice, but really not that necessary - my husband never uses them. With the quick and easy clean-up, makes it worth every penny in time it saves you cleaning cloth!

Good Morning Venessa...last year we bought a 2004 Honda Odyssey which has the slightly older body style. This van came w/all the bells and whistles and we LOVE it. It's got leather seats (totally easier for cleaning) and the front two seats have heated seat switches. It also has the built in DVD system and the back seat folds down flat soooooooo easy. Because it's the slightly older body style (body style update took place in 2005) you should be able to find one for around $20k. Honda's hold their value really well which makes it a smarter purchase if that is in your budget range. The American vans depreciate soooooo fast.

Good luck!

L.

PS I'm a 38 y/o sahm to 9 and 5 year old girls and have been married for almost 11 years.

I use to have leather seats in my RAV and I loved them. The only thing I didn't like was that the carseats formed to them. When I would take the carseats out there would be dents. I think there is something you can use to soften them though so it isn't as bad.I obviously didn't use it. I now have a van and went low cost and so don't have leather and wish I did. It is soooo much harder to clean stuff up.

Yup, leather. Save yourself some angst, sister.

Hi V.,

I'm a parent of four who range in age from 5-19. After much cleaning of cars I would have to tell you that it is much much much easier to clean leather. I suggest folded towels under carseats and I always suggest keeping napkins and extra towels in the back or somehow convnient and I've always tried to encourage people never to allow any milk products in there vehicle after their child turns anout three. Just try to avoid any dripping and the smell that will go with it (with or without leather interior).

Good Luck,

D. P.

Hi V.,

I have 4 children (grown) and have went through quite a few vehicles over the years. I have a very strong opinion about leather seats and children. There is no comparison in it's ease of cleaning. Cloth will hold stains (even if it's treated) and allow for food items to be ground in to them, especially under a car seat. You will find yourself out there scrubbing and scrubbing, trying to clean them. Leather is cooler/warmer, but there are ways around that issue. When you go to clean or sell your vehicle, it's nearly impossible to restore a cloth seat to 'like-new' condition. Leather is wipe-and-go. I will say that I regularly used those pop-up leather wipes to keep the leather supple and crack-proof. There are also ways to repair a rip or tear also, in the unlikely event you will have one. Leather is very tough.

Good luck.
Chris

Leather, leather leather!!! Have you ever had a kid spill a sippy of milk? Banana accidentally fall between the carseat? Picture that mess soaking into you cloth seats. I love leather for the same reason I love hard wood floors. I have hard wood floors because puke, pee and kid messes wipe off and I don't have to pay a professional to clean it up. Carseats can slide if you aren't strapping them in tight enough. I always place a towel down first to protect the seats anyway and that helps. Congrats on #3! I think #3 was the easiest addition. Kids are awesome!!

Leather Leather Leather! Heated is pretty common in most newer cars so just shop. With lots of kids in and out of my car I sure wish I had leather still. The cold of the seats never got to me but the hot seat (from the sun)is a shocker in shorts.

Hi,

In my experience with two small boys, leather is the only option. In the long run your car will stay so much nicer. Between sticky hands, spills and so much more, leather is a must. I do not find that it is too cold. Also I have a gray leather interior in my SUV and it does not get too hot in the summer.

Good luck!
J.

Totally leather...super easy to clean with kids!!!!!!!! Plus, you get the luxury of heated seats!!!!