A custom leather interior gives your vehicle a more luxurious feel. However, if you plan on driving around with kids in the back, this premium seat selection will be graced with an added accessory (or many) — a car seat. While leather is a better option for withstanding child-inflicted stains, do car seats ruin leather?
Top 3 Ways To Protect Your Leather Seating
Install Your Infant Car Seat Properly
Not only do 59% of parents use their infant and toddler car seats improperly, but many don’t realize that they have them installed incorrectly as well. A study conducted in 2022 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found:
- 50% of individuals had the car seat positioned at the wrong angle (too small and too large of an angle)
- 29% had loose installation
- 15% had over 2 inches of harness slack
- 12% had the car seat in the wrong direction
- 3% had the harness not buckled
- 2% of individuals didn’t even have the car seat attached to the vehicle seats
The research also found that many individuals had multiple misuses occurring simultaneously. Not only can these discrepancies be the difference between life and death in a crash, but they will also cause more serious damage to your leather seats over time.
A properly installed car seat should not ruin your leather interior in any way. This safety device needs to fit snugly in the space, with either the seat belt or LATCH system being utilized (as instructed by the product manual).
Moreover, it is imperative that you ensure that your child is in the right size seat. Each device has recommended height and weight limits. If your child has surpassed these measurements, then it is likely that the car seat will place an inappropriate amount of pressure in the wrong spots. This is another safety concern that can also damage the upholstery.
How Do I Know That I Installed The Car Seat Correctly?
If you want your infant or toddler car seat to be installed correctly, have a professional put it in for you. However, if you plan to do it yourself, take time to thoroughly read the manual. Then, follow the instructions to the letter, and most importantly, do it before the baby comes! Sleep deprivation greatly increases the chances that you will make a mistake during the installation.
Finally, do not forget to have an expert inspect your work to fix any errors that may have occurred. Thankfully, the NHTSA has a national database for certified car seat inspectors as well as step-by-step instructions on the best practices for choosing and installing this crucial safety device.
RELATED: How to Install Infant Car Seat Without Base
Clean The Area Regularly
Auto experts recommend cleaning your leather seats every one to three months. While a bit tedious, if there is a window of time where you know that the car seat will not be needed, and you have an alternative option if an emergency were to arise, it is best to give your car a breather.
When it is time to have your car detailed, first uninstall the car seat. Next, have the area cleanedand conditioned. Then, leave it to dry and relax for a few days. Giving the leather regular periods without constant pressure can allow it a chance to smooth out naturally. Additionally, it can reduce the chance of permanent indentations.
Moreover, if you have a business trip coming up or if you need more long-term maintenance done on the vehicle, take out the car seat until you get back to your regular transportation! Just make sure to pay attention during installation so that you can retrace those streps correctly.
Manufacturer Approved Car Seat Protector
Britax, Diono, and Evenflo car seats have all created vehicle seat protectors that are specially made to be compatible with their brand of car seats. More importantly, they have all conducted crash safety tests with these accessories. This ensures the integrity of the car seat if you choose to use this product. If you have one of these car seat brands, then this is a fantastic way to safely protect your leather seat and your baby.
Doona and Clek have created similar products as well. Unfortunately, the companies have no documentation on safety research with these items. Nonetheless, Clek does note that the protector is compatible with its LATCH system.
Solutions You Should Avoid
Other manufacturers have also created car seat protectors. However, these products have thick padding, essentially providing a cushioned layer of protection between the car seat and the fabric. Similarly, many also suggest just placing a towel down to serve in the same role.
While this may seem to be the perfect solution for guarding the upholstery against any type of harm, you could be making a life-altering mistake by using it. What is important to remember is that the sole purpose of a car seat is to keep your child alive and to prevent them from any life-threatening injuries if you were to crash your vehicle.
Unfortunately, by adding this layer of protection into the equation, it can give the false impression that the car seat is sitting snugly against the seat. In a crash, this material will likely compress. This will cause the safety device to react in the same manner as a loosely installed car seat. This has been shown to cause an increase in bodily injury in the case of a collision.
Cloth VS Leather Seats
When it comes to your car’s upholstery, most people make their purchases based on their budget and their personal preference. A leather interior is a superior choice — sleek in appearance and easily cleaned. Conversely, cloth options are extremely affordable and more resistant to summertime temperatures and the impact high temps can have on certain materials.
Another main difference between these fabrics is their composition. Nylon and polyester are essentially plastic. This key detail means that the cloth seats are stretchy. In other words, the material has the ability to revert back to its original shape.
However, leather (specially treated animal skin) is more prone to permanent stretching. While a car seat will not cause lasting damage to your leather seats, it can leave minor indentations when used appropriately. Thus, how can you use a car seat without ruining the leather?
FAQs – Do Car Seats Ruin Leather?
How do I get indentations out of my leather car seats?
If your car seats seem to have ruined your leather upholstery, there is an easy way to remedy the problem! Grab your hairdryer and apply heat to the affected area. Remember that you want to keep it about six inches away from the material and do not hold the heat over one specific spot for too long. These actions can cause additional damage to the surface.
Once the leather is warm, start to massage the area to help reform it into its former glory. Make sure to use a small rag while doing this to help you from burning your fingers in the process.
Also, consider applying a small amount of leather cleaner to help further protect the material from the heat and work away from the indention. Lastly, you want the section of leather to contract back, so grab an ice pack and apply it to the region.
Why is it important to condition my leather seats regularly?
Your leather seats are animal skin. Just like a human’s skin, if you don’t moisturize the surface, it can dry out and crack. The process of conditioning your leather interior involves applying a mixture of oils onto the upholstery and allowing it to soak in the moisture. This nourishes the material and gives it added flexibility.
As noted above, the benefit of cloth seats is that they are elastic, thus they rebound from constant pressure and stress. By conditioning your seats on a consistent schedule, you give your leather interior a similar quality. This is especially important for those who regularly park the car in the sun or expose the car to heat often.
If this is the case, then make an effort to condition them once a month. However, if you live in a cooler climate and keep the vehicle shaded, you can stretch treatments out to up to every three months.
Final Thoughts
There is always a chance that your car seats can ruin your vehicle’s leather interior if used inappropriately. However, your baby’s life will be in jeopardy if you choose to prioritize your seats over their safety. Therefore, confirm that the seat is securely fastened and appropriately angled in the space. Moreover, never use products that are not tailor-made and safety tested to work with your device.
Additionally, take the initiative to research your car seat and read the manual to determine what the company does and does not recommend. Some models will allow a thin towel under the seat, whereas others advise against it.
Finally, if you don’t travel often, consider skipping the car seat base and just using the car seat. While it will take a little extra time to make sure that it is set at the right angle and position, the car seat does not have harsh edges like the base. Instead, they are more rounded, which can leave less of a mark.
