I'm going to be getting a new car soon and it'll be my first experience with leather seats. I have seat protectors under my kids' carseats now, but they aren't the type that extend up the back of the seats. I'd definitely like to protect my car as much as possible with two little kids, and I'm wondering if I should replace the seat protectors with full-seat ones, or if the leather won't dent in the back like my fabric seats now have. Thanks!
I have always had leather seats. My son is now out of a booster and my seats look like they have never had car seats in them.
Have you asked a professional/certified car seat expert what is legal, safe and/or allowed? Might be a good idea. You'd be amazed....
It's an inevitable part of having car seats. The pressure is what does it. Terry cloth towels will prevent the leather from getting scratched tho. We also were told by the police dept when we had the seats checked to use that "shelf paper" - the squishy/spongy stuff. It prevents the carseats from slipping and protects the leather great (and cheap).
We have seat protectors with the full back, and our leather seats have still dented underneath. I don't know if they would ever go away or not if we removed the car seats for a few weeks.
We have had car seats in several places in my car and the leather was always severely dented but it sprang back after a little while. So don't worry. Also, don't use anything that will cause the carseat to slip. Use the squishy cabinet liners (they look woven) to add protection.
i would get a full back protector. Ive noticed that even the backs will rub, not only leave dents (that will eventually fade) I wouldnt want my new leather seats rubbing at all against hard plastic.
We have leather seats in our van. Over time, the seat has dented some. But, when I took the carseat out for about 3 weeks or so a while back, the dent kind of came out. It is especially with the harness carseats. We did not have anything from the infant seat. You could put a seat pad under the seat but make sure it is good for leather or it can slide. No dents on the back of the seat, just the bottom where you would sit.
Definitely invest in the full-seat protectors!! I have leather and 2 carseats in the back and they leave TERRIBLE dents without the protectors. I have 2 of the Summer Elite Duomats and they're great. One of my kids is rear-facing and with these you have the option to fold down half of the back for when they're still facing backward. And I also found that the carseats slide around on the leather without something under them.
Seat protectors are NOT SAFE and NOT RECOMMENDED and will VOID YOUR WARRANTY on your car seat. Meaning in a crash if your child is injured, even if the seat fails, its your fault, they cannot be held liable, because the warranty is void. Its an aftermarket product, read your car seat manual and it will explain. The seat protectors don't allow the car seat to be tightened properly, and give parents a false sense of security in their childs seat being installed properly.
A seat protector will not prevent dents in the seat. And a seat dent is better than a dead kid, right? The dents in the seat are not permanent, they will let up after having the car seats removed for a day or two. And when it comes right down to it... is it that important to risk your childs safety?
Don't let your kids eat or drink in the car and there won't be a mess in the back seat. Food getting stuck under the car seats is what makes the most damage to a seat, any seat fabric or leather. A crushed up cheerio or cracker is going to rub on the seat. So if you don't allow eating or drinking in the car seats, it won't be a problem.
If you need help installing car seats and getting correct information, please visit safekids.org and finding a car seat check and installation station near you.
For what its worth, I had a car seat installed for my first child in my sports car with leather seats. When we sold the car, the dents in the seat let up after a few days of having the car seat out. The seat was installed there for over a year, same position without being removed, and the leather was perfect under it. It should be the least of your worries.
I have the squishy stuff like thin rug pad material under my car seat - both the base and all the way up the back. Somehow I did not know there was such a thing as seat protectors. The leather has held up really well. I thought you only needed to protect leather seats, not cloth.
I have leather seats and I also have seat covers that go up the back. I got mine from One Step Ahead but I also found them on Target.com since I will be needing another one. We have had the van since 2008 and I do not have any dents in my seats. I would def recommend getting them. They do work wonders. Since I have buckets seats in the middle I had to get the single ones. The are easy to clean and they do pretect my seats from dents. Best of Luck!
Oh by the way... leather seats will dent.
