Has anyone else noticed that the stock leatherette seats don't breathe AT ALL? It can be 50 degrees outside, I'll have the windows rolled down and be on the freeway, and my back and legs will still be sweating.

I haven't had this problem in any other cars, but I've never had leatherette (vinyl, I guess) before. I'm seriously thinking about replacing them with cloth or leather. Has anyone had the same problem with those materials?

 

I've had vinyl seats before and they are sweat producers. They also tend to crack after a few years. Cloth seats wear and get dirty too fast. While cloth stays more of a constant temperature, I like the feel of genuine leather with the heated seats.

 

So the leather breathes pretty well?

 

Yes. They are covered in a thick layer of vinyl, which is completely impervious to moisture.

 

Haha - thanks for making me feel like I asked a stupid question!

 

I am happy with my leatherette. Drove all summer long in Alabama heat & humidity & didn't have any sweaty leg problems

 

Not as well as cloth, but it is way better than the vinyl I had in my Sunbeam and it doesn't show dirt as much as cloth. When my granddaughter spills her milkshake, its easier to clean than cloth.

 

Interesting - maybe I'm just a sweaty guy?

 

Yeah, I don't want the cloth, though, as I've heard it stains and discolors easily. I'm thinking that getting leather front seats would still basically match my interior but would also provide more breathability than the vinyl.

 

What about trying some seat covers made from say, neoprene, before investing in new seats? Unless you're upgrading to sports or heated seats at the same time, it seems like it would be a waste to toss out the leatherette seats.

 

Well, if I bought a pair of used leather seats, I could sell my leatherette ones - though I'm not sure how many people would want to buy them.

Also, I never really like the look of seat covers and I think the leather looks really nice.

 

By the way - did MINI offer Grey as a color option for leather in the 2006 model? Someone is telling me that they're selling Grey leather seats, but I thought the only leather colors were black, tan, and blue...

 

I'm afraid I don't have a basis for comparison between leather and leatherette, as I had leather spec'ed on both Minis I've owned.

If I may refer to another topic I replied in earlier, though - I'll go ahead and quote myself for those too lazy to click-thru:
"I was telling my girlfriend just yesterday that I found a local store that sells Lexol, and I purchased a bottle to give to a friend who's been looking to pick up a bottle of it for the last 1.5 years. When I said that I'd let my friend try out the Lexol before I switched from the Griot's leather conditioner I had been using, my girlfriend of over a year exclaimed, "You mean these seats are real leather?!? All this time I thought they were pleather!"

My girlfriend has quite the eye for designer bags and such, and she'd never realized that the stuff Mini tries to pass off as leather seats is genuine. "

In short, I'm not terribly impressed with the quality of the factory leather, and I feel rather sheepish that I got them twice. That old expression, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me" comes to mind.

 

i cant wear thin pants or shorts in the summer when driving in my car. i get patches of sweat on the backs of my legs and it looks like i had a little accident on my *** side

 

Leather or leatherette?

 

Sexy!

 

leatherette.

ive had it in both my coopers and i really want cloth.

 

Just adding this to the end so that people can see my question.

 

The English leather option really looks nice! I have the regular leather and really like it, despite the bagginess in the seats. I figure that's a normal thing with leather.

 

This might not help with the sweat issue, but if you want leatherette to stay healthy and not crack, apply regular leather conditioner at least once a month, this stops the dust from getting into cracks and becoming abrasive. They also feel a lot softer afterward

 

What type of leather conditioner do you use? I need to clean my leatherette but im not sure what kind of cleaner to use on it... by the way this is my first post! how's everybody doin?

 

Katzkin makes a leather seat set for MINI. I checked when I got my '05 with Leatherette. They have a nice set with a color insert panel that somewhat matches your car color..and are sewn to work with the airbags in the seat of the Convertible.

I stayed with the leatherette as I like it. In hot summer weather I toss a beach towel over the seat. I'd like to find a seat cover set to protect the seats but with the airbags in the seat backs I haven't been able to find any.

IIRC the leather set was around $1100 installed.

Peter

 

That was my exact first thought when I saw this thread.

 

And how many of you know that the standard steering wheel is leather? It says so on the website and in the brochures. Could have fooled me!