I think I read in an old thread that Wet Okole used to have a group buy in October. Does anyone know if that still happens? Seems like there is a lot of interest in these by NAM members - is it sufficient to support a group buy?

Sorry, I'm new to all this and don't know how such things come about or who initiates them - the vendor or the masses?

Thanks for any advice - these things are great but also expensive, so any deals would be welcome...

 

I'd be interested if someone puts together a group buy. My Laser Blue Clubman S would look sharp with charcoal and blue piping.

 

All I can offer is my complete satisfaction with my Wet Okole, service was excellent and quality of material and workmanship was outstanding.

Cutouts for the airbags in the right locations as well as bound openings for headrests and seatback release levers




As you can see, I ordered extra material to cover my armrests as well
and my main objective was to overcome the too firm for me seating.

To accomplish this, I added heavy grade (5 Lb.) Memory Foam and now have very comfortable seating.



I had read of others experience with Wet Okole here on NAM and ordered sample swatches along with the seat covers from the Wet Okole Website

I considered the retail price to be fair considering the product and don't know much about "Group Buy" but would expect it best to deal individually with Wet Okole.

This is because different users will want different color options etc. and re-shipment of a bulk order might be more trouble than it would be worth.

Looks like you have two interested so far, if you could round-up a sizable group and then contact Wet Okole with a 'number' of buyers,
they might cut you a sort of Group Buy Deal, especially in this economy it might be worth the effort.

 

I tried to get a group buy together last year and contacted wet okole.

Several things...

They only do a few group buys a year and you have hit the time of year they allow.

The percent was either 10 or 15% discount (I can't remember which one exactly) but not enough to make it worthwhile (IMO)

There was another quirk but I can't remember. I just decided that it would be easier to buy it myself when I was ready.

If you find out otherwise, let us know.

Mark

 

Two of us went in together and saved $25 apiece. Not much, but we both ordered something completely different and Okole worked with me.

 

Can anyone with Wet Okoles tell me if they smell? I have a *very* sensitive nose (a curse) and can't tolerate some synthetic smells. I am able to handle my O'Neill wetsuit.

 

I can tell you that they smell less than your wetsuit. I've had several sets and I guess because they never get wet (for the most part) they have the smallest amount of smell of "wetsuit".

Mark

 

I just had a set put on earlier today and on the drive home the smell was very noticeable. I'm going to leave the windows open when the car is in the garage and hopefully it will fade away quickly. Can anyone who has had them for awhile say how long it takes for the neoprene odor to fade? Does it go away completely or is there always a slight smell? Does the odor remover that they sell help to reduce the smell?

 

I've had fronts and backs in my Clubman for about 3 weeks now - the initial smell went away in 3-4 days. I only notice a slight odor when the car is out in the sun for an extended time - it gets less and less though.

So far, I LOVE 'EM!

 

Where'd you get the memory foam from? And no problems using it with the standard Mini covers from Wet Okole? After a few recent road trips I'm thinking of doing exactly what you did right now...

 

It had been my original intent to buy and cut up a memory foam mattress pad,
but after looking at one of the less expensive examples,
realized that it was a composite of layered 'memory' and (mostly) cheaper 'springy' foam.

I then looked in Yellow Pages; under Foam Products and saw a local business called FOAM CONNECTION "Foam Rubber for Home & Business".

The lady who ran the shop did not 'stock' Memory Foam (expensive stuff) but after explaining my project,
she suggested using remnant's (from larger jobs she had done).

She showed me how to cut and trim (electric carving knife and you can also freeze it for precise triming)
and also sold me an aerosol called Ram-Tack (much better than 3M Super 77) to put it together as seen in my photo above;
that shows the passenger seat and SWMBO now loves to sit in it and looks forward to long drives in my MINI.

For my seat, I used even more Memory Foam and doubled the 'under knee' portion over a rubber hose for extra support for my longer legs.

The Memory Foam is extremely compliant to constant pressure and combined with the flexability and stretch of the Wet Okole,
it was just as easy to cover over that 'extra' foam.

You can not even see the difference between those seats and they do not look much different than stock seats with just Wet Okole covers.

As an example, you can see in my gallery that I increased the Memory Foam for my center armrest.
Started with 1" x 4" x 11" and it now has a block 2.5" x 4.5" x 12" of the 5 lb Memory Foam.

With two visits to FOAM CONNECTION and several bushels of foam and one Aerosol Ram-Tack; I paid her less than $75 cash total,
you will want more Memory Foam than you might first think.

I also went for the Wet Okole optional inflatable Lumbar supports and have needed to use that exactly one time (on an eight hour drive).

 

do the Wet Okoles work with heated seats? are they easily installed/removed for cleaning? thanks.

 

^ was wondering the same thing myself.

 

I haven't tried the heated seats yet (still in the upper 80's/90's here in Phoenix).

As far as the cleaning, the company sells a neoprene cleaner that you spray on and wipe off without removing the seat covers from the car. There's no need to wash them. There's a really good FAQ section on their web site that goes into detail on the care of them!

 

if you do have the heated seats (why would you in AZ?) can you try them out and let me know? thanks for any help you may give.

 

Wet okoles work fine with heated seats. It might be like only 90% of the heat without covers but I could never leave the seats on high for long anyways.

Mark

 

FYI, NAM Guidelines state only vendors can initiate Group Buys

 

I do not post here but it looks as though there are some common Q that I am happy able to give my .02 cent on.
I have had mine for around 4 years now. Absolutely no issues. Install was a snap and they fit better then I expected them to. I do not have a cold weather pkg so can't comment on the heat issue. However I wear shorts year round and the covers make it much cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. A co-pilot got some dirt on the passenger cover and clean up was quite simple. I did not even remove the cover. A bit of resolve spray and a clean rag-as good as new. They do smell a bit. I recommend taking them out of the packaging and letting them sit in a basement or garage for a week or so as I did and then install. I did not notice any odor since, nor had any co-pilots. Another point not mentioned in previous posts but thought I would share my experience is with slipping around. I track my car on occasion (although I use Schroth harnesses) and I have a small frame so I though I might be slipping around but this was not the case at all. If they get wet not a issue. They dry quickly and can be removed just as quickly as installation. If you carry lots of papers,mags... and have back seat passengers or just like a clean and tidy MINI (like I do) then I would recommend getting the zippered pockets. They are great. But without back seats like my MINI they are basically used for papework and maps. Finally my MINI is a daily driver so the driver seat has seen some use and it still looks new. no issue with any of the seams and I've been very pleased with mine.
if I did this right here's a pic of mine

OK may be that was .04 cent for what its worth
Cheers

 

For cleaning; I bought an 8 fl oz (237ml) bottle of AQUASEAL Wet Suit & Dry Suit Shampoo and Conditioner at the Dive Shop.

In a wide-mouth jar with a little purefied water in the bottom, add a few ml of shampoo and shake to create a foam at top.

With a dry terry, you just knead a little of this foam to easily remove any coffee (or whatever) stain from the Wet Okole.
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Search "Wet Okole" to find many threads that have posts from users with Heated Seats.
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Florida user here, so heated seats are not an issue,
but I would doubt that the seat heat would be effective through the Memory Foam addition that I have described above.

I also have Memory Foam (under Lambskin) in my pilot seat and this is where I got the idea for my MINI.

When I have had to park the airplane outdoors overnight in below freezing weather, I have noticed that the Memory Foam is hard as a board.

Within a few minutes of sitting, body heat has the Memory Foam seat texture back to normal.

For this reason, in cold climates, you might want to first try just a Memory Foam Seat Cushion, to see if this would present a problem for you.
Again, this concern would only apply to the Memory Foam addition, Wet Okole's come with a thin foam padding that would have no temperature issue.