The steering wheel is part of a car’s most touched surface and this makes it susceptible to scratches, fades, dirt, bacteria, sweat, and more commonly, discoloration. Getting the right leather dye for your steering wheel can help to restore a new look.
So what’s the best leather dye for the steering wheel? In no particular order the best leather dyes for steering wheels are:
- Fiebing’s Pro Dye (Best Overall Leather Dye For Steering Wheel)
- The Colourlock Dye (Best Premium Leather Dye For Steering Wheel)
- Saphir Liquid Dye Teinture Francaise (Best Permanent Leather Dye)
- Leather Steering Wheel Repair Kit
Let’s get into the details of the above-mentioned list of best dyes for steering wheel.
But first, a quick guide on factors to consider when getting leather dyes for your steering wheel.
Best Leather Dyes For Steering Wheel – Buying Guide
The leather wrap on steering wheels comes with different finishes. While some may come perforated, others will come with synthetic coating on its surface.
These among a few things makes choosing the perfect leather dyes for you somewhat critical.
However, this shouldn’t ruin the fun when it comes to buying something good for your car.
So over here I’m going to give you a quick rundown on a couple of things you need to consider when choosing leather dyes for your steering wheel.
The Basic Qualities of The Dye
Knowing what a particular leather dye is made up of helps you to understand what to expect or the effect of the dye on the leather steering wheel.
While alcohol-based dyes will dry faster and may require a bit of conditioning – because it tends to dry up leather, oil-based dyes are a lot easier to apply and result in even dye application.
This also helps you to understand the kind of materials the leather dye can be applied to apart from leather.
Usually, this kind of information will be spelled out clearly on the package of the product.
Let me state the obvious! Do not opt for a leather dye that has qualities that do not match your work and the finishing you want.
Cost
Usually, cost will always be high on the list of things most people will look out for when out buying no matter what it is.
Even though the leather dye is not necessarily the most expensive thing to buy, there are different price points.
So finding that perfect price point that meets your budget and still meets the quality standards you would want is always a good buy.
Resistance To Weather Elements
Leather dyes when applied on the steering wheel must be able to stay and last long whether in hot or cold conditions.
The leather dye you choose should have a formula such as binding, protective, or sealing elements which will make the leather dye resistant to water, the sun rays, or stains.
Easy To Use or Apply
This is also a pretty basic factor you would want to consider when getting leather dyes for your steering wheel.
You would want your leather steering wheel dyeing process to be as smooth, easy, and mess-free as possible.
Some leather dyes will come in easy to pour bottles while others will come with applicators that will make it easy to apply them on the surface of your steering wheel.
You would also want to go for leather dyes that have a good consistency that won’t be too runny and messy or too thick to apply and spread.
Taking this factor into consideration will help you come up with a good professional-looking dye application on your leather steering wheel.
The Type of Dye Brand
When it comes to the leather dye manufacturing space there are some huge names in there like the Fiebing’s brand.
Like I usually say, when in doubt, always go for the very common and popular brands.
Some of these brands are not popular due to complex marketing tactics.
Companies like Fiebing’s are known all over due to the kind of quality they produce.
Like with all other big brands, they will often come with a slightly heftier price tag.
This is not to say only the popular brands have the best quality dyes.
You will also find a lot of quality with some lesser-known brands who will also generally offer competitive prices.
Best Leather Dyes For Steering Wheel – Reviews
I spent some time researching and below is a detailed review of the best leather dye for steering wheel.
1. Fiebing’s Pro Dye (Best Overall Leather Dye)
The Fiebing’s Pro Dye gives you easy to dye quality and excellent color. What makes this leather dye unique is its ability to cover more surfaces evenly with only a very small drop.
This makes it easy and economical for use on your leather steering wheels.
It has alcohol content the makes it work well on both real and synthetic leathers and gives it a nice professional finishing.
In addition to its ease of use, its formula also has unique colorfast abilities that give classy and rich finishing colors to surfaces that have suffered from fading, peeling, and scratches.
This dye is also versatile and can also be used on other items like shoes, saddles, belts, etc.
For better results apply the Fiebing’s Pro Dye on surfaces that have been well prepared; that is dusted and thorough cleaning.
Pros:
It covers more surfaces easily
Gives rich color finishing
It has superior colorfast abilities
This dye gives options in colors to choose from
Great for light-colored surfaces
It gives a quick dry and even finish
It is easy to use
It gives a good penetration to leather surfaces it’s applied on
Cons:
- Soaks a bit too quickly
- Although it lasts long the initial cost of purchase it may be a bit heavy on the pocket for people on a budget.
If you’re interested in the Fiebing’s Pro Dye, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
2. The Colourlock Dye (Best Runner Up Dye)
The ColourLock Leather Fresh Dye is like a toning formula that renews and protects the leather superbly.
The unique quality of this dye has a long-lasting effect it leaves not only on steering wheels but also other leather items on the car interior.
Another great thing about the Colourlock Leather Fresh Dye is that their leather dyes come in a wide range of colors.
So if you go with this dye you will have a variety of colors to choose from that can match the color of your leather steering wheel.
What’s even greater is, the Colourlock Leather Fresh Dye has chemicals that do not only give you the best coloring but it’s also able to bind peeled off, faded, scratched surfaces, seals and gives a great coating to the surfaces of the leather.
This then gives a perfect finish to the leather steering wheel and any other surface you would like to apply it to.
This dye is also a good leather color restorer. Any leather steering wheel that has seen very little care and maintenance, this is going be your best bet at restoring and protecting your leather.
If you pick this brand, all you do is simply opt for your preferred color and just follow the simple application guidelines.
You’re guaranteed to get a very good finish and optimum leather protection.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Gives a long-lasting finish
- Offer the leather steering wheel some protection
- Comes in a variety of colors to choose from
- Binds surfaces well
- Seal holes left by peels and scratches
- A little dye can cover a wide surface
- It’s affordable
- It has a good dying time
Cons:
- May be a bit pricey if you’re on budget
- May dry slightly chalky
If you’re interested in the ColourLock Leather Fresh Dye, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
3. Saphir Liquid Dye Teinture Francaise (Best Permanent Leather Dye)
The Saphir Liquid Dye Teinture Francaise is great for both real and artificial leather. It has deeply penetrated and sealing qualities which helps to fill all holes left after the surface of the leather has been sanded during restoration.
The Saphir Liquid Dye Teinture Francaise has a formula that’s perfect when it comes to changing light colors to dark ones.
It also offers a smooth and easy application. You would, however, want to put on a pair of gloves when using this formula on your leather steering wheel surfaces.
This dye is very strong and bonds exceptionally well when it’s applied. The strong nature of the dye calls for it to be used or applied in a well-ventilated place or area.
Even if you’re not a professional you will be able to get outcomes that a professional would have done for your steering wheel.
Pros:
- It penetrates deep
- It works on many surfaces
- Effective in changing light to dark colors
- It leaves a permanent dry dye on the surface
- It is easy to apply or use
- It restores worn-out leather surfaces easily
- Great for smooth and suede/nubuck leathers
- It’s also good for both natural and synthetic types of leather
Cons:
- It required a well-ventilated place when it’s been used
- It requires hand gloves as its dyes don’t come off easily
If you’re interested in the Saphir Liquid Dye Teinture Francaise, you can check it out over here on Amazon for additional information about price and shipping.
4. Leather Steering Wheel Repair Kit
This dye is a perfect fit for steering wheels which due to constant use, dirt, body oils.etc have started developing scratches, peels, and fading. This formula comes in to clear surfaces to take away damages and cracks.
It leaves a soft restored surface on the steering wheel. It is one of the easy to use steering wheel restoration products ok the market as it gives the steering wheel the new look it needs.
This product is one of the best when it comes to repairing steering wheels. It penetrates, seals, and freshens up the surfaces of the leather steering wheels.
It makes your leather steering wheel new again and will save you the cost of purchasing new ones.
You would make sure the doors of your car are opened to allow proper ventilation when applying this leather dye.
This is because this formula has a very strong smell and may be uncomfortable for you.
Pros:
It softens the surface of the leather steering wheel after the restoration is complete
It takes away scratches
It’s easy to use or apply
It refreshes leather surfaces
It’s effective for leather steering wheel repairs
Cons:
- Good for professionals
- Has a strong chemical smell
If you’re interested in this leather restoration kit, you can check it out over here at Amazon UK. Unfortunately, this is not currently available for customers in the United States.
How To Dye Leather Steering Wheel
Here’s a video of how to dye leather steering wheel.
Conclusion
I trust I have been able to help bring a bit of clarity to the numerous leather dye options when you do a search on the internet or visit a local craft store. I also hope I have been able to boost your confidence with your choice of the best leather dyes for steering wheels.