Leather seats can add a touch of luxury and sophistication to any car. They can also be expensive to replace if they become damaged. That’s why it’s important to take care of them and keep them in good condition. We all know how important conditioning leather is but is this the case when it comes to leather car seats?
In this article, we will discuss whether or not you should condition your leather car seats. We will also look at the reasons why it is or not important that you do this. Without wasting any more time, let’s get started.
All leather materials, no matter what product they are used for, benefit immensely from conditioning and leather car seats are no exception. The application of a good leather conditioner nourishes the leather, keeping it healthy and supple. Not only does this make the leather look and feel great, but it also helps to protect it from drying out and cracking in extreme weather conditions.
However, there are a few schools of thought or arguments against leather seat conditioning. One of the main arguments is that the leather material used for leather car seats is usually coated with pigments and synthetic polyurethane and polyvinyl materials during their treatment process.
This means that they may not need any form of conditioning or they may not need to be conditioned as often as regular leather does.
While this may be the most obvious, if not a logical reason not to condition leather car seats, it is important to understand leather as a material and why it is absolutely necessary to condition it.
So in the rest of this article, I’m going to share a couple of arguments for and some against conditioning leather car seats, and I’ll let you decide what is best for your car.
Arguments For Conditioning Leather Car Seats
Below are some of the arguments for conditioning your leather car seats you’re going to hear from both industry experts and car enthusiasts alike.
1. Conditioning Leather Seats Help To Protect Them From The Elements
One of the main reasons to condition your leather car seats is to protect them from the elements. When you’re driving, your car is constantly exposed to wind, rain, and sun.
All of these can cause serious damage to your leather seats if they’re not properly conditioned. Conditioning your leather seats will help to keep them hydrated and protected from harsh elements.
Leather is a natural material and, as such, it needs to be treated with care. If you don’t condition your leather car seats, they will eventually crack and become brittle. This can lead to expensive repairs or even a replacement of the seats altogether.
So if you want to protect your investment and keep your leather car seats in good condition for years to come, it’s important that you condition them on a regular basis.
2. Conditioning Prevents Leather Car Seats From Drying Out & Cracking
Very similar to the earlier point made, another reason to condition your leather car seats is to prevent them from drying out and cracking.
As I mentioned earlier, leather is a natural material and, as such, it needs to be treated with care. If you don’t condition your leather car seats on a regular basis, they will eventually dry out and crack.
What makes this even more troublesome is that, once your leather car seats have cracked, they are very difficult (and sometimes impossible) to repair.
So, if you want to avoid having to replace your leather car seats prematurely, be sure to condition them on a regular basis. It will extend the life of your leather car seats and keep them looking new for years to come.
3. Conditioning Makes Your Car Seats Supple & Soft
Another awesome reason why you should condition your leather car seats is that it makes them look and feel much nicer. When you condition the leather, it will become supple and soft to the touch.
If you don’t condition your leather car seats, they will be dry, stiff, and cracked. So not only will conditioning make your car seats more comfortable to sit on but they’ll also look nicer.
Conditioning your leather car seats is a must if you want to keep them in good condition for as long as possible. Make sure to use a quality leather conditioner so that your seats will stay looking and feeling great for years to come.
4. Leather Conditioners Enhance The Natural Smell Of Leather
If you’re a fan of the rich leathery smell of leather car seats, you’ll be glad to know that conditioning your leather car seats will actually enhance this natural smell.
Leather conditioners often contain a variety of different natural ingredients like beeswax, citrus oil, and lanolin that work to nourish the leather while also imparting a pleasant smell.
So not only will your seats look great and feel soft and supple after applying a conditioner, but they’ll also smell fantastic.
This is why many people find the smell of leather to be quite intoxicating. So if you’re looking for a way to make your car’s interior even more luxurious and inviting, definitely consider using a leather conditioner.
5. Conditioners Repel Water From The Leather Car Seat
One of the most important functions of a leather conditioner is that it helps to repel water from the leather.
Water can cause serious damage to leather car seats if it’s not properly repelled. When water penetrates the leather, it can cause the material to lose its natural oils, swell, and crack over time.
Leather conditioners help to form a protective barrier on the surface of the leather that will repel water and other liquids, thus preventing any damage from occurring.
If you’re looking for a good quality leather conditioner to protect your car seats, we recommend Lexol Leather Conditioner. It’s one of the best on the market and it will help to keep your leather car seats looking new for years to come.
6. Conditioners Help To Prevent Stains From Forming
Leather conditioners can also help to prevent stains from forming on your car seats. When a leather seat is conditioned, the conditioner will form a protective barrier on the surface of the leather.
This barrier will help to keep any liquids or dirt from penetrating the leather and causing any staining. So, if you’re someone who has kids or pets that tend to get a little messy, then using a leather conditioner can be a real lifesaver.
Conditioning your leather car seats regularly is definitely the best way to keep them looking and feeling great. But, if you don’t have time to do it yourself, or you just want someone else to take care of it for you, then you can always take your car seats in for professional detailing.
Professional detailers will be able to clean and condition your leather seats using high-quality products that will leave your seats looking and feeling like new.
Argument Against Conditioning Leather Car Seats
Although there are a lot of arguments in favor of conditioning leather car seats, there are also a few arguments that also indicate conditioning leather car seats is not necessary.
Below are some of the reasons why some people, including expect, advise against Conditioning leather car seats.
1. Leather Car Seats Are Treated With Synthetic Coatings
The main claim as far as why you should not condition your leather car seats is that the leather material often used for car seats comes with a synthetic coating that should last the entire lifespan of the leather car seat.
Because of the synthetic coating, the leather will not absorb any conditioners that you apply. This is a valid point considering that most leather conditioners are meant to be applied and left on the surface of the leather in order to work their magic.
But the major flaw in this argument is that leather is such an awesome material that even with several layers of synthetic coating, it still retains some level of breathability.
This is why leather car seats can still get dye stains which can sometimes be hard to remove. The ink or dye stain is still able to find its way into the leather pores which is why such stains still occur in the first place.
The second flaw in this argument is that even if the leather car seat does not absorb the conditioner, this does not mean that the conditioner will not work.
2. Leather Conditioner Will Make Leather Car Seats Surface Sticky
Another reason why most people advise not to condition leather car seats is that the conditioner will make the surface of the leather sticky.
They claim that this stickiness is often due to the conditioning oils just sitting on the surface of the leather without being effectively absorbed.
To some extent, this can be true but I find this to be common when it comes to using low-quality leather conditioners or improper application.
There are a lot of low-quality leather conditioners out there today that will not only make the surface of the leather sticky but will also leave a greasy residue.
This is why it’s important to do your research and find a good quality conditioner that won’t cause any such problems.
And most importantly, you need to apply only thin layers of the conditioner so that you do not oversaturate the leather. If you do, the conditioner will just sit on the surface and create that sticky feeling.
3. Leather Conditioners Can Darken Leather Car Seats
Another argument against conditioning leather car seats is that it can cause them to become darker over time. This is where most people contradict themselves.
If the leather material used for leather car seats is coated with synthetic pigments and finishes then how can the leather car seat become darker over time?
It makes more sense that if a conditioner is applied to an uncoated leather surface, it will cause the natural oils and dyes in the leather to become apparent. And because different dyes are used, it might give the car seat a slightly darker appearance.
But this is not a bad thing. In fact, this is often considered as part of the natural aging process of leather. So if you do not want your leather car seats to become darker over time, then don’t condition them.
Final Thoughts
Based on the arguments above, I think it’s safe to say that there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to conditioning leather car seats.
It really depends on your preference and what you want for your car. If you want your leather car seats to last longer then you should probably condition them.
But it is important to acknowledge that the leather material used for leather car seats is usually very durable and will last a fairly long time even without any conditioner.
What conditioning your leather car seat does is add to the already existing layer of protection so that the seat will be less likely to show signs of wear and tear.
It is also important to remember that you should only use a quality conditioner otherwise you might end up with some not-so-desirable side effects. So do your research, test out a few different conditioners, and find the one that works best for you.
