Cloth vs. Leather Semi-Truck Seats: Pros and Cons

Truck drivers spend more time in their cabs than perhaps anywhere else, and most of that time involves sitting behind the wheel. Therefore, comfortable seats are critically important to their health and safety. A good seat helps a driver stay alert while avoiding aches and pains from sitting down too long.

When considering a new seat for your truck, you’ll face the age-old debate of cloth versus leather seats. Which is better? Several pros and cons come into play.

Temperature

Leather seats aren’t as breathable as cloth seats. They’ll retain heat if left in high-temperature environments with direct sun exposure without the AC on. But if the truck has an effective cooling system, the seats should cool as the air in the cab cools down.

Cloth seats generally stay cooler on hot, sunny days, though this depends on their hue. Lighter colors reflect more heat away from their surface, while dark colors tend to absorb heat. But dark colors hide more mishaps, such as spills, than lighter-colored cloth seats. So when choosing between leather seats versus fabric seats, consider which is more important to you. Do you want seats that remain cooler or seats that don’t show their stains as obviously?

Maintenance

Leather requires leather cream or oil treatment to maintain its suppleness and avoid drying and cracking. But when properly maintained, leather is durable and will last years, often much longer than cloth.

Cloth is easier to clean, but it may be harder to remove stains. This is because they tend to sink in immediately. Properly treated leather can be moisture and stain resistant.

Durability

Consider leather versus cloth seats’ durability. Cloth can tear or shred more easily than leather, even exposing the seat’s inner cushioning. Leather will last longer than cloth. But if not maintained, it will dry and crack.

Odors

Leather smells good, and it doesn’t absorb spills the way cloth seats do. When a cloth seat absorbs a stain, it also absorbs the odor of whatever you spilled. Stained cloth seats may require steam cleaning or deep vacuuming, whereas leather usually cleans up with a quick wipe.

Style

If your truck’s interior style is important to you, then leather is the way to go. It looks more luxurious, and gives a sense of refinement to your truck’s cab.

Cloth seats are more practical for those who must eat in their truck or who are prone to untidiness. If your cab accumulates food wrappers, cups, sunscreen, and water bottles, you may want to opt for the more economical cloth seat. You’ll have to invest in cleaning the seats, but you won’t lament spills that can mar your leather seats’ looks.

Comfort

Leather can be slippery. If you don’t like to slide around in your seat, you might want to opt for a cloth seat that affords a better grip.

When considering the pros and cons of leather versus cloth truck seats, rank the importance of breathability and heat dissipation, stain resistance, and durability.

The inside of the seat is more important than the outside when it comes to ergonomics, though. You can always opt for a seat cover, but the structure of the chair is much harder to change. The design and parts that help prevent strain on your spine, back, and shoulders are inside the seat.

GRA-MAG offers the highest quality aftermarket semi-truck seats featuring ergonomic designs. Our products minimize pressure points, vibrations, and noise. When your seat is both comfortable and supportive, you’ll stay alert and drive more safely.