We understand not everyone is a fan of car seat covers. But the truth is, cars aren’t cheap, especially not electrified ones. Depending on how you’re using your vehicle on a daily basis, your seats might be enduring a lot of wear and tear. Cracks, rips, or tears in your seats are truly an eyesore and if you’re looking to keep them in pristine condition, you’ll want to invest in car seat covers. If you’ve spent any time shopping for some, you’ll know just how many different options there are in today’s market. So how do you choose the best car seat covers?
Like shopping for any type of vehicle accessory, you really need to start by determining your budget. Car seat covers are available in all sorts of price ranges, although all of our recommendations fall in the more affordable category and have similar price tags. The next factor to consider is the type of material you need. If you only care about looks, faux leather or leatherette might suit your needs. If you need something waterproof, you’ll want neoprene covers. Don’t care about the material and just want good protection? There are cloth seat covers that should fit your budget. Lastly, think about installation and whether you need seat covers that can be easily removed.
Below are our recommendations for the best car seat covers, hopefully with options that cover all types of buyers. You can also find more information about car seat covers after our list of picks.
1. Top pick: Black Panther car seat cover
Those looking for a luxury-type appearance with solid protection, here’s Black Panther’s car seat covers. These sport a diamond pattern often seen on the seats in luxury cars and you can choose from beige, black, gray, or wine red to match or contrast the rest of your interior. These seat covers are manufactured from polyurethane (PU) leather, while the backside features a rubber granule fabric that serves two purposes: ensures the seat covers don’t move around and they won’t damage your actual seats.
This is our top pick not only because they’d look right at home in any electrified vehicle, but they feature a sideless design that helps ensure they’ll work on the vast majority of vehicles. More importantly, they won’t interfere with side airbags, as some full seat covers might. Installation is made simple, thanks to a quick buckle and an elastic band at the top. There are also a pair of plastic buckles and metal hooks to keep the cover in place. For added convenience, there are two pockets up front to hold all sorts of items, like a phone or charger.
We do have to mention that each order only comes with a single seat cover, so double the price if you want to protect both your front seats.
2. Best on a budget: Lusso Gear car seat protector
Just want some protection without having to fuss with style, fitment, and installation? Lusso Gear’s car seat protector is one of the most popular on the market and you can use it to protect your front or back seats. This padded seat protector has adjustable straps for easy installation, while rubber back dots help to keep it from slipping. It’s constructed with PVC leather, which offers good protection against stains and even pet claws.
Choose from black, black with red stitching, brown, gray, or tan shades. This seat protector also has a pair of mesh pockets in the front to store random items you need for your trip, putting them in arm’s reach.
This is a great option to have underneath a child’s car seat or booster seat, ensuring that your factory seats stay protected throughout those years. Since it is designed to be a universal product, it should fit your EV. If you’re curious however, it measures 18.75″ wide by 49″ tall and is 0.5″ thick.
3. Best neoprene seat cover: Gorla Gear universal car seat cover
Need waterproof protection? This recommendation is a 100-percent waterproof and sweatproof car seat cover featuring neoprene material to protect your seats. It’s available in a variety of colors, including beige, black, gray, pink, and an interesting camo. Anti-slip backing and integrated straps keep this cover in place and it’ll work on your front or back seats.
Installation is fairly straightforward, as it slips over your seat’s headrest and then uses a buckled strap to keep it secure. There are optional shoulder and seat base straps as well. This seat cover measures 54″ long by 21.25″ wide, which should cover most seats, front or back. As an added bonus at the time of writing, Gorla Gear is also including a neoprene seat belt cover with each order.
If you’ve never heard of neoprene, it’s a rubber material that is often used in wet suits so you can feel confident of its waterproof capabilities. It’s worth noting that you shouldn’t use this car seat cover while your seats are heated.
4. Best for pets: AsFrost dog seat cover
Does your four-legged best friend often accompany you on road trips? If so, you know how quickly they can ruin your seats. Our recommendation for those who often travel with pets comes from AsFrost with its four-layered covers designed to deal with pet wear and tear. You’ll find premium 600D Oxford waterproof cotton on the outer layer, which covers a layer of PP cotton material that provides protection against water and other liquids. Underneath the cotton is Oxford 210D fabric with an additional PA waterproof coating. The fourth layer consists of non-slip PVC rubber.
Installation is also pretty straightforward, with a few different options to ensure universal application. You can snap the buckle straps around the headrest and the seat if you’re using it up front, or in the rear you can wedge the seat anchor between the back and seat cushion of the protector.
Naturally, this car seat cover is machine washable, but use a gentle cycle so you don’t ruin it.
5. Best for rear bench seats: Motor Trend AquaShield car seat cover
If you’re looking to only protect your rear bench seat, here’s our recommendation. It comes from Motor Trend (yes, that Motor Trend) but it appears to be manufactured by BDK Auto Accessories. Available in black, gray, or tan beige, this rear bench seat cover might not be the most stylish but it’ll get the job done in protecting your rear seat. It offers waterproof protection with a neoprene foam lining on the inside and a soft poly outside.
Designed to be a universal product, it should fit the majority of vehicles. A perfect fit however, may require some modification. Overall, it measures 55″ wide by 44″ tall.
What is a car seat cover?
As its name suggests, a car seat cover is designed to protect your car seat by covering it. They come in a variety of different materials, from affordable cloth to genuine leather or even sheepskin.
What’s the best waterproof car seat cover?
If you need protection against spills, water, or sweat, you’ll want a car seat cover made from neoprene. Our recommendation comes from Gorla Gear.
Do I want a universal seat cover?
Most car seat covers are designed to be universal, which means they may not fit the best depending on your vehicle. Since it’s difficult to know exactly which vehicle you own, our recommendations are all universal seat covers. You can however, get fitted seat covers made specifically for your make and model. Those seat covers tend to be more expensive, but their quality and fitment is better.
How do I install a car seat cover?
The installation process for a car seat cover is largely dependent on which seat cover you purchased. Most seat covers will come with specific instructions on how to install them, but typically they involve buckles, straps, and some tugging to get a good fit. Some of our recommendations are designed to be easily installed, sliding over the headrest and buckling in to stay secure.
Who should buy seat covers?
Well, that’s mostly up to you and whether you want to protect your seats and don’t mind the look. We do recommend seat covers for owners who often travel with pets or park their car outdoors exposed to sun. Both situations can add a lot of wear and tear to your seats, with sunlight causing premature fading, cracking, or even tearing.
Recent updates:
Updated (2:25 p.m. EDT, 04/28/2023): Added eBay shopping options for our recommendations. Our top picks remain unchanged.
