So, the dealer told me that dog hair will vacuum up easier and clean up easier on leather interiors than it would in cloth interiors (I went from cloth to leather in my new prius). I don't have seat covers yet so my dog has only been in my new car once but I was wondering if this was true? If it is, should I even worry about getting seat covers as the purpose to having them before was to be able to take them out and wash the dog hair off of them as opposed to having to vacuum so much. Thanks.
Its true, but leather scratch easily. My dog love to scratch on the spot it about to lay. So seat cover is still highly recommended.
Well sure, it only makes sense. Dog hair gets stuck in the fibers of the cloth seats...leather is smooth and has no fibers. Its like a tile floor vs a carpet. Which one can you just sweep? I do agree about the cover though, if your dog is big he can scratch the surface of the leather with his nails.
This dealer knows how to sell leather! It's true but like hightechboy say's they do scratch leather, I know this for a fact. Maybe a pair of Nike dog shoes would go well with the Prius.
To be fair, I've owned vehicles with leather and cloth and I have cloth on our Prius (only because they didn't come with leather then) and over time with proper care leather looks better WAY longer than cloth. Cloth gets stained, its hard to clean, it gets worn on entry and exit point. Leather is much better.
My dog hates to ride in a car. Probably because he usually gets taken in my wife's Lexus GS on the back seat (I am scared to death that he would be in the front seat and the airbag might inflate, putting him through the back window). Yes, leather is much better as far as hair is concerned, but unless you are in the habit of giving pedicures to your dog, you will get some serious scratches and flaws. They sell covers that go on the back seats of most cars that are slightly cushioned and hook on to the headrests and seat bottom. The problem with them is that they usually slip and that is why my dog hates cars! He feels insecure on the leather without the cushion because he slides on the smooth leather and he feels even more insecure on the canvas cushion as it slides a little on the leather too. On my new Prius, however he is very, very happy in the back, behind the back seat and tethered to one of the hooks on the floor. He can stand up or sit down, he can see out the back, side and little window in the back and he is generally very happy. If that doesn't work, why don't you put part or all of the back seat down and let him lay around on the carpeted floor.
Oh dang. I thought the title of this thread meant there was an interior car seat option material that I missed out on...
Thanks everybody! I think I'll look in to some seat covers to keep her from poking holes with her claws. She does slide around on the leather more as I expected too and would probably appreciate a cloth seat cover to steady her. If you have any reccomendations, I'm all ears! I want custom fit seat covers this time so they stay put and I can easily use her "seat belt" with them.
We have always opted for cloth because of the scratching issue. Of course we have poodles, so shedding isn't a problem at all.
When I was at the dealership yesterday for the brake recall fix, I noticed in the parts department they had a pet carseat cover available for pets. It looked like a foldable quilt, think "windshield" sunscreen, but covered in padding. Something like this: Dog Car Seat Covers - Keep Your Auto Clean & Hair Free!
My dog Daisy is a frequent passenger in R2Pre2's back seat and she had difficulty sliding on the leather surface. I ultimately got a gray cordura back seat cover from gtcovers.com which is a perfect match to the dark gray leather. This seat cover is completely snug and form-fitted to the car seat unlike others that move around. Et voila - no more slipping Daisy! Yippy! And because the seat cover is waterproof it will protect the leather from mud, dirt, hairs, etc. The only minor downside is that I've noticed that her paws are noisier on the fabric though but it's better than her sliding around.
Amber, the 3rd gen cloth seats are absolutely horrible when it comes to pet hair. It is almost like suede and it sucks every hair off my Pom. I just ordered a set of Clazzio leather seats ($450), I figure it beats paying the $4000 premium I would have had to pay to go from a II to a IV to get the leather seats. It didn't help the poor pup had diariea one day and left some nice trail on the passenger seat. I just don't know if stains and smell ever come off cloth.
I realize this is an old thread but I'm a first-time Prius owner and also own dogs. I'm looking into seat covers, but the manual says not to cover the battery vents on the back seat. Wouldn't there be a concern with the form fitting seat covers with covering the battery air vent?
