Perforated vs regular leather seats

Perforated: hard to maintain (dirt goes into the holes), better venting
It is a trade-off really. For the same price, I would go for a perforated one since it is usually more expensive. You see them on higher-end vehicles' leather interior.

 

What he/she said.

All real leather upholstery on older cars/luxury cars through (I think) the 80's were smooth, non-perforated. I would guess the perforations were introduced solely to counteract the "Help! I'm stuck to my seat and I can't get out!" complaints. (But I don't know that.)

But every little hole has an edge on its little inside diameter, and even if it's only 1/100" thick, that edge will get permanently dirty as wiped dirt is forced down through the holes.