vinyl vs leather

JOhnH

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Right Seater
I talked to an interior shop today that said they are doing a lot of vinyl. "The new vinyl is so much better than your father's vinyl" he said. It breathes, it is softer, it is easier to clean than leather, etc. And it is about half the price of leather.

He about had me sold, but I am still a little skeptical. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of this "new vinyl"?
 
I had Classic Aero do my RV7 seats in vinyl. I looks, felt and smelled just like leather. I don't think I will ever do leather again.
 
Is it anything like the "leatherette" they use in BMW's and Mini Coopers? That stuff is pretty good.
 
Vinyl last forever. leather cracks. You see 10 year old vehicles with real leather and they look horrible. If you keep the leather moist and conditioned it will last. Most people these days are to dumb to do that. LOL!
 
Do you need a leather look? There is also fabrics that wear like iron.
 
Second on the leatherette in German cars. The vinyl "leatherette" in my 2011 Jetta (with 250,000 miles when I turned it in) looked like new. My wife's Touareg and my current BMW both have leatherette interiors and they' both look like new. My brother's leather interior in his Lexus... not so much. (Not so much a brand thing as it is a real leather vs. vinyl thing.)
 
Do you need a leather look? There is also fabrics that wear like iron.

+1

Cloth inserts with vinyl (not leather!) trim around the edges of the seats wear the best. I find that far more comfortable than all leather.
 
I don't really like either. They look nice but if I'm getting into a car that's been sitting in the sun all day I want a cloth seat.
 
The leather conditioner I have been exposed to makes me get a sinus headache and your clothes stink after you are done flying. The new synthetics have that new car smell that I think everyone likes!
 
Not aviation related, but a couple years ago I bought a couple love seats for my theater room that had some kind of fake leather. Unfortunately, I can't remember what it was called. I can tell you that it's soft, very comfortable, and seems to be holding up nicely.

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