Leather or Fabric?

If money is no issue, which upholstery option would you choose?

  • Leather

    Votes: 27 56.3%

  • Fabric

    Votes: 9 18.8%

  • Mix of leather and fabric.

    Votes: 12 25.0%
  • Total voters
    48
write-stuff

write-stuff

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Time to reupholster the front seats in my 182. Leather looks better and may be more durable, but I suspect fabric may be cooler. If money wasn't an issue, which would you choose?
 
write-stuff said:
Time to reupholster the front seats in my 182. Leather looks better and may be more durable, but I suspect fabric may be cooler. If money wasn't an issue, which would you choose?
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Good quality leather breathes and is not real hot.

We put leather in our Pathfinder in '04, and it still looks great. Worth every penny.
 
take a hard look at some of the newer fale leathers. considerably lighter than the real thing, breathes better, and most people can't tell the difference looking at it. These materials have come a long way.
 
Cloth outlasts leather at least 2:1, is stronger, cooler and doesn't age and crack.
Check the crew seats in any airplane at any airport and make note of the number of leather seats. You won't need much paper to keep track of the count.
 
Altought I like leather much more, the cloth will hold up better like Wayne said. I would put leather in my personal ride, but not in the front of my airliner
 
I know a lot of people love leather, but you couldn't pay me to put it in my airplane (or car)
 
For general aviation and normal 75-100 hours per year I like leather, it will last a long time under light usage. For a flight school or other high usage, I would go cloth. Personally, I prefer leather and it wasn't a lot more expensive than a good cloth interior. The labor is a big part of the seat cost. :D
 
I've been happy with leather seating in the Aztec. The 310 has leather seats with sheepskin covers, which are comfortable and seem to wear nicely. The downside is that they are hot in the summer in an already hot airplane. That said, I like it enough to keep it.
 
Fabric for contact areas at least. Maybe synthetic leather accents for trimmed look.
 
just redid the Stinson's interior. I did leather around the edges with matching suede in the middle. It lets my back breath great. It was over 100* today here in So Cal, my shirt was dry after a late afternoon flight.
 
If it ever matters leather is probably the least flammable choice.
 
I put leather in my Tango and have it in both of my vehicles. I would do it again in a heart beat. I'd even let you pay me to have it in there!
 
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