Purchasing a car with heated seats is a great thing in cold weather. Sitting in an ice cold seat after having parked outside, overnight in freezing weather, makes your commute very uncomfortable. So having those heated seats is a nice luxury to have under certain circumstances. Whether you’ve purchased a new car with heated seats or already have a car with heated seats, you probably want to protect them. One great option to protect seats is to use a car seat cover. But will Wet Okole car seat covers work with heated seats? Let’s find out.
First, let’s talk about why car seat covers are a great addition to your vehicle. We’ve all spilled. We’ve all tracked dirt or sand into the car. We’ve all had to scurry into our car to escape a downpour. All of these things can negatively affect the fabric or leather of your car’s seats.
Spills can do a lot of damage especially to your car. That sticky, brightly colored smoothie is a healthy choice, except when it ends up sloshing over the brim and onto your seat. You’d clean it up right away, if you weren’t stuck in slow moving traffic on the freeway. Or maybe that barista got lazy and didn’t put the lid onto your coffee securely, causing you to spill the second you take your first sip. Regardless of the liquid, stains can be expected.
Dirt and sand tend to work their way into the small crevices of fabrics and leather. Over time, as those granules are repeatedly moved and sat on, they can start to cause friction against the car seat material. This friction can lead to micro tears which eventually will lead to very visible tears in your car’s seat.
So the first two are pretty obvious in the damage they can cause, but how bad can water be? When water is soaked into material it can obviously smell bad but it can also bring with it salt. This could be salt from your sweat or salt from elsewhere. Once the water evaporates, you’ll have a nice salt stain from what the water left behind.
Protecting your investment with seat covers
Many car owners won’t sit on their seats without covers. They’re a great way to protect your car’s value by keeping the upholstery pristine. Seat covers are also an easy way to change the look of your car’s interior.
As Road & Track points out, seat covers come in a wide range of prices, styles, and colors. There are simple covers that give you a different color option or heavy-duty waterproof varieties that stand up to the roughest uses. Many car owners consider seat covers a must for keeping their interior in top condition.
How do heated seats work?
The technology behind a heated car seat is similar to that of an electric blanket. The mechanism is built inside the seat to keep your back, thighs, and legs warm while inside the vehicle. They can be individually controlled according to the passenger’s preferences.
The mechanism is typically made up of three components—a resistor, relay, and thermostat.
Resistor – also known as the heating coil, this is a long strip of wire through which electricity flows. This component got its name due to its resistance to electricity, resulting in friction that is released in the form of heat.
Relay switch – a mechanical trigger that allows electricity to flow from the car battery to the resistor in your heated seats. After you turn on the switch that turns on the heat, the resistor or heating coil receives a small amount of electricity from an initial circuit that results in a magnetic field being formed. The magnetic field is what eventually triggers the relay switch, activating the flow of electricity from your car battery to the resistor.
Thermostat – this component is included in the system to prevent it from running indefinitely and overheating. It monitors heat output, deactivating the relay once the set temperature has been reached. As the seat cools down, it triggers the initial circuit so that the relay switch can be activated and the seats can be heated by the car battery again.
Rhino Hide
Made from durable polyvinyl chloride with an additional polyester backing, this has a leather-like appearance and feel. Aside from that, it works well with heated seats. It is also tear, abrasion, and puncture-resistant.
FAQ
What type of seat covers are best for heated seats?
Is it OK to put seat covers on leather?
