leatherette seats and my shweaty back

beerfan · 07-18-2011, 09:50 AM

I got my X3 a couple of weeks ago and absolutely love it. However, the one thing I regret is not getting the leather seats. The leatherette seats look fine and are comfortable, but they are H-O-T!

Does anybody recommend a seat cushion that will give me a a little ventilation back there (and under the arse)? Something that doesn't look ridiculous....and isn't huge? I used a towel on my 4 hour trip yesterday and that did help quite a bit, but it kinda looks a bit too trashy for a BMW.

LEDZEP · 07-18-2011, 10:14 AM

BMW does have a seat cover accessory for the X3. It is primarily intended for keeping the seats clean, but might also help for heat. Not sure the content of the material though - if it is mostly synthetic then it may not be worth it.

Beyu · 07-18-2011, 11:07 AM

Just take a needle and poke some holes, homemade perforated seats! Don't dwell to much on opting for leatherette as leather gets pretty toasty in the summer too.

tuco44 · 07-18-2011, 11:12 AM

I have had both over the years, and I find the leatherette does not breath quite as well as the leather. That said, the differences are pretty marginal.

BIMMER UK 76 · 07-18-2011, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beyu

Just take a needle and poke some holes, homemade perforated seats! Don't dwell to much on opting for leatherette as leather gets pretty toasty in the summer too.

Leather breathes, whereas the synthetic leatherette cannot and will/must be more liable for sweaty back/arse!

Brutus1 · 07-18-2011, 04:50 PM

I have leather and the back of my legs gets hot. It seems as if there is not much air coming out at my feet when that button is selected and I sort of wish there were a choice for my knee area. I had leather in my previous car and don't remember this problem.

Stephen5242 · 07-18-2011, 08:37 PM

The seats should be perforated and ventilated in this price of vehicle. That being said, I don't find the leatherette seats any worse than leather. Also my leatherette seats on my 335i are holding up much better than the leather did on my 540i.

XB101 · 07-18-2011, 08:48 PM

I wonder if I should change my order to leather. Car is August production.

beerfan · 07-19-2011, 09:28 AM

XB101....the car I switched from is an 08 CTS. The CTS did have leather seats, but I did not have the same problem. Sure they got hot, but I didn't sit there in sweat. I can't speak about BMW leather seats because I haven't sat in them for a long time.

My dad has a ML350 with the MB Tex seats. He has the same problem. I think it is just the nature of the material. Choose wisely....I brought this issue up to help prospective buyers like yourself. I love everything else about the car...it's my only regret.

Shaw · 07-19-2011, 09:31 AM

having hot seats doesn't have anything to do with having leatherette vs. leather IMO
They both tend to get hot if the car is placed under direct sunlight for some time.
(you could say that when it comes to normal car seats that are in fabric for example)...

beerfan · 07-19-2011, 11:58 AM

...I just want to clarify. Yes, all seats are hot, but the leather seats in my other car seemed to breathe better which made it less sweaty back there. I have had a CTS and an Acura TSX and haven't had this problem. Maybe it wasn't the material..maybe it was because both were perforated leather seats...not sure.

Beyu · 07-19-2011, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaw

having hot seats doesn't have anything to do with having leatherette vs. leather IMO
They both tend to get hot if the car is placed under direct sunlight for some time.
(you could say that when it comes to normal car seats that are in fabric for example)...

+1

While I'm sure leather "breathes" better than leatherette I would think other factors such as perforations in the seats or the color would affect how hot they get more so than the type of material (cloth being the exception).

I think it might just be the design of the seats Beerfan. I too had perforations in my last car and the seats were leatherette (MB Tex) and they felt cooler than the ones in the X3.

I wish the X3 had the option to add ventilated seats; rear passengers can get heated ones, why not ventilated ones for people in the front.

torzeck · 07-19-2011, 02:07 PM

I tried leatherette in an Audi a while back and they were sticky hot. Never again. Leather will breathe and will be better. If you can swing it, I would say its worth it if your in a warmer climate.

XB101 · 07-25-2011, 10:21 PM

Can someone post pictures of their leatherette seats?

colton_matthias · 07-25-2011, 10:26 PM

the leatherette in the X3 looks really fake and plasticy in black, not sure if beige helps...... the leatherette on the 3 and 5 series are much better looking... Benz has pretty nice leatherette seats and they are hard to spot the difference than real leather.

Bimar · 07-26-2011, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XB101

Can someone post pictures of their leatherette seats?

http://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showth...ht=leatherette

BBMk · 12-08-2011, 09:58 AM

I decided to try leatherette since all my cars had leather. My wife was ok with it because we have dogs. Then I started reading some of the posts on leather vs leatherette...and I thought I made a mistake.

So far I am happy with them. Yes they are not as soft to the touch as leather but I am sure I going to be happier with the look in later years. In addition, most of the time you don't really have skin touching leather because of clothing - never tried driving my BMW naked.

One advantage that I really like and I don't remember reading is the leatherette on my car has a little rubbery grip and it really holds you in place in turns etc. Whereas leather tends to make you slide a bit from your driving position.

Ask me again in the summer, I might change my mind. I was also worried that I might have sweaty skin syndrome. I sweat easy but I doubt leatherette causes an excessive sweaty back unless your clothing/jacket is all synthetic and not breatheable.

colson79 · 12-08-2011, 10:33 AM

I have tried leatherette once and that was enough for me. It just gives me that sticky sweaty feeling in the summer. I have never had that issue with real leather on any of my vehicles whether they are perforated or not. I also think leather holds up just as well as leatherette if you take care of it. We kept my wife's last car for 10 years and it had real leather. I used leather conditioner once every six months and it was still like new when we sold it.

nyalpine90 · 12-08-2011, 10:42 AM

my 08 e90 had black leatherette and it look new when i trade it in mid november it was purchase 07 oct, .. leather wears down quicker tends to crack

i have leatherette and its different from my e90 its feels more like leather, smooth and more refine then previous leatherette in e90..just my 2cents

some cant tell if its leather or not even if their car comes with leather..lol

Dechy · 12-08-2011, 01:23 PM

The leatherette in my 2004 Rainier VS the one used in my 35i is ridiculously different. The BMW is bounds and leaps better, more comfortable & looks a whole lot better.

With kids/child seats & the mess they do in the back, I'll always take leatherette over cloth/real leather until they're old enough.

After a few minutes of blasting the A/C, the whole insta-sweat/burn goes away.

ctski1 · 12-08-2011, 04:46 PM

Yup, leatherette all the way if you have kids! Plus, you don't have to take care of it like you do with real leather. Just wipe it with anything damp and your all set - good as new!

If you don't have kids, don't spill shit all over and love to spend hours treating it with leather soap every few months - go with real leather!...it is much nicer...

Steve30dMSport · 12-08-2011, 07:05 PM

The main difference between leatherette and leather is that leather is a natural material which will adjust its temperature to your temperature quickly (therefore the shock of going from hot or cold seats is brief) whereas leatherette is a petrochemical based product which does not breathe and will take longer to adjust to your temperature and which also has a broader spectrum of temperature (it gets colder and hotter than leather will) so the initial shock to your body is greater in both directions.

07-18-2011, 09:50 AM	#1
beerfan New Member 4 Rep 12 Posts Drives: X3 28i - Titanium Silver Join Date: May 2011 Location: Chicagoland iTrader: (0)	leatherette seats and my shweaty back I got my X3 a couple of weeks ago and absolutely love it. However, the one thing I regret is not getting the leather seats. The leatherette seats look fine and are comfortable, but they are H-O-T! Does anybody recommend a seat cushion that will give me a a little ventilation back there (and under the arse)? Something that doesn't look ridiculous....and isn't huge? I used a towel on my 4 hour trip yesterday and that did help quite a bit, but it kinda looks a bit too trashy for a BMW.
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07-18-2011, 10:14 AM	#2
LEDZEP Lieutenant General 417 Rep 12,276 Posts Drives: 2009 E70 & 2011 F25 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Area 51 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 X3 35i M Sport [7.62] 2009 X5 M Sport [0.00] 2007 328xi E90 [0.00] 2006 325xiT E91 [0.00]	BMW does have a seat cover accessory for the X3. It is primarily intended for keeping the seats clean, but might also help for heat. Not sure the content of the material though - if it is mostly synthetic then it may not be worth it. __________________ I think it is bad luck to be superstitious
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07-18-2011, 11:07 AM	#3
Beyu Lieutenant 13 Rep 579 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: WA iTrader: (0)	Just take a needle and poke some holes, homemade perforated seats! Don't dwell to much on opting for leatherette as leather gets pretty toasty in the summer too.
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07-18-2011, 11:12 AM	#4
tuco44 Colonel 644 Rep 2,294 Posts Drives: 2018 340i xDrive M Perf Edtn Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Western Canada iTrader: (0)	I have had both over the years, and I find the leatherette does not breath quite as well as the leather. That said, the differences are pretty marginal. __________________ 2018 340i xDrive M Perf Edtn Sunset Orange Previous BMWs - 19 others since 1971.
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07-18-2011, 04:50 PM	#6
Brutus1 Private First Class 7 Rep 161 Posts Drives: 2011 x3 -Alpine white Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Tennessee iTrader: (0)	I have leather and the back of my legs gets hot. It seems as if there is not much air coming out at my feet when that button is selected and I sort of wish there were a choice for my knee area. I had leather in my previous car and don't remember this problem.
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07-18-2011, 08:37 PM	#7
Stephen5242 Canada EH! 287 Rep 338 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: 3rd Rock from the Sun iTrader: (0)	The seats should be perforated and ventilated in this price of vehicle. That being said, I don't find the leatherette seats any worse than leather. Also my leatherette seats on my 335i are holding up much better than the leather did on my 540i. Last edited by Stephen5242; 07-18-2011 at 09:23 PM..
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07-18-2011, 08:48 PM	#8
XB101 Second Lieutenant 31 Rep 225 Posts Drives: 2011 TiAg X3 35i Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Western Canada iTrader: (0)	I wonder if I should change my order to leather. Car is August production.
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07-19-2011, 09:28 AM	#9
beerfan New Member 4 Rep 12 Posts Drives: X3 28i - Titanium Silver Join Date: May 2011 Location: Chicagoland iTrader: (0)	XB101....the car I switched from is an 08 CTS. The CTS did have leather seats, but I did not have the same problem. Sure they got hot, but I didn't sit there in sweat. I can't speak about BMW leather seats because I haven't sat in them for a long time. My dad has a ML350 with the MB Tex seats. He has the same problem. I think it is just the nature of the material. Choose wisely....I brought this issue up to help prospective buyers like yourself. I love everything else about the car...it's my only regret.
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07-19-2011, 09:31 AM	#10
Shaw Lieutenant Colonel 305 Rep 1,803 Posts Drives: 2016 X5 35d \| 2019 X3 30i Join Date: May 2011 Location: Toronto iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 BMW X5 35d xDr ... [0.00]	having hot seats doesn't have anything to do with having leatherette vs. leather IMO They both tend to get hot if the car is placed under direct sunlight for some time. (you could say that when it comes to normal car seats that are in fabric for example)...
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07-19-2011, 11:58 AM	#11
beerfan New Member 4 Rep 12 Posts Drives: X3 28i - Titanium Silver Join Date: May 2011 Location: Chicagoland iTrader: (0)	...I just want to clarify. Yes, all seats are hot, but the leather seats in my other car seemed to breathe better which made it less sweaty back there. I have had a CTS and an Acura TSX and haven't had this problem. Maybe it wasn't the material..maybe it was because both were perforated leather seats...not sure.
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07-19-2011, 02:07 PM	#13
torzeck Lieutenant 52 Rep 400 Posts Drives: 2011 X3 35i, 2020 X3 30i Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Portland Oregon iTrader: (0)	I tried leatherette in an Audi a while back and they were sticky hot. Never again. Leather will breathe and will be better. If you can swing it, I would say its worth it if your in a warmer climate.
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07-25-2011, 10:21 PM	#14
XB101 Second Lieutenant 31 Rep 225 Posts Drives: 2011 TiAg X3 35i Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Western Canada iTrader: (0)	Can someone post pictures of their leatherette seats?
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07-25-2011, 10:26 PM	#15
colton_matthias Second Lieutenant 20 Rep 229 Posts Drives: 2011 BMW X3 M Sport Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Ontario iTrader: (0)	the leatherette in the X3 looks really fake and plasticy in black, not sure if beige helps...... the leatherette on the 3 and 5 series are much better looking... Benz has pretty nice leatherette seats and they are hard to spot the difference than real leather.
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12-08-2011, 09:58 AM	#17
BBMk Enlisted Member 4 Rep 37 Posts Drives: 2012 X3 BMW newbie Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Ontario iTrader: (0)	I decided to try leatherette since all my cars had leather. My wife was ok with it because we have dogs. Then I started reading some of the posts on leather vs leatherette...and I thought I made a mistake. So far I am happy with them. Yes they are not as soft to the touch as leather but I am sure I going to be happier with the look in later years. In addition, most of the time you don't really have skin touching leather because of clothing - never tried driving my BMW naked. One advantage that I really like and I don't remember reading is the leatherette on my car has a little rubbery grip and it really holds you in place in turns etc. Whereas leather tends to make you slide a bit from your driving position. Ask me again in the summer, I might change my mind. I was also worried that I might have sweaty skin syndrome. I sweat easy but I doubt leatherette causes an excessive sweaty back unless your clothing/jacket is all synthetic and not breatheable. Last edited by BBMk; 12-10-2011 at 05:52 PM.. Reason: update
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12-08-2011, 10:33 AM	#18
colson79 Second Lieutenant 7 Rep 221 Posts Drives: 2012 X3 35i DSB Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wisconsin iTrader: (0)	I have tried leatherette once and that was enough for me. It just gives me that sticky sweaty feeling in the summer. I have never had that issue with real leather on any of my vehicles whether they are perforated or not. I also think leather holds up just as well as leatherette if you take care of it. We kept my wife's last car for 10 years and it had real leather. I used leather conditioner once every six months and it was still like new when we sold it. __________________ 2012 X3 35i \| Deep Sea Blue \| Oyster \| Packages \| Sports \| Cold Weather \| Cold Weather 2 \| Premium \| Technology \| Premium Sound
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12-08-2011, 10:42 AM	#19
nyalpine90 Lieutenant General 7424 Rep 11,839 Posts Drives: MY24 G01 AW Msport Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: L.I. NY iTrader: (4) Garage List 2016 BMW X4 [9.33]	my 08 e90 had black leatherette and it look new when i trade it in mid november it was purchase 07 oct, .. leather wears down quicker tends to crack i have leatherette and its different from my e90 its feels more like leather, smooth and more refine then previous leatherette in e90..just my 2cents some cant tell if its leather or not even if their car comes with leather..lol
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12-08-2011, 01:23 PM	#20
Dechy Private 3 Rep 67 Posts Drives: 2011 X3 35i M Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Ottawa iTrader: (0)	The leatherette in my 2004 Rainier VS the one used in my 35i is ridiculously different. The BMW is bounds and leaps better, more comfortable & looks a whole lot better. With kids/child seats & the mess they do in the back, I'll always take leatherette over cloth/real leather until they're old enough. After a few minutes of blasting the A/C, the whole insta-sweat/burn goes away.
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12-08-2011, 04:46 PM	#21
ctski1 Private 4 Rep 82 Posts Drives: e92 328, 2017 X1 Join Date: May 2009 Location: CT iTrader: (1)	Yup, leatherette all the way if you have kids! Plus, you don't have to take care of it like you do with real leather. Just wipe it with anything damp and your all set - good as new! If you don't have kids, don't spill shit all over and love to spend hours treating it with leather soap every few months - go with real leather!...it is much nicer...
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12-08-2011, 07:05 PM	#22
Steve30dMSport Banned 3 Rep 80 Posts Drives: 2011 X3 30D M Sport Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Melbourne iTrader: (0)	The main difference between leatherette and leather is that leather is a natural material which will adjust its temperature to your temperature quickly (therefore the shock of going from hot or cold seats is brief) whereas leatherette is a petrochemical based product which does not breathe and will take longer to adjust to your temperature and which also has a broader spectrum of temperature (it gets colder and hotter than leather will) so the initial shock to your body is greater in both directions.
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