Car Seat Cover Instructions

Car seat covers keep your vehicle seats looking like new, protect the original seats from fading and spills and help to keep crumbs, pet hair and other debris out of the seat nooks and crannies. They can also save you money by keeping the interior of your car in good condition, allowing for maximum resale value when it comes time to sell or trade your vehicle.

Most covers fit over the seat and attach with elastic or Velcro straps, while some are designed to be installed without removing the seat from the car. When selecting a cover, consider whether you want to be able to quickly take it off and wash it if it gets dirty or in need of a refresh, as well as how much protection from the sun you would like.

Before installing the covers, make sure to vacuum the seats to remove any dirt, crumbs and other debris that may have collected there. Next, carefully read the manufacturer’s installation instructions and safety guidelines for the specific seats you’re covering, if applicable. Also, if your car has side airbags in the front seat, you should only install covers that are compatible with these features and do not cover the headrests or armrests.

If the seat back cover is not correctly fitted to the seat, it can interfere with the proper operation of the seat side airbags in the event of a crash. To correct this, you should carefully match the opening in the front cover with the slot or velcro connection for the headrest on the seat back. The cover should be placed so that the soft part of the Velcro is against the headrest and the rough part is against the car seat.

Likewise, if the cover is incorrectly positioned on the seat bottom cushion, it can interfere with the ability to use the seat’s rear straps and buckles, since you will need to slide them through the gap. To resolve this, carefully match the opening in the front cover with a slot or velcro connection on the underside of the seat bottom and place the cover over it (Photo 1).

Once the cover is properly installed on the seat, you can install the headrest covers. This is usually a much simpler process than the seat back covers. Once again, it is important to carefully align the covers with the headrests on the seat and tuck them in between the seat cushion and plastic molding for a neat and tailored look. Once the headrest covers are in place, you can test out the fit by buckling the straps and tightening them (Photo 5).

You can purchase covers made from a wide variety of fabrics, including cotton, polyester and velvet. Some are designed to be machine-washable, which makes them easy to keep clean. Others are designed to be dry-clean only. If you’re concerned about the environmental impact of your car seat cover, you can even find one made from sustainable buckwheat hulls.