Adult Vehicle Seat Question

[tl01]

Is there any danger to adding sheepskin seat covers or seat belt covers for adult vehicle seats? Would this be the same as having those items in a CR?
Thanks!

[CRS]

I'm really not at all too sure but I'm sure the material on vehicle seats has some level of flame retardency maybe? If so, I'm thinking if there was sheepskin on it, that wouldn't be flame retardent?

[stevel]

primary issue is if your car has side airbags in the seats. if it does, you absolutely should never add any kind of cover to the seat.

[papooses]

Some vehicle manufacturers (ex: Toyota) have seat covers designed specifically for front seats with torso airbags that deploy from the side of the seat itself -- Ford also told me it was OK so long a slit was cut on the side of the cover directly over the area where the torso airbag would deploy....

Flame retardency is important to me, too.

[stevel]

slitting a seat cover doesn't completely remove the obstruction for the airbags. they should not have told you that. Ford would never tell you that, a dumb dealer employee might, but no manufacturer would say that's ok. I don't believe that. bad idea. if like you said, toyota makes one specific for their seats with airbags, obviously that's ok, but otherwise... dangerous in my opinion to get anything that shouldn't be around the airbag area there at all.`

[papooses]

Perhaps it was a fluke, but Ford customer service did say this. I don't make stuff up when it comes to my own liability at seatchecks. Chevy customer service is an absolute joke & it honestly wouldn't surprise me if they allow it as well. Toyota customer service simply states over & over again like a broken record to read the manual, not grasping the fact that the info isn't in the manual until I pushed for someone higher up. What I'm getting at is that IME, customer service may not have it all together, but they're what we've got. The Toyota covers specifically designed for seats with torso airbags have a flap held on with velcro, sewed on at the other side. I'd be surprised if that performed any better than cutting a whole in a regular cover, but that is what they recommended. I'm not saying it's right & I don't pretend to know what's safe, but we can only do what the manufacturers tell us. If they're saying something they shouldn't then I do hope that gets addressed & I'm in the practice of always calling manufacturer customer service when the manual doesn't specify, even if I might think I know the answer & even if the family thinks it might be a waste of time (my liability is not a waste of my time). I should have impressed the point before that everyone should call for themselves, too.

[stevel]

the big difference with the velcro covers from toyota and cutting another cover, is that toyota made it exactly where it needs to be. they are the ones that engineered the seat, and airbag systems and know how it has to be to be safe. that's very different in my mind than slitting one where you think it should be cut.

[papooses]

I understand. I agree & enjoy your feedback! :) While ultimately up to the owner, it's another issue that I wish manufacturers would make more clear in the manuals....

[tjham]

I don't have those issues but I do use sheepskin belt covers :whistle: .

I am short and I can't STAND the feel of the seat belt on my neck. I have some old carseat harness strap covers (kind of a polished cotton) that I bought long ago (and don't use). I just realized that they fit the vehicle seat belt and are much smaller than my sheepskin covers, and would be cooler for summer too, so I may switch to those. They are very thin so I think I will feel better using them.