Something to protect my leather seats

[hollyperret]

We just bought a 2010 Prius with leather seats. My daughter is still rear facing and after only 2 weeks on having the car, the back seat is filthy. I'm worried about 2 spots in particular: the place her feet rest while rear facing, and the side of her seat where she constantly drops food and bottles over the edge (we don't feed her while driving, just sometimes we stop when we are out and leave her in the seat).

I've looked for protectors but have not found what I need. For one, all the ones I've seen fold down when rear facing so it doesn't protect the seat from her feet. And more importantly, I have read that these are really not safe and can make the carseat less secure.

Is this true? If so, what can I do? Any recommendations if good products I can use or something from home? Can I put down a towel? Any advice is appreciated. My husband is really hard on cars and I'm trying to keep this one as nice as possible since he's already destroyed my other cars interior.

 

[EmmaGrace'sMom]

Seat protectors aren't recommended generally, they're an aftermarket product that hasn't been tested. Many of them are too thick and can hinder your install, or make you think it's an okay install when it really isn't. I use a towel under my kids seats. When DD2 was still rf I cut a slit in the towel and threaded the headrest through it, then only the towel got dirty from her feet! My kids do eat in the car if we're on a trip, so it helps catch some of the crumbs. I swear I can clean my car and a week later it looks like a hobo lives in the back seat!

 

[T4K]

I think carseatblog did a recent update to their seat cover review and they said if you absolutely must have one, the Britax one is acceptable. I think. Someone can correct me.

 

[rachelandtyke]

I think carseatblog did a recent update to their seat cover review and they said if you absolutely must have one, the Britax one is acceptable. I think. Someone can correct me.

you are right! here's the link: http://carseatblog.com/21536/vehicle-seat-protectors-update-what-you-need-to-know/

 

[tiggercat]

I think carseatblog did a recent update to their seat cover review and they said if you absolutely must have one, the Britax one is acceptable. I think. Someone can correct me.

I did an install recently with the Britax one (it was a Britax seat, hard to say no to that one, lol), and it was actually pretty decent. It doesn't protect the seat back, though.

To the OP, I ended up using a protector meant to protect the back of the front vehicle seat. I chose one that was very thin with no plastic parts, basically laminated fabric. I installed my RF seat, then attached the protector to the vehicle seat and shoved it down between the child restraint and vehicle seat. Worked great for snow boots and such.
Sorry for the sideways pic and awkward angle, but it looked like this.

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org

 

[Keeyamah]

What I did with my older son and will do again this winter with my younger is after my seat was installed, I would (a little painfully) shove a towel down in between the vehicle seat back and the car seat. I would do something like a cheap t shirt if I had captains chairs instead of the bench I have. That at least gets your seat back protected, my ODS didn't drop much outside of his seat, but YDS is already, so I may have to come up with something for under/next to the car seat as well.

 

[Kac]

A thin recieving blanket under the seat and on the back of the seat is acceptable (and a cheap fix too!).