Seat Covers?

[640k]

Wow, they look surprisingly nice, especially considering the price. Wonder if they slide around and feel loose? Hope we get some feedback on these, as I always wanted white seats, but was afraid they’d get dirty (and they weren’t even an option when I got my car). At this price, I could just replace them in a few years when they get worn out...

considering they don't wrap the entire seat and are "leather pu" i feel like they would eventually stretch or fatigue and then become loose. touch to say. given the recent issues i had with the vinyl bolster on my last car, these seem like they'd be an interesting purchase.

 

[molder101]

Also, here is their installation video for these specific seat covers: 41b6de62cd758f4f7093e2513896d219.

Only thing that was weird was the rear installation showing "hooks" into the foam.

Other than that, looks pretty solid.

 

[hamtonp]

I asked the seller if there are different versions for Gen1 vs Gen2 seats. The seller sent me a link to the same chinese video above. The car in the video appears to be Gen2. I have Gen1 seats. I think it will still fit okay though.

As for the seats being the same as Taptes, I don't think they are. I believe Taptes rear seats come in one piece for the seat cusion and the back. This comes in two pieces

 

[hamtonp]

I rewatched the first video where the guy installed the red seats. His car has the Gen 1 seats. The red seat cover he installed has the sewing pattern of a Gen 2. It appears although the seats are designed for Gen 2, it still works for Gen 1.

 

[AlaMike]

I bought the $250 set from Amazon. They shipped directly from Korea. Arrived in 2-3 weeks. They look to be good quality and so far are a good fit for my Model 3 - I assume i have ver 2 seats - mine was purchased November 2018.

 

[groovidad]

I bought the $250 set from Amazon. They shipped directly from Korea. Arrived in 2-3 weeks. They look to be good quality and so far are a good fit for my Model 3 - I assume i have ver 2 seats - mine was purchased November 2018.

Yes to “ver 2”. Pictures?

 

[AlaMike]

Yes to “ver 2”. Pictures?

Not sure what happened to the rest of my post - had much more. Tips and everything. I will post again tomorrow with pics.

 

[Tuner4life]

Please post pics. Super interested in what they really look like too

 

[AlaMike]

Finished Installing today and managed to take some quick pictures before it started to rain - I can take more detailed pics by request. Some observations:

1) These are PU leather covers - they look nice and have nice seam work - they are a custom fit - I have no idea if they will stand the test of time. I suspect I will be tired of white by the time they wear out.
2) The video for the product (posted earlier) is very simple and lacking critical info; therefore, also watch the video for the TapTes seats (different brand and posted above) because it covers some important steps. For example, I wasted 30 minutes trying to figure out how to lift the apron under the front seats before realizing the The TapTes video covered that.
3) It will take 2+ hours to install - recommend installing when its sunny out or in a well lit space. You need to be able to see wires under the seat so you feed the straps correctly.
4) I skipped the clips on the front seats and instead ran the straps through the elastic loops and crossed them - see picture. This way the seat cover is pulled very tight and has almost no play.
5) The back seat will necessarily be loose in the seat cavity because there is no way to keep it down without gluing. I suspect this is the case with all brands of seat covers. It's not too distracting - see the back seat pic - far seat cavity.

I am happy with the value - I would be happier with real full grain leather and tan color, but that is not available. Honestly I can not think of a $250 modification that makes this much of a difference and for that reason I think this is a great value. There is some risk because we don't have information on how stain and wear resistant this product will be.

 

[Tuner4life]

they look great, do you see anything underneath car seat covers that would possibly damage the seats over time and do you see how the side air bags would be deployed?

 

[AlaMike]

they look great, do you see anything underneath car seat covers that would possibly damage the seats over time and do you see how the side air bags would be deployed?

The covers tuck into groves the same way as the stock covers - I doubt that they would impede airbag deployment. The design is that the seat covers (both the Tesla and this aftermarket one) blow off with the airbag deployment. This is why Teslas have plastic backs on the front seats - the covers are tucked behind the plastic. On the back seats they are tucked near the door gasket. I am not certain if the seams will rub and damage the seats below. They appear to be primarily in the same location as the original seams so I suspect they will not have a high point to rub on. There also is a thin layer of soft foam on the backside of the aftermarket seats that I believe will prevent wear but I will only know for sure if I inspect the seats many months later. If it does I will know because it does and it will be too late - if it does not then I will know because it does not - either way I have committed It also appears that most of the original Tesla seat covers could be removed and replaced (as long as they did not go crazy with glue). For Example, there are zippers on the backs of the back seats. I would think after a few years there would be demand for complete replacement options and people would then sell those.

As far as the covers go, I took the chance on these and so far am very happy. I think the only difference with more expensive options would be the material. This is PU leather and many of the other options I researched are synthetic - however some may also be full grain leather. Full grain should hold up better than all other options. Honestly, I think I will want to change out the color before these wear out - this is primarily why I chose these. Higher quality leather could cost 8x as much.

 

[AlaMike]

View attachment 446410You definitely wouldn’t want to obstruct their deployment.

#3 in the pic appears to be the only seat related bag. They way the covers are designed they tuck under the black plastic seat back. I would think the airbag would pop that out and deploy with no issues - it also appears the original tesla covers are designed the same way (tucked behind the plastic) and possibly be glued to the foam under the seat - the airbag would have to blow past all that and this cover would be easier to blow past compared to that. In short, I could pull the cover out where the airbag is indicated with relatively little force. A tug would do it.

 

[hamtonp]

@AlaMike the fit does look really nice. For the back seats, did you hook into the seat foam to keep the cover in place. I think I'll try to find another way to secure them. I don't like ripping out the foam over time.

I went ahead and ordered a set. White as well for my Gen 1 seats. Will find out in 3 weeks or so if it fits okay.

 

[AlaMike]

I debated changing the hook system on the back seat. I think it can be done with something like string or straps. In the end I decided it was no big deal as the foam is for support and some holes wont affect that. I strategically chose where to place the hooks and also made sure there was no structure like a heating wire where the hook was going in. You can push your fingers against the foam and feel to make sure.

I opted not to use the hooks on the front seat as they seemed less effective than the way I did it.

 

[hamtonp]

I received my seat covers and installed them.

Thanks @AlaMike for the tip on securing the straps. I did the same thing and also applied technique to the rear seats using zip ties. I did not use the included hooks at all. Worked out great.

For those that haven't been following, I have Gen 1 seats which have been replaced with Gen2 at around end of Q1 2018. Although the seats were designed for Gen 2, they still fit pretty well. The only fitment issue is the side bolsters appear to be a little thicker on the Gen 1 seats. I am not able to tuck the edge into the plastic back around that area. You can see it in the photos. Everything else turned out well.

More photos here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zyPkU4ve7bhaThQD6

 

[BobAbooey]

They look good and claim not to block the airbags either. If they had a few more reviews I’d probably give them a try.

Edit: Did a little more digging... the video was about the TapTes covers and their price is significantly different than the one on Amazon. If they are the same it seems like a great deal.

no way I'm going to trust this "not to block airbags" NO WAY be safe people

 

[fseir]

I received my seat covers and installed them.

Thanks @AlaMike for the tip on securing the straps. I did the same thing and also applied technique to the rear seats using zip ties. I did not use the included hooks at all. Worked out great.

For those that haven't been following, I have Gen 1 seats which have been replaced with Gen2 at around end of Q1 2018. Although the seats were designed for Gen 2, they still fit pretty well. The only fitment issue is the side bolsters appear to be a little thicker on the Gen 1 seats. I am not able to tuck the edge into the plastic back around that area. You can see it in the photos. Everything else turned out well.

More photos here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zyPkU4ve7bhaThQD6

Looks nice, but too bad they don’t fit the gen 1 seats perfectly. Thanks for pointing that out, and for all the photos.

When you sit on these, does it feel like you are sitting on seat covers, or does it still feel like the original seats?

 

[hamtonp]

Although there are some spots the cover is not against the seats, it's not noticeable unless you press on it with you hands.
My wife rode in it for the first time today. I asked her how it felt. She said it actually felt better. She said it was softer.

 

[boriszima]

no way I'm going to trust this "not to block airbags" NO WAY be safe people

i feel the same way. Maybe weaker sewn on sides where air bags pop out? Mods look very good, nice tight fit

 

[verystandard]

anyone have any initial feedback with the white PU seat covers so far? how are they hold up and stain resistant?