Learning Center

Some of us need to read a million reviews and exhaust all the options before pulling the trigger to buy a product. If you're that kind of person, we totally get it. You want all the info before you make the decision. 

Here are some top questions we get from customers before they order:

What color should I get?

When picking your color, consider the color of the dirt and dust that you usually deal with. Is it light? Is it dark? Black will hide more of the darker oil and grease. Gray is best for light-colored dust like drywall dust. Hunt much? Then maybe you'll go the camo route.

If you're not concerned about dirt, then first of all, we're jealous, but secondly, choose whatever color you'd like! We don't have anything flashy, but we'll have a color in our nearly indestructible CORDURA that goes well with your interior. We have: black, gray, tan, western viper, urban viper, snow conceal, and drt.

Here are the patterns we have available:

Keep in mind that some seat covers (heavy trucks, transit vans, law enforcement vehicles, etc.) don't come in the camouflage options right now.

Are they safe with heated/cooled seats?

Yes, they are! They are perfectly safe to use with heated/cooled seats. You won’t notice much of a difference with the heated seats. With the cooled seats, the cover will restrict most of the airflow.

Are they safe with my airbags?

Yes! If your airbag deploys (and we hope it doesn’t ), the cover will not restrict it. A lab-tested tearaway will cover any airbags. 

We are proud to say our seat covers are safe with airbags.

How waterproof is waterproof?

Pretty waterproof. Water can’t get through the fabric, but a seam is perforated. All seams are perforated since sewing needles need to poke through the fabric to stitch the thread.

Look, you’re not gonna want to use them as a bucket if you can help it, but spills and liquid won’t penetrate the cover (remember it can get around the edges, though). We still recommend cleaning up liquid as quickly as possible.

There's a reason your mom always kept napkins in the car. It was to prepare you for this moment in life.

How long until I get them?

Our lead time varies. Check the product description or the top bar on the website to see when orders are shipping. Want to see if your item is in stock? Contact us to find out.

How long do they take to install?

If you’ve never installed a set of our covers before, we guesstimate about 30-45 minutes to put on a front bucket set. Make sure and watch the install video and read our installation expectations, and it will go as smoothly as possible for you!

But if you've ever stepped foot onto a job site, we have full confidence you can install a seat cover in your vehicle.

What’s the warranty?

All of our covers have at least a two-year unconditional warranty (HEAVY has lifetime warranty). Unconditional means… unconditional. The warranty only applies to the original owner, covering all physical damage to the cover, no matter how it happened. (If your covers are stained, that just means that they’re doing their job! Although stains can be minimized by cleaning up spills right away.)

How's TigerTough compare to WeatherTech or Carhartt?

Oh, we love this question! We have all sorts of respect for WeatherTech and Carhartt. And we want all of our customers to be informed, so we reviewed how WeatherTech compares to TigerTough and how Carhartt compares. It all comes down to what you want out of your seat covers.

We also reviewed the best seat covers for work trucks so that you can find the seat covers that work for you—even if they're not TigerTough.

Do they hold up to dogs?

Yes! Our seat covers are scratch-proof and mess-proof. They'll withstand whatever your dog dreams of doing to them. Although we don't make our covers with dogs in mind, our customers love how our durable our covers are when it comes to their dogs.

Are they actually made in the U.S.A.?

Heck yeah, they are! Once upon a time, we tried making covers in Mexico. Although they were fine in quality and comparable to the ones made on U.S. soil, we decided to make all of our seat covers under the stars and stripes of Old Glory.

Do you make seat covers for my minivan?

Sorry, but we don't. It's not that we don't love minivan drivers, but we specialize in making seat covers that support blue-collar industries. And we want to be good at what we do, so we focus on trucks and heavy equipment to make the best seat covers for our customers.

If you need more info...

If you have more questions, just contact us. We're regular people who love what we do, so we're happy to talk about seat covers all day long.

It might seem weird that we're reviewing seat covers that aren't ours.

We already compared WeatherTech Seat Protectors with TigerTough seat covers. But we wanted to give these a separate review. After all, if we want to make the best seat covers in America, we better know what other seat cover companies are doing well.

We know WeatherTech makes incredible floormats. They’ve been in the business since 1989 and are well-known in the industry for their floor protection. A few of us at TigerTough even rock their mats in our trucks.

But when we were researching our Best Work Truck Seat Covers article, WeatherTech Seat Protectors were mentioned as an option for work trucks. Since we love their floormats, we had high expectations for their seat covers. So we ordered a single cover to fit a 2023 F150 XLT passenger seat to try our best to give an unbiased review.

Let’s see how it holds up.

Watch the video review

Ordering and shipping

WeatherTech wastes no time in shipping. We received our order in just two days!

The seat cover arrived in a plain brown box. This doesn’t affect our review, but we know their floormats come in a branded box, and it’d be cool to see that same thought put into shipping their covers.

Inside the box was the cover, wrapped in protective plastic, an invoice, and the installation instructions. No swag or fanfare. It was just a straightforward package. 

Design and appearance

The weird thing is, WeatherTech does an excellent job of showcasing their Seat Protectors on the rear bench seats of vehicles in their stock photos, but you need to dig a little to find the covers shown on a bucket or captain seat.

But once we installed the set we ordered on our Ford F150, we had that a-ha moment about why WeatherTech didn’t put their bucket seat covers in the spotlight.

It turns out they only offer six different fits for their seat covers–this fit is far from custom, despite searching for a specific vehicle when ordering. It reminds us of those weighted vests the dentist makes you wear before taking x-rays. 

This is a one-piece seat cover, so you won’t get an attractive fit.

The lack of a headrest cover doesn’t help the appearance of an apron, so when you open the door, you can immediately tell this is a seat cover. Also, any grime from your head will still transfer to the headrest. That won’t help with resale value.

Fit

It’s crucial to point out that WeatherTech advises you not to install their seat covers on seats with side airbags. A standard consumer probably doesn’t realize that these airbags were being placed in vehicles starting in the 1990s. As of 1997, a mandate was put in place that all passenger-side seats contain airbags.  

That means you shouldn’t put WeatherTech Seat Protectors on any passenger seat of a vehicle made after 1998. They could work on airbagless rear captain seats if your vehicle has those, but they wouldn't work on the seats of the Ford F150 we tried them on.

Let’s just skip right past that red flag and move on to the control panels. 

The front skirt of the Seat Protectors went over the side control panels of our Ford F150 passenger seat. So if we needed to adjust the seat, we’d have to pick up that fabric curtain to access the controls. That’s not a deal-breaker, but it's inconvenient.

But the back of the seat is a different story.

The back of the seat isn't covered by anything beyond the hook and loop straps that secure the Seat Protector. This might not be a big deal if you don't have passengers in the second row. But either way, it's not going to give you a secure fit.

Despite claiming their seat covers are semi-custom, having six varieties for thousands of different vehicles won’t give you a custom fit.

Manfred from Connecticut was disappointed with how they fit his 2018 Ford F150:

“I found the quality of the material good. The elastic to hold the fabric up against the seat was not very strong and unable to tighten, allowing the back to sag. The ‘grippy’ material on the bottom does not work well with leather seats allowing the bottom to slide forward. It is almost impossible to access the seat belts. There is no way to secure the bottom to the seat allowing the cover to ride up.

“All in all, for a cover that you advertise as a ‘custom’ fit, it is very poorly designed. I have been using the cover for two weeks. For the price and ‘custom’ fit, I expected much better.”

Material

According to their site, the seat covers are “made from a polycotton twill fabric featuring a water-repellent finish, and an extra layer of nylon lining.” 

We’re always fans of anything that will protect your seats from spills. Waterproof would be better, but we won’t be upset over water-repellent. Just get to those messes quickly before any liquid seeps into your seats. 

But the non-slip backing is questionable. Reviews say that it doesn’t work on leather. Dave tried them on his 2014 Ford F150 with leather interior:

“Purchased cover for backseat. So disappointed. Does not stay in place on the leather seats. Keeps folding up. The whole thing is cheap what we got. I'm sorry....but not good. Seats were full of mud on our trip. A blanket would have served better.”

That grippy material on the back is similar to a foam shelf liner. No, we’re not being snarky; that’s what it’s like.

Installation

Installation was quick. We were able to install it in under three minutes. There’s a strap that goes behind the seat and one that goes under. There’s an additional clip that goes around the headrest. Note that if you don’t have headrests, you won’t be able to install this seat cover. 

We’re happy to report that a novice could install these. 

Effectiveness

We didn’t do any of our torture tests with these seats, so we suggest checking out the reviews on the WeatherTech site from people who’ve used these covers in action. They’ll be able to tell you how these have held up in the long run. 

Spoiler alert: Only 50% of customers would recommend the covers. 

Warranty

Here’s where we can give WeatherTech some points. They offer a limited lifetime warranty on their Seat Protectors.

If anything goes wrong with the cover that you couldn’t prevent, WeatherTech will help you out.

Value

The WeatherTech Seat Protectors cost around $300 for a pair of bucket seats. That’s not cheap. And when you consider that the covers don’t protect the back of the seats or the headrest, and you’d have to pay an extra $55 per seat for a seat back protector, you’re looking at over $400 to fully cover your front bucket seats. 

If you have $400 to spend on a pair of seat covers, there are other brands we think you’ll be happier with.

Summary

We wanted to like these but just couldn’t.

On rear bench seats, these could work well for pets or equipment. (Especially if you don’t need the middle seat because center seatbelts won’t be accessible.) If you’re not hauling around humans, this could be a good option, and the humanless options seem to be what positive reviewers are using these for.

But even then, WeatherTech reviewers give the Seat Protectors 3.2 stars out of 5. That’s a 64%, and if we were still in high school, they’d be getting a D. Not something we’d brag about. 

Let’s face it; seat covers aren’t WeatherTech’s bread and butter. They’re known for floormats and other vehicle accessories. So although we love WeatherTech, we wouldn’t recommend their seat covers, and we’re not just saying that as a seat cover company; we’re saying this based on research, testing, and verified customer reviews.

Mike from Pennsylvania gets how we feel:

“I gotten many items from Weathertech over the years. All top grade. But the front seat protector I just purchased is awful. Looks bad, doesn’t fit well, uses Velcro attachments. Just awful. I have it two weeks. Constantly had to refit and re-adjust Velcro. I gave up and took it off. $150 bucks for an absolute failure. Stick to floor liners. Those work great.”

If you’re ready to invest in seat covers that last, take a look at these favorite brands. 

We didn’t know much about ShearComfort before doing our Best Work Truck Seat Covers review, but we were pleasantly surprised by their specs. In that review, we looked at their Waterproof covers made of 500 Denier CORDURA®. Since we wanted something more similar to our covers for this comparison, we ordered their CORDURA® 1000 Denier Xtra-Duty Seat Covers, which seemed promising.

Let’s see how they compare with TigerTough seat covers.

Watch the full video review

Packaging

The ShearComfort covers arrived in a plain, unbranded box with “custom seat covers” printed on it. If we were grading this, we wouldn’t ding points for an unbranded box, but they don’t get extra credit.

We were disappointed that their covers didn’t come with instructions. There wasn’t anything in the box except the covers. Maybe this was a packaging error, or perhaps it’s standard. Either way, since we work in the seat cover industry, we assumed we could figure out how to install them. Installing guides are available online, but we didn’t dig into them.

TigerTough covers ship in a branded bag, and we include full-color instructions for your specific vehicle. No generic instructions here. And all our instructions are available online (check out a copy) if yours mysteriously disappears.

Materials: What are they made of?

We got excited about ShearComfort because they, like us, use CORDURA®️, which is like the diamond-tipped saw blade of the seat cover world. These particular seat covers of theirs are made from 1000 Denier, the same as ours. (They have other types of CURDURA®️ as well.)

But there’s a plot twist.

ShearComfort’s covers aren’t fully covered in CORDURA®️. The back of the cover–where the pocket is–is made from stretchy nylon. Think 1980s workout gear–same vibe.

This was surprising because nowhere in the product description does it say the back is made from a different material. We can’t tell how this mullet-of-a-seatback will perform long-term, but we’ll get into more details in the installation section.

Design and Fit

The ShearComfort Xtra-Duty covers come in three pieces. We love this–it means the cover will have a more accurate fit. 

We want to point out that the seat covers we ordered didn’t look exactly like the stock image. The cover we received didn’t have an airbag tag, and instead of a tearaway seam, it had a hole with a flap for the airbag. However, these were indicated as airbag-compatible, so we’ll trust them. 

Overall, both covers look great installed.

Headrest

The ShearComfort covers have slits around the headrest mounts with a visible bias tape around the edge. Similar to how Carhartt does theirs. This doesn’t affect function; you wouldn’t notice this if you had the headrest down.

TigerTough covers are designed to fit under the plastic part of the headrest supports for a cleaner look.

Seatback

The part of the cover you rest your back on is similar on both brands. The TigerTough option you see has the added embroidery (which will cost you extra), but other than that, they’re about the same. We didn’t see an option to add embroidery to ShearComfort.

The actual backs of the seatbacks are very different. 

ShearComfort has a pocket, which is rare as a standard feature. You need to pay for this additional feature with the TigerTough vehicle covers (seatback pockets come standard on our heavy equipment seat covers, though.)

But, like we mentioned earlier, the material on the back of ShearComfort Xtra-Duty cover is a totally different material. It’s thin and stretchy. 

Here’s what we don’t know about this back material:

• What it’s made of
• How durable it is
• If it’s waterproof
• If it will stretch out with time

That said, we wish they would have wrapped the whole seat in the 1000 Denier CORDURA®️.

Side airbag-compatibility

ShearComfort deems their seat covers as side airbag-safe. This is huge. We wouldn’t ever recommend putting on a seat cover that wasn’t compatible with side airbags. 

This is where we got another head-tilt, though. 

The stock images of ShearComfort’s Xtra-Duty seat covers show a tearaway seam, similar to how TigerTough does it. But the covers we received from them had a hole covered by a flap for airbag deployment. Since the hole is smaller than the airbag deployment area on the factory seat, this does make us nervous. We couldn't find any testing info on their site, so we couldn't see how they deploy.

We emailed the ShearComfort team to see if their covers were tested. This is what they said:

"Yes all of our seat covers are made airbag compatible if the vehicle has side impact airbags...While I cannot send [the] documentation as it is proprietary information (every company has different methods that need to be certified), but I can assure you that there is regulation and tested and our manufacturing is certified."

TigerTough seat covers have a tearaway seam, so the side airbags can fully deploy in a collision. A third-party lab tests our covers for compatibility.

Here's one of the testing videos:

Seat crease

Both brands are similar here too. You can tell ShearComfort is a bit stiffer in this area, but we think that would break in with time.

Since each cover is made of three pieces (the headrest, seatback, and seat bottom), there will be a clean seat crease. 

Seat bottom

Both covers allow access to the seat controls and tuck in nicely on the side.

An elastic bungee connects on the side and runs under the seat to secure the ShearComfort covers. This helps keep it in place. Sort of. Elastic gives, so the cover may shift slightly when you slide into the seat. It’s also not a great material to use on seat covers because it stretches out over time, and if your vehicle gets hot at all, that will reduce the lifespan of the elastic. 

TigerTough uses a string that runs along the edge of the seat bottom and cinches up (like your favorite drawstring pants), runs under the seat bottom, and our Stringlock secures it all. It’s not the easiest, but it’s the best way to keep the seat bottom from shifting.

Keeping the cover secure on the seat bottom is a common problem with seat covers, and not many brands have figured out how to solve this effectively.

Ease of Installation

“That install kind of sucked,” admitted one of our team members. 

Since we didn’t receive installation instructions with the seat covers, we just went for it, assuming we’d figure it out. The headrest and seatback were fine, but it got rough with the seat bottom. We didn’t know what to hook the hooks to (Part of the seat? Each other?). This is partly on us because we didn’t search online for installation instructions.

And because we knew the airbag slot needed to be on the side of the seat closest to the door, we could figure out which cover to put on which seat. But it wasn’t indicated on the seat covers themselves. That box wasn't checked on ours:

Overall, the installation took seven minutes, which is still less than TigerTough seat cover installation, which was at nine minutes.

Warranty

ShearComfort has a two-year, risk-free warranty, according to their site:

“This product comes with a 2 Year Risk-Free Warranty against any defects in workmanship and materials. This warranty excludes daily wear and tear, accidental damage, or wear because of improper use or installation.”

Two years is better than we’ve seen from other seat cover companies, but we don’t love that it doesn’t cover daily wear and tear. If a seat cover breaks down during daily wear and tear, it's probably not one you want in a work truck.

The TigerTough warranty is two years, but we make our covers for the blue collar world, and they’re designed to power through the worst of scenarios, so we’ve made it an unconditional warranty. We don’t care how you wrecked your seat covers; we’ll repair or replace them for you.

Price

We used a 2023 Ford F150 as our test model for pricing.

ShearComfort CORDURA® 1000 Denier Xtra-Duty Seat Covers: $470
TigerTough Seat Covers: $297

The ShearComfort option is nearly twice as much as the TigerTough version. However, you can usually find a coupon code for ShearComfort or wait for a sale. We keep things straightforward at TigerTough–we don’t have coupons or surprise sales. You get what you get.

Customer Reviews

With a 4.6-star rating and over 1,700 reviews, people really like ShearComfort’s covers. Ed P. says:

“This stuff is really tuff material, looked rough at first but it conformed decently over a short time. I have zero worries about my new trucks interior now. There are a couple small areas the seat cover did not cover. So be it.”

We have around 800 reviews, but we average a 4.9-star rating. This is what Stephen E. has to say:

“This is my second set of covers for my personal truck. Indestructible. Have purchased a set of front and Rear for a RAM truck in my Volunteer Fire Department. Are holding up well to the abuses that fire fighters put them through with the gear they wear.”

Summary

Ultimately, seat covers save you money, so they’re a wise investment, and you should take some time to research which ones you like best.

Both of these seat covers are well-loved by their reviewers. It all comes down to preference and what your budget looks like.

Based on the facts, TigerTough is a little more appealing since the price is about half of what ShearComfort charges, and the warranty is unconditional. But both covers are great options and will protect your seats for years.

There’s a lot of competition when it comes to seat covers. You’ll undoubtedly see the Carhartt SeatSaver Custom Seat Cover when you google best seat covers for my truck.

Everyone loves Carhartt. You’ve got the hat, the jacket, and maybe the coveralls, so it’s natural to want to deck your truck out with it too. You’ve relied on Carhartt on the job, but can you rely on it in your vehicle?

And how do these covers compare to TigerTough seat covers? 

We’ll take an unbiased approach (no…seriously, we will) in comparing these two seat covers.

Covercraft Carhartt vs. TigerTough–who’s going to take home the gold? We’re about to find out. 

Watch the video comparison:

Packaging

We love the box the Carhartt covers arrived in. It was straightforward, said what it was, and branded so that you knew what to expect. The only thing we didn’t love was it wasn’t clear which cover went on the driver’s seat. Since these are airbag-safe, putting the correct cover on the seat is important. 

The Covercraft instructions are pretty simple and what you expect from a standard seat cover company. It’s a universal one-sheeter designed to work for any vehicle.

TigerTough covers come in a branded bag. If you’re ordering a lot of covers (like a fleet), you’ll get a box filled with these bags. Not as shelf-ready as Carhartt, but it does the job.

Unlike Carhartt, we send a detailed full-color instruction packet with our covers and a link to an install video for your specific vehicle. It might not be necessary for everyone, but we try to avoid troubleshooting by offering as much detail upfront.

Materials: What are they made of?

Carhartt SeatSaver Custom Seat Covers are made of “heavy-duty, firm-hand Carhartt® Duck Weave fabric and triple stitched main seams.” This is the same 100% cotton fabric you know from your favorite Carhartt gear. You can feel it already, can’t you? Like their apparel, the seat covers are water-resistant but not waterproof.

TigerTough seat covers are made from 1000 Denier CORDURA®️. That’s a mouthful, so what does it mean? It’s made in the U.S., waterproof, nearly indestructible, and so tough that it meets Military Specifications. It’s designed and tested to withstand some of the most brutal conditions.

Carhartt Duck Weave is tough but won’t withstand the same abuse as 1000 Denier CORDURA®️—seats in a vehicle experience more friction than an article of clothing. So if your truck’s interior will be used well, you’ll want to consider your options carefully.

Derrick had some great things to say about the durability of his TigerTough seat covers:

“These are great quality, tough, very good fitting seat covers. I have had similar covers in the past on a previous Tundra, and they lasted 16 years until I sold that truck. I expect the same from these.”

Design and Fit

The fit of the Carhartt Seat Savers is the number one complaint we hear about them. These covers are made in a single piece (plus the headrest), so you won’t get a secure fit. Covercraft's Carhartt Precision Fit comes in separate pieces and fits more like TigerTough seat covers, but they flaunt a price tag starting at $429, so we didn't use them for this comparison.

The SeatSavers look alright at first but shimmy and shift as you slide in and out of your vehicle.

TigerTough seat covers come in multiple pieces: the seat bottom, back, and headrest cover. You’ll get an accurate fit, no matter your vehicle.

More pieces = better fit

Just take a look at a recently installed Carhartt seat cover vs. a TigerTough seat cover that's been installed for eight years. The seat portion on the Carhartt cover is already shifting:

Headrest

Both headrest covers protect well. We’re happy that Carhartt covers them (because we’ve run into some covers that don’t). If you’re in any type of blue-collar line of work, chances are, you’ll want a cover protecting your headrest.

Just below the headrest, around the headrest supports, there’s a difference.

The Carhartt covers have a visible bias tape around the edge. TigerTough covers are designed to fit under the plastic mounts of the headrest supports for a cleaner look. If you have the headrest all the way down, you wouldn’t notice. None of this affects function; it’s just a difference in design.

Seat back

Covercraft’s option has the Carhartt patch in the area between your shoulder blades. TigerTough arrives bare. If you’d like, you can add embroidery, whether stock or custom, for an additional fee. As far as we can tell, you can't add custom embroidery with Covercraft.

As you move down the seat back, both covers fit well, but TigerTough fits more securely. We make our covers in multiple pieces, so there are additional points for the cover to stay secured to the seat.

On the actual back of the seat, Covercraft gets points for having a pocket come standard on their vehicle seat covers. This is an upgrade feature for TigerTough and will cost you extra.

Seat crease

OK, this is where the difference is most obvious. It all comes back to one-piece vs. two, and the two-piece options just look neater. 

Even if you shoved your hands into the crevice to get a neat look on the Carhartt cover, it would shift as soon as you slid into the vehicle. WeatherTech's seat covers are the same way. It makes for an imperfect fit, but you judge which look you prefer.

Seat bottom

These are pretty comparable. Both covers allow access to the seat controls and tuck in nicely on the side.

We wish there were additional contact points on the seat bottom, but overall it works.

Ease of Installation

Installation on the Carhartt covers was about seven minutes. Since their cover is one piece, it made things simpler. There are little pillows that you shove into the seat crease for the covers to stay in place. 

TigerTough took about nine minutes. That extra piece adds some complications to the installation process.

💡Helpful tip: When we installed the Carhartt seat covers, we couldn't find any indication of which cover went on which seat. In order for these to be airbag-compatible, they need to be on the correct seat. Take a look at the inside of the seat cover for a tearaway seam. That seam should be on the side of the seat closest to the door.

Warranty

Covercraft offers a three-year limited warranty on these particular seat covers. 

“Covercraft’s warranty coverage protects against defects in material and workmanship, as well as the fabric becoming unserviceable during normal use. After factory inspection, at its option, Covercraft will repair or replace the unit or specific panels or parts judged to be unusable. Warranty does not cover fading, which occurs naturally on all products used outdoors, or weather resistance of fabric.”

This is pretty good, but in the end, Covercraft can determine what they’ll cover and what they won’t. 

Our warranty is shorter at just two years, but we believe in the durability of our products, so we’ve made it an unconditional warranty. It doesn’t matter how your seat covers got wrecked (but we bet there’s an epic story there); we’ll repair or replace them for you.

Three-year limited vs. two-year unconditional warranty. Would you rather have limited love or unconditional?

Price

We want to compare apples to apples here, so we used a 2023 Ford F150 as our test model for pricing.

Covercraft Carhartt SeatSavers: $422 (this base price seems to fluctuate with their sales)
TigerTough Seat Covers: $297

The Covercraft covers cost about 44% more than the TigerTough option. However, you’ll be able to find coupon codes for Covercraft, whereas we keep things straightforward with no-fuss pricing on our site. What you see is what you get. 

Customer Reviews

With a 4.5-star rating and over 2,000 reviews when this was published, there’s no denying that people love their Carhartt seat covers. A lot of the reviews echo the same, but we liked how specific Matthew H. got:

“Exactly what I expected. Had put these in my landscape work truck three years ago and have been pleased. When I got a new-to-me CR-V, twelve years old but very clean, there was no question I wanted to invest in seat covers to keep the nearly new interior in good condition. Good fit, decent attachment, and I expect no durability issues.”

TigerTough covers don’t have as many reviews, but we average a 4.9-star rating, which is pretty great! We love what John T. has to say about his TigerTough seat covers:

“As advertised. I tried to jam a screwdriver through them with acceptable (non-extreme) pressure. They held up just fine. I’m sure the friction from my backside over the years getting in and out of the truck (2009 F150) will never wear these covers out. Wish I had bought a set when the truck was new. Would have saved the original seats from wear and increased the resale value. Pursuing ordering a set for my 2019 F250 to just prevent excessive wear.”

Summary

Seat covers are a small investment that can save you thousands of dollars, so you want to choose the right kind. 

We often say that the Carhartt covers are the second-best covers for work trucks. If TigerTough doesn’t have a cover available for your vehicle, definitely go get your Carhartt fix. And if you love the Carhartt brand but want your seat covers to fit like a glove, you might want to consider upgrading to Covercraft’s PrecisionFit Carhartt Seat Covers, with two pieces (plus the headrest); they're designed to fit better.

When it comes down to the facts (and not our paychecks), TigerTough is cheaper, more durable, and has a more forgiving warranty. 

To be direct, yes, airbag-compatible seat covers are considered safe if they allow the airbag to deploy in third-party testing.

But for those who want to know more details, this article is for you.

Airbags are relatively new in automobile history. They were heavily considered for passenger vehicles in the 1950s, according to The Rough Road to Airbags. The concept was brought to Chrystler, but they weren't interested. Ford and General Motors experimented with prototypes but couldn't mass-produce them. 

But it wasn't until 1990 that the first collision with two cars deploying airbags was recorded. Since then, airbags have saved over 50,000 lives.

So what are airbag-compatible seat covers, and why are they important?

What are airbag-compatible seat covers?

Seat covers are considered compatible airbags when holes or flaps allow the seat airbag to deploy. They're considered safe for installation.

When you install seat covers on a newer (2012+) vehicle, you're almost guaranteed to cover up an airbag in the side of your seat. If your seat cover doesn't allow the airbag to deploy, you will likely be smashing your head and upper body into the side of the vehicle in the event of a crash. That's not something fun to think about, but it's true.

Watch this video and see how the torso airbag in the seat works with the ceiling airbag to protect the driver from hitting the side of the vehicle:

That doesn't mean you shouldn't install seat covers on your vehicle. Just don't install cheap, universal-fit covers. But watch out; even well-known manufacturers don't always have airbag-safe covers.

If the seat cover doesn't mention anything about compatibility, and you see straps or anything covering the side airbag, it's probably best not to install it in your car, truck, van, or SUV.

Which brands of seat covers are compatible with airbags?

In our research, we've found the following top brands to be considered safe:

• Covercraft
• Wet Okole
• Canvasback
• ShearComfort
• TigerTough

We haven't looked to see if these brands (other than TigerTough) have been independently tested, but according to their websites, they're considered safe with airbags. We suggest you only install seat covers that are independently tested and verified for airbag compatibility by a qualified third-party laboratory.

So TigerTough seat covers are airbag-safe?

Yes.

TigerTough seat covers have been independently tested and verified by MGA Research Corporation in Troy, MI. Watch the airbag deploy in under 30 milliseconds in the testing video below:

Whether you're installing truck seat covers or if they're for your car or van, check and make sure that the cover will allow your airbag to deploy. You owe it to yourself and your passengers.

Why are they important?

When adding aftermarket parts to your vehicle, you need to ensure that you don't hinder any of the safety features of your truck, van, car, police vehicle, etc.

All vehicles today have airbags in the steering wheel and passenger side dash. Most vehicles come with them in the side of the seat back. Some cars have airbags in the A-pillar (by the dash), the B-pillar (by your head when you're in the seat), the ceiling, and other locations in the vehicle.

We HIGHLY recommend checking your owner's manual before modifying your vehicle's interior to ensure you aren't compromising your and your passengers' safety. And when you're ready to install seat covers, be sure they're compatible with your airbags.

It turns out the competition for the best seat covers for heavy equipment is pretty slim compared to work trucks. There aren’t a lot of manufacturers creating seat covers designed for big iron. In fact, only one makes customized covers for OEM seats.

The top brands (and pretty much only brands) we found are:

Ultra Seat
Jay’s Equipment
Construction Seats
TigerTough

We’ll give an overview of each one. And for price comparisons, we’ll use a Cat 312 excavator high-back seat.

Ultra Seat

Ultra Seat is, first and foremost, an aftermarket seat company. They make air suspension seats, harness seats, mechanical suspension seats, pedestal seats, pod seats, static seats, and semi-truck seats. 

They also make replacement parts for seats like foam, dampers, and lumbar parts. And not only do they take care of seats in the field, but they also specialize in seats for the office with their 24-hour office chairs.

Clearly, they live up to their name, and seats are their bread and butter.

But how are their seat covers? 

Ultra Seat provides covers for heavy equipment and semi-trucks. When it comes to heavy equipment, they have three types of covers: high back, medium back, and low back. 

You might think that three options for hundreds of different types of machines isn’t very robust. You’re right.

Here’s the deal, if you have one of their replacement seats or a Grammer seat (because Ultra Seats are very similar to Grammer), their covers should fit like a glove. But if you have an OEM seat, putting an Ultra Seat cover on will result in a sloppy fit. 

Highback seat price: $168

Pros

We love that the covers are made out of Cordura (not sure what kind of Cordura, though) and that they will fit really well on their own aftermarket seats. It's great that these come in multiple pieces (back, seat, and headrest when applicable). We also applaud their customer service for getting back to us within a few hours when we asked for clarification about the warranty. 

Cons

The reality is these covers won’t fit OEM seats well. There’s not much else negative about the company or its product.

Verdict

We like these covers, but only for Ultra Seat’s aftermarket seats. If you’re going to spend the money to protect your heavy equipment seats, go for a custom fit.

Jay’s Equipment

Jay’s Equipment also goes by Equipment Seat Covers. They specialize in one-size-fits-most seat covers for heavy equipment and semi-trucks. 

These covers aren’t designed to fit any particular seat. Jay’s offers nine different sizes that would fit most yellow iron and smaller machines. You’re encouraged to measure your seat and find the best cover. 

Covers are available in vinyl (we wouldn’t suggest that material for a seat cover…ever) or canvas.

Highback seat price: $89

Pros

It's affordable. This could be a great option if you don’t mind a seat cover to fit like that bad suit you only pull out for weddings and funerals. We like that they have nine options versus Ultra Seat’s three options. We also like that they only focus on seat covers. 

Cons

The fit is far from custom. Unlike Ultra Seats, these won’t fit like a glove on any seat. And they’re not meant to. We also don’t love the materials of the seat covers. The vinyl seems like it’s going to get hot and sticky. And canvas is strong, but it won’t withstand the abuse of a job site. On top of that, you only have 30 days to decide if you’d like to keep the seat covers. There’s no warranty after that.

Verdict

This one is a no from us. We like how simple the site is and appreciate how quick their customer service was in getting back to us, but these covers aren’t made of the tough stuff you need inside heavy equipment. We also wish they kept their social media current so that we could see more customer feedback. Ultimately, if you’re going to spend the money on cover, you may as well save your pennies and go for a more durable option. 

Construction Seats

Here’s another seat manufacturer and distributor that makes covers. Construction Seats also goes by the name K & M Manufacturing, and they’re a Minnesota-based company (we love that about them). 

Like Ultra Seat, these covers fit well on their own aftermarket seats but aren’t designed to hug OEM seats. The adjustable side laces make it a little easier to customize the fit, but you'll probably have some of the seat exposed.

Highback seat price: $132

Pros

The fabric these covers are made from will last. And if you’re getting a KM aftermarket seat, you’ll get a good fit. The covers will be durable and last you for years. Plus, they offer a one-year warranty on the covers, which is better than some other options.

Cons

If you don’t have a KM or Grammer seat, you might get a fit similar to a bunched-up sock in a work boot. Is it ideal? No. Will it work? Yes. 

Verdict

This is a more affordable option than Ultra Seats version, and we like that they’re made of durable 900-denier fabric. If you need an affordable option, we’d go with this one. 

TigerTough

TigerTough heavy equipment seat covers are meant to withstand the abuse of a construction site. On top of that, they’re customized to fit specific makes and models of heavy equipment. They cover most machines on a job site: backhoes, dozers, excavators, landfill compactors, motor graders, skid loaders (skid steers), telehandlers, and wheel loaders. 

We put our seat covers through torture tests to make sure they’ll hold up to whatever you throw, spill, squash, or scrape on them.

 We have a lifetime unconditional warranty on our heavy equipment covers. So if it doesn’t meet your expectations, we’ll take care of it. 

Cat 312 excavator seat price: $247

Pros

We stand behind our products like we stand behind blue collar industries, so you’ll get one heck of a seat cover. It’s a custom fit, so it’s 100% tailored to the seat you’ll put it on. No sloppy fits here.

Cons

These are the most expensive option on the list. We also custom-make all of our covers, so they’ll take a little longer to ship.

Verdict 

Being the only manufacturer on the market making custom seat covers for heavy equipment, we can’t deny that we’d be the best fit (physically) for your machines. But if budget is an issue, there might be a better option for you. However, protecting a seat is much cheaper than replacing a seat.

Summary

It’s difficult to review heavy equipment seat covers fairly when only one company (TigerTough) makes custom seat covers. We don’t expect to be alone in the market forever, but for now, we’re the frontrunner in protecting heavy equipment seats.

We also wanted to point out that the other companies don’t have reviews on their sites, so getting a feel for what people think is tough. 

When you’re shopping for seat covers, no matter the brand you’re looking at, make sure they are:

• Waterproof
• Easy to clean
• Airbag-compatible
• Have a great warranty and return policy
• Made in America

You need seat covers that will work hard in the elements you’re in. Don’t settle for one that won’t get the job done.

Seat covers for your truck are an investment. How much you spend varies. They can cost you under $100 for a one-size-fits-most option (if you don’t mind a sloppy fit) and up to $500 for a name-brand custom fit.

There’s no shame in our game, so we’re upfront about our prices. The average TigerTough set of bucket seat covers for trucks costs $287. 

Here are some of the prices we found in our research:

Why do prices vary so much?

Like anything in manufacturing, the cost of all goods is determined by factors like where the item is made (do they outsource it or is it made in the U.S.A.), what materials are used, and how much work goes into making it.

Some of the cheaper options you see on the market aren’t made in America, or they’re made from inferior materials that’ll crap out before your next oil change.

Do you get what you pay for?

Sometimes. But sometimes, you’re paying for a name. 

We reviewed the best work truck seat covers and found that some lesser-known names were some of the better options. 

When you’re looking for seat covers for your truck, we suggest keeping these qualities in mind:

• Two-piece covers
• Waterproof
• Custom fit
• Made in the U.S.A.
• A strong warranty

Are seat covers worth the investment?

Absolutely. Even if you choose an option that’s $500+ per pair, you’ll come out ahead in the long run, especially when it comes to resale value. 

Don’t believe us? Learn the four ways seat covers save you money, and hit us up if you’re still in disbelief.