Keeping Dirt Out of Your Silverado: Seat Covers

There are a lot of instances that can ruin the seat of your Silverado. Spilling drinks and tearing up the edges while climbing in and out are likely the top two suspects on the list. The reasons to protect your seats are abundant. Your interior can become a major eyesore to look at, and torn and battered seats are uncomfortable to sit in for prolonged periods of time. They can also damage your trucks resale and trade in value. Spending a few dollars now is worth saving yourself thousands of dollars down the road. 

The biggest thing to be concerned with when shopping for seat covers is the fitment. The material will play a big role in keeping the base seat safe, but if it’s not a tight fit, the seat cover can still slide around. This friction is the main reason the edges of the seats wind up torn in the first place. With that said, there are three primary types of seat covers on the market. It’s also worth understanding that because of fitment, universal covers may be more difficult to install than custom covers. This is because they will need to be pulled into place for a fit while a custom fit will usually slide right in place.

Universal Seat Covers: Universal seat covers are covers designed to work over a variety of seats that fit a similar pattern. These seat covers are the most affordable option but offer the least amount of protection because they are made to loosely fit. With a truck as popular as a Silverado, it’s easy to come up lucky in terms of fit but it won’t come close to a custom fit cover. 

Custom Fit Full Covers: Custom fit seat covers are carefully designed to fit an exact seat model. Each one is custom tailored to match the shape of a seat meaning once its installed it’s a nice form-fit with little play. Full custom fit covers will cover the entire seat as well so they offer maximum protection. 

Custom Fit Half Covers: Custom fit half covers share mostly everything in common with full covers in terms of installation and fitment. The only real difference is they are designed to protect only the lower portion of the seat. Most of the wear and tear found on seats will be on the base and the lower rear section, so these are used to provide protection only to those problem areas.

The materials used are the second most important part of a seat cover. What type is used will give the seat cover a particular style. It will also tell you how durable a seat cover is and what it can work to prevent. Below are the most common types of seat cover materials used and a brief discussion on their capabilities.

Cloth Covers: Not many custom fit covers will be constructed of cloth materials while universal covers will be. This material is a basic layer of protection that really will only stand up to minor threats.

Neoprene Covers: Neoprene is a synthetic rubber compound found in both custom fit and universal seat covers. This material is great for standing up to stains and light abuse from a work environment.

Canvas Covers: While cloth and neoprene are viable materials for light duty, a canvas seat cover is the best choice for the natural life of a Silverado. These are the toughest seat covers you can buy for your truck. They will be capable of standing up to extreme abuse and are even offered in waterproof finishes. 

Leather Covers: The absolute best look and fit you can get out of a seat cover is with leather ones. These seat covers are generally made to fit over the seat like a glove making them a pain to install, but will make the cover look like the upholstery of the seat itself.

Factory Silverado seats arrive with rear mounted seat pockets. These pockets are covered when a seat cover is installed which is a loss. A few companies will offer seat covers with built in rear pockets which means if so desired storage will not be sacrificed. The limitations of what can be stored in these compartments are about the same as what you would expect to store in the factory pockets. Magazines, file folders, and envelopes are fine along with soft, dull cargo that won’t tear up the fabric.