Custom Fit Neoprene Seat Covers $159 + free rear seat cover -- good deal?

MacK · 10-27-2008, 06:55 PM

So I check out 4wd.com today, and noticed for $159 you can get yourself a pair of custom fit neoprene front seat covers. If you buy it now, you can also get the rear seat cover for free.

Rear seat covers cost around $129, and front seat covers cost around $159.. so I assume this is a good deal. Is Smittybilt a good brand? I never really heard of them.

I'm not 100% what neoprene is, if it's a good material for a seat cover. My seats get wet a lot when I go on the beach (or fishing in general), and get exposed to a lot of our door elements. Would these be good seat covers?

I really need something because my freaking cat jumped in my Jeep over the summer and decided to redesign my back seat with his claws! First I was

then a little

then I was ready to

http://www.4wd.com/productdetails.aspx?jeep-sid=475&plID=1172&groupID=542

Oh and I like that you can get it to match your interior

MacK · 10-28-2008, 05:26 PM

No good? ........

rubijksilver · 10-28-2008, 06:05 PM

they are def a good a seats dry i dont know how they would hold up to a cat. i have them and i love.they get really hot in the summer though. does not matter to me i never have roof on anyway. get then that is a good deal.

08BlueSahara · 10-28-2008, 06:54 PM

Hey there, there are a few threads about neoprene seat covers on this site, so there's some reference. I just bought Rugged Ridge neoprene covers after sending back Seat Glovers. The price you quote is the absolute cheepest I have come across for "custom" neoprene covers. Personally, I like the neoprene. If you get these, make sure you know about the retailer's return policy. That way, if you don't like them, send them back. Seems like no one here has experience with this brand. I did notice that they have no photo of the JK covers. It would be really nice to see what they look like. There are covers that for front and rear run 475.00, so these are quite low comparitively. Likely, not the same quality, but may be a good value for the money.

MacK · 10-28-2008, 07:08 PM

I might get a pair next week. Sunday's my birthday so hopefully I get some monies so I can get these.

Grant211 · 10-29-2008, 06:51 AM

it appears to be a really good deal.

I've heard that smittybuilt products are cheaply made. If somebody gets them, i'd love to hear a review on it

tx-Skydiver · 10-29-2008, 08:58 AM

I have them. They are not bad. I wheel in some pretty dirty (orange clay) conditions and they have saved my seats for sure. Tehy look terrible no because they are all stained in orange now...but better them than my seats.

The only complaint I had was that the front seat backs did not have holes for the headrest to be reinstalled. I called Smittybilt and they said that they would gladly send me a new set. Their customer service was fantastic on that. I never did though. I just stuck a screwdriver through them and made my own holes. I've washed them and the "home-made holes held up fine.

Overall I would say they are worth the price.

DeepSky · 10-29-2008, 12:45 PM

They are definitely cheaper than my Wet Okole's, which I love, but my god were they expensive. The Wet Okole's are truly custom made, to order, for your vehicle and unless you're really looking for it, don't look like 'covers' at all.

If I had to do it again, I would probably at least consider the other options. Like people mentioned above, Seatglovers, and Smittybuilt are the other main manufacturers of neoprene seats for the JK that I know of, and they may be a much better value.

MacK · 10-29-2008, 07:28 PM

I'm going to go with them. My rear seat got ruined because my cat jumped in and clawed it, and I really hate for water stains (leaky top) to get on my seats

When I get them (Sunday is my birthday, so I'll have extra monies) I promise I will post a review with pictures.

kubwa_jim · 10-29-2008, 09:37 PM

The only good thing that came out of my purchasing the Smittybilt covers, is that I learned to appreciate how nice it must be to have a good set of seat covers. I was disappointed from the very start. The black and grey covers do not even come close to matching the interior of the Jeep. They are poorly made, with bad seams and (as many people have mentioned) mine did not have any holes for the front head rest. They are not even remotely water resistant. Get them wet, and you can count on your seats being wet. Want to dry your seats? Better plan on taking the covers off. The outer material seperated from the "neoprene" inner material. Just so you know, real neoprene is waterproof. These are thin foam and spandex. Mine came with no instructions as to how installation was supposed to be done. It was not hard to figure out what went where, but there were some straps on the bottom that I just had to give my best guess at. My thinking (especially after seeing how bad they looked installed) was that, "Hey, it was only $150.00 bucks. I'll put them on for trips and take them off at home." After six weeks, including one trip to Colorado, they were stained, torn, destroyed. It is a heck of a deal, but you are truly getting what you pay for.

I love my Smittybilt front and rear SRC bumpers and my 8K winch. Their deflators and the seat covers were absolute crap. Sorry for the bummer review, but I wish somebody had warned me.

terrahawk · 10-30-2008, 08:30 AM

Save a little more money and get the Wet Okles; you won't be disappointed you did.

DeepSky · 10-30-2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terrahawk

Save a little more money and get the Wet Okles; you won't be disappointed you did.

From what kubwa_jim said it sounds like if you truely want a quality, waterproof cover you might want to do that.

I've had my Wet Okoles for about 6 months now and they have held up VERY well. Also, they are pretty good resisting water. I poured a cup of water into the passenger seat and it just sat there in a puddle of water, which I could very carefully swipe right off out the door. Here is a pic from when I installed them:

ten27oh4 · 10-30-2008, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 08BlueSahara

Hey there, there are a few threads about neoprene seat covers on this site, so there's some reference. I just bought Rugged Ridge neoprene covers after sending back Seat Glovers. The price you quote is the absolute cheepest I have come across for "custom" neoprene covers. Personally, I like the neoprene. If you get these, make sure you know about the retailer's return policy. That way, if you don't like them, send them back. Seems like no one here has experience with this brand. I did notice that they have no photo of the JK covers. It would be really nice to see what they look like. There are covers that for front and rear run 475.00, so these are quite low comparitively. Likely, not the same quality, but may be a good value for the money.

Why did you send back the Seat Glovers? I'd considered buying those.

08BlueSahara · 10-30-2008, 04:02 PM

Hey ten27oh4,

There were a few different problems I had with them. My rear headrest covers were baggy and I was told by the owner that they're all that way and he would consult with the plant manager in China to some day get that fixed. The second problem I had was with color mis-match. The grey color on the bench of the rear seat was obviously different than the grey on the backrest of the rear seat. When I first reported my issues to the company, I didn't get any response until I filed a complaint through Pay Pal.

When I did get a response, rather than getting me a good fitting, color matched set, they offered my money back. I immediately sent them back and did receive a full refund. I would have worked with the company to get me the proper goods, but when I get bad attitude from a vendor, someone I hire to do a job or provide a service, I'll fire them every time. If you peruse their web site, you are given the marketing line that these are the greatest covers you can get, but to me, If they're baggy and mis-matched in color, they're not "all that". If someone brags about how great they are, they better be ready to back up their claims. They did not.

I now have the Rugged Ridge neoprene covers. They fit great and the color matches, but I must admit, I liked the material Seat Glovers used better than the Rugged Ridge. It seems like there is great opportunity for a company that has their stuff together to come in a grab part of this market. The Wet Okles appear to be the top of the line, but $475 a set for seat covers +tax and shipping? That's a rip off!

If you have a 4-door or only want to get front seats covers, you may have a different experience with Seat Glovers. My issues were with the rear seat of a 2 door model and then afterwards, with the attitude of the company.

sethco · 10-30-2008, 04:21 PM

I wish someone would make seat covers in "real tree snow camo". I have a white jeep.

kinda like this camo