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LEATHER vs ULTRALEATHER/Synthetic - Seat Choice

Ferdara

Member
Classic Aero RV-7/9 Slider -Aviator Seats- (LEATHER vs ULTRALEATHER/Synthetic) Pros & Cons of both. Price is just about the same.

- Ease of upkeep?
- Durability?
- Breathability?
- Ability to dry if gets wet (opening canopy etc)?
- Heat after sitting in the summer sun?
- Cold after sitting in the winter shade?
- Look (We know real leather smells better)?


Getting ready to order in a few days and would appreciate your review of what you may have/use or what you would like to have and why.
Thanks
Ferdara
 
I can?t comment on leather but in 300 hrs on the synthetic, I cannot see any wear or discoloration at all. They are very comfortable and I have not felt hot (even in SoCal). Good luck with your choice.
 
Give Classic Aero a call and ask for their leather and ultraleather samples. You'll need it to pick your colors anyway. I was going to choose ultraleather, but found it much thinner than leather. In the end I chose leather, but not flying yet.
 
I can?t comment on leather but in 300 hrs on the synthetic, I cannot see any wear or discoloration at all. They are very comfortable and I have not felt hot (even in SoCal). Good luck with your choice.

Thanks, I have UltraLeather in my Airstream Camper and love it. It is easy to keep up and very durable, I am leaning towards this now. I like the "have not felt hot".
Ferdara
 
From what I was told, leather was more durable but heavier and more $
Leather is only about 1 lbs more than UltraLeather. I believe they only use real Leather on the seats, all the panels are a matched type of vinyl or UltraLeather.
Ferdara
 
Give Classic Aero a call and ask for their leather and ultraleather samples. You'll need it to pick your colors anyway. I was going to choose ultraleather, but found it much thinner than leather. In the end I chose leather, but not flying yet.
Thanks, I do have the samples and made a choice of color, just trying do decide on Leather vs UltraLeather. We have UltraLeather in our Airstream Camper and love it, and Leather in the car. Big concern is in more direct sunlight how will the heat be. My design is black on the perimeter and a very light grey on the interior of the seat.
Ferdara
 
Go With Leather!

I have the ultraleather in my RV-7A and now wish that I had gone with the leather. The ultraleather is deteriorating at the top of both seat backs and has an open cut in at least one place. I talked to Classic Aero and they said I would have to send the seatbacks to them to have the fabric replaced. It would be too much downtime for me so I decided to live with it. I'm not too happy after spending over $4000 for the whole interior. I have been flying the aircraft for 8 years.

Dan
 
I sourced my interior from a different manufacturer than Classic Aero, but opted for full leather. The weight penalty was negligible and the cost difference was almost a wash with the free shipping offered at the time with a full leather package order.
 
In this case, when you say "Ultraleather" do you specifically mean a product produced by Tapis Corp.? Some use the word ultraleather to mean and synthetic product...
Brad
 
Dan, thank you for the input, Thinking about changing to Leather. Ferdara

I have the ultraleather in my RV-7A and now wish that I had gone with the leather. The ultraleather is deteriorating at the top of both seat backs and has an open cut in at least one place. I talked to Classic Aero and they said I would have to send the seatbacks to them to have the fabric replaced. It would be too much downtime for me so I decided to live with it. I'm not too happy after spending over $4000 for the whole interior. I have been flying the aircraft for 8 years.

Dan
 
When I had my seats done, the first think I considered was that I would be stepping on them every time I got in and out of the plane. I took the samples and stepped on them with wet shoes, then wiped them off. I went with the fake stuff because I could dry it off and water soaked into the leather. Im sure a pad or something else could be put on the seat first but I didn't see much difference in the look so it made the choice easy.

Get samples and test them yourself. If you dont fly in wet weather, easy choice.
 
Yes it is really UltraLeather, cost is about $90 a yard, that is why it is so close to the price of Leather.
 
Yes it is really UltraLeather, cost is about $90 a yard, that is why it is so close to the price of Leather.

I just bought a bunch for the seats in my 10. There is a large upholstery shop that sells their excess from their aviation projects on ebay. I got the fire treated ultraleather for $28 / yard. Usually sold in 2-5 yard lots.

Larry
 
Went with Oregon Aero seats in leather, they are about 10 yrs old with lots of sweat/climbing in/out stepping on them etc.. They still look great with no sign of wear, super comfy too. Put some leather treatment on them a couple of times a year.
 
Lether vs. Synthetic

I do upholstery and as a general rule, if you use a high quality leather, it'll out last the synthetic.

The myth that synthetics clean up easier is just that, a myth. a good leather cleaning product, and there are good ones to choose from will clean your leather right up.

Leather does require more upkeep but it;s not hard to do. Just like your skin that needs lotion, so does your leather.
 
@rvr340 - As a leather seat owner I'd sure appreciate if you would share information on leather cleaning products. I've seen so many of them on the market and have no idea which one might be worth buying.

Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge.
 
Why Real Leather?

It has been our experience that the best value for your money is genuine leather.
Leather will last a long time. It is durable and will hold up against repeated use and heat.

Much like the time and effort one puts into building a plane, leather will go that extra mile. Yes, leather does cost more but this is an investment. A true value, that will not break down due to heat or time.

Our leather is aviation approved and it is found in many commercial airlines. It has been approved for weight, treatment and resistance.

Like most fine items it requires proper maintenance to ensure its lifespan. A small price to pay for a lifetime of beauty.

Besides, nothing can compare to the richness and luxuriousness of leather.

Gelo-w-Grafite-back-small.jpg
 
Just received my leather seats, side panels and carpet for my 14A from Lempke in Germany.... really happy with the quality and the communication during the process was top notch.
 

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Just received my leather seats, side panels and carpet for my 14A from Lempke in Germany.... really happy with the quality and the communication during the process was top notch.

Very nice...love the white stitching!
 
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