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What Do You Lose? - Cloth Seats vs Leather (Katzkin Related)

No Bamboozle

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I've been in discussion with a local dealer in regards to ordering a JLU Rubicon. I was originally going to go with the Black leather seat option.

Then he happened to mention that Katzkin is now offering their products. He said what I could do is order the cloth seat option and then have the seats re-skinned with the custom leather.

Pros to going the Katzkin route:
-Custom leather (perforated vs non)
-Custom colors (leather and stitching)
-Might be able to install seat coolers which are awesome (Unclear on this still, since I'm optioning the Cold Weather Package as well)

The sentiment I see online as that the leather is a very nice quality and the colors look great. Some people see odd creases, but I believe they are supposed to settle over time and with some heat. A good installer is key.

Someone else complained that the seat heater / cooler stays on even after turning the vehicle off. That's clearly poor installation. Unless they meant it's more like an option memory in which I like as well, so you can leave/set the cooler on before exiting the car on hot days, then have them turn on with the remote start.

But now my question is, what am I giving up to do so?

Taking a look at the configurator, Leather package includes:
Leather trimmed seats
Leather-Wrapped Park Brake Handle
Leather-Wrapped Shift Knob
Premium Door Trim Panel
Premium Wrapped Instrument Panel

Am I missing anything else? Someone on the forum mentioned you lose the rear seat center arm rest. Is this true, because it's not documented anywhere? Weird.
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You lose the rear seat armrest (but gain cupholders behind the center console). You lose the gap cover behind the rear seats.
 

OldGuyNewJeep

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Heat/Cool switches will probably be located on side of seats vs. center stack, if that matters to you. (i.e. If passenger doesn't turn it off, you have to remember to do it which will require getting to that side of the truck)

Seat cooling kinda useless in a convertible, IMO. (Kinda useless in general, really. I had it in my Raptor and have it, now, in my Yukon. Both vehicles implemented the feature similarly - fan under the seat blows up your butt. Guess Katzkin would be the same. When cabin is cool from A/C it's OK, though it sorta makes you feel like you pissed your pants. When cabin is hot, all it does is blow hot air up your butt. I just fart when I want that sensation. Don't get me wrong, I do turn it on because I have it so, "why not?", but I won't miss it in my Wrangler. Oh, and it's noisy and annoying to rear passengers.)

My vote is for factory leather.
 
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No Bamboozle

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You lose the rear seat armrest (but gain cupholders behind the center console). You lose the gap cover behind the rear seats.
Seems strange to tie the rear armrest w/ cup holders to the leather only package and also not mention it anywhere.

Heat/Cool switches will probably be located on side of seats vs. center stack, if that matters to you. (i.e. If passenger doesn't turn it off, you have to remember to do it which will require getting to that side of the truck)

Seat cooling kinda useless in a convertible, IMO. (Kinda useless in general, really. I had it in my Raptor and have it, now, in my Yukon. Both vehicles implemented the feature similarly - fan under the seat blows up your butt. Guess Katzkin would be the same. When cabin is cool from A/C it's OK, though it sorta makes you feel like you pissed your pants. When cabin is hot, all it does is blow hot air up your butt. I just fart when I want that sensation. Don't get me wrong, I do turn it on because I have it so, "why not?", but I won't miss it in my Wrangler. Oh, and it's noisy and annoying to rear passengers.)

My vote is for factory leather.
Haha thanks for the very expressive thoughts! I saw a video showing a small unit capable of heat and cooling that Katzkin typically uses. I didn't know it was loud. I like the cooling function on some of the Jeeps I've driven since I sweat a lot and am used to black leather getting fairly hot on a sunny day. I don't need it by any means, but it's a nice luxury, just like the heated seats and steering wheel.
 

OldGuyNewJeep

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Haha thanks for the very expressive thoughts!
:cwl:

I didn't know it was loud.
I've never heard a Katzkin - I'm making an assumption it works via a small fan like my Ford and GM. "Loud" just means like white noise... my kids complain that hot air blows on their feet when it's on. Sucks to be them. :giggle:

In a Wrangler, the noise would probably not even be noticed if you're going more than 30 MPH.
 

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sigsegv

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When cabin is cool from A/C it's OK, though it sorta makes you feel like you pissed your pants.
My vote is for factory leather.
I've had ventilated cooled seats in a Ford and now a Kia and this, exactly. I basically never use the seat coolers because I deal with enough piss from my kids, I don't need to be concerned that I wet myself.
 

Shambler101

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I have the katzkin heated/cooled seats in my Rebel and going to get added to my jlur. They use thermoelectric cooler so it actually cools or heats the air blowing up out seat. Any installer should be able to imstall the switches where you want just ask. That's what I did when I had my seats done I'm my truck. I'm having mine installed on side on center console. As for power all they have to do is connect to ignition/accessory hot. That way they'll turn off when you turn jeep off
 

Lurvis33

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So about how much is it for katzkin cooled seats? Just rough estimate cause I donā€™t plan on buying anytime soon but the idea of cooled seats is great in Texas.
 

drogers

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Heat/Cool switches will probably be located on side of seats vs. center stack, if that matters to you. (i.e. If passenger doesn't turn it off, you have to remember to do it which will require getting to that side of the truck)

Seat cooling kinda useless in a convertible, IMO. (Kinda useless in general, really. I had it in my Raptor and have it, now, in my Yukon. Both vehicles implemented the feature similarly - fan under the seat blows up your butt. Guess Katzkin would be the same. When cabin is cool from A/C it's OK, though it sorta makes you feel like you pissed your pants. When cabin is hot, all it does is blow hot air up your butt. I just fart when I want that sensation. Don't get me wrong, I do turn it on because I have it so, "why not?", but I won't miss it in my Wrangler. Oh, and it's noisy and annoying to rear passengers.)

My vote is for factory leather.
Thereā€™s a big difference between air-conditioned seats and ventilated seats. Sounds like you have the latter - not sure which Katzkins is... Real seat coolers actually blow cold air up your butt instead of just ambient air.
 

robplumm

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Katzkin was the OEM offering for the JKs back in 2012...they're good stuff.

To the switches...I would imagine a good installer would be able to wire the things to the toggles on the center console...that's not rocket science.

Katzkin.com has all the options for the JL/Us
 

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RadicalMatt

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If you have heated seats with the cold weather package but cloth would you need to get leather heated seats from katzkin or would you only need the leather seats since the heating stuff was already in place?
 

Ruby Jack

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You lose the rear seat armrest (but gain cupholders behind the center console). You lose the gap cover behind the rear seats.
Aww man. I didn't care about any of those things except the gap cover. Are there after market gap covers I could get? I find those pretty much mandatory when I have to sleep in the Jeep during some trips.

Guess I could always use a thin sheet of plywood or something.
 

Matthew/E36

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FWIW I thought vented seats would be the next silly must have...was in a F150 last year and realized they were just not as worthwhile as I thought. Personal preference, but I think the heated seats provide more. We have a week or two over 100 here, so maybe you get used to them where it's hotter.
 

drogers

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FWIW I thought vented seats would be the next silly must have...was in a F150 last year and realized they were just not as worthwhile as I thought. Personal preference, but I think the heated seats provide more. We have a week or two over 100 here, so maybe you get used to them where it's hotter.
Vented seats arenā€™t as useful as air conditioned seats. For me personally, Iā€™m very much looking forward to having ACā€™d seats for the many days Iā€™m driving topless & doorless in 95+. Nothing like showing up to a customer meeting drenched in sweat..
 

Simulacra

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I think I'll be going with Katzskin with a suedeskin centre strip. That way I won't have to get the winter package since my body won't be in direct contact with the leather. Best of both worlds.
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