Hello everyone,
I've been reading through numerous posts on how to protect/maintain our leather seats from the sun and cannot get a clear answer as to the best way. I think it makes sense that since our interior is exposed to direct sunlight with the top down, it's a good idea to have some sort of uv protection. Now I've read that 303 aerospace protect is the way to go to protect vinyl surfaces but I'm still wondering whether or not it's safe for leather. The manufacture states that it can be used for finished leather which ours is, and some have posted using it for years with great results, however there are others including a leather expert from townsend leather who say not to use it because it can ruin or soften the leather finish. I want to keep my seats as new as possible and don't want them to fade in the sun so what is the best way to do this without ruining the seats? Is a leather cleaner/protectant such as lexol enough or do you reed to have some uv protection as well? Has anyone else used 303 along with leather cleaner/protectant on the seats for years with great results? Any responses and advice are appreciated. Thanks!

 

lexol is fine-
and townsends makes a nice one too.

my understanding is that 303 doesn't feed the leather -

 

Akimel,

Here's an excerpt from one of the leather experts from the link I posted above:
From TOGWT:

Polyurethane (covered leather) does not completely seal leather per se; it

 

Has anyone tried layering 303 or some other UV protectant IN ADDITION to lexol or some other well known conditioner on the seats?

Raggtop came out with a product that seems to combine the 2, it's called Raggtop leather care kit for convertibles. Here's the link:
http://www.properautocare.com/ralecakit.html
Anyone use this product?

 

I find Jon Miller's (TOGWT) conclusion "So you need a water based leather conditioner and not just a cleaner" perplexing, as nothing in the previous paragraphs supports it. His basic argument is that finished leather needs water, not oils. So what does a leather "conditioner" do? Perhaps he is simply contrasting oil-based products from water-based products.

See Jon's latest reflections here:

Basic Automotive Leather Care

Jon is not a leather expert, but he appears to have done his homework.

Also check out these two articles:

Cleaning Leather in Cars

Leather Protection

The folks over at Detailing World have been having a lengthy debate on leather conditioning and protection. Pay attention especially to JudyB's postings.

 

I apologize for the confusion, that last statement you quoted was actually mine and not Jon's. I was summarizing my own interpretation on Jon's post of what a leather conditioner actually does to the leather, which in his view is hydrate.

JudyB says the same thing in your posted link,
The 'conditioning' is done by the water element in the products as oils and waxes cannot penetrate the finish and are not necessary for the overall care of the leather.

I think in the end its terminology of how you define a conditioner, in this case the conditioner is water and not oil.

 

That's what I do. Can't really say it's based on proper knowledge of the leather used in the S. I'm just assuming that the leather needs to be cleaned and conditioned and that a light application of 303 helps with UV protection.

I do seem to recall reading posts from some guy from the Leather Institute stating that he didn't recommend 303 but I believe he meant using 303 solely on the seats. Not sure if it really makes any difference if 303 is applied after cleaning and conditioning or not.

[QUOTE=s2k78,Apr 1 2009, 11:02 AM]Raggtop came out with a product that seems to combine the 2, it's called Raggtop leather care kit for convertibles.

 

[QUOTE=s2k78,Apr 1 2009, 11:02 AM] Has anyone tried layering 303 or some other UV protectant IN ADDITION to lexol or some other well known conditioner on the seats?

Raggtop came out with a product that seems to combine the 2, it's called Raggtop leather care kit for convertibles.

 

As far as conditioners, I love the Zaino. It has the best smell IMO, and is not sticky like Lexol or Poorboys Natural, or slippery like 303 or DP Interior Protectant. My second choice would be the DP. Third choice would be Lexol, but I add a final "cleaning" after conditioning for awhile to get the sticky off. Leatherique is OK, but leaves blotches on both the S2k and the M3 (but looked great on a grey and a black interior audi).

And good links! Thanks Akimel!

 

Liquid Leather

Looks like they do a specific outdoor conditioner than repels water and dirt better. Still no uv protection tho. Is it really that necessary tho? Looking at mine which is 4 years old, used for 3/4 of the year with the top down, i can see no visual difference from the driver side to the passangers side seat. Maybe if you have red seats it may show itself alot more, but my black seems to still be very uniform in colour.

Ohh, the liquid leather smells gorgeous as well after a few applications