CalTrend Seat Covers for the Toyota Tundra

Seat covers have come a long way since the days of fuzzy faux-fur and cheap elastic straps. These days, if you are tired of the look of the seats in your Toyota Tundra you can choose between a bewildering variety of materials with which to recover each throne, ranging from basic patterns all the way up to form-fitting full leather sleeves.

One of the biggest seat cover manufacturers currently on the market is CalTrend, which has been in the accessory business for more than two decades. Based out of California, CalTrend is most notable for the fact that it produces a startlingly wide range of custom-fitted seat covers…it is possible to select from 11 different cover materials.

Camouflage seat covers - great for when the deer are hiding inside your Tundra's cabin.

CalTrend Seat Covers – A Materials Breakdown

The seat cover fabrics used by CalTrend can be roughly lumped into a few specific categories. Some of them are meant to offer a tough protective barrier between the seat and the outside world, so they have the strength, UV protection, and resistance to tearing as strong canvas (DuraPlus). Others offer both strength and easy to clean cotton surfaces (SportsTex).  CalTrend even offers “exotic” seat covers such as the Camouflage pattern or the NeoSupreme cover, which is meant to resemble neoprene and comes in a number of eye-searing color combinations.

The exotic seat covers seem to be intended as attention-grabbing patterns for sportsmen or people who just go for that wilderness flavor inside their truck, but maybe they would make sense if your Tundra had an attached hunting blind like the Tundra Sportsman concept truck at last year’s SEMA show.

If you’re interested in a seat cover that will replace or enhance an old or worn-out set, CalTrend also offers soft O.E. Velour and EuroSport covers that match the look of factory seats through the use of polyester materials (the former) and knit trim (the latter). Finally, a Tweed look cover – also made of polyester – is available in two-tone and solid color patterns.

CalTrend Leather Seat Covers

The remaining two categories of seat cover offered by CalTrend fall under the leather and imitation leather headings. CalTrend’s leather seat covers use real leather for the fronts and leatherette for the back and the sides. The covers, which benefit from computer-assisted design and cutting, zip over stock seats and headrests and also buckle for maximum grip. CalTrend leather seat covers even offer the ability to accommodate side impact airbags, which means that you won’t have to compromise safety for style.

Installed Leather seat covers from CalTrend.

For those interested in the leather look at a lower price point – or in a material that wears better than traditional leather hides ever could – CalTrend provides three options:

1. It’s Not Leather
2. MicroSuede
3. SuperSuede.

The “It’s Not Leather” covers are manufactured out of “Faux Leather” that resists tearing, abrasion and fading better than OEM leather while offering the same type of look and feel. MicroSuede is actually a polyester fabric that mimics the softness of genuine, difficult to clean suede leather, and SuperSuede adds a perforated surface to the mix.

Easy to Install Seat Covers

CalTrend provides an installation video that walks you through the entire cover installation process, which means you won’t have to take your truck to an upholstery shop if you are looking to put a new seat of threads for your interior. Although more expensive than bargain-style seat covers (expect to pay between $200 and $500 for a row of seats) , CalTrend’s products provide a genuine, long-lasting and comfortable makeover for your Tundra’s passenger compartment.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, almost all of the seat materials are available in multiple color patterns. Considering the options and quality, CalTrend seats are a very good low-price substitute for a custom interior.