Many drivers love the look and feel of leather seats in their car. Leather seats are normally much more durable than their cloth equivalents, and their high-quality finish (and smell) gives a feeling of true luxury. Some drivers are, perhaps, less enthused with leather seats, complaining that they are hot and sticky in summer and freezing cold in winter. But why is it that leather seats are always cold in winter?

Leather is valued for a number of specific properties. For a start, leather seats are very durable, because leather is resistant to tearing and puncturing. That can be particularly advantageous in places like your car, where people are always getting in and out of the vehicle with bags, shoes, and a variety of different types of clothing. Leather is also easy to stiffen or make more flexible and can be easily molded into a certain shape, which makes it particularly suitable for your car's interior. It is also resistant to heat and fire and is even resistant to fungal growth like mildew, which is great news for the longevity of your car's interior.

While leather is also a very comfortable substance to sit on, it has other properties which come to the fore during the cold months of winter. Leather provides a great barrier against heat because it contains a large amount of air, making it a very poor conductor. So, whereas a cloth seat quickly absorbs heat from your body, leather seats act rather differently and will resist the warmth from human bodies. As such, leather seats do not warm up in the same way that cloth ones do. This is great news in the summer, when leather remains very cool against the skin. But in winter, it means you'll more likely need the heating system on full blast to get the temperature that you desire – and even then, leather seats may initially still feel cold to the touch.

The smooth, shiny surface of leather almost certainly accentuates this feeling, too. Ninety percent of car seat covers made from leather are manufactured from top-coated leather. Top-coated leather does not display natural leather markings and is coated with a seal for additional protection. This seal remains relatively cool to the touch and therefore further prevents the leather from absorbing warmth from the passengers or driver sat on the seat. Of course, the quality of leather used in car seats varies dramatically, too, which also affects the properties of the substance used.

In clothing, leather is favored for its durability and its capability to adjust to its environment. Leather will, in fact, breathe freely, allowing it to maintain a comfortable temperature in all seasons. The way in which car seats react is more likely to be a result of additional protection added to the material, but drivers of cars with good quality leather seats will also tell you that 'good' leather doesn't actually feel cold during the winter months at all.