Are you looking for the ultimate car leather repair kit?
You're in the right place!
In this PopularMechanic.com guide, you will learn the following:
- What is a Car Leather Repair Kit?
- How Does a Car Leather Repair Kit Work?
- What are the Different Types of Car Leather Repair Kits?
And More!
| Image | Product | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Our Top Pick
|
Our Top Pick
|
Strongman Tools | 28 Piece Professional Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit
|
|
View on Amazon |
|
Best Budget
|
Best Budget
|
MastaPlasta Self-Adhesive Patch for Leather and Vinyl Repair
|
|
View on Amazon |
|
Best High End
|
Best High End
|
Permatex 81781 Ultra Series Vinyl and Leather Repair Kit
|
|
View on Amazon |
|
|
Coconix Upholstery, Vinyl and Leather Repair Kit
|
|
View on Amazon | |
|
|
Fortivo Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit
|
|
View on Amazon |
Overall #1 Rated Pick
Updated As of 5/26/2020
Top Rated Overall:
Strongman Tools | 28 Piece Professional Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit
- Kit comes with sufficient amount to do multiple repairs
- Large amounts of color included
- Lifetime warranty
Our #1 pick for the best car leather repair kit is the Strongman Tools 28-Piece Professional Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit.
The Strongman Tools 28-Piece Professional Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit includes supplies to not only repair your leather, but to also revitalize it.
The Strongman Tools Repair Kit is also backed by a 100%, unconditional lifetime warranty.
When your magnificent leather upholstery has begun to show its age, it is only natural to seek out the best car leather repair kit to breathe new life into your once vibrant seat covers and trim.
With time, leather cracks, splits, and tears, leaving imperfections that can be quite irritating to contend with. Perhaps most unnerving is the fact that these imperfections will only progress in their severity nothing is done to intervene.
Luckily, several quality car leather repair kits are available on today’s market, many of which offer the promise of superb results, and repairs that are invisible to the eye.
The following guide was created to assist you in answering this question, as well as any other similar quandaries that you might have relating to car seat and leather upholstery repair.
Keep scrolling to learn more about how to choose the best car leather repair kit.
Read More >> What Are The Top Car Detailing Kits On The Market?
Top 5 Best Car Leather Repair Kits
Check out our below list for a summary of our results. Keep on reading to learn more about your other options!
What Is a Car Leather Repair Kit?
Try as you might, it is impossible to keep your leather seats in pristine condition forever. With time, leather ages, even with the regular use of leather conditioner and waterproof formulas.
As this aging takes place, your leather upholstery becomes more susceptible to accidental damage.
This damage includes rips, tears, gashes, cracks, scuffs, and flaking. Additionally, burn holes left behind by dropped cigarettes are also common.
All of these forms of damage can be unsightly, and a driver is reminded of their presence every time they enter their vehicle.
This leads to nagging frustration that continues as long as this damage is present.
Even worse is the fact that this damage often becomes more severe with time, leading to a continually growing problem with the passing of months and years.
Fortunately, those plagued with these car care issues have options. Leather seat repair has become quite common, and a great number of DIY repair kits are available for purchase.
These kits patch the affected portion of leather in one or more ways, often promising professional results.
If a quality repair kit is used, and step-by-step product directions are followed, it is often difficult to tell which portion of your seat or trim was previously damaged.
In fact, much of the technology behind these products stems from the high-end furniture repair business, where leather furniture and other leather products are commonly restored.
Just as you can repair your leather sofa or other household leather items, your interior upholstery can also be cured of what ails it.
Check out this article on what a professional leather repair would cost you.
Read More >> What Are The Best Tire Shine Products?
How Do Car Leather Repair Kits Work?
Leather repair kits essentially refinish worn leather upholstery surfaces.
This can be done by covering or filling the imperfections found in the affected area.
In doing so, colors are also blended to match the natural color of the leather that is being repaired as closely as possible.
If done carefully, a repair of this nature can appear relatively uniform in relation to adjacent untreated surfaces.
Many of the details related to the repair process are dependent upon the form type of repair kit that is to be used.
Read More >> What Are The Best Car Upholstery Cleaners?
What Are The Different Types Of Car Leather Repair Kits?
There are two main types of car leather repair kits, each of which holds their own distinct set of advantages and disadvantages.
These two types are putty/paste repair kits and patch-based kits.
A consumer’s choice between which kit to use often comes down to the severity of damage which is to be repaired, as well as personal preference.
Putty/Paste Kits
Putty/paste kits use a repair compound to fill scuffs, scratches, and tears in aging interior surfaces.
These compounds dry and harden into a pliable, yet durable, finish that completely eliminates the appearance of unsightly surface defects.
The drying of these compounds is typically aided by a supply of light heat, such as that from a blow dryer.
Before the application of these compounds, most kits recommend the use of leather cleaner and fine-grit sandpaper to prep the segment of upholstery that is to be treated.
This ensures that the repair compound will be adequately bonded to the surface on which it is applied.
After this putty/paste is allowed to set, it is to be painted with the use of a color match paint and specialty applicator. This recoloring and blends the appearance of your repair with that of the surrounding upholstery.
Patch Kits
Patch kits use a leather patch to cover and conceal any imperfections beneath. These patches come in several different color varieties, making it quite easy to select a kit that is well suited to use with any particular upholstery.
The patches used within these kits are designed to be of high-quality, thereby aiding in the durability of any repair that takes place.
The use of a patch kit is generally categorized as being a permanent repair, just as in the case of putty/paste kits. This is due to the high rate of adhesion between a specialty patch, and a well-prepped leather surface.
Many of these patches are designed to be cut to size, allowing for a precise and seamless fit.
The greatest advantage of the use of a patch kit is its ability to salvage seats that show significant surface damage, such as large cuts.
Many of these defects would be too large to be easily concealed by a putty/paste kit.
Read More >> How Do You Repair Scratches On Your Own?
What To Look For In A Leather Repair Kit
When buying a leather repair kit, several factors should be kept in mind, by giving each of these factors adequate consideration, you will be better able to select a kit that suits your needs, and is conducive to the best possible repairs in your specific case.
A Repair Kit Specific To Your Needs
There are a number of excellent repair kits on the market today. However, if you do not factor in the type and extent of damage that you are attempting to repair when selecting a product, disappointment can result.
When attempting to repair leather, you must consider which of the abovementioned kit types will provide the most suitable repair.
You can be using the best putty/paste kit on the market. However, if upholstery damage is severe, it will be difficult to obtain the seamless and permanent results that you desire.
In this case, the use of a patch-based kit would be advised. Alternatively, using a patch-based kit would not likely be the best way to remain inconspicuous with your repair work, if only minor damage exists.
A Kit With A Quality Reputation
When it comes to the life and longevity of your vehicle’s interior, it is never wise to gamble on the products of fly-by-night companies that you have never heard of.
These here today, gone tomorrow companies who enter the market do not necessarily value quality results over low production costs and increased profit.
Reputable companies have reached prominent status due to their consistency in turning out quality products.
These same companies have reputations to uphold, and therefore continually push for excellence. When this occurs, consumers when, as quality products are produced, at a price point that is typically affordable to the masses.
A Kit That Falls Within Your Budget
Leather repair kits can be found at price points all across the board. While you certainly do not want to purchase the cheapest kit available on the market, it is possible to find a kit of quality that fits within virtually any budget.
However, before buying any leather repair kit, it is advisable to study reviews from sites like Amazon, to select the best product within your price range.
On the low-end of the price spectrum, minimalistic repair kits can be purchased for as little as approximately $10.
However, some premium-priced kits can cost in excess of $50, and often feature a wide array of accessories and touch up paints.
A Kit With Matching Color Options
No one wants their seat repairs to be outwardly obvious to the naked eye. Concealment is the name of the game, and much of this comes down to blending in the outline of your repairs with touch-up paint.
Some color repair kits offer specific paint tones to match different types of leather, while others require color mixing in a mixing bottle to accurately replicate the color that is needed for blending.
It is vital to consider whether or not a particular car leather repair kit features the correct color paints to assist you in concealing the source of any repair.
Without the ability to correctly pain and blend the affected segment of upholstery, your repair will likely stick out like a sore thumb.
Best Car Leather Repair Kits (2020 Review)
The Strongman Tools 28-Piece Professional Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit is easily one of the most versatile upholstery repair kits on the market.
Aside from its wealth of included repair items, this kit also includes everything you need to revitalize the looks of your aging interior as well.
In short, if there is any item that you could possibly need to bring your car’s interior back to its former glory, you will find it in the Strongman Tools Repair Kit.
Contained within this kit, you will find high-quality color dyes, adhesive, sandpaper, grain paper, cleaning utensils, backing fabric, and a practice leather patch.
The Strongman Tools Repair Kit is also backed by a 100%, unconditional lifetime warranty. If ever you are dissatisfied with this kit, return it for a full refund of the purchase price.
Pros
Cons
If you are faced with the task of repairing significant damage to your leather interior, or you are overwhelmed at the thought of using often complex repair kits, you will likely find favor in the MastaPlasta Self-Adhesive Patch.
The use of this patch kit allows you to quickly and efficiently cover damaged segments of upholstery, in a matter of minutes.
The adhesive-backed patch that is included in this kit is soft to the touch, yet extremely durable, and can be ordered in a multitude of colors to match your vehicle’s interior.
To apply this patch, simply wipe clean the surface that is to be patched, peel off the patch’s protective backing, and stick it in place.
No additional blending of paint or drying of adhesive formulas is necessary.
Pros
Cons
If ever there was a name that was synonymous with perfection in the craft of industrial-grade sealant production, it would be Permatex.
Permatex has been a mainstay in the automotive industry for many years and offers a comprehensive line of some of the best sealants on the market.
The company’s Ultra Series Vinyl and Leather Repair Kit builds on this reputation of quality, by providing everything you need to perform a professional-grade repair on your tired vehicle’s upholstery.
This kit includes a professional electric heat tool, 7 color compounds, clear vinyl adhesive and filler, grain pattern paper, a metal spatula, and plastic dashboard hardening powder.
With this wide array of products at your fingertips, even the most extensive of seat damage is no match for the Permatex Ultra Series Repair Kit.
Pros
Cons
The Coconix Leather Upholstery Repair Kit is an easy, no-hassle way of repairing all of the unsightly and aggravating tears, rips, and scuffs in your vehicle’s leather upholstery.
This product is notable for its hassle-free use, as the repair compound can simply be applied and allowed to cure, without the need for any additional heat source.
Concealing your repair work is also a non-issue with the Coconix Repair Kit, as a full pallet of inter-mixable colors is included, making it easy to achieve professional results upon every application.
Coconix also backs this DIY kit with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and a comprehensive set of instructions are included with every purchase.
Pros
Cons
Pick #5 - Fortivo Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit
If you are looking for a simple, yet effective kit to solve all of your leather upholstery woes, the Fortivo Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit should be at the top of your list.
This product takes the difficulty out leather restoration with its easy to follow 5-step instructions.
Simply clean up the damaged section of upholstery, apply the ultra-fast drying sealer, and paint the area to your satisfaction.
Unlike many similar, purpose-specific upholstery repair products, the Fortivo Repair Kit can also be used to fix other leather goods such as handbags, and furniture items like leather couches.
This kit is also covered by a manufacturer-backed, 100% satisfaction guarantee.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your Fortivo Repair Kit, a full refund will be issued within the first 30-days.
Pros
Cons
This kit includes high-quality color dyes, adhesive, sandpaper, grain paper, cleaning utensils, backing fabric, and a practice leather patch, and so much more.
The versatility offered to consumers by the extent of products included in this kit is absolutely exceptional, and second to none.
If I were to choose one leather repair kit to keep my vehicle’s interior in first-rate condition, it would undoubtedly be the Strongman Tools 28-Piece Professional Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit.
