Boat Seat Upholstery And Materials

Boat seats are an important part of your vessel, whether you use it for fishing, sunbathing, leisure, or to transport your friends out for a picnic in the middle of a lake.

To make sure that the seats in your boat are of the right type for your purpose, as well as to allow for their best upkeep, which will maintain your boat's value over time, it's important to know about the skin and bones of the seats - the upholstery and the materials. Faded or bent seats, or seats showing a lot of wear and tear, are not only eyesores but they will also result in lowering the appeal and value of the boat.

There are different materials used for the skeleton - the most common ones are fiberglass, steel, anodized aluminum, or different kinds of wood (mostly marine plywood with stainless staples, and sometimes solid wood for custom seats intended to match the fittings of vintage boats).

Fiberglass and steel are very common materials. When buying steel-based seats, you need to make sure that it's stainless to avoid rust and resulting ugly stains. Marine plywood is used for less expensive seating - make sure that the material has been pressure treated if you buy this kind of seat.

As for the upholstery, please note that not all boat seats are entirely upholstered. Some are, some are covered with foam-based material that is glued to the base, while others come in a hard-seating combination of wood and steel. These seats are usually fitted with removable cushions for comfort.

Of course, when it comes to covers (both upholstery and for cushions), the variety of fabrics that can be used for indoor seating is more varied than for outdoor seating. For outdoor use, fabrics that will stand up to sunlight and to infiltrations of salty water are a must.

The most common material is marine grade vinyl, although it is not necessary the more comfortable one. Heavy duty waterproof fabrics, nylon and leather can be viable alternatives, especially on high end boats. In the cabin of a boat, fabrics and leather are more common.

When shopping for the right boat seats, you need to make sure that the materials durable and long lasting. With your input and the above information, local boat parts manufacturer or supplier will be able to determine which fabrics are suitable for your boat seats and which are not.