You'd think fitting car seat covers would be a pretty simple job, and to be honest in the grand scheme of things it is. Fitting them well, on the other hand, so that they actually look good is a little trickier than I expected! Here's my guide to fitting seat covers: Read the Instructions: Sorry chaps, I know it doesn't come naturally, but I found it actually helped when fitting these seat covers. There are quite a few pieces which all look very similar but are actually slightly different sizes, you have to zip various pieces together and getting the right bits joined together the first time was good for my sanity.
Get Help!
I found that a 2nd pair of hands was hugely beneficial when fitting the seat covers. Having fitted them before by myself I actually got quite frustrated and it seemed to take ages.
One Section at a Time: Fit the covers one section at a time. You'll probably find it easier to lift each section of seat and work on that until you're happy with it rather than put all the covers on and go back to each section to try and improve the fit.
Take Your Time: To get a good fit takes time. You can't just throw them on and hope that they'll look good. They won't. You'll need to adjust and re-adjust each section of the covers a few times before you get a fit that you're happy with.
Be Gentle: To get a good fit you need to pull and stretch the seat covers over the seat cushion with a reasonable degree of force. However DON'T PULL HARD ON THE ELASTIC STRAPS! They will break! It's not what they're designed for. Pull the seat cover fabric then just use the elastic straps to hold the covers in place once you're happy with their position.
Work Around The Fittings: You will get a better finish and a more natural look if you take the time to tuck the covers neatly around all the seat fittings. In the image above you can see we've got quite a nice finish around the headrest mounts and the seat folding button.
Headrests: The headrests are often the hardest part of the seat covers to get a good fit on as they come in all kinds of different shapes and sizes. Again, with a bit of time and patience you can get good results. I had to re-fit this one twice in order to get a finish I was happy with.
Adaptability:
The seat covers are supplied with various openings for seat belt receivers so that they are adaptable for different makes and models of car, you may not need to use all, or in-fact any of them on your particular model.
Creases: Your seat covers will be creased from being stored in their packaging. The creases will fall out after a few days or weeks so don't be too disappointed if after all your effort you still don't have a perfect finish, it will improve!
