Learning Center

Each TigerTough custom seat cover is shipped with step-by-step color instructions on installing them on the exact vehicle they were specifically designed for. 

So if you ordered seat covers for your 2017 Toyota Tacoma, you’ll get instructions on how to install those covers in a 2017 Toyota Tacoma. Pretty nice, right?

There are covers in the seat cover world that look awful because the installation process is confusing or inadequate. It’s a common problem with seat covers. We addressed this head-on by making installation as straightforward as possible.

And in case you toss your instructions in a moment of confidence and need a few pointers along the way, you’re in luck because we record installation videos for every vehicle. 

Since each vehicle is different, each seat cover install will be different. 

We’ll walk you through what a typical installation looks like.

Watch the video version

Before you start 

1. Lift and remove the headrest.
2. Lean the seat back.
3. Remove any straps on the underside that hold the carpet up.
4. If you have a Ford, unclip the plastic connectors under the seat–they might feel like they’re going to break, but they will come off.

Installing the seat bottom cover

1. Make sure you start with the correct seat cover–passenger and driver’s seats are different, so just look for the tag.
2. Line the seams up.
3. Push the top flap of the seat cover between the seat back and the seat bottom.
4. Take the strings and put one between the seat and the center console and cover and one between the seat cushion and plastic on the door side. These need to go down and under the seat, not straight back and behind the seat.
5. Tuck the cover between the cushion and the plastic trim around the seat.
6. Go behind the seat and find the strings you ran through the sides of the seat.
7. Run them under the seat. Look at your specific instructions to see if you need to run them behind or in front of the seat mounts. 
8. Pull them as tight as you can.
9. Find the StringLock.
10. Run the strings through each side of the StringLock as tight as possible and clamp it (the tighter, the better!).
11. Run the front seat flaps over any seat-adjusting bar and under the seat.
12. Pull tight on the front and back flaps and fasten them underneath the seat.

Installing the seatback cover

1. Make sure the airbag tag is on the door side of the seat.
2. Slide the cover over the seat.
3. Press the cover down around the plastic headrest mounts.
4. Go to the back and tuck the carpet flap up into the seat cover.
5. Push the front flaps through the seat crease and fasten them on the backside.

Lastly, installing the headrest cover

1. Put the headrest back in, but don’t put it all the way down.
2. Take the cover and make sure the long flap is in front.
3. Tuck the flap to the back and secure it.
4. You can put the headrest down now if you’d like.

How easy was it?

We’ve installed other seat covers (check out this Carhartt install we did) and must admit that ours take longer. Since our covers come in multiple pieces, you’ll get a better fit, but it will take a little while to get those pieces where you want.

We say to expect to spend up to 45 minutes per seat on installation. 

According to Hunt Tested:

“If you’re looking for a seat cover that you can throw on for the weekends and then take off during the week, this cover is likely not the best choice. While you certainly can remove and reinstall these covers, the process is involved enough that I wouldn’t want to do it frequently. To get a precision fit, you give up being able to quickly and easily take the covers on and off.”

Wrapping it up

These aren’t the easiest to install, but they’re also not rocket science. If you’ve ever stepped foot on a job site, you can install these. And we can assure you that every installation step helps give you the best-looking fit on your new seat covers. 

Every vehicle installation is going to vary a bit. But we won’t leave you in the dark. You’ll get detailed instructions, an install video, and you’re always welcome to contact us if you’re stumped. And if you want to skip the installation altogether, check out one of our 850+ dealers.

A lot of seat covers suck.

They fall short on fit, installation, warranty, and wear. We've reviewed some of the top seat cover brands on the market, and even some of those have struggles.

So here are eight roadblocks we hear when it comes to buying seat covers. We've addressed them to eliminate the suckage.

Problem 1: Seat Covers Suck to Install

First off, any seat cover that fits well will take a little time to install. If it just slips on, it will slip right off the first time you sit on it. 

TigerTough Solution:

We’ve worked our tails off to ensure that TigerTough seat covers don’t suck to install. It won’t be a breeze, but we'll make it as easy as possible.

• Everything is held on the seat with hook and loop fasteners (you may call this VELCRO, but that's a brand name, and we aren't allowed to call it that) except a string that runs under the seat. That’s held together with our patented Stringlock. More on that later.
• When designing a new seat cover, we also shoot a detailed install video and write up an install guide for that seat. We don’t do generic instructions because vehicles aren’t generic. 
• TigerTough seat covers aren’t one-piece covers. The back, bottom, and headrest of your seat are all covered with separate covers, so you can work on one section at a time and end up with something that fits properly.
• There’s a very fine line between seat covers that fit well and feeling like you’re putting five pounds of potatoes in a four-pound sack. We tip-toe right down that line. Johnny Cash would be proud.  

Problem 2: Seat Covers Never Stay In Place

TigerTough Solution:

• Everything is held on with hook and loop, string, and the Stringlock. None of these have any “give.” Your cover is secure once you’ve snugged everything up, pulled it tight, and slammed it into place. We don’t secure anything with elastic or adjustable clips because elastic stretches as soon as you put pressure on it, and adjustable clips tend to self-adjust over time.
• This is another reason for the three-piece cover. When you can completely wrap the seat back, bottom, and headrest separately, the seat cover conforms to the seat's shape and has no room to move.
• Everything is fully wrapped. Rather than run straps under the seat where you can’t see them, we run the cover all the way under the seat and connect it together in the back. Some seat covers are like aprons. Ours is like a pair of trusty coveralls. Which would you prefer on the job?
• Stretchy fabric is notorious for moving around. Since TigerTough seat covers are made from tough, tightly woven fabric, there is no stretch at all.  

Problem 3: Seat Covers Never Fit Right

TigerTough Solution:

Every TigerTough seat cover is designed specifically for one seat style or one vehicle.

Here’s how the process works:

1. We get the seat into our factory for the most accurate measurements.
2. Our design team spends 2-3 days designing a cover that matches the seat exactly.
3. We install the cover, taking detailed install photos and videos so you can see precisely how it goes when installing it.

If you’re hesitant to use seat covers based on past experiences with covers that fit like socks on a rooster, you have every right to be!  

No seat cover we make is designed from pictures or manufacturer specs. It’s all done the hard way, by hand, using the seats they'll cover.

Problem 4: They’re Unsafe

Okay, some seat covers aren't safe. Or hey, maybe safety never even crossed your mind. We actually reviewed a very popular seat cover brand that isn't considered safe when it comes to airbag deployment. You might also be think it's not safe to use them with heated seats.

TigerTough Solution:

Any TigerTough seat cover designed for seats with airbags built into them is designed to tear open exactly as the factory seat does if the airbag deploys.

A third-party lab independently tests our designs to ensure they work just as they should.

As for the whole heated seat thing, most covers are safe for heated seats. There will be some that perform better than others though.

Problem 5: They’re Ugly

Well, this is pretty subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?

Seat covers have come a long way, though, and you can likely find a cover in a style that suits you. Whether you want something tough, floral, camo, or fluffy. Heck, even Carhartt has covers.

TigerTough Solution:

We design for performance first, not looks. You won’t find bright colors, elaborate patterns, or luxury quilting on any of our seat covers. 

The fanciest we get is camo covers and custom embroidery.

We skip the decorative stitching so the covers are as tough as possible and look a little plainer than the factory seats.

If you want something that looks like a custom interior, you may not love our covers. If you’re looking for something that’ll keep your seats in good shape for as long as you own the truck, you’ll think they’re perfect.

Problem 6: They Wear Out

Remember the cheap parts store ones that we talked about? Those do wear out. 

If you’re going to spend good money on seat covers to keep your seats looking good, you’re kinda getting the short straw if they’re made from cheap, stretchy fabric that wears out in a few months. Leave that material for yoga pants, not your truck.

TigerTough Solution:

You can be confident that your TigerTough covers aren’t going to give up on you. Since they’re designed for work, they’re made from military-grade fabric. The solid colors are made from the strongest fabric, a 1000-denier CORDURA, and the camos are made from almost-as-tough 900-denier polyester.

They’ve got a two-year unconditional warranty and we really mean unconditional.  If anything wears out or breaks for any reason, we’ll fix or replace it. (But we want to hear how it happened because we know there's a good story behind it.)

Here’s how a set looks after eight years and 235,000+ miles in a heavy equipment service truck:    

Problem 7: They’re Sweaty

You had pleather seat covers once, didn’t you? Or did you buy some cheap vinyl ones once that gave you flashbacks of your days on a school bus?

Gross. We don't blame you for wanting to steer clear.

TigerTough Solution:

Both of our fabrics are breathable so you won’t have to deal with swamp@** or peeling any bare skin off your seats. These won’t feel any different than your factory seat as far as being breathable or making you sweaty.

When spending hard-earned cash on your truck, ensure you get breathable seat covers.

Problem 8: You're Not Sure What to Get

This is tough. First, we recommended finding the best brand for what you need. 

TigerTough Solution:

We’ve designed the lookup on our website to make it easy to find the covers for your vehicle. All you need to know are the following details.

• The year (2020)
• The Make (Ford)
• The Model (F150)
• The Trim Package (XLT)
• The Cab Type (SuperCrew)

Once you punch in all that info, we’ll show you only the seat covers that will fit your truck!  If there could be a couple of different seat configurations in your vehicle, we’ll show you the different options and explain the differences between the two.

Find the best seat covers for your truck

If you're still not sold on seat covers, that's okay. But here's our list of things you should consider when shopping around:

• Multiple-piece covers
• Waterproof
• Custom-fit
• Made in the U.S.A.
• Airbag-compatible
• A strong warranty

Seat covers are an investment, and you want to be sure you're making the smartest choice for your needs.

We’re proud that TigerTough seat covers are made in the USA. Since 2017, we’ve handled the process in-house and have streamlined how we do things to make the best seat covers on the market. We wanted to show you how this is done in our Minnesota factory and highlight the incredible team that makes each cover.

We hate to disappoint, but no little elves in our factory make these seat covers. Hard-working American men and women make each cover.

When we add seat covers to our inventory

Step 1: Measure

When we need to create a seat cover for a new vehicle or piece of heavy equipment, we need to bring that vehicle or seat into the shop. (It’s not always convenient squeezing a D7 Dozer in our space, so we just take the seats when it comes to heavy equipment.)

Each seat is measured and mapped by hand by our research and development team (R&D). We don’t work off of specs–we tried it once, and it wasn’t giving the custom fit we strive for. Nothing beats having the real thing in-house.

Step 2: Make a prototype

Once we have accurate measurements and maps of a seat, the team creates a draft–or a sample–of the seat cover, and we try it on the seat. 

At this point, we want to ensure it’s easy to install and has a good fit. Sometimes, you just get one or the other, so it’s an art to get a balance of fit and ease of installation. 

Typically, two or three drafts are created before we’re happy with the sample and consider it a worthy prototype. 

Step 3: Try it out

After a successful sample is made, we reinstall the seat back into the vehicle or piece of heavy equipment and make sure the cover is still easy to install. There might be a couple of tweaks to strap placement or the hook and loop, but these adjustments are relatively minor.

Step 4: Digitize the pattern

Every seat cover is digitized in our CAD program once we’ve successfully made it. That way, we don’t have to remeasure a seat every time we get an order. Can you imagine the hassle that would be?

This entire process takes about one week for a truck with front and rear seats or three days for heavy equipment with a single seat.

Where do you source these trucks and heavy equipment?

Valid question! When a new model is rolled out of the factory, we know we will need to get our hands on one to create the new seat covers. So our truck models come from these sources:

For trucks

Local dealerships 

We have great relationships with some of our local dealerships. They’ll give us a vehicle to borrow for a week while we map, measure, and make seat covers for that model. 

OEMs 

Manufacturers (like Toyota) will lend us a vehicle when a new model comes out so that we can get seat covers added to our inventory.

Customers

Sometimes, a local customer has a vehicle we don’t have seat covers for. So they’ll bring their vehicle in to get measured. 

For heavy equipment

It’s less important for us to have the entire piece of equipment in-house than it is for us to have the seat when it comes to heavy equipment. So here’s how we do it:

Customers

In the off-season or when a piece of heavy equipment is being serviced, customers will send us the seats from the machines so we can map and make the cover for it. 

We buy it

Yep, sometimes we buy just the seats. This is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get our hands on a heavy equipment seat and map a seat cover for it. You should see the surplus of seats we have in the warehouse.

Every seat cover is made to order (unless we happen to have that one in our limited stock already). Thankfully, we’ve digitized the pattern for the seat cover in our CAD program, so we can turn to that when a new order is placed. 

Making seat covers when an order is placed

We’ve made hundreds of thousands of seat covers, but the process looks nearly identical for each one.

Step 1: The material gets cut

We use a super cool C&C machine to cut the fabric. It compresses up to 20 sheets of material at a time and cuts them at once. 

Once upon a time, each piece was cut by hand, but the C&C machine is a lot faster, and it reduces the amount of error. The machine cuts an exact replica of the pattern every time. 

Step 2: It gets sewn

Every single seat cover is sewn by a human using an industrial sewing machine. There’s no machine that can sew a three-dimensional piece on its own–they just don’t exist. And that’s okay. We love knowing that someone right here in the U.S. is making seat covers for our customers. 

If a customer chooses to add a seatback pocket on their seat cover, that gets added when the cover is being sewn. 

Step 3: Inspection

Every cover gets inspected up against the physical sample we made earlier. If a cover doesn’t pass inspection, it will either get fixed or scrapped. We don’t let anything leave our hands that we’re not proud of. And we never sell second-quality or imperfect inventory.

Step 4 (optional): Embroidery

If a customer wants one or a thousand seat covers embroidered, that happens after the cover is sewn. Embroidery is one of the coolest things to watch. Each design has about 15,000-45,000 stitches, and each machine can do about 1000 stitches per minute. Each stitch is programmed for texture and color. Like we said, it’s a really cool process. 

The seat gets inspected again after embroidery.

Step 5: Package and ship it

When a cover is good to go, it gets packaged with instructions specific to that exact vehicle or piece of heavy equipment. So, if you ordered seat covers for a 2016 Ford F-150, you’ll receive instructions on how to install the covers in a 2016 Ford F-150. 

After packaging, the cover is sent off to its new home, which will protect a seat for the rest of its days. 

Seat covers cost money upfront. But are they worth the investment? We think so, but instead of telling you our opinion, we'll shoot it straight to you with the facts.

We'll use $287 for a set of bucket seat covers since that's what the average TigerTough bucket seat covers cost.

1. Repairs and replacements

If you keep your trucks for a while, you'll need to repair ripped-up and damaged seats to improve conditions for the driver/operator (we're looking at you, blue collar folks). It also helps with your brand image. If your crew rolls up in a truck with foam spewing out of the seat, how does that speak to your work?

We asked some customers how much they've paid to repair or replace seats. The average cost to repair or replace seats was $632.50 per seat.

Not only do you have to pay for the seat to be repaired, but there's also truck downtime you need to factor into the cost. 

If a pair of TigerTough seat covers cost you around $287 ($143.50 per cover) and an average of $632.50 to repair or replace a seat, you've saved $489 per seat.

Money saved: $489/seat

2. Increased resale value

There comes a time in every truck's life when it's ready for the next journey. And when it comes time to sell, we want you to walk away with the most money you can.

If your seats look like they lost a bar fight, and someone opens the door of that vehicle (whether it's the dealership or the next potential owner), they're greeted with an interior that looks like trash. That gives them the instant impression that the truck's had a rough life, and that's how you've taken care of the rest of the vehicle maintenance for the whole time you've owned it.

According to Kelley Blue Book, a vehicle can be in perfect condition mechanically and physically on the exterior, but if the seats are torn and busted, it drops to good.

At a minimum, having seats in excellent condition can save you hundreds of dollars when it comes time to sell.

Money saved: $295-$1467

3. Lease chargebacks

Maybe you lease your vehicles. Check into the charges you get after turning it in; it's normal for leasing companies to work in charges for seat damages.

On average, we see leasing companies charge $1,000-$1,200 for damaged seats. They'll allow some light wear, but if they deem a seat damaged, they'll charge you for the whole dang thing.

Money saved: $713

4. Detailing

We realize work trucks might not get detailed very often, but if you drive around a personal vehicle and spill a coffee inside, you'll probably want to get those seats cleaned.

So how much will a nice detail cost you?

An interior detail with deep cleaning can cost around $279. That's not terrible, but do it once and you've paid for a set of seat covers.

Check it out; we've taken a cup of coffee to a TigerTough seat cover to show you what happens:

Spoiler alert: The seat under the cover was totally unscathed. Your lap, on the other hand, might be a different story.

Money saved: $280 after two details

How much money will seat covers save you?

Depending on your situation, seat covers can save you anywhere from $280 to $1467 or more, depending on your vehicle (we based that $1467 number off 2012 Ford F150.)

But if you put them on when you first get your vehicle, they'll help you get more money for it whenever you decide to sell it.

Are seat covers worth it?

Do seat covers cost money? Yes.
Is there a range of prices? Yes.
Are they worth it? Yes. Especially if your vehicle's interior sees equipment, debris, dogs, or kids (like 90% of you reading this).

Do the research and find the best seat cover for your truck, and you'll walk away, saving money in the long run.

We get it a lot; people looking for seat covers for vehicles that we don’t cover, crazy colors, or other really custom stuff that we don’t do.

So here’s who we’re right for and who we’re not.

First off, let’s start off with who we’re not right for. That way, if you’re in that category, you don’t have to waste any time.

If you’re looking for seat covers for a passenger car or SUV, a side-by-side, or a custom dog bed, there’s a good chance that we’re not your best bet. If it’s the dog bed one, we’re definitely not a good choice. 

We're not the right people if you’re looking for seat covers with the logos of your favorite sports team, vehicle manufacturer, or motorcycle (yeah, that one) on them. We do offer embroidery as an option to customize your covers, but we don’t do any licensing of copyrighted logos. Honestly, it’s really expensive, and we’d rather put the cost into good materials instead of a cool logo.

If you want seat covers that are two-tone, alligator skin or have crazy colors, we’re not the right seat cover. The same applies if you want extra foam padding, heated covers, or options like that. 

If you’re looking for a seat cover that you can quickly pop on to take the dog to the vet or trees to the dump, we’re probably not right. Our seat covers are going to take 30-60 minutes to put on and about half that to take off. So this one is your call.

Finally, the last thing we aren’t is cheap. And that’s for three major reasons.

1. We won’t send our manufacturing out of the USA. We’ve passed up opportunities to cut our labor costs to a quarter of what they are by sending everything across the border to get made. We’d rather pay American workers a fair wage. 
2. We use the best, toughest materials we can get so our customers get the best seat covers possible.
3. Every seat cover is designed specifically for a vehicle. That involves bringing trucks to our factory and spending hours designing the best seat cover possible.

If we’re not right for you, no hard feelings. We’d rather you find out now than after you spent your hard-earned dough and ended up disappointed.

Now, who we ARE right for.

We make seat covers for work. And by work, we’re talking blue-collar, hard work. Contractors, pest control, last-mile delivery, service trucks, and law enforcement, just to name a few industries. 

The people who use our seat covers are typically doing some of the following:

• Multiple entry/exits every day.
• Getting dirty
• Wearing tools and/or weapons on their belts
• And, most often, a combination of all three.

TigerTough Ironweave seat covers are made from 1000-denier CORDURA, some of the toughest material we can find to wrap around your seats. In fact, it has a higher abrasion rating than Kevlar. We use it because while it’s almost impossible to tear, it’s easy to work with, it’s water-resistant, and it’s made in the USA.

You’ll probably notice that our covers have no decorative stitching (aside from the optional embroidery, if you choose that) and very few seams. That’s because seams and stitching are the weakest points in anything sewn together. Since our customers use their vehicles as tools in their toolboxes, we’re doing everything possible to eliminate weak points.

Actually, a customer who goes by the name R00ster said it best. He’s a farmer from Virginia and says

R00ster goes on to say he throws grease guns, screwdrivers, and fencing tools (even his chain saw) on his seats and doesn’t worry about it anymore.

We build seat covers for people like R00ster. The people whose day-to-day jobs are the ones that make the lights come on, the food hit your plate, the gas come out of the pumps, and the packages show up on time. Ours are some of the best work truck seat covers on the market, and we're darn proud of that.

If you’re looking for a seat cover that isn’t luxury but most definitely is built for work, TigerTough is the best choice. 

Both. How's that for an answer?

What Are You Doing?

If you're slapping some purple, fuzzy, Tweetie Bird covers on your Camry, they're probably an accessory. Even if you're the kind of person that gets bored with a plain, boring, gray interior like everyone else has and wants to spice things up with an epic camo pattern, they're still an accessory.

When your seat covers become a part of your work truck, that's when the story changes. When your truck's covers are in place to prevent your day-to-day from tearing up the seats in your vehicle, then you can start calling them a necessity.

Construction workers, linemen, roustabouts, and roughnecks know what we're talking about. They've got work to do, they don't have time to worry about keeping their truck sparkly clean. Not when you've got some of the dirtiest, toughest jobs out there. Those fleet managers know that quality seat covers are a necessity if they want to get anything for their trucks when they're done with them.

Travis from Black Hawk Energy Services talked about it here: An Extra $3000 In Resale Value

Bryan from Anderson & Wood Construction has proved they're a necessity here: North Dakota Construction Trucks Look Like New

And Dan from the Hollis, NH Police Department would tell you they're a necessity: Here Is Why

So often, fleet managers and owners look at work truck seat covers as an accessory. They're right if they're just trying to make their trucks look cooler, but if they're committed to making their fleet as efficient and cost-effective as possible, seat covers for their work trucks are necessity

Interested in seeing if they'd help you have better equipment, happier drivers, and more money? Grab a sample and let us know what you think.

I'd Like A Sample

A lot of companies sell "Tactical" seat covers. But what exactly makes them Tactical? Is it the use of military grade fabric? Or is it the strips of Velcro across the back that make them look like a military backpack? Maybe it's a spec-ops theme so they sound tough.Let us demonstrate what makes a seat cover Tactical. We make a truly tactical seat cover. It is a cover designed specifically for men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect us. TigerTough Tactical seat protection is designed specifically for police vehicles. Our Ironband protects your seat from your duty belt. Our fabric is more abrasion resistant than Kevlar.They aren't camouflage and they don't have miles of Velcro on them, but TigerTough Tactical covers DO stand up to the abuse of being part of a police car.

Why do we make seat covers for police vehicles?

If the seats take a beating in any vehicle, its police vehicles. Officers can easily be in an out of their vehicle up to 50 times in a shift. That alone puts a lot of stress on the seat, say nothing about the duty belt wearing the back of the seat while the officer is seated as well.

Why should a department use seat covers?

There are three major reasons that you should be using seat covers in your patrol vehicles:

1. Improve Driver Morale 

If your officers are getting into a vehicle that has a ripped, torn, and worn out interior, they're not going to feel good about their cruiser.

Happy employees take better care of corporate assets in terms of exterior appearance, interior cleanliness, and timely reporting of maintenance issues. - truckinginfo.com (Source)

2. Increase Resale Value 

Your vehicles are going to be worth more when you're finished with them if the seats are in great condition. When you install tactical seat covers in your new police vehicles, the seats are preserved until the covers are removed.

3. Save Money and Reduce Downtime 

Again, this is another benefit of covering your vehicles' seats when they're new. It far less expensive to put TigerTough seat covers on your new vehicles than it is to remove torn seats and re-upholster. TigerTough seat covers install in about 15 minutes, depending on experience. That beats a couple of days of downtime at the upholsterer!

Are you ready to save your department money and look good doing it? It's an easy click away. Either give us a shout or see if your favorite up-fitter is a TigerTough Tactical Dealer.