Katzkin or Alea

I'm going to buy a 2018 TRD off road without the premium package and add in leather seats. I am talking with a couple of dealers, one uses Alea the other uses Katzkin.

Any opinions on the two brands? Is $2,500 for Alea, and $2,600 for Katzkin a good deal including installation? The front seats would be heated, the back would be leather but not heated.

 

I have no experience with Alea. I have been pleased with my Katzkins.

 

Look up both online and check for pricing of the exact model YOU want. Then keep in mind a lot of people put these covers on Over their seats, and put the heaters between the two. So installation is pretty simple. Compare the price to what they quoted you to see if it’s worth it to you. Otherwise, do it yourself. Also call up a local upholstery shop and ask them how much to do the same job. Chances are you can get the same thing for much cheaper without having the dealer do it.

 

Have you considered clazzio covers. They are much cheaper and when the leather goes to shit you can swap them out.

They offer seated heat options.

Clazzios are $500

Katzkin with install should be $1200

 

Seems very expensive; at least for katzkin

 

Talk to @jhuey8947 you can definitely do much better.

 

I got my alea seats for 570 black with silver double stich and installed for 400. I prefer alea over katzkin. The center of the seats are perforated. Look like factory

 

$2600 is way too much... I have the "more leather" option Katzkins with front seat embroidery for about $1700 installed. Their awesome, and I highly recommend.

 

i just got quote today from Katzkin for two tone, Tuscany leather for 1875 plus tax......one tone was 1475........clazzios are around 600-700.....with classes, you can always g back to OEM because they slip over cloth......however, Katzkins are complete tear down of OEM cloth and they are thrown away....if you have a problem, no choice but to go back to Katzkins

 

dealer had installed katzkins on mine before I bought it and they're holding up great. Factory looking fit and the leather is nice and thick although if I were to do it again I wouldn't get the perforated center section. Get crumbs stuck in the holes and my kids spill stuff

 

4runner has 50k miles all with katzkins. Still look like new. Heaters in them (at least the ones used on ours) isn't as good as tacoma seat heaters though. Other than that I don't have a single complaint. $400 for new leather installed in a car is super super super cheap...cheap to the point where I would walk away cause something is wrong.

 

Haha it’s good to have lots of connections. I’ve been going to her for years. Not my fault I get hooked up?? I walked away happy and it still looks great. Even the upholstery place was impressed about how high of quality the alea leather was.

 

Yeah that makes sense, but when a normal joe gets told that, well I'd walk the other way. If you had included that in the post (maybe you did and I missed it) then I wouldn't have mentioned it at all.

Edit: I see what happened. Installed for $400 and they cost $570. That makes alot more sense now. My bad.

 

how can one get pricing from Alea....went to web site and was confusing.....picked what i liked but they asked for lots of info and then said they would send email confirming order......i need pricing/qoute

 

I got my OEM cloth seats back from the dealer after installing the Katzkin's. Future buyer will get brand new cloth seats.

 

Actually, the OP has not posted on TW since Aug 20, 2018, so I think we're wasting our time responding to this thread

 

Did you put rings to the plastic bars on the covers as the OEM had or just straight forward??

 

I have katskin Great product and many design options .

 

lol didn’t even notice ... maybe they are still looking . Seems like a tw issue people respond to old posts.

 

Dealer will not 'do' the install. They will farm it out to an upholstery shop, then pad the bill for you.

Pick whichever you want, but have the work done yourself.