Extreme Terrain picks four JK seat covers that offer protection & functionality for Jeep owners that like to hit the trails hard.
Every now and then, you’ll hear a story about someone buying an old school car with unbelievably low miles and next to no signs of wear on it. The odds of hearing a story like that about a JK Jeep Wrangler are much lower because so many of them get used the way they should – driven over rocks, across sand, and through mud. Over time, the elements wear down everything they touch, including the seats. Extreme Terrain knows that well and goes over four JK seat cover options in the video above.
They range from largely shapeless to form-fitting and concentrate on different functions, such as basic protection and increased storage. The entry-level option is the Seat Armour Jeep Letters seat cover designed to fit all years and models of the Wrangler. How is that possible? Because the $29.99 cover is essentially a towel that fits around the headrest and drapes over the seat back and bottom. It does cover, but that’s about it.
Better Storage, or Ruggedization?
If you’re looking for better fitting coverage that offers increased gear storage, there’s the Molle/Pals-compatible Smittybilt G.E.A.R. seat cover for $113.99. Like the previous option, it fits all Wranglers, but can hold things such as flashlights and tools in its seven detachable pouches.
For JK Wranglers and the 2018 JL, there’s the $159.99 Barricade Custom Trailproof seat cover with pockets. Compared to the Smittybilt cover, it provides more seat bottom protection at the expense of storage capacity.
At $239.99, the Rugged Ridge neoprene seat cover for 2011-2018 JKs and 2018 JLs is the most expensive choice of the four, but it has the most structure and looks the most form-fitting. In addition, it provides a little extra cushioning for long trail rides, which often end in dirty seats (and wheel wells and windshields and headlights, etc). Thank goodness for machine-washable fabrics.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
