I just had this dilemma when I was ordering my '14. I ended up going with cloth seats due to the leather getting hot in the summer time, and I run with the top off as much as possible. Also, I wanted to save the $1100 at the time of the sale. My main concern is going to be the dog hair with the cloth seats. Just going to have to wait and see how that plays out . I did some research and found that i can get the aftermarket Katzkin leather seats installed for around $1400. Its more expensive than the stock leather seats but at least I can have some input in the color scheme and design of the Katzkin leather seats. So....Im going with the cloth hoping they work, but know that I have an option down the road if I decide that I can't live with the cloth seats.

 

I had cloth seats when bought the JK, and have since installed two-tone Katzkin leather which are much better for many reasons -- easy to wipe off, water and rain runs off them, look far better than cloth, etc.

Don't get black on black leather, for reasons stated, obviously you'll burn your butt when the roof is off in the sun, but this does NOT happen with two-tone color inserts. Mine are red on black, the red color doesn't burn when heated by the sun. Same would be true for light grey, etc.

 

Ok, so comparing leather vs cloth.
Anyone ever thought about running up to MARINE upholstery shop?
You can NOT beat Marine quality vinyl for outdoor sun and water exposure!

Find a small shop in a small area and get a really good price!!

 

I love my leather seats and i go out doorless all the time....i actually think their easier to clean after too

 

My seats and roll bar have really faded. It's an '11 and I had covers on it several months last year. They faded to purple in 3 months. The sun might be worse her in coastal sc.

 

I have always liked leather, but not in a Jeep. I would rather have cloth and some nice water resistant covers.

 

It's a dry heat here. That might have something to do with it.

 

Leather all the way. Easier to clean, less likely to get a funky smell. The average production vehicle have a plastic protective layer on top of the leather, bare leather is more common in Europe and high end luxury vehicles.

 

I've soaked mine a few times in the rain. Wipes dry. I ordered it with leather just for that reason. I try to keep the inside clean, however that's not always possible. Especially after looking at how much crap gets on the seats after leaving the top off for several days when it's nice out. I'll never go back to cloth seats on a jeep again. At the very least, I'll put something like Iggee's on them... however I'd rather just have the stock leather.

 

I went with the Katzkin and couldn't be happier. Got caught in a couple storms with the top down and the seats dried out pretty quick. And to prevent the hot seats, I went with the Spiderweb shade. Problem solved!