Premium GTI Fabric Seat Covers for VW California

17 reviews for Premium GTI Fabric Seat Covers for VW California

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Jenny (verified owner) – March 2, 2017

   Really good quality and dare I say more robust than the standard covers – they look fantastic and the darker colour will hopefully hold up well to day to day use (especially with our border collie on board). They are a bit of a fiddle to fit but well worth all the effort and the fit is perfect. So pleased that we opted for these – highly recommended.

2. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Keithsaxman (verified owner) – October 20, 2017

   Excellent quality product – sturdy fabric, attractive design (though not yet fitted). Fast delivery, good packaging. A concern about deficiencies of fitting video/dvd, but hoping this will not be an issue.

3. 

   Rated 3 out of 5

   Keithsaxman (verified owner) – October 30, 2017

   NB.Later experience – unfortunately, it IS an issue ! video was of very limited use – don’t be fooled by its lack of detail! Fitting took 2 days to complete(2 people) – this is a lot more difficult than previous comments suggested. Still cannot close one zip on back of rear seat backrest! “Removable” panel below rear seat – shown very simply on video is NOT removable, and you will need leave to this step incomplete, the front edge of the rear seat cushion cover unable to be inserted and drawn towards the rear (the result is ok though, in my view)
   **Importantly, the SPLINE TOOL provided with seat covers, had insufficient reach to make good contact into splined bolt (through armrests), due to chamfered spline ends, so after exhaustive efforts, had to have the chamfered ends of the tool ground down to a flat end – it then worked perfectly. Finished job is excellent – personal recovery in progress.

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Paul Leek (verified owner) – February 1, 2018

   Very nice indeed, they are very tricky but worth it, I undone front seat bases to fit as this seamed easier to do up the straps,
   I’m wait for wife to help do up final zip on rear back seat as it’s too fiddly
   And I did make a little cut for seat pull strap on rear bench, overall very happy

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   stewart1150 (verified owner) – April 15, 2018

   Delighted with these seat covers, they look superb with friends not believing there are covers and not the original seats – they do look that good. They are not difficult to fit, but are tight so just need time to ease and stretch the covers over; I removed the bed, shelf and rear tool box which provided better access to underside of the rear seat bench to pull the cord cable and attach the hooks. The plastic connections that close off the connecting ends (head restraints & front seat backs) are tight to get closed but worth persevering as they give a very professional finish rather than just a Velcro closure. Spline tool worked a treat and is of good quality, videos though are a bit dated. If you get them fitted in the 3 – 5 hours, you’re are doing well – on my own and taking my time 5 hours, however – Would I buy again, most definitely.

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   m.d.prior (verified owner) – April 23, 2018

   5 Star rating based on final fit and finish – if you looked in they really do look like original seats, not covers, and they go really nicely in the interior. They make the previously very effective heated seats a little slow to warm up though, presumably due to the thick/high quality nature of the fabric.
   I’d almost want to take a star off the rating for the fitting process – which although not overly complicated, is very hard work made harder because the old, low res, silent instructional videos aren’t helpful at all – demonstrating installing on chairs that have been removed from the van. If only! Check out California Camping’s video review – much more useful. No tools needed for trim removal, I would suggest using hands and exercising caution. Take care putting arm rests back on to check movement is correct before doing it all back up fully. Don’t be afraid to pull VERY hard on the fabric to get it to fit – that tight fit and finish doesn’t come from nowhere – back of rear bench especially. Bottom fastener of front seat back simply too hard to connect even after much stretching – s o have left undone (as per california camping). Took just over 3 hours without breaks – and have incredibly sore fingers. Feels like manufacturer could perhaps give a bit extra tolerance in some places without detracting from the finish (front seat back; rear seat back around seatbelt opening at top, etc).
   That all sounds quite negative – so i’ll reiterate that they really do look amazing, the colouring and stitching is really nice, the embroidered logo is great, my wife thinks nicer than the original covers, so if you’re happy to give up half a day contorted in various positions around the van, swearing and pulling with all your strength as your fingertips scream in agony… go for it – it’s totally worth it and would definitely recommend and buy again!

7. 

   Rated 3 out of 5

   rebeccajones27 (verified owner) – March 20, 2019

   Fitted these covers over the course of around 5 hours (came back to it on several occasions to avoid getting too stressed!) Yes they are difficult to fit – but that’s due to their exact fitting to the originals, hence why they looks like factory seat covers! The picture instructions you are given are quite bad, so I’d watch the video instead. Also it comes with a spline tool but no ratchet… so off to Halfords to buy a £24.99 ratchet mid-installation… Also we have a MY19 California Ocean and the covers go on top of the isofix!!! So either means cutting a whole in the fabric, or not having or ever having children and car seats!!! Would have given a 5 star if it weren’t for this point – very disappointing feature for such an expensive cover 🙁

8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   steveh319 (verified owner) – May 23, 2019

   Firstly the end product and look is five stars.

   Unfortunately the instructions and video’s are like sitting through my grandparents holiday photos.

   Purchased a set of car trimming tools of Amazon for about £6, made of nylon but only needed two of the tools which work well and allows you to be a bit more forceful damage free. Check the inner labels for seat position.

   To install the back seat covers you need to remove the tool kit and have full access to the rear, its also easier to do the front clips from the rear of the seat.
   It’s also better to do the zips kneeling on the seat rather than in the boot.

   So after hours of van aerobics I love the look and feel, previously having the VW waterproof covers on. They also add warmth to the seat.

   Allow plenty of time, google video clips online, laugh and cry at the instructions!

9. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Iain McGregor (verified owner) – October 9, 2019

   As is often stated, the seat covers look tip-top and fabulous! However, and again as is often remarked on, the fitting is not a “walk in the park’ and the available videos/instructions do leave a fair bit to the imagination. Having said that, I persevered and am delighted with the results and would highly recommend anyone to consider buying these seat covers. One point I would like to highlight is that, as a reasonably fit and agile 61-year-old, I really did consider that I had had a major workout once the fitting was completed and I can not see myself removing any of the covers for cleaning any time soon!

   All-in-all, I bought these covers with my eyes open and am extremely delighted with both my fitting prowess and the final look and feel of these superb seat covers.

10. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    jalrees (verified owner) – October 13, 2019

    Fantastic fit and look as good as factory upholstered seats but be prepared for a wrestling match to fit them. I guess if they weren’t so snug they wouldn’t have the same professional appearance. The guides on line help in the fitting and the bottom line is the finished result is well worth the time and effort.

11. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Nick Hirst (verified owner) – November 4, 2019

    The seat cover set are excellent quality and a superb fit and look as if they were fitted as standard in the factory. A couple of points, the zips on the front arm rests need very careful doing up as you get towards the end of the zip track and closing it up completely is difficult. Do not be tempted to use a tool of some kind to close the zip fully as it WILL break as one of mine did. No big concern though as I put a stitch through the zip using extra strong thread and a curved needle to make sure that it did not come undone and it is 100% secure and invisible. The other point and is that the instructions are poor that come with the covers and the not all of the videos on online work. It would be really good if better detail was shown where to attach the securing hooks on the front seat base and the rear seat base. Apart from that I would 100% recommend these covers and they are MUCH more durable than the standard seats material in my 2019 California Ocean. Five stars for the seat covers, 2 stars for instructions on how to best fit them.

12. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    kevfrombournemouth (verified owner) – August 7, 2020

    These covers ooze quality, they are quite expensive, but no alternative to compare with in the market presently.
    They fit like a glove, looks smashing in our new T6.1 Cali Ocean, lovely styling, matching our grey interior.
    They took 4 hours to fit, but worth every moment and like other reviews, would strongly recommend.
    Watched fitting video by bus and beyond on Youtube initially and we found no difficulty fitting.
    Great product, which I am convinced will offer long lasting protection and durability.

13. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    paul.slater (verified owner) – December 16, 2020

    I echo the other reviews here – the end result is definitely worth the effort – once fitted these look amazing.

    I recommend watching the ‘A Bus and Beyond’ Youtube video on fitting these before you start – however, I think that the design has changed ever so slightly as the positioning of the zips on the armrests are now different – and are really difficult to close properly. The instructions could do with updating (as could the videos TBH) as they are probably circa T5 days and I suspect the VW seat mechanism has changed over the years as some of the straps for attaching to the front seat base now seem to be surplus to requirements.

    Overall – these are fantastic – I hope they are as hard wearing as they look/feel.

    Top tip – allow plenty of time!

14. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Steven Colebrook (verified owner) – May 2, 2021

    Fitted these seat covers to our Cali Ocean & they look fantastic. Took around 3 hours & hard going in places but well worth the effort. Recommend plastic trim removal tools (£7 Amazon) and watch the videos available.
    Really pleased

15. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Tim Fernau (verified owner) – May 20, 2021

    Absolutely delighted with these covers which I fitted to our 2020 T6.0 California Ocean. The quality of the covers is excellent and I also just want to confirm that they now come with small zips to allow for iso fix child seats. We love the darker colour and 3 months in they still look like new despite a winter with children climbing all over them.
    I agree with the other reviewers that the instructions are due an update and you really do need to allow plenty of time 3-5 hours in total to fit. I also bought a cheap trim removal kit from Amazon which was very helpful.

16. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    ramain1 (verified owner) – May 16, 2022

    An excellent product. Good quality and the covers fit like a glove. Lots of patience required to fit them but it is well worth the effort. The instructions are brief and not always easy to follow, however if you take it slowly and methodically, you will survive! We found the small spatula from our RidgeMonkey set to be perfect for tucking the covers into place.

17. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Arwel Jones (verified owner) – May 1, 2023

    Just installed my set and it did take 4hrs and its a two man job. Looks amazing and as if the seats have been re trimmed