As the temperature drops and winter sets in, heated car seat covers can be a game-changer for people who own a car without heated car seats. This affordable accessory immediately turns your automotive ice cave into a comfy, warm place to reside. Did you know that some even have a heated massage option for relaxation and pain relief? Imagine the comfort and warmth you could experience during your daily commutes or long road trips. Thanks to this innovative accessory, you’ll feel cozy and snug even while driving in the dead of winter.
Check out our selection of the best car seat covers:
Things to Consider when Buying a Heated Car Seat Cover
Heated car seat covers are specialized accessories designed to provide warmth and comfort while driving in cold conditions. They are equipped with heating elements that offer a soft, warm and cushioned seating experience. These smart electric seat warmers are an affordable alternative for expensive aftermarket heated car seats. What’s so great about a heated car seat cover is that it heats up almost instantly, while your car’s HVAC heater will, depending on the outside temperature, need up to 25 minutes to warm your car’s interior, and that makes a world of difference, especially for short drives.
Compatibility
These innovative car accessories are powered by your car’s 12V electrical system. By simply plugging them into a standard cigarette lighter socket they provide instant warmth and comfort. They are suitable for a wide range of vehicles, from sedans to trucks, and can be used in both front and rear seats. Some even come in pairs for both driver and passenger.
Functions and settings
Some heated car seat covers have adjustable temperature settings for personalized comfort, some only have an on/off setting, while others can even alleviate muscle pain and discomfort through their massage option. While the vast majority of heated car seat covers have a small controller box attached to their power cord, the odd one even has control switches integrated in their seat cushion. Although this may seem like a great and cool-looking design feature, it may not be the ideal option for larger people, because the integrated buttons may be pushed unintentionally.
Safety Features
To prevent overheating and injury, make sure that the heated car cover of your choice has safety features like overheat protection and automatic shutoff.
Material
A heated car seat cover should be made from a high quality material that is easy to clean. When comparing cover materials, you want to look for breathability, comfort and durability. Also, you might want to consider a cover design and color that matches your car interior. Non-slip material on the underside of the cover helps prevent it from sliding all over the place when getting in or out of your car.
Installation
You want to look for a car seat cover that is designed to be strapped to your car seat with elastic bands that hold it perfectly in place. Avoid massage seat covers that are intended for office and home use only, because they have no straps to attach them with. Those loose seat covers can slide, leading to hazardous situations when used as an automotive accessory!
Size and Fit
All selected heated car seat covers fit the vast majority of car seats. You should however check that your seat’s headrest has brackets to strap the car cover to. If not, your car seat type may not be suitable for a heated car seat cover.
How we did our review
For this review we only recommend 12V heated car seat covers that can easily be plugged into your car’s cigarette lighter socket and are safe to use. We did not include seat covers that are designed for office or home use because they don’t have straps to hold them in place which can be a safety hazard when driving. Nor did we include alternative heating accessories like heated blankets or portable car heaters, because although they also emit heat, they are intended for different use.
Like always, we dove deep in the manufacturer specifications and looked at countless customer reviews and videos to see what their experiences were. Every candidate was scanned by Fakespot and if the rating was too low, the product was immediately dismissed.
We only recommend heated car seat covers that did an excellent job for us and the vast majority of other car enthusiasts. We did our research and due diligence to make it easy for you to choose the best heated seat cover for your car, depending on your personal preferences.
Check out our favorite heated car seat covers:
Best Overall Heated Car Seat Cover
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Best Overall
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Specs:
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- Compatibility: All 12V vehicles with cigarette light socket
- Material: Soft Luxury Velours
- Function(s): Heating
- Settings: Hi / Off / Low
- Safety Features: n/a
- Installation: Easy: strap on – plug in
- Size and Fit: Universal fit
The reason why we chose this heated car seat cover for our “Best Overall” is because in our opinion it looks more expensive than it is and it functions very well. What immediately stood out for us when we first experienced this seat cover is its rounded shape and high quality material, a luxurious soft padded velour, which is extremely soft to the touch.
Customers state that this cover is durable and convenient, and even after intensive use, the material does not shed fibers and there’s no pilling. The velour material is not irritating to the skin either, they say.
This cover is easy to install by simply fastening its elastic bands to the car seat. The universal fit means it can be used in most cars, SUV’s, trucks and vans. Because of its non-slip rubber pattern on the bottom, it stays in place perfectly too.
The simple and elegant design looks and feels luxurious and high quality, with full back and seat coverage.
PROS:
- Looks the part
- Comfortable, soft and cozy
- Heats up quickly
- Straps hold it in place
- Universal fit
CONS:
- No led indication
Best Budget Heated Car Seat Cover
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Best Budget
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Specs:
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- Compatibility: All 12V vehicles with cigarette light socket
- Material: Polyester
- Functions: Heating
- Settings: On / off
- Safety Features: Protected against overheating
- Installation: Easy: strap on – plug in
- Size and Fit: Universal fit
We chose this heated car cover for our “Best Budget” because it’s half the price of most competitors but doesn’t disappoint, at all. In fact, we were pleasantly surprised by how well it worked for us.
Customers say it’s the ideal gift for friends and family. They like this seat cover because it warms your full back, hips and thighs within a couple of minutes.
It’s soft too: it’s made of soft, comfortable polyester material, ideal for those cold winter months. Installation is as simple as it gets: strap it in place, plug the power cord into the cigarette lighter outlet and you’re good to go. No need to worry about overheating issues, it’s fully protected.
That’s a lot of bang for your buck in our book!
PROS:
- A lot of bang for your buck
- Heats up fast
- Straps hold it in place
- Universal fit
CONS:
- Your car seat needs headrest brackets to attach the straps to
- Only covers part of the back of the car seat
Best Set Of Heated Car Seat Cover
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Best Set
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Specs:
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- Compatibility: All 12V vehicles with cigarette lighter socket
- Material: Waterproof Faux Leather
- Functions: Heating
- Settings: temperature “+”, “on/off”, “-“, with illuminated led temperature indicator
- Safety Features: Auto shut-off after 45 minutes
- Installation: Easy: strap on – plug in
- Size and Fit: Universal fit
What’s more fun than sharing warmth and coziness on a cold winter’s day? That’s exactly what the designers of this awesome twin car accessory must have thought when they developed this awesome heated car seat cover duo for both driver and passenger. Great idea, we love it!
These covers are fully adjustable and fit all vehicles with a 12V cigarette lighter outlet. They fit tightly over most types of seats with their straps and stay in place safely because of their non-slip rubber bottom.
This duo has several advantages over two single heated seat covers. First of all, they share one cigarette lighter outlet using an included smart splitter plug. Secondly, the power cords are both orientated towards the middle console instead of both connecting on the right hand side of the cover. This results in a more convenient connection and less cable to get tangled up in.
The controls are probably the most user-friendly and smartest ones we’ve seen so far. There’s two separate controls, one for each seat cover; they are identical and control the seat covers’ temperature by simply increasing or decreasing the temperature in stages using the “+” or “-” buttons, the middle button switches them “on” or “off”. What’s so neat about these controls, is that they also display the selected temperature with illuminated red led numbers that can clearly be seen day and night.
Customers say that they LOVE these car covers. They love the adjustable controller low-to-high heat and state these are great for people who have back issues because the heat really helps relieve pain while driving. These car covers get quite warm but not uncomfortably hot, they claim.
Our verdict: these are the best duo heated car seat covers on the market because they work reliably, look great and are well-thought-out.
PROS:
- Nice, slim design that fits well
- Cigarette lighter splitter adapter included
- Best dual controllers we’ve experienced so far
- Heats up within minutes
- Good straps and non-slip rubber bottom hold it in place firmly
- Universal fit
CONS:
- Because of the nicely fitting narrow design, it doesn’t heat the entire width of the car seat
Best Massaging Heated Car Seat Cover
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Best Massaging
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Specs:
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- Compatibility: All 12V vehicles with cigarette light socket
- Material: Faux Leather
- Functions: Heating, Massaging and Cold Air (ventilation)
- Settings: Heating Setting, Massage Setting, 3-Speed Cooling Fans
- Safety Features: Automatic Shut-Off
- Installation: Elastic Straps, Buckles and Hooks
- Size and Fit: Universal Fit
If you don’t mind spending a few dollars more, you might want to consider this nice looking faux-leather cover that not only heats but can also massage your back while driving to alleviate back pain and stress. This awesome cover can also be used in summer with its neat adjustable 3-speed cooling, providing a strong, cool airflow.
In our experience, this year-round triple combo is hard to beat: heat in winter, cooling in summer and even a massage option. Bring it on!
Installation is simple as can be: it fits most car seats using the attached straps. Plug the power cord in the cigarette lighter outlet and it’s ready for use.
Most customers say that they love this car seat cover, though some think it’s a pity that the massage function is not adjustable, which is correct, it vibrates at a programmed sequence when turned on and can’t be adjusted. But honestly, in this price range you can’t expect all the functionalities of a full-blown massage chair that costs several times the price, can you?
All things considered, this heating-cooling-massaging accessory is well worth its money and will make those commutes during harsh winter months much more agreeable. In summer, the active ventilation will make long drives on those hot, sweaty days easier to bear. Last, but not least, the massage function will help relieve stress and loosen those tense back muscles.
PROS:
- A massage function in this price range is quite exceptional
- The faux leather is easy to maintain and looks good
- Cools too, with integrated fans
- Heats up quickly
- Straps hold it in place
- Universal fit
CONS:
- Massage function is non-adjustable and pre-programmed
Comparison Table of the Best Heated Car Seat Covers:
| Brand | Name | |
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| Best Overall | Sunny Color | Seat Cushion for Full Back and Seat |
| Best Budget | WellUp | Heated Seat Cover |
| Best Set | Zone Tech | Seat Cover |
| Best Massaging | Fochutech | Warm Car Seat Cover |
Final Thoughts
Which one is the winner? Well, that depends on what your priorities are. Each of these heated car seat covers have their specific advantages:
If you’re looking for the best price, we would recommend our “Best Budget” heated car seat cover. It’s the best you can get at the low end of the market.
If you’re craving for a more comfy seating finished in luxury soft velour, you’ll be more than happy to pay a little more to get a lot more luxury when you choose our “Best Overall”.
If you want to share this wonderful experience with your passenger, you’ll love our “Best Set”. It has the best controllers too.
For the full package, you’ll want to select our “Best Massaging” car seat cover, because it does it all: it heats, cools and massages.
Heated car seat covers are a fantastic investment for those seeking warmth and comfort during cold winter months or long drives. We’re confident you can find the perfect fit between the four awesome types we’ve selected.
Remember to consider factors like size, material, and safety features when making your purchase. Ultimately, these covers are a valuable addition to your car, making your winter journeys more enjoyable and keeping you cozy while providing stress- and pain relief during your commutes. Stay warm, comfortable and safe on the road with heated car seat covers!
Happy cruising!
FAQ’s
Are Heated Car Seat Covers Safe?
Yes, the ones we’ve selected are. They come with automatic shut-off technology to prevent them from staying on or overheating and are securely held in place.
Will a Heated Car Seat Cover Damage My Seat?
No, when used properly per instructions, a heated car seat cover will not damage your car seat any more than a non-heated car seat cover will. Meaning that all covers can leave slight impressions or scuff marks that should disappear over time after the car seat cover has been removed. However, it’s very important to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the T.
Does a Heated Car Seat Cover Drain my Car Battery?
No, a heated car seat cover will not drain your car battery if you only use it with a running engine. Providing your alternator works correctly, it should have no problem keeping up with the cover’s power demand.
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