What Is Toyota Softex? [Answered]

We may have spent a lot of time discussing the disadvantages of Toyota Softex and what people think of it.

But do you have any idea what it is?

What is Toyota Softex Made of?

Toyota SofTex is a synthetic leather fabric (thermoplastic polyurethane) that is meant to withstand a lot of wear and tear. It’s easy to clean, stain- and spill-resistant, soft to the touch, tear-resistant, and weighs half the weight of genuine leather.

It’s a great option for car purchasers who don’t want to support animal cruelty and want a pleasant and attractive eco-friendly interior.

Despite being synthetic, this material emits fewer pollutants into the environment during production.

Toyota Softex is one of the few eco-friendly interior materials available, thanks to this and the fact that it is free of animal-based products.

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What is the durability of Toyota Softex?

Another advantage of SofTex over leather interiors is its durability.

Toyota SofTex is as robust as real leather and will outlast leather in terms of cracks, abrasions, scratches, and tiredness.

Softex is leaving your interior in perfect condition.

What is Toyota SofTex Upholstery, and how does it work?

Almost everyone has gotten into a car with a leather interior that had been roasting in the sun, scorched the backs of our legs, and then had to pull our sticky legs off the seat.

Most of us have seen soft cloth seat that have been discolored by grape juice spilled by your child.

While a leather inside is a quality classic that is easy to clean, cloth seats are far less expensive and won’t vary temperatures as much in the Vermont seasons.

Toyota SofTex is a synthetic and artificial leather material that has become a standard feature on a number of Toyota models.

SofTex is a more durable material that offers significant advantages in Toyota interiors while maintaining the soft, premium feel and elegance of traditional leather upholstery.

SofTex is a thermoplastic polyurethane that has a number of advantages over leather upholstery, including increased breathability and improved thermal properties.

For the ordinary driver, this means that SofTex will stay cooler in the sun and will reflect more of the sun’s rays.

When you have to wipe up spills, SofTex will retain moisture slower and release moisture faster than leather or vinyl seats.

SofTex upholstery is more environmentally friendly than leather, in addition to being cooler and less expensive.

SofTex is a fantastic alternative to leather, requiring 99 percent fewer Volatile Organic Compounds and emitting 85 percent less CO2 during the manufacturing process.

It’s also more resistant to absorbing dirt, has similar tensile strength to leather, and has undergone extensive durability testing, so your 2016 Toyota RAV4 will appear brand new for years to come.

Seats: Toyota SofTex vs. Leather vs. Fabric

The interior of a vehicle may say a lot about it, and particular materials and colors can really help you get that sporty, modern, or luxurious look you want.

Choosing a vehicle is half the fun because you then have to pick on exterior color, trim, interior options, and more after you’ve found your ideal vehicle.

Toyota offers a variety of interior upholstery options to suit any lifestyle.

While many of us are familiar with the basic characteristics and variations between leather and cloth, many are unfamiliar with Toyota’s SofTex material.

Learn the distinctions between Toyota’s SofTex, leather, and cloth seating options and decide for yourself which material is best for you.

Totoya Softex Vs Leather Comparison Chart

Name	SofTex Synthetic Leather	Genuine Leather
Longevity	Can last 10 years if properly maintained.	Can last up to 10 years if properly maintained.
Cost	Typically more expensive than cloth and slightly less expensive than leather.	Typically more expensive than cloth seats and SofTex materials.
Durability	Highly resistant to cracking, fading due to sun exposure and staining.Can be susceptible to rips and tears.	Can be susceptible to rips and tears, fading due to sun exposure, color stains, cracking.
Maintenance/Cleaning	Incredibly resilient and designed for users to easily clean spills with a damp cloth.No need to apply conditioners or oils; alcohol-based products or a dampened cloth is how to clean SofTex seats.	Spills can be wiped away if caught immediately but will stain if left to soak.Requires regular detailing, cleaning, and applications of protectants (UV, stains, cracking, etc.) with oils or conditioners.
Feel	Soft but thinner coverage material than leather.Not as sticky to the skin when humid.	Luxuriously soft-touch, thick, and supple if properly cared for.Can feel sticky to the skin when humid.
Comfort	Soft and cushioned with fabric inserts.Toyota’s include temperature responsive fabric inserts, so it won’t get as hot or as cold as leather seats.	Firmly cushioned.Gets very hot if left in direct sunlight, and very cold in the winter.
Appearance	Looks very similar to leather from a distance but may be noticeably less porous up close.	High-end and the most highly sought-after seat/cabin material.
Smell	No lasting smell from SofTex material. Seats don’t absorb bad odors as easily as cloth.	Properly maintained leather seats will keep a vehicle smelling “new” for longer.Seats don’t absorb many bad odors.
Resale Value	The resale value is average.	When properly maintained, leather seats have better resale values than cloth or SofTex.
Pets	Good for passengers with allergies, as SofTex doesn’t collect as much pet hair.Susceptible to rips from dog claws, teeth, etc.Better grip, so pets won’t slide as often.	Good for passengers with allergies, as leather doesn’t collect as much pet hair.Susceptible to rips from dog claws, teeth, etc.Pets may slide on leather seats, which may increase the risk of tears.
Eco-conscious	Manmade material that generates very few emissions and VOCs when manufactured.	Made from animal hides and not eco-conscious.
Color Choices	More varied color options.	Options may be limited to a few colors, like black, white, brown, and gray.

Toyota Softex vs Fabric

What people are saying about Softex vs Fabric.

What do you think about Softex seats versus standard fabric seats? I don’t have any children or pets that I would transport in my automobile. I’m debating if I should spend the extra money and get the XLE premium instead of the XLE. Please provide both the advantages and disadvantages of both.

Answer:

My Car has softex. It’s not bad. It’s not leather, but it does feel good and soft. Toyota fabric feels similar to fabric seats from the 1990s, but it’s cheaper in certain ways. Sitting in a new rav4 with cloth, I’d say that if I hadn’t had the option of softex, I’d have purchased a different vehicle.

Softex/Leather = premium, easier to clean

Cloth = cheaper, never gets too cold for those icy mornings or too hot where your skin sticks to it

Interior Toyota SofTex Seats

The Toyota SofTex interior is a synthetic leather seat material that is designed to be durable, easy to clean, and spill-resistant.

SofTex seat is half the weight of genuine leather and is extremely soft to the touch.

SofTex leather emits 85 percent fewer CO2 and 99 percent fewer VOCs than traditional synthetic leather.

There is no animal-based substance in the SofTex material.

Customers appreciate SofTex seats because the material reflects sunlight, so they don’t get as hot as typical leather seats.

The Toyota SofTex® upholstery is a synthetic leather interior that is highly stain resistant and easy to clean.

This eco-friendly upholstery is gentle to the touch and produces fewer pollutants during production.

SofTex® interiors are made entirely of synthetic materials and do not contain any animal-based elements, making them a perfect alternative to traditional leather interiors.

SofTex® has the look and feel of classic leather and, thanks to its highly breathable materials, keeps drivers cool behind the wheel.

This eco-friendly interior is ideal for drivers looking for a long-lasting and stylish alternative to traditional leather interiors.

Leather Interior Toyota: Is Softex Leather?

Aside from providing your vehicle’s interior a luxurious, traditional look, real leather seats offer a number of advantages to customers.

Leather seats are easy to clean, and spilled drinks or other liquids do not soak into the leather like they do with cloth seats.

Due to the supportive and thick material, leather seats also help to reduce the amount of allergens in a car and provide additional comfort to passengers.

Some disadvantages of leather seats include overheating in the summer and being chilly in the winter, but these issues may be swiftly resolved with the addition of heated and cooled seats.

There are a few fundamental distinctions between SofTex® and leather auto interiors that may sway your selection one way or the other.

Because of the materials used to make the seats, leather seats frequently absorb more heat from the sun than SofTex® seating. SofTex® is more breathable and has an unique coating that reflects UV rays and absorbs less heat, whereas leather absorbs UV rays and creates a hotter surface.

Furthermore, leather seats require more frequent cleaning and conditioning to stay in good shape, whereas SofTex® is more dirt resistant.

Both leather and SofTex® surfaces are extremely durable, making them ideal for many drivers.

Toyota Interior Cloth (Fabric)

Cloth upholstery is a popular choice due to its price, as it is the least expensive alternative.

Fabric chairs are also comfy, and because of the material, there is no sticking, sliding, or scorching with them.

Cloth materials don’t need to be maintained either, but cloth is easy to stain and absorbs odors, whereas leather doesn’t.

What Are The Problems With Toyota Softex?

The days when leather was the only option for car upholstery are long gone.

Faux leather, fabric, and other special materials created by certain automobile makers, such as the Toyota Softex, are now available to car customers.

Two Common Issues:

1. It’s Not That Luxurious

2. It’s Thinner Than Other Materials

All of these materials have their own set of benefits and drawbacks.

For a variety of reasons, different car owners favor particular materials over others.

When Toyota Softex was originally launched to the auto market, many purchasers were hesitant to purchase automobiles that had this package.

However, most people learned that Toyota Softex is one of the best materials to have in your car’s interior thanks to the bravery of a few buyers.

It has a fantastic aesthetic, is soft to the touch, is very breathable, and is long-lasting.

How to Clean Softex Video?

New Toyota/ New Vehicles With Softex Seats

• Toyota 4runner
• Toyota Highlander
• Toyota Corolla Cross/ Toyota Corolla Hatchback / Corolla Hybrid
• Toyota Camry
• Toyota Sienna
• Toyota Land Cruiser
• Toyota Avalon
• Toyota Tacoma
• Toyota Tundra

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)