mafpolo

I would not even consider using Connolly Hyde Food. I want something that keeps my leather supple, protects it from UV, etc, but doesn't leave a shine. I want the leather to look like it does before it gets that patina from use. I don't want to speed up the patina. Suggestions please

Coleroad

UDel

Your leather in your car/most cars has a urethane protective coating, pretty much all car leather does unless it is semi aniline or high quality uncoated so whatever you put on your leather is not really hitting or conditioning the leather, it is hitting the urethane top coat. I doubt there is really anything you could put on the leather to keep the as new patina, that has more to do with use, wear, and stains where the leather over time becomes shiny, waxy, hard, and not as soft/supple. Leather Masters makes a protection cream that helps protect against dye transfer form blue jeans but I doubt it would keep the patina if there is a lot of use/seat time/getting in and out of your car. The best thing to do to keep the as new patina is unfortunately don't sit on it or get in and out of it as much and wear softer clothing that will not wear it as much and make sure to clean it and not let stains build up. Woolite and water is recommended to clean/maintain Lexus leather, Lexus does have a conditioner. Leatherique is pretty good for more soiled leather.

I had hard waxy worn leather in my Lexus GS and tried many products to try to soften it up and none really worked, it is unfortunately from the urethane coating which does not allow anything to penetrate into the actual leather and I spoke to many leather experts who basically said the same thing, the urethane top coat ruins many of the good qualities of leather and being able to rejuvenate it which is the cost of providing the protection against stain and quicker wear. Leatherique and Surflex soffner seemed to slightly improve the feel and patina but did not much a big difference.

k20trick

iTrader: (3)

I have used multiple products such as meguiars leather wipes, lexol, leather masters etc, but then I tried Wolfgang's leather conditioner from a sample I received something in that formula seems like its made for modern day leather thats coated from the factory provide uv protection and smells great.

As much as I love Meguiars products, those all in one cleaner and conditioners are no go for me, shiny is not clean btw, your probably trapping in all that dirty leather.. use a dedicated all purpose cleaner go to town once then condition with quality conditioner, and your future follow-ups will be a much smoother process. Heard great things about leatherique but the results I get with Wolfgang leather conditioner prevents me from trying something else.

Benefits of Wolfgang leather conditioner, leaves leather soft and supple, provides Matt finish, uv protected, best smell imo, protection.

Nospinzone

Last spring I bought, and applied, CarPro Quartz Leather Coating. My primary reason was my 612 has a leather dash and leather rear shelf and Ferraris are famous, or infamous, for shrinking leather dashes. This product seemed to have the best protection from UV rays. It does nothing to help with the suppleness of the leather, but it does not add shine to the leather. So for what you are looking for, to quote Meatloaf, 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

Frankly I don't know yet how well this product is actually working because it really will take years to see how well my leather dash holds up. The product is supposed to last 1-2 years. I do plan to apply another coating before summer. Another benefit of this product is it prevents staining. I don't know if that works because I don't allow food, drink or jeans in the car.

GunnyFitz

We all have our favored brands, but I have been using Pinnacle EVERYTHING on all my vehicles for years!
Just forked out some brutal money on their new line of Leather Cleaner & Conditioner - which truly is ridiculously priced too. It better drive my car for me after I give it the Pinnacle Finish !!!

k20trick

iTrader: (3)

Hey Maf I tried a lot of leather conditioners in the past meguiars (please dont use this, very greasy), lexol, leather masters and fooud one product Wolfgang and stopped there. There is something in this that makes modern leather feel so soft and supple and smell so good, while I still am waiting to test leatherique out as I heard many good reviews, I know I wont get the same smell that the Wolfgang conditioner has to offer as the scent is very important to me. Unfortunately for leather the only way to keep it patina'ing. is not use it as all, but at the very minimal you can clean and condition it to help preserve it making and feeling its best heres one wheel I used with wolfangs conditioner.

I applied it a little too heavy imo but I wanted to make sure it got absorbed deep into the pores then buffed off, you can tell right away it looks and feels like the leather looks a lot more lively now similar to when you moisturize your skin with lotion. After cure time it doesnt leave greasy residue or anything it looks natural which I also love about this product.

Its advertised as making your leather inviting once you try it out you will understand what they are trying to perceive everyone always asks what smell that is.


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GunnyFitz

You also made a good show out of using your gorgeous steering wheel as an example!
Have we perhaps discussed this item in another thread somewhere? If so, which thread?
Check that- better yet, exactly where did you get that beauty? There is a very small leather portion there amidst all that Carbon Fiber - which we know what happens when using leather products on.

Im sure Im not the only one who'd like to hear details on that Wheel !

k20trick

iTrader: (3)

Haha wish it was my wheel, its a very nice piece indeed, it's a buddy's wheel actually pretty nice quality I might add!

GunnyFitz

Just bought the Leatherique Package Deal since AG had another 25% off for Memorial Day
https://www.autogeek.net/le16ozkit.html

First time trying this stuff out, but read good reviews. We shall see !

3nergiz3d

I agree with the above. Most of the leather cleaners I've used leave a greasy and slippery type feeling.

Will083031

GunnyFitz

Sure hope so, I already used it!

k20trick

iTrader: (3)

The Wolfgang's leaves a nice tacky feel kind of grippy feeling to the leather.

jfelbab

Some notes on leather and hardness.

Its all about hydration.

Don't assume your leather is getting hard due to the topcoat hardening The topcoat on leather is a micron-thin and flexible urethane coating. What makes leather hard is the hydration level of the underlying leather.

If you have ever used a chamois you would notice that when it dries out it gets hard. Once it is rehydrated, it is again soft. You cannot wet the car's leather as the coating is applied to prevent spills and other liquids from penetrating through and damaging the underlying leather. So how do you make leather softer? You increase the leather's hydration level via a process similar to transpiration. That is, the leather absorbs H2O molecules through the air surrounding the leather.

You can raise the hydration level by doing a frequent wipe down of your leather with a wrung out cotton towel. If your leather is really hard you can place that wrung out towel on a piece of plastic directly under the seat for a few hours a couple days a week until the leather is again properly rehydrated. One important note. Your leather is made soft in the manufacturing process. It cannot be made softer than it was originally engineered to be. Some vehicles have hard leather from the factory.

When leather professionals use the term "conditioning" they are speaking about hydrating the leather, not smearing an oily or greasy cream on the urethane coating. The only positive effect of today's conditioners is that they are mostly H2O and therefore may raise the relative humidity around the leather so that it might absorb some of the water. Most of these conditioners will leave the leather with a film that will change the "hand" or feel of the surface of the leather making it feel either slippery or grippy. It is this same residue that will attract dirt and dust and hold it in contact with the leather. This is not a good thing for leather that you want to last for a long time. Properly hydrated leather should feel soft, dry and silky smooth. Go to a new luxury car dealership and feel the leather surfaces in a $100,000 vehicle. That is what your leather should feel like.

Lastly, be sure you know what is real leather and what is vinyl or faux leather. You cannot condition or rehydrate vinyl or faux leather. It is what it is. It will never get softer no matter what you attempt. Vinyl can harden over time and exposure to the elements.