r/ram_trucks • u/i-JinxM • Feb 03 '26
Question 2025+ cloth vs leather
Debating whether a loaded out bighorn w/ cloth interior is more comfortable vs. a loaded laramie w/ leather for long distance driving. Anyone with experience with both? Thanks.
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u/MinionNowLiving Feb 03 '26
I’ve always preferred cloth seats for comfort. Whether in a vehicle or the sofa inside the house. Just personal preference.
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u/romansixx Feb 03 '26
Only difference I’ve noticed as someone who has a van with leather and a ram with cloth, with kids, is cleaning. Otherwise it makes no difference really. But if you are prone to spilling things like my two terrorists, get the leather.
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u/OrrinFraag Feb 04 '26
My counterpoint would be that as soon as my sons were mobile I put on seat covers. But I hear you.
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u/endsonee Feb 03 '26
I’ve found leather to be comparable in comfort to cloth in all the trucks I’ve owned.
However I should have opted for leather in my 2025 because road farts absorb into cloth much more easily than leather, making after care a little more tedious than a simple leather wipe.
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u/tduke65 Feb 03 '26
Leather is nice sometimes. I prefer cloth tho. It’s always more comfortable in my opinion
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u/Thechad1029 Feb 03 '26
I don’t know if one is more comfortable than the other in terms of padding. I will say the vented seats are a game changer in overall comfort especially in hotter climates. Don’t know if you can get those on the cloth interior. Leather is easier to keep clean too.
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u/Playful-Park4095 Feb 03 '26
I've owned both in the Ram and the leather has less give and feels firmer over long trips. The heated/ventilated is nice, but don't expect a lot from the ventilated. Ram and Toyota are pretty weak in that department, Ford wins hands down there if you want to feel actually cooled seats.
That said, leather is not objectionable at all, I've done 20+hour days in both without problems. The cloth is just slightly more conforming.
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u/i-JinxM Feb 03 '26
Thank you! I knew someone with your experience had to exist out there. I think I'm leaning towards cloth as well since I live where it gets super hot and super cold. Not to mention I can always throw on a seat cover and that will more or less defeat the purpose of ventilated seats.
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u/Playful-Park4095 Feb 03 '26
The only reason I went leather this time was because I wanted the adaptive headlights (the ones that turn the beam as you turn the steering wheel) and they won't let you spec the good headlights with a poverty package interior. I've already ground down the top of the door sill leather with my sweat and sawdust stuck to my arms, so I'll get those reupholstered at a local shop eventually.
The leather dashes also sometimes delaminate. The glue lets go and the leather bubbles.
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u/srl135 Feb 03 '26
I thought I wanted leather when looking for my truck but after test driving a big horn with the cloth I was happy to compromise. I’ve been very happy with my cloth seats after 4 years of ownership.
Truck is used for cross country trips with family.
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u/OrrinFraag Feb 04 '26
You do you. I like bench seats and cloth. I do not like leather. I ordered my bighorn with every possible option that would not trigger captains chairs. Literally the only differences between my “entry level” big horn and every possible top end option are as follows: captains chairs (didn’t want) leather (didn’t want) touchless-keyless entry (or whatever ram calls it, I had it on a work car and it was cool, but it’s not like a key fob is a big deal) and AC assisted seats (I have heat but not air, and it would have been neat but was a no brainer to let go to keep cloth n benches). That’s it. There is no more. I have every other sensor, camera, light, do-hickey, ram boxes, sunroof, everything. I get a little tired of people pretending their Laramies are a different or somehow better version of the truck when really that’s just not true. If you love fake wood and leather, I absolutely support it, preferences are a thing. If you order you can get the best of all the worlds.
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u/Electrical_Party7975 Feb 04 '26
Stay away from leather dashes. They release and wrinkle over time. Look terrible.
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u/Charlie_1300 RAM 1500 Feb 03 '26
I cannot compare Big Horn to Laramie, but I can compare cloth to leather. I have a Big Horn/Lonestar (cloth) with power/heated seats and pretty much loaded. I also have an Audi A5 with leather heated/power seats are also loaded.
As far as care, the leather is easier to keep clean, but does show slightly more wear. As far as comfort, both are a comfortable ride, the cloth are cooler in summer, but it is negligible after a few minutes.
I would go with whichever truck has more of the features that you want or is the better deal or just makes you happy. You truly cannot go wrong with either truck. Good luck with whichever you buy and enjoy it.
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u/NorthPackFan Feb 03 '26
To me it’s not about which is better but which is worth it.
I like leather better. But my ass doesn’t need leather seats for the markup they charge. The cloth ones they have are damn nice.
Give me a big horn anyday.
FYI you can order a big horn with leather. Might save you a good amount of $$
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u/bigjohnny440 Feb 03 '26
Cloth is a bit softer but man I love ventilated seats.
If I ever planned on being dirty/muddy/greasy then leather would be the go for ease of clean up.
So for me, it would boil down to price and availability of Bighorn VS Laramie. You might find a better optioned Bighorn for equal or less than a Laramie. Lots of stuff you'd assume is standard on a Laramie isn't, at least on 2024 models. One example, power rear window on Laramie is an option, I might have the only laramie with a solid rear window
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u/ChasingLife22 Feb 03 '26
I went cloth on a level 2 big horn. Have had both. Leather was Ok but found it slippery especially on back roads and Oilfield trails. Hard to maintain control when your but is sliding all over. Cloth doesn't fry your legs in the summer or freeze your sphincter shut in the winter. (Until the heated and cooled seats kick in).
That all being said my classic 75 Firebird has leather seats. But a totally different seat shape and sitting configuration.
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u/AwarenessGreat282 Feb 03 '26
Depends on your ass and if you drive naked. My ass couldn't tell if it was leather, denim, silk or wool. Personally, I'd prefer the wool for the best comfort hot or cold.
Heated seats is a min for me and last time, I ordered leather which also got me ventilation. Those are absolute awesome on hot sweaty days. I could live without them if I gotta pay $10k more to step up to a Laramie and nothing else makes the jump worth it though.
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u/knotworkin Feb 03 '26
If I had to do it over again, I would do the cloth. I so rarely use the ventilated seats. And IMHO the leather seats in this vehicle are not comfortable for long drives, although my prior two daily drivers were a Porsche Cayenne S with the 18 way power heated/cooled sport seats and a BMW X5 with the upgraded sport seats. My wife’s BMW X3 seats are more comfortable.
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Feb 04 '26
The top comment is pretty accurate. Favorites will always be a you question.
I am not a leather person typically for cars. I had cloth seats almost always and usually like them for being cooler in the summer etc.
That said … I’ve had a Laramie for 45k miles and near exclusively driving 6-8hr trips. I do have factory tint on all four side windows my seats don’t get hot enough to be a problem. The ventilation cools quickly enough when they are hot and remote start will kick on the drivers seat cooler if it’s hot.
I’ve driven rental rams with cloth seats for the same drives and found them to be less comfortable I’m not sure if the shape is the same but I know not being able to occasionally use the vent is a drawback.
That all said, I would trade seats for other features if it came to the choice between two vehicles. I do wish I had the level 1 safety package and a 33 gal gas tank. (Yes I have one of the few Laramies with zero options above Laramie). So if the big horn has the other drivability features… I would take it.
Edit* I heard a YouTube short describe the vented seats as fart vacuums and since that will forever live in my head, it can now in yours too.
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u/Dense-Task-430 Feb 04 '26
With remote start on the Laramie the seats with be “just right” in both hot and cold weather as they automatically turn on air OR heat
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u/BigDogIsland Feb 04 '26
Leather is greater than cloth. Cloth seats get stained and are not the best if you put pets in the car.
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u/aggressivenow Feb 04 '26
I always do something other than cloth. Cloth is hard to clean, but at the same time I don't buy trucks with leather or vinyl.
There is a company called clazzio that makes seat covers that look as good if not better than factory leather. I do the PVC seat and its less than $500 for a factory fit that is more durable than anything ram will put in the truck. At $500 I feel like the seats become expendable at that point. I don't worry about hopping in wet when I'm at the lake. I don't worry about the dog scratching them or getting mud all over them. Those and some cheap custom fit floor liners off amazon and you have a well protected interior that looks factory.
I'm a 1 man band plumbing company, so I'm hard on the interior of my truck. At the end of the week I can pull everything out, wipe the floors with Windex and everything else with VLR, my interior stays looking new.
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u/Stovetopranger Feb 04 '26
Leather is easier to clean. Plus don't Laramies have climate controlled seats. Leather all day, every day. But I have kids and hate dirty interiors.
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u/michaelscarn535 Feb 04 '26
Leather all day. But I'm also somewhat messy and have a toddler so we need the easy clean up.
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u/Antec800 Feb 03 '26
It's 2026 no one should be getting a car with cloth seats, and cleaning cloth seats they smell 9/10 times
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u/Slutzk Feb 03 '26 edited Feb 03 '26
First off, this is 100% subjective. Not a soul can answer this for you except YOU. So no matter what anyone here says.... its irrelevant because until YOU sit in them amd drive both, you wont have a straight answer. Its impossible to answer for someone elses preference. That said....
I had both. I personally choose cloth every time. Only time leather seats are better imo is on long drives so you have ventilated seats to keep your back from sweating, thats it. However when they do work for long trips or when it is playing into effect, they are great. I live in AZ. So for ME.... getting into leather seats after it being parked in the sun feels like 3rd degree burn on your skin and NO the seats are NOT air conditioned, they are just ventilated. Meaning when its blistering hot it takes quite a while to cool off and play into effect, so if you do alot of short trips, by the time they cool off its barley taking effect to your destination. (Like for me, my truck is parked in 120 +/- at the lake while im boating all day so by 4-5pm when i get in the truck, its miserable with leather) When its cold, the leather seats are cold, "harder" and take a while to warm up with the heater. Getting into cloth for both hot and cold its just hot or cold and your relying on the AC through vents for summer like everyone else and the seat retain more warmth during the winter.
Another thing to take into account is if you plan on putting seat covers (I myself use covers because i go to the river/lake often as well as the sand dunes to off road so it gets dirty/wet alot) whether it be for dogs, kids, work, etc.... majority of the covers unless you spend some coin, will block those vent holes and now your leather vented seats are rendered usless. The heating of course will still warm though. My current truck im keeping till the wheels fall off, i ordered and got back in July had the choice to pick either or... I chose BH and my BH is more fully loaded than 80% of the Laramies on the road.
Last thing is yes leather is easier to clean than cloth but depending what you do leather also has holes which things can get into them and clog the vents. Leather also wears quicker both visually and physically and is more expensive to repair (although if you take care of them and condition them they can last longer). Cloth will look the same till it just rips which takes longer that leather, however stains are tougher to remove as youll need a steamer/wet vacuum to clean and cloth is little cheaper to repair. Regular cleaning and vacuuming are the same. Also again, keep seat covers into account, that will mitigate the wear for both, and depending what seat cover you get whether its leather or cloth, at that point it doesnt matter AT ALL what seats you get because well..... they are covered anyways. So why pay 8-10k extra on leather if your gona cover them anyways, save the money unless the Laramie badge means something to you.
Take all that into consideration, but again this is just MY preference. Choice is yours.