Info about Katzkin leather re-upholstery?

Toyota Passenger and Sports Car Forums Camry and Solara
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I got a 2025 Camry LE a couple of days ago. One compromise I had to make was that I wanted the 16" wheels (LE), so I had to go with cloth seats. I also feel like the SofTex seats on the SE are a bit of a compromise compared to real leather. So, I started looking into seat covers for the LE and found Katzkin.

I found out that Katzkin is a real re-upholster. They remove the cloth and sew on the leather covering. Their Katzkin(R) automotive leather is 100% premium cowhide.

The price for the front and back with factory match options is $1,895. For custom colors, it’s $2,195.

I have the boulder interior. The factory gray option for the 2025 Camry is this one: Factory gray.

Ice Grey wrap, perf body, Ice Grey stitching - VIS CODE: F1520-109. Katzkin(R) automotive leather. The sales rep told me it’s 100% premium cowhide. The price is $1,895 plus tax, and I think that includes installation.

Once you choose the make and model, you can click “design your own” to use the color visualizer for custom colors. So far, I like Ice Grey, Two-Tone Body, Frost body color, Cement stitching, and Perforated Body. Or, I might go with Cement body color for more contrast, though the lighter color might show dirt more than the darker Frost.

There’s a certified installer within 20 miles of me. They do same-day installation by appointment.

I’ll drive the car around for a while and then decide. I’m pretty tempted.

P.S. I would have considered the Lexus ES 300h for a nicer interior, but they probably won’t have the 9th-gen hybrid until mid-2026 when manufacturing moves back to Japan, unless that’s changed because of tariff talks. Plus, parts and repairs would probably be more expensive with a Lexus.

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Does this affect the seat airbags?

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Gray said:
Does this affect the seat airbags?

Good question! I forgot to ask. I haven’t figured out exactly where the seat airbags deploy from. The car’s at the shop for window tint and ceramic coating, so I can’t check the seats right now. I’m assuming it’s compatible with airbags, but I’ll confirm with Katzkin in the morning and let you know.

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You’ll probably find it costs more for installation, and it might have been cheaper to buy an SE and just get smaller rims.

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Jet said:
You’ll probably find it costs more for installation, and it might have been cheaper to buy an SE and just get smaller rims.

The person who posted this said they chose the LE over the SE because they didn’t like the SofTex synthetic leather seats.

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@Aeron
I get it, I agree real leather is better. But the key point in what I said earlier is that the prices probably don’t include installation, and installation won’t be cheap.

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Jet said:
@Aeron
I get it, I agree real leather is better. But the key point in what I said earlier is that the prices probably don’t include installation, and installation won’t be cheap.

I just checked, and the price does include installation.

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@Shannon
That’s a good deal then. I paid over $600 just for a minor repair on a leather seat in my convertible a few years ago. Labor was the big cost.

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Thanks for sharing! I’m getting my LE delivered next week and then I’ll need to change the seats. I was thinking about Clazzio and Katzkin. I was leaning toward Clazzio because it’s easy to install and I can change it myself later. But then I found out Katzkin replaces all the cloth in the car, like the door panels and dashboard, with leather. Now I’m thinking about waiting a month and going for Katzkin.

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@Lucypiper
Good to know about replacing the other cloth parts with leather! I asked about that, and the sales rep asked me a question I wasn’t sure how to answer, and she ended up saying no for the other cloth. You might want to double-check with the installer before you go for that option. I’ll do the same. I plan on driving with the cloth seats for a while and then deciding.

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@Shannon
That’s interesting. I haven’t talked to an installer yet; I just went off what the Katzkin website says. Here’s what it says, in case it helps:

Custom Leather Seat Covers, Leather Seats, & Interiors | Katzkin.

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@Lucypiper
Thanks, that helps. I’ll still want to make sure, though. The sales rep seemed to say it depends. They should also be able to tell you the name of the certified installer closest to you. I’ll ask more carefully later. Let me know what you find out if you ask. I’ll do the same.

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@Shannon
Sounds good. I’ll keep you updated too. Thanks!

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@Shannon
Sign up for their emails. I might go with Katzkin too, but I get sale emails from them all the time.

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With the Katzkin cost at $2K, I decided to check out how much it would be to just buy a set of XSE front seats from Toyota parts. Well… don’t do that :slight_smile:

The driver’s seat spring assembly alone is almost $3,000. That doesn’t even include the $600 headrest system, the $300 back pad, or the $300 seat pad. And that’s just for the driver’s seat, not even the passenger seat…

So, before labor, you’re probably looking at over $10,000 for all 4 seats.

Yikes!