Should train seat fabric be replaced with either leather or plastic?

[nidave]

Many times I've gone to sit on a train seat only to find it caked in grime. Maybe now, given the times we live in, the usual fabric should be replaced with either leather or plastic...

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Plastic is much easier to cleanse and clean

 

[Halish Railway]

Personally, I vastly prefer a form of fabric as it’s much softer. Compare the interrogation seats on the Nova 3s with those of a Nova 1 - I find that the headrest is much softer on the Nova 1 as it isn’t leather/plastic, though this may not be the greatest of examples as I find that the cushioning on the Nova 1s is softer than that of a Nova 3.

As for sanitation, it is much more difficult to clean away gubbins such as a coffee stain, but as far as germs are concerned, a device similar to that of a Germfalcon will probably be commonplace in the cleaning of trains. https://www.germfalcon.com/

Just please no plastic seats on urban metro systems in the UK!

 

[Bletchleyite]

No. Moquette looks nicer and is much more comfortable.

I do like leather effect headrests, though.

 

[edwin_m]

Anyone remember burning their hands/legs on vinyl car seats in the 70s when they'd been parked out in the sun? That would be far worse on a train as sometimes all the seats along one side would have the same problem - and you couldn't put a blanket over them beforehand!

 

[yorksrob]

Moquette all the way. Preferably classic BR designs. More comfortable and better to look at.

 

[yorksrob]

Anyone remember burning their hands/legs on vinyl car seats in the 70s when they'd been parked out in the sun? That would be far worse on a train as sometimes all the seats along one side would have the same problem - and you couldn't put a blanket over them beforehand!

Particularly bad if wearing shorts.

 

[Belperpete]

Hard plastic bucket seats - no, no, no!

Some of my local buses now have leather-effect seats (doubt they are real leather), which seem to clean better than moquette, and are just as comfortable as moquette. Sitting on a soiled moquette seat can be quite off-putting, as you are never quite sure what has soiled it. But I doubt that the "leather" is any more virus unfriendly than moquette, as the "leather" is not perfectly smooth.

 

[yorksrob]

In terms of viruses, I've read that the current one seems to survive on harder surfaces longer than smoother ones, so I would have expected moquette to be best in this sense.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In terms of viruses, I've read that the current one seems to survive on harder surfaces longer than smoother ones, so I would have expected moquette to be best in this sense.

Easier to effectively sanitise a hard seat, though. So horses for courses.

 

[yorksrob]

Easier to effectively sanitise a hard seat, though. So horses for courses.

Alhough I prefer moquette anyway so I'll take the confirmation bias !

 

[LancasterRed]

For commuter services, an easily cleanable plastic seat with some form of support is fine.

For longer distance services, a good leather would be fine and easy to clean but moquettes are imo comfier and more pleasant to look at. Either works really, and cleanliness is paramount.

 

[edwin_m]

Hard plastic bucket seats - no, no, no!

Some of my local buses now have leather-effect seats (doubt they are real leather), which seem to clean better than moquette, and are just as comfortable as moquette. Sitting on a soiled moquette seat can be quite off-putting, as you are never quite sure what has soiled it. But I doubt that the "leather" is any more virus unfriendly than moquette, as the "leather" is not perfectly smooth.

Nottingham City Transport went for similar leather effect a few years ago but they didn't seem to wear very well and they now have a flat cloth instead.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

No thank you; fabric is much more comfortable and is also not slippery.