Favorite Leather Conditioner ... and why?

Mindflux

Mindflux

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I've completely spaced the fact that I'll be needing to clean and condition the leather in my wifes new 2010 VW Jetta at some point. It's been nearly a decade since I owned a car with leather/pleather.

At any rate, I have some old Lexol Leather Cleaner and the separate Leather Conditioner, but I was never ga-ga over it.

I know leatherique is a popular one, but I think it's overkill if you have the original intention of cleaning/conditioning your leather with some regularity.

So here I am asking you what you like to use to CONDITION your leather? I have some Optimum Protectant Plus which works on leather, but nothing in the description on Optimum's site, or autogeek's site says it actually CONDITIONS the leather.


So please, share your thoughts. I have read the 4* Leather Condtioner gel is a popular item, it's out of stock on Autogeek's store even.. but that could be because it was nearly 50% off... or just because it's popular? I don't know.

Thanks :)
 
I have used pinnacle's stuff. They have 3 types. Cleaner, Conditioner and Cleaner/Conditioner. I used the cleaner/conditioner.

For me, the important factors are:

Price
Smell
Look
Ease of Use

Pinnacle's products are very well priced. They leave a subtle smell that is not overwhelming that fades quickly. Some leather cleaners I have used smell terrible and the wife complained for a month until the smell faded. It gave the seats a subtle shine that did not look greasy. It cleaned quite well. You could definitely see a difference. Some fine scratches in the leather that were concealed by grime were visible after I used it. It was very easy to use. Just wipe on and wipe off. It worked so well that I used it on my wife's handbags. One in particular is white and she took it to NYC on a trip and it came back grey and covered in smog. The Pinnacle cleaner/conditioner brought it right back to life.
 
Leatherique annually, and Einszett Leathercare monthly. Most automotive leather is coated anyhow and should be treated with products designed for this ... on uncoated leather I like Connollys Hide Food.
 
For my truck's leather seats I like to use Meguiar's Rich Aloe Leather Cleaner and Conditioner (two products). Easy on, easy off, and they leave the seats looking really nice, IMO. There's no lingering smell either.
 
I use Leather Master's VITAL once every 8 months to a year and LM's Protection cream once a month. It really doesn't have a smell so I'll use Opt PP every 2 weeks for a leather scent.
 
Optimum protectant plus is perfectly fine for coated(finished) leather if the coating is clean, IMO. It has slight cleaning ability.....
 
A4 1.8tqm said:
Pinnacle Leather Cleaner & Conditioner, I really like the smell and it leaves my leather nice and smooth with a matte finish.
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I used that one on my leather couch this past weekend. I use Prima Nourish more than any other leather conditioner. The Nourish has lasted the longest of the two leather conditioning products i have used (i have a sample of Wolfgang to try next). Of course i use a mild APC to clean the leather before i apply. When detailing leather in vehicles, i like to use the leather recommended brush attachment for the PC. The next time i use the Pinnacle, i'll do a detailed review, it's a great product, I recommend it for convenience and good durability.
 
I am glad you brought up nourish. It's on my short list of leather conditioners to try.
 
Leatherique on all the leather and Meguiar's M40 on all the vinyl, runner, and plastic.

Leatherique cleans and treats the leather and leaves it smooth and nicely conditioned. Meguiar's M40 works great giving everything with a nice soft glow and doesn't leave the surface sticky to the touch afterwards. M40 has a nice leather scent that will complement the scent Leatherique leaves behind.
 
Leatherique Pristine Clean for the win! I haven't tried many leather cleaners/protectants so my answer should be taken with a grain of salt, but it is a great product that leaves a great finish. Pristine clean has cleaning, conditioning, and UV protection abilities. It's also perfect for finished leather, which is what most leather is made of in modern cars. It leaves a matte shine and a fresh leather scent.

I have tried:
Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil
Meguiar's Gold Class cleaner/conditioner
Optimum Protectant Plus (also awesome)
Pinnacle conditioner
Lexol cleaners and conditioners
DP Total Interior Protectant

and a few more, but I can't remember.
 
kronos said:
Optimum Protectant Plus (also awesome)
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See, I have OPP, but nowhere in the products description does it say it CONDITIONS leather. It says it protects it, but that's not necessarily the same. Protection can just be UV inhibitors, where conditioning is a bit more then that... more or less 'feeding' the leather.
 
I like Four Star . It has Polycharger and a nice leather smell and isnt oily. OPP works well too.
 
Old Tiger said:
I like Four Star . It has Polycharger and a nice leather smell and isnt oily. OPP works well too.
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That's on my short list along with Prima Nourish. I wish AG wasn't out of it or I'd probably just have ordered it.
 
Mindflux said:
See, I have OPP, but nowhere in the products description does it say it CONDITIONS leather. It says it protects it, but that's not necessarily the same. Protection can just be UV inhibitors, where conditioning is a bit more then that... more or less 'feeding' the leather.
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This is where it gets tricky. The reason being that finished leather is protected by a vinyl or urethane coating. That means that conditioners will not really do any real conditioning to these leather surfaces. The best thing you can do is wipe them with a warm damp cloth and apply protectants, however, some have used products like leatherique's rejuvenetor oil (RO) with some success. I know that RO cleaned the seats on my car, but I didn't notice a softer feel to them nor did I notice any less wrinkles. So while it deep cleaned the seats, it didn't leave a noticeable difference to my untrained eye. The evidence I had of RO cleaning my seats was the many filthy MF towels I ended up with after applying RO and removing it.

That being said, if you believe Optimum's marketing, then OPP does indeed have some "conditioning" capabilities.
"Why do I need to use a protectant on the vinyl or leather surfaces?
These surfaces are treated to give them protection against scratching and from the elements and to make cleaning easier. Over time, these protectants are lost due to abrasion and exposure to the sun. Optimum Leather Protectant replenishes these oils as well as adding UV protectants to these surfaces."

So OPP feeds the leather "oils", thus preserving and extending the life of automotive leather.
 
kronos said:
This is where it gets tricky. The reason being that finished leather is protected by a vinyl or urethane coating. That means that conditioners will not really do any real conditioning to these leather surfaces.
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Yeah, but then again when clear coat first started coming on cars they said "NEVER WAX YOUR CAR AGAIN!".. look how that turned out.

Coated leather still needs conditioning.
 
kronos said:
This is where it gets tricky. The reason being that finished leather is protected by a vinyl or urethane coating. That means that conditioners will not really do any real conditioning to these leather surfaces. The best thing you can do is wipe them with a warm damp cloth and apply protectants
Click to expand...
What he said.
 
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