Custom PRP Seat Covers – Material Options & Stitching Explained

When it comes to protecting your factory seats, PRP is hands-down the biggest player in the game. These aren’t just your run-of-the-mill seat covers, pre-packaged with certain colors. Sure, PRP offers that, but PRP is the only company that offers true customization for every aspect of the seat cover. PRP is known for its high-end build quality for both seat covers and seat replacements.

If you’re thinking about new seat covers for your 4Runner, PRP is a great option. Whether you’re looking to cover some stained fabric SR5 seats or are just looking to protect your SofTex “pleather” seats, PRP allows for unlimited customization with literally 1000s of color/style/pattern combinations. Their online seat builder lets you customize everything: PRP Logo, stitching color, center stitching pattern, seat back, seat arms, center seat, and the bands. Literally every element of the seat… a custom one off.

Here’s a full breakdown of how the builder works, what materials and finishes you can choose from, and a few things we learned from building our most recent set. I’ve run PRP in three different 5th Gen 4Runners now. One of my favorite interior mods for sure.

Find It Online: 

• Configure Your Seats: Check Prices & Design Your Seats

For seat cover design inspiration, I highly recommend checking out their Facebook Page and their Instagram Page. Plenty of options that will inspire your design.

Also, reference the Fabric and Color Selection Guide to understand the materials a little better.

Using The PRP Seat Builder

Once you select your year, make, and model, PRP walks you through a full menu of customization options. The live seat preview gives you a solid idea of how your combo will come together before pulling the trigger.

Areas To Customize:

• PRP Logo
• Stitching
• Back
• Arms
• Center
• Bands

Material Options For Each Area:

• Cordura
• Vinyl
• Plaid
• Suede
• Tweed

Stitching Options For the Center:

• Small Diamond
• Regular Diamond
• Double Diamond
• Hexagon
• Italia
• Elegant

Which Seat Material Should You Choose?

Tweed and Carbon Fiber Black Vinyl

There are a handful of material options to choose from. Let’s take a look at each material and break down why you would go with one specific option. Whether you’re daily driving, hitting trails on the weekend, or have a dedicated trail rig, there’s usually a setup and material type that fits your use case best. For example, if you have a dedicated trail rig, you don’t want colors that are too light and stay away from the suede as it will get dirty extremely fast.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each material and why it might (or might not) be right for your rig:

Vinyl

Black on Gray Vinyl in 5th Gen 4Runner

Vinyl is the most popular choice for everyone, and for good reason. It’s super easy to wipe down, resists water, UV, mud, and basically anything else you days throw at it. If your rig sees regular dirt, spilled drinks, or unexpected weather, this is a killer option. PRP offers multiple vinyl styles, including Gripper (for added traction), Carbon Fiber (sleek texture), and Dune (smooth, softer look).

• Best for: Trail rigs, overlanders, daily drivers in hot or wet climates
• Skip if: You’re chasing plush comfort over durability

Cordura

Woodland Camo Cordura

Cordura is a tough, abrasion-resistant fabric originally designed for military gear and outdoor use. It breathes better than vinyl, making it great for hot days and long hauls. It also doesn’t get as slick as vinyl when wet. The tradeoff is that it can hold onto dirt and debris longer and doesn’t clean up as easily. If you’re an EDC guy with lots of gear hanging from your hip, and your seats are prone to rips, Cordura is a great option.

• Best for: Weekend warriors, adventure builds, rigs that do long miles between stops, and guys who are hard on their seats
• Skip if: You want easy wipe-down maintenance after every trip

Suede

Light Grey Suede on Black Suede

Microsuede adds a soft, high-end feel to the seat. It’s more about comfort, and less about utility. It’s not the best at resisting dirt or cleaning up easily, so it’s usually used just for center inserts or bolsters. You’ll see it more on daily-driven builds or trucks that spend time at meets or shows. I actually opted for suede on my last set of seats and after a day on the trail, they were really dirty. Anything like sap or sticky materials is a PITA to clean up. But if you’re on the road only and don’t go off-road much, this material is absolutely stunning. Love the look and feel, hate the cleaning.

• Best for: Daily drivers, mall crawlers, builds where style and comfort come first
• Skip if: You run your seats through sand, mud, or spilled gear oil

Plaid

Tan Plaid with Dark Grey Suede and Silver Carbon Fiber Vinyl

The classic throwback look. Plaid is all about style and is offered in different color combos to match your theme. It has a textured fabric feel, usually paired with vinyl bolsters for structure and durability. It’s not the most rugged material (although still very durable), but if you’re building a retro-themed 4×4 or just want something different, plaid hits the mark.

• Best for: Vintage-inspired overland builds, 1st/2nd/3rd Gen Toyota throwbacks, show rigs
• Skip if: You don’t want anything too retro or bold.

Tweed

Tweed With Yellow Stitching

Tweed leans even more into that classic 70s/80s/90s vibe – think 80 series Land Cruiser or a vintage Bronco. It’s got a rougher texture than plaid and a very specific aesthetic. Like plaid, it’s mostly for builds where style and era-correct details matter more than trail toughness. I’ve never run the tweed but after browsing the PRP Facebook photos and searching “Tweed,” I wouldn’t be opposed to it.

• Best for: Retro 4Runner, Land Cruiser, or mini-truck restorations
• Skip if: You need a seat that has more comfort than durability in mind.

Okay, now let’s get to my most recent spec for the underground 4Runner. Since it’s an underground color with machined RAW accents, I wanted it to have a dark grey base with white accents.

Custom Stitching Patterns Explained

Once you’ve picked your materials and colors, the next step is choosing a stitch pattern. Here’s a fast breakdown of each one.

Diamond

A classic, versatile pattern that gives a clean, upscale look without going over the top. This is the pattern I went with on my most recent PRP seat cover spec. Timeless classic for sure. You can’t go wrong with a diamond pattern.

Double Diamond

Adds extra visual depth and texture to the seats. Perfect if you’re going for a more aggressive or luxury-style spec.

Hexagon

Hex stitching looks killer on high-performance builds or sportier interiors. Looks especially high-end on this Whisky spec. Amazing color and pattern together.

Italia

Inspired by exotic sports cars, Italia stitching brings a sharp, racing-inspired feel to your setup. Not my cup of tea but I’m sure it will look good on someone’s build. It does match the interior lines on the new gen Toyotas really well.

Elegant

Smooth and subtle diamond pattern that gets stretched out from the bottom to the top of both the seat back and seat bottom. Elegant is the least aggressive pattern, ideal for minimal, refined builds.

Final Thoughts

Chocolate Brown Suede on Black Vinyl

Building your own PRP seats is one of the easiest ways to upgrade your 4Runner’s interior and make it feel truly yours. Whether you’re driving a dedicated trail rig, daily driver, or just want something that doesn’t look like every other 4Runner out there, PRP delivers. They’ve been the go-to in the off-road seat game for years, and their fit and finish continue to set the bar.