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Regardless of the type of boat that you have, you should not discount the importance of the right materials for your boat seats, as this can be of prime importance not only for the comfort of your fellow passengers, but also for the performance of the vessel and ultimately for the safety of everyone on board.To make sure that the seats in your boat are of the right type for your purpose, as well as to allow for their best upkeep, which will maintain your boat's value over time, it's important to know about the skin and bones of the seats - the upholstery and the materials.Damaged boat seat materials, such as bent frames or ripped fabrics, not only decrease the appeal of the vessel but also lower its value. Especially if you are thinking of selling the boat, often a little seat repair and refurbishment will pay itself many times over.Regarding the boat seat materials most commonly employed in the frame of seating, stainless steel or pressure-treated wood are the most common ones, with fiberglass being a close third. Luxury boat seats on the other hand are often built entirely in prestigious teak wood.Fiberglass and steel are very common materials. When buying steel-based seats, you need to make sure that it's stainless to avoid rust and resulting ugly stains. Marine plywood is used for less expensive seating - make sure that the material has been pressure treated if you buy this kind of seat.Boat seat upholstery is not always present on all kinds of marine seating. Some benches are simply constructed, with hard wooden or fiberglass backrests and sitting areas, often padded but more often still unpadded.Hard seating that isn't padded is often fitted with cushions. Whether the boat seats you are after are fitted with cushions or non-removable upholstery, please note that the available range of fabrics and colors is usually much bigger for indoors seats than for on-deck seats.Outdoor use of boat seat materials requires that the fabrics are able to resist UV light as well as saltwater. Marine grade vinyl is the most common outside material for boat seats, but there are other viable alternatives.Alternatives to marine grade vinyl include nylon, weatherproofed leather, and other high-grade fabrics. These are usually more expensive, but also more luxurious, nicer to look at and more comfortable.Boat seat materials need to be hard wearing and sturdy. Most custom boat seat manufacturers will be more than happy to help a client to find the best material for his and his boats' needs.More cool stuff onmarine seating is available at BestBoatSeats.com - click a link and you will be in the right place to start for all boat seat queries.