This is like one of those "why do people wear a watch?" threads. Ok, it's pretty obvious that taking care of leather seats DOES include "such things" as proofhide, and plastic bags, etc.. And if you have ever seen people post pics of crapped out leather seats, you know that they do crap out if abused and sat on w/ a large butt, leaving you a *very* uncomfortable ride. I think the original intent of the post was to ask for materials that have the compliance of leather, but doesn't require "such things." this should be a discussion about materials, not a defense of why you don't think such things represents such a big deal. The effort is greater than zero, and clearly to some folks that's enough of a deterrent to make them think alternatives would be nice.