After a hard ride, hike, paddle or whatnot, nobody wants to cover their car seat with sweat, dirt or sand. Scuvvers keep them from doing so, by simply flipping forward and folding down from the headrest.
So first of all, yes, you can just use semi-permanent seat covers.
They do retain sweat and soil, however, plus they can be hard to keep taut and in place. Additionally, if your car has nice-looking upholstery, covers keep it from being seen and appreciated. Throwing a towel over the seat is a popular alternative, but towels tend to slip down, plus sweat soaks right through them.
With these limitations in mind, Australian outdoors enthusiasts Steve and Joan Prasser created Scuvvers.
Putting it simply, they're waterproof seat covers that sit folded up in a compact package behind the headrest when not in use, then just get flipped over and folded down as needed. They can also be quickly removed for cleaning via either a hose or a washing machine.
Each cover is made of 600-denier recycled polyester, with a grippy silicone backing to help it stay centered on the seat. Other features include microsuede patches in the area where you rest your head, velcro corner patches to keep the cover folded when not needed, plus a loop for hanging the cover to dry after washing.
According to the Prassers, Scuvvers are compatible with cars of all makes and models, as long as their seats have a separate headrest. A child-seat-covering version is also available, which is compatible with the widely used ISOFIX child seat attachment system.
Should you be interested, Scuvvers are currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. Pledges start at AU$82 (about US$55) for a single cover – that's 15% off the planned retail price.
They're demonstrated in the video below.
Source: Kickstarter