coverSMART | seat cover fabric
Vlakvark 360gsm Car Seat Fabric
Charcoal dyed polyester, specifically designed for car seats, with a durable water repellent finish. 360gsm, 1.8m wide, South African made and held in Midrand.
Cut by the metre with no minimum order, or take the full 50m roll. Nationwide delivery, and export Ex Works Midrand.
Cut metres and full rolls price differently. Send the number of metres you need and we will send pricing.
Which one do I need?
What is Vlakvark 360gsm?
A 360gsm woven dyed polyester with a durable water repellent finish, specifically designed for car seats. Made in South Africa. It comes in charcoal, 1.8m wide. It is the lighter of the two coverSMART seat fabrics: Renoster 500gsm is the heavy duty one.
Not sure which fabric suits your seats? Our guide to choosing car seat upholstery fabric in South Africa compares the options side by side.
The number is the weight of one square metre in grams. At 360gsm Vlakvark sits in the middle. Enough body to sit properly over foam and take daily use, light enough to sew and fit without fighting the machine. Heavier is not automatically better. A 500gsm fabric on a light passenger seat is money spent on wear that seat will never see.
Dyed polyester means the colour is in the yarn before the cloth is woven, not printed onto the surface afterwards. As the face fibres wear there is no lighter layer underneath waiting to show through.
DWR is a finish, not a coating. It resists moisture soaking in, so a spill sits on the surface long enough to be wiped instead of going straight down into the foam. Repellent is not waterproof. Wipe a spill rather than leave it standing.
1.8m is the full roll width, the same as Renoster. A pattern cut for one fits the other, so you can move between the two grades without redrawing anything.
One colour: charcoal. That is the whole Vlakvark range. If the job needs grey, that is Renoster 500gsm, at the same 1.8m width.
It is made here. The material is manufactured in South Africa and held in our Midrand warehouse, so there is no import lead time sitting between your order and your cutting table.
Not sure it is the right one? Tell us the vehicle and how hard the seats get used. If Renoster is the honest answer we will say so.
Vlakvark, Renoster or Ripstop?
Three fabrics, all 1.8m wide on a 50m roll, so a pattern cut for one fits the others. They are built for two different jobs.
Vlakvark and Renoster are designed for car seats and for high abrasion: the constant rub of getting in and out, day after day. Ripstop is designed to stop a tear spreading. Its weave carries a reinforcing grid, so a snag stops at the next thread instead of running the length of the panel. Different problem, different cloth.
| Vlakvark 360gsm | Renoster 500gsm | Ripstop Classic 500gsm | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose it when | A standard car, bakkie or light commercial seat. Everyday use, and the lightest of the three to sew and fit. | A taxi or fleet seat worked hard every day, or a job that needs grey. | The fabric will be snagged and must not tear. Covers, canopies, tents and gear, not seats. |
| Designed for | Car seats, high abrasion | Car seats, high abrasion | Stopping tears spreading |
| Weight | 360gsm | 500gsm | 500gsm |
| Construction | Dyed polyester, woven | Spun polyester | Ripstop canvas, reinforcing grid in the weave |
| Finish | DWR | DWR | DWR on request, code R500-1.8-DWR |
| Colours | Charcoal | Black or charcoal, and grey | Full colour range |
| Width | 1.8m | 1.8m | 1.8m |
| Full roll | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Origin | South African made | South African made | South African made |
All three are cut by the metre with no minimum order and held in Midrand. On a phone this table stacks into three cards, so there is nothing to swipe sideways.
What people make from it
Vlakvark is a seat fabric. This is the work it gets bought for.
Working on something not on this list? Send a photo on WhatsApp and we will tell you straight whether Vlakvark suits it.
Also worth a look
These work well alongside Vlakvark.
Renoster 500gsm
The heavy duty seat fabric, in black or charcoal and in grey, for taxi and fleet interiors.View product →
Kiaat upholstery leather
Full aniline hide for trim panels, bolsters and inserts.View product →
Ripstop canvas
The tear-stopping one. A grid in the weave stops a snag running. 300, 400 and 500gsm, 1.8m wide.View product →
How to order
Four steps. Phone, WhatsApp or email Smart Ikhaya, whichever suits you.
Work out your metres
Vlakvark comes 1.8m wide. Tell us how many linear metres you need, or how many seats you are covering, and we will help you work it out.
Get your quote
Phone, WhatsApp or email Smart Ikhaya with it. You get pricing, stock confirmation and delivery cost back the same day.
Delivery or collection
Local courier available. Exports: you arrange collection from our Midrand warehouse (Ex Works).
Payment
We reserve the stock for you from the moment we quote, and release it as soon as your EFT clears.
Sewing it? Sew it with Serafil M20 thread: UV-stabilised, heavy duty polyester on 3,000m cones, in black, white, grey and orange.
Vlakvark FAQ
What is Vlakvark fabric?
A 360gsm woven dyed polyester with a durable water repellent finish, specifically designed for car seats and made in South Africa. It comes in charcoal, 1.8m wide. It is the lighter of the two coverSMART seat fabrics. Renoster 500gsm is the heavy duty one.
What colour does Vlakvark come in?
Charcoal. It is a single colour range. If you need grey as well, Renoster 500gsm comes in grey at the same 1.8m width.
How wide is it?
1.8m, the same width as Renoster 500gsm. A pattern cut for one fits the other.
How long is a full roll?
50m. You can also buy cut lengths off the roll from one linear metre.
What is the minimum order?
There is none. We cut by the linear metre off the roll, so one metre means one metre of length at the full 1.8m width. No account needed.
Is Vlakvark waterproof?
No. It carries a DWR finish, which resists moisture soaking in. A spill sits on the surface long enough to be wiped off rather than going straight into the foam. Repellent is not waterproof: liquid left standing will work through. If you need genuinely waterproof you are looking at a coated fabric, not a seat fabric.
Is Vlakvark suitable for taxi seat covers?
It will do the job, but Renoster 500gsm is the better buy for a taxi. Taxi seats are used harder and more often than a private car, and the heavier fabric lasts longer where that matters. Vlakvark is the right choice for standard passenger and light commercial seats.
Is it locally made?
Yes. The material is manufactured in South Africa and we hold it in Midrand.
Why do you not show prices?
Price moves with quantity, and a cut metre does not price the same as a full roll. Send the number of metres and your delivery town and we will send pricing, the same day.
Ready to order
Get pricing on Vlakvark 360gsm
Charcoal, 1.8m wide, cut by the metre with no minimum order or the full 50m roll. Held in Midrand and delivered anywhere in South Africa.
To quote you, send
- Number of linear metres, or how many seats
- Cut lengths or a full roll
- Delivery town, or collection from Midrand
Prefer email? lizl@smartikhaya.co.za