I needed more protection than the towel I usually put on the back seat, so I tried this for a 16-hour trip with my two Dalmatians. If you have Dalmatians, you know why white hair and black cloth seats made me nervous. Our vehicle is a Toyota Tundra, and I was happy with how the cover fit once I adjusted it. More importantly, both dogs had space to lie down for the drive.
Installation: I set it up before loading the car so I could take my time with the straps and check the fit. The clips were simple to use, and I liked being able to arrange the sides for getting the dogs in and out. We opened the side we were using at each stop, let them out, and put it back in place before leaving. After the first couple of stops, that became our routine.
The dogs: They each found a spot, turned around approximately one hundred times (as dogs do), and eventually went to sleep. I added their usual blanket because they like curling up together. One of mine is a 60-pound baby who always wants to know what’s happening up front, but even she had room to settle. We stopped regularly to give them water and a walk, and getting them back into the car was easy.
The back seat afterward: There was still some dog hair to deal with. I don’t think any product can make two shedding Dalmatians completely disappear! But most of the hair and paw marks were on the cover rather than spread over my black seats. When we reached our destination, cleanup took much less time than it normally would after a trip like this. That alone made me happy I brought it.
A couple of things I’d suggest for a long drive: install it before packing everything else so you can see the fit clearly, bring a familiar blanket if your dogs like one, and check the setup when you stop, just as you would with any gear in the car. We used our dogs’ usual travel restraints separately.
I bought this hoping for a roomier space for them and less cleaning for me. On a 16-hour trip with two very hairy passengers, it delivered both. We’ll be taking it on our next road trip too. :)