How To Treat And Protect Vinyl Seats On Your Boat

Q: Can I use Armorall on my vinyl seats?

A: Technically, yes, but there is a better product out there. Try 303 Aerospace Protectant. It sounds like something you might use to keep your rocketship shiny, but it’s actually intended for boats. It offers the same kind of UV protection as a product like Armorall, but it packs a bit more of a punch because I find that it lasts longer. It can be used on vinyl seats, the rubber pontoons of your tender, plastics and plastic windows, leather and the “dashboard” area of your helm station. My truck has a black Tonneau cover, which I spray with 303 once a year, and it is still a nice deep black with no fading.
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On the bottle of 303 Aerospace Protectant, it says it can also be used on colored gel coat fiberglass. It may help protect your gel coat from harmful UV rays, but wax serves the same purpose and is a better choice than the 303, which is streaky and won’t cut through oxidation. Let’s say your boat hull is blue and has faded badly. If you spray the 303 on it, for about 30 seconds, it will look deep blue and brand new again, but as soon as the product dries, it will start to fade again. In this case, it’s best to use compound to remove the oxidation and then apply wax to protect from UV rays.