Alcantara vs. Perforated Leather vs. Smooth Leather Steering Wheel Grips

Your hands touch the grips every time you drive, so the grip material matters as much as the carbon. Monaco wheels come in three grip materials: perforated leather, smooth leather and Alcantara. Here is how they compare on feel, looks and care.

Perforated leather

Perforated leather has small holes punched through the surface. It is the default grip on our builder and one of the most popular choices in our gallery.

• Feel: firm and grippy, and the perforations help with sweaty hands on hot days.
• Looks: sporty and factory-like; many performance trims use it from the factory.
• Care: wipe with a slightly damp microfiber cloth. It is the easiest grip to live with day to day.

Smooth leather

Smooth leather has no perforations, so it has a sleek, premium look and a slightly softer feel.

• Feel: soft and comfortable for long drives.
• Looks: clean and luxurious, especially in white, tan or other light colors.
• Care: very easy to clean; a quality leather wipe now and then keeps it supple.

Alcantara (suede)

Alcantara is a suede-like microfiber used in motorsport and in many high-end performance cars. Suede and Alcantara grips are a favorite in our gallery, especially on BMW M and Mustang builds.

• Feel: the most grip of the three, especially with driving gloves or on track.
• Looks: matte, motorsport-inspired, and pairs perfectly with matte carbon.
• Care: it needs the most attention. Oils from your hands can mat it down over time. Brush it gently and spot-clean with a dry or slightly damp microfiber cloth; never soak it. See our care guide for details.

Colors and stitching

All three materials come in a range of colors, from black and gray to red, blue, purple, pink and white, and you can pick a stitching color to match or contrast. Stitching runs along the inner edge of the grips, and you can add a 12 o'clock stripe at the top of the rim (on wheels without an LED display).

Which grip is right for you?

• Daily driver, minimal upkeep: perforated leather.
• Luxury look and feel: smooth leather.
• Track days or the full motorsport look: Alcantara.

You can try each one on your wheel shape in the builder and watch the price update live, or browse real builds for your car, like the BMW M3 and M4, C7 Corvette or Infiniti Q50.