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Each have their pros and cons. It’s up to you on what is most important. My experience as I have owned both materials for between 50k - 100k miles on various BMWs.
Leather Pros:
1. Smell of real leather
2. Additional stitching
3. Adjustable side bolsters included
4. Breathes decent without perforations
Leather Cons:
1. Fairly firm when new, but does soften over time
2. Wears faster, especially on the bolsters if you do not pay attention when getting in and out. I started seeing a little wear close to 50k miles on black leather on our 3 series.
3. Requires more maintenance to keep looking new. I am very particular and wear signs drive me nuts.
SensaTec (newer) Pros:
1. Softer and feels more cushioned.
2. Minimal maintenance required. Just wipe off any messes or stains.
3. Looked basically brand new after 100k miles on our X3 even with Canberra Beige.
4. Perforations help it breathe and make it workable in hot weather. We had an X3 with the old SensaTec and it really made you sweat.
SensaTec Cons:
1. No side bolsters. I still surprised and disappointed that BMW eliminated these as an option during COVID.
2. The perforations can collect little granules of just about anything and it is difficult to get them out once pressed into perforations.
For me, leather is preferred. I like the texture, side bolsters, smell and stitching. For my wife, SensaTec is best without a doubt. She isn’t as particular about the details (stitching), eats in the car, lets kids eat in the car and prefers a softer seat. She could care less about side bolsters. I am constantly cleaning her seats to keep them looking new, which is very easy with SensaTec, even with the lighter colors. Oyster leather is a tough choice because once dyes and stains penetrate the leather it is very difficult to remove. I recommend darker colors if you go with leather for this reason.
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