Hard, just tighten. You have to sit for several days, and then it dissolves into the seat just beautifully. All you'll notice is a small "Goodyear" tag. I think it was intended for small bucket seats with leatherette (or leather) upholstery, such as the seats on the base model VW S. The neoprene sticks slightly to the slick seats after a few days and barely moves. I don't know, but I suspect it doesn't hold up that well on cloth seats.