Car Seats
The Car Seat; a wonder of modern engineering and the cause of much pain!
Imagine you are an automotive engineer; you have to design a seat that will be as comfortable for a very
large man at 19 stone, equally comfortable for a strapping teenager at 12 stone or a young woman at 9
stone; all of different heights, shapes and postures. So designing a seat that will happily cosset each of these physically and physiologically diverse individuals, not just as they settle in and get comfortable — but for the entirety of a four-hour drive, it’s a huge ask.
How many times have you struggled to get out of a car after a long trip and experienced pain in your legs, back, or buttocks? Have you ever wondered why? The car seat plays a major role in keeping passengers comfortable and safe. Its purpose is to provide support, comfort, and safety while meeting the expectations of the public, the manufacturer and the government.
Regulations dictate seat design only minimally, the most important requirements concerning head headrests. In the end, manufacturers mainly ensure the seat design helps the car pass the government’s crash-safety standards. At the same time, seats must secure large and tiny drivers and allow them to see clearly over the steering wheel and reach the accelerator clutch and brake pedals.
Hidden beneath layers of cushion fabric and foam padding are some very complex mechanisms. Gears, levers, cams, ratchets and other parts often must operate with the precision of a watch while being able to lock into place instantly for crash protection.
Add into this mix the fact that car seats, obviously the most direct contact between people and machine, help create an overall feel for the vehicle and important perception of brand value. Even as perspective buyers sit in a car on the showroom floor, seating systems give a first and lasting impression – and they often are a factor in the purchase decision.
So, car makers go all out to incorporate a range of seating functions made to impress including an array
of convenient seat adjustments and controls for back, shoulders, seat height, cushion angles, back tilt and body contour as well as retractable, adjustable and foldable rear seats.
So is there the ‘best car manufacturer’ for their seats…. No unfortunately! My advice is try them out, go
for a long test drive, find a seat that is supportive for your shape, height and weight. The more seat
adjustment available the more options to adapt the position to suit you, although this can be a poor substitute for a properly designed basic seat. Also consider the whole cockpit, for instance are you offset to the pedals, can you see the dash without crunching up, is the clutch or steering heavy, should you be driving a manual or try an automatic shift. You can buy back supports specifically to remedy car seat issues but most of these are very poor and there is only one type and manufacturer that I personally recommend, after many years of personal experimentation.
The main thing in all this is break up your long journey into maximum one hour ‘ driving blocks’ and have ‘get out of the car and walk about breaks’ in between the hour blocks. Be aware how you get in and out of the seats, don’t try to lift the entire weeks shopping out in one go, be cautious lifting luggage, dogs in the boot and be very careful when inserting/ lifting children in and out of the car.