Have a Seat | Hainan Car Seat Cover Co.,Ltd

It is freely admitted a bit of help was enlisted for this post. After all, your author does not generally purchase items for his daily driver that intentionally make it less comfortable, except for the U-Cheap-OutTM suspension kit he once purchased (best to gloss over that one).

Plunking a set of racing seats in your whip isn't something to be done on a whim, given their price and propensity for long-term discomfort. Most of these things will squeeze your torso like a naughty co-ed, so perhaps one can make the argument these seats are a good incentive to stay in shape – or at least get into one.

As always, sound off in the comments if you feel we missed the mark on these racing seats.

We’ll kick things off with this affordably-minded seat that seems to be purchased by customers for use in either a real car or a sim rig. The sliders apparently make this thing a good choice for deploying it as the latter. Relative to the remark above about being in shape, this seat can be purchased in Medium or Large sizes.

As for hucking it in an actual, y’know, vehicle, reviews state there are multiple holes in the brackets for easy mounting and that the mounts themselves are adjustable for height. Emphasis is put on making sure the frame on which it is mounted is square, so go ahead and break out that t-square you bought when you built the deck.

Alert shoppers will notice the vast majority of seats (and their coverings) on sale these days are advertised as PVC or PU leather. This means the material is of the man-made variety and not that of peeled cows. In other words, shop carefully and don't pay a premium if it's the fake stuff.

That doesn't mean fake leather is undesirable. It often has better wear properties and is easier to care for than the real thing. This set shows up as a pair, one each for driver and passenger, and naturally, supplant any side-impact airbags and the like that were in your OEM seats. Most customers accepting of the need to use special brackets to install these seats in their road cars, a trait that also explains why there are no instructions included in the kit.

Weighing in at 28 pounds, this seat is but a fraction of the mass displaced by the Barcaloungers in your author's 2018 Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker. Procar Sportsman racing seats are advertised as a good way to add race styling to your street car or weekend racer without sacrificing comfort.

They are built with high-density, injection-molded foam cushions and all-steel frames that are TIG-welded. Procar Sportsman seats feature generous lateral support and a one-touch recliner release, the latter of which is a rarity. They come fully assembled and include sliders but note they are only compatible with Procar seat brackets.

Occupying the other end of the spectrum is this seat, one which has a tubular steel frame and is covered in durable fabric. It is advertised as being FIA compliant, which we assume refers to the world racing sanctioning body and not Fred's Internet Automobiles or something.

The shape is said to mimic the sizing of popular fiberglass seats and allows for mounting via its side or bottom. Anyone who's worked in tight quarters trying to install a new seat in a car that was never designed to accept a racing seat will tell you this massively helps installation.

Talking about racing seats without mentioning Sparco would be like talking about brakes without mentioning Brembo or terrible racing movies without mentioning Driven. Compatible with a 3- or 4-point harness, this seat falls squarely in the middle of casual and extreme chairs.

Hilariously, the ad says this unit has low bolstering for wide "applications" which is presumably code for those of us who enjoy a midnight snack at the Sonic Drive-In. Its tubular steel frame permits a bottom mount capability and it is available with black, blue, or red trim.

These sport race seats are said to be ideal for those who want to improve the looks, comfort, and stability of their seats without putting practicality squarely in the bin. They feature a strong yet lightweight tubular frame and comfy foam to keep your butt from falling asleep on a long drive to the track.

The race seat front is made of high-quality PVC Leather material (read: fake leather) which should be durable and easy to clean. This pair of bucket seats are equipped with backrests that have a single adjustor and double slider, which allows a person to adjust the angle of the backrest by 180-degree rotation. Turns out Ford isn't the only one with Max Recline seats.

We're revisiting a brand name mentioned earlier on this list, though the style of seat is vastly different this time around. It's here we'll mention how important images are to product ads, since this company's inscrutable naming convention is simply a mix of letters and numbers.

This seat is said to offer a protective halo-style design but with a slimmer upper profile for installation in smaller spaces. Built on a lightweight gel-coated fiberglass shell, the HTE-R line of seats are apparently common World Touring Car Championship series thanks to being upholstered in a highly breathable Airtex material for comfort in hot conditions.

We'll wrap this list with another seat from Sparco, one which surely would have been mentioned earlier if not for its ad's lack of detail and reviews. Bordering on a four-figure price, this Sparco seat is the larger of the two chairs from their Circuit range, denoted by the "II". We guess "XL" was not an appropriate pair of letters to embroider on the headrest.

The seat is sold on its own with no brackets, so we hope you're on good terms with a metal fabrication shop or are comfortable sticking pieces of metal together with a welder. It also says they are FIA certified (your local autocross in the Safeway lot still isn't, however).

FAQs

Are racing seats comfortable for daily driving?

A short and quick answer would be, yes, racing seats are comfortable and can be used for almost all driving conditions, be it in a city, off-roading, or, obviously, for racing purposes. To elaborate, racing seats are designed to be securer and give you a convenient posture while you are on road.

Many professionals even relate these to the gamers’ chairs that are manufactured keeping the players’ comforts in mind, but with a few additions to include some sophisticated and safety features in them.

Although your daily-use car may look a bit showy after installing racing seats, if you are among those who don't care, these would give you the best driving experience, as long as you don't have any back problems.

Does NRG make good seats?

The fact is, NRG is a brand and it makes some of the best racing seats that are available in the market. However, before installing, you must make sure that your body type can easily fit in them.

Because racing seats mainly focus on the drivers’ safety by keeping their posture correct, people with heavy bodies or those who are quite slim may find them uncomfortable, regardless of the brand they choose whatsoever.

The good thing is, NRG divides its seat types into multiple categories namely Prisma, Fiber Glass, and FIA, and you can choose a segment, seats of which best suit your body type and driving habits.

Are Sparco seats good?

Yes, they are. This is because the company makes them in various designs and models that come in varying prices that can range from $8,000 to merely a few hundred. However, many people get disappointed after knowing the fact that these seats are not heated, and therefore they may make the drivers uncomfortable while driving during extreme weather conditions.

With that said, if your region of residence has a neutral or acceptable climate, you can safely pick Sparco seats from any of the available categories and models to enjoy a safe and enjoyable drive.

Are NRG Prisma seats good?

Just in case, Prisma is one of the categories of the seats that NRG manufactures. To answer your question, yes, NRG Prisma seats are good as long as you buy them according to your size. Because racing seats offer more safety than comfort, if the size doesn't fit, your entire drive might get unpleasant and you may end up having back pain or other health issues.

The best approach would be to get to any of the nearest dealers, and check and try the NRG Prisma seats in person before investing. By doing so, you will not only get a perfect racing seat according to your needs but you will also be saved from the hassle of getting it replaced if something goes wrong.

What are racing seats called?

Car racing seats fall under different categories depending on their shape, purpose, and features. Listed below are some of the common seat types that a majority of people prefer to install in their vehicles:

Reclining/Adjustable

These racing seats can be adjusted according to the drivers’ and passengers’ comfort to make sure their journey is convenient.

FIA

These types of seats are built to meet FIA standards and have been approved by them as well. FIA seats are the best if you are a racing enthusiast or a professional racer.

Bucket

These seats help the drivers remain in place while driving and offer comfort and support to their shoulders, neck, head, and lumbar.

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(Editor's note: This post is meant to both help you be an informed shopper for automotive products but also to pay for our [s]‘90s sedan shopping habits[/s] operating expenses. Some of you don't find these posts fun, but they help pay for Junkyard Finds, Rare Rides, Rental Reviews, and whatever else. Thanks for reading.)

[Main Photo Credit: BigTunaOnline/Shutterstock.com. Product images provided by the manufacturer.]

Firstly, if there's no factory provided, and properly located, slot for the crotch straps (yes, plural) then it's not a racing seat — just a street/sport seat. That would apparently eliminate half the offerings here.And no mention of Recaro, huh?

Sparco is the only brand I recognize in this list. No Recaro, Bride, or Corbeau seats make the cut? I've got Recaros in my Supra. If I were to upgrade beyond those, I'd probably get some ultra-lightweight Bride recliners. Brides are great because they usually have seatrail compatibility with Recaros.