Aftermarket seat selection: want suggestions and advice

[SirBrass]

I'm wanting to eventually go with aftermarket front seats for this car. Generally I love the stock BRZ Limited seats. They're comfortable, and some of the best bolstering I've found in a factory seat. But, my butt is in the driver's seat for at least an hour or two about 6 days a week and I do do occassional canyon carving.

So, here's what I'm looking for:

*Seat will mount as low as stock seat
*Reclinable
*Will fit factory belt
*More side bolstering than factory, but not racing-seat height thigh bolsters
*Mounting & cushions with better spinal support than factory
*Adjustable lumbar support
*Leather & suede options

I'm mainly looking at the Recaro sport seats, but I'm wanting to know if there are other options out there that fit the bill, or if another Recaro seat would be even better (I'd love to have the ergomeds, but I will NOT pay $3.5k per seat, sorry).

I'm planning to budget out at max $1k-$1.5k per seat.

I want a balance of being able to feel the road through the butt dyno, but at the same time, not feel like the cushion in the rear of the seat is wearing thin after several hours.

Part of the issue could be lack of lumbar support. Though the last Subaru I had which had lumbar support from the factory was my 05 Forester, whose seats (without bumpy road conditions) would cause me to be in physical agony after about 20 minutes driving, due to lower back pain, unless I had one thick lumbar pillow pushing up my tailbone (basically not acting like a lumbar support). My factory WRX cloth seats, though, were fantastic. Could drive for 3-4 hours and only need a minor stretch break.

The reason I'm wondering about seat selection is because except for a few minor things, the stock seats are great! So, I don't want to pay a ton for a "better" seat that is only marginally better, or maybe just on par with it, even if the seat is normally superior in most ways to most factory seats.

So, I want something that supports my back better, has a bit thicker cushions, and has some better thigh bolstering. But otherwise works just as well if not better than stock.

Inputs, suggestions, advise folks?

I did do a search (multiple searches) and generally came up with jack and squat.

[BRZranger]

You can do what I did. I took mine to an auto upholstery shop, they did the following : added memory foam lumbar support, shaved the foam off sides added memory foam and widened shoulders. The seat was tailored to my body. Fits great, but probably not as good as aftermarket.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[cdrazic93]

@SirBrass I am looking for literally the exact same thing. I would even be thinking about coming in low on budget and having them taken and custom foamed to your body, depending on how expensive that is.

Found some decent Sparco adjustable seats on FT86speedfactory if your interested.

http://ft86speedfactory.com/sparco-r...-gray-548.html

[s2d4]

recaro sportster CS

[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by s2d4

recaro sportster CS

Those look to be a little thin on the padding, as if they're just a reclinable racing seat.

This car is my only car and thus my DD as well as fun car.

[frslee]

Aftermarket seats are great for the price, but you'll be losing the side airbag though.
I was in the same boat, but after realizing there is less airbag around me, I skipped it. I'd too take it to upholstery shop and add memory foam.

[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by frslee

Aftermarket seats are great for the price, but you'll be losing the side airbag though.
I was in the same boat, but after realizing there is less airbag around me, I skipped it. I'd too take it to upholstery shop and add memory foam.

Considering I've driven for years with a car without seat airbags, but still had side curtain and front airbags, I'd be fine with losing them. Not entirely happy, but it wouldn't be that big of a deal for me (unless there was a significant reduction on my insurance due to that one feature alone... which I highly doubt).

And before those cars, I learned to drive as a teen in a car that had NO airbags, just rudimentary abs, and was on its last legs besides ('87 4spd AT 4cyl FWD Accord sedan... aka POS).

These seat airbags seem to me to be about as lasting a feature as automatic seatbelts.

[BRZranger]

I think side airbags in this car is important, as most cars front hoods are above driver head level, but I've considered the Recaro CS myself.

[Kanye]

I drive with brideo gias seats daily, very comfortable up to a few hours!
Edit:
*These will go as low, if not lower depending on combination of rail set up
*Reclinable
*Will fit factory belt
*Bolstering is a little high, but still appropriate for daily conditions
*Mounting & cushions with better spinal support than factory <-- (not sure)
*Lacks adjustable lumbad support :/
*Unsure of other options,

They go as low as 1300-1500 for the frp versions

[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by BRZranger

I think side airbags in this car is important, as most cars front hoods are above driver head level, but I've considered the Recaro CS myself.

They've got side airbags. The seat airbags are in addition already to the side curtain airbags.

These cars have, stock, 3 sets of airbags: front driver and passenger, side curtain for length of passenger compartment (mounted in A pillars), and seat airbags (think of them as kidney airbags), and iirc, they'll overlap with the side curtains, too. I still haven't figured out what they're there to protect that the side curtain airbags won't already do. Maybe additional t-bone cushioning?

[TylerLieberman]

Want about looking into some Evo X seats? They can be had for fairly cheap, still OEM seats-I believe they have side airbags.

Not sure about height or anything else but they're comfy. I know somebody on this forum has done the swap.