Racing seat dimensions encompass a wide array of features and measurements unique to each driver. Comfort and safety are the highest priorities, although this will vary from user to user based on height, weight, size, and posture. There are many types of seats, including reclining, power, and heated seats, but for the sake of this article, we will focus on fixed-back bucket seats intended for racing purposes.
Appearance may have a heavy hand in determining your seat choice, but it is far from the final word. Keep in mind that this seat must actually fit your vehicle. For example, some larger HANS-equipped Recaro models may be an excellent choice for a large BMW M5 sedan, but the same seat may not physically fit in a smaller vehicle such as a Mazda Miata. Oppositely, that same seat may not be ideal (or legal) for a vehicle known to frequent the street.
Here are some questions to keep in mind:
– Will I want to retain seat sliding abilities or will I bolt the seat directly to the base in a definite seating position?
– What brackets, base, or side mounts will my car require? How will this differ from seat to seat, car to car, etc.?
– If I plan to use a helmet and exterior HANS device, how will this affect the comfort of the seat and position?
– What safety belt set-up will I use and what will work best for what scenario? I.e 6-point harness, snap-in, etc.?
– If weight and material is a critical factor, what will work best for what I plan to do with this car? I.e carbon fiber, composite, aluminum back braces, etc.?
It is important to thoroughly review plenty of models available to you or your vehicle choice. Apart from how the seat will be used, it is highly important to recognize how the seat fits you. For this, there are a couple of base measurements you can use to guesstimate what may work best for you.
Measurements:
– Eye Port: Make sure the neck and head are straight forward. Measure the distance from the point where the shoulder and neck meet the eye’s center.
– Shoulder Height: Sit on a hard surface and hold up your arms as if you were holding the steering wheel. Set the tape measure’s end on the floor. Take the measurement from the point where the shoulders and neck meet.
– Shoulder Width: Sit with your hands outstretched like you are holding the steering wheel. Measure the outer portion of one shoulder to the outer part of your other shoulder.
– Waist Width: Measure from outside to outside through the belly button area.
– Hip Width: Get the measurement at the widest section under the belt line.
– Leg Width: Measure the width of the legs 8 inches apart. While apart, measure at the outer knee area of one knee to the other.
Please note that no matter how many measurements you take, there is no substitute for actually sitting in a variety of seats in order to know what will work best. If you live in, near, or plan to make a trip to the tri-state area, please feel free to stop by our sister store Stable Eneries (right next door to Europerf!) to sit in more than 20 available seats in our showroom. With brands like Recaro, OMP, Kirkey, and more, you can jump (literally) from brand to brand and model to model to find your dream seat. We invite you to set up a free appointment with us to test seats, just give us a call at (973) 773-3177 or (973) 773-4870 and mention this blog post for additional discount savings!