Seat discomfort

[Davethadog]

Does anyone else find these seats particularly uncomfortable?

I can not sit up straight because of the unadjustable headrests. Even if I try to sit up right there’s a pretty substantial gap between my shoulders and upper back with the seat. I can try to adjust the lumbar support but all that does is add a pressure point to my force hunched posture.

I can understand how these seats might be okay in a sports car with your feet out front but this is a truck and that’s not really how the pedals are set up. Is anyone else having similar issues? I’m really considering trading this for a lightning.

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[COdogman]

I've only been in the seats for my test drive but I found them to be pretty comfortable. But I'm used to driving a Tacoma, known for having some of the most uncomfortable seats ever made.

 

[astonius]

I concur. The materials and cushion comfort are fine, but the position/design are an issue. The headrest particularly is problematic for shorter folks like myself and my wife. The back of my head lands right on the bottom seam of the headrest. I don't know why they made it fixed, especially when it is a separate and distinct element of the seat. My C6 Corvette had a fixed headrest, but it was at least molded into the backrest with no transition.

 

[endress14]

I find them comfortable and didn't realize people actually rest their heads against the head restraint while driving, as it's primarily a safety feature. Turns out, according to wiki, that 16% of people don't really have a choice!

Why do so many people find headrests uncomfortable[edit]
Headrests are uncomfortable when they push the head forward. In such case there is effectively no gap behind the head and the headrest, or more technically, there's a 'negative' backset (or gap) as the headrest interferes with their natural neutral posture. Data shows that 16% of the population will experience headrest discomfort because of this issue.[7] The rest of the population experiences no discomfort because there is no contact with the headrest, i.e. there is a gap between the head and headrest.

Why are headrests designed this way? Simply because the regulated specs for headrests are set for the 'average' body posture. When the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revised the standard which governs head restraints for all new cars manufactured after 2008,[8][7] it established for the first time a requirement for the fore-aft position, or "backset". The backset requirements was set at a 55mm (2.1 in) gap behind the head of the "average" body posture. By definition, not everyone has the 'average' posture. The specs will therefore cause issues for this 16% subset of the population.[7]

 

[EVTrucking]

I find the R1T seats to be very comfortable but then again I am only 5’5” tall.

 

[RBR1S]

Does anyone else find these seats particularly uncomfortable?

I'll tell you as soon as I get to sit in mine or any Rivian.

That being said, being a bigger guy, seat width is important, especially the side support risers for both seat and torso. My JGC has long worn them down a bit, but when it was new, it felt odd and I had to adjust it a 100 times until I found just the right way to sit. And 124k miles later as the only driver of it, I can now sit in it and drive for 6-8 hours with no issues.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

I find myself becoming increasingly unhappy with the seats in my R1T. I came from a vehicle with exceptional seats, and the R1T is much more "it's just a seat". Not comfortable beyond a few minutes.

 

[RBR1S]

I find the R1T seats to be very comfortable but then again I am only 5’5” tall.

Rivian offers booster seats? *kidding of course*. Is there a particular area of the seat that is uncomfortable?

 

[frostbit3]

I went on a road trip a few weeks ago and the R1T was one of the few vehicles I've driven for 5+ hours and not had any issues with the seats. I've had numerous SRT's with massive bolsters and they all start hurting my back ribs within 2 hours or so. No discomfort with the Rivian

 

[mgc0216]

I'm 5'9" with a 30" inseam, 55 years old, 165lbs. (seems relevant when discussing seats and comfort)

I find them very comfortable. I've done multiple 12+ hour driving days in succession on two different trips and don't have a single complaint. Definitely the most comfortable seats I've ever had (which isn't saying much as my nicest car before this was a 2020 Crosstrek).

However, I can imagine that seats are a wildly personal thing, so what works for me definitely might not work for someone else.

 

[cohall]

Exactly the opposite for me. I find them to be extraordinarily comfortable. 2nd only to one other vehicle I've owned.

Just goes to show that seats are a very subjective thing, and it's probably impossible to make one that everybody likes.

 

[EVTrucking]

Rivian offers booster seats? *kidding of course*. Is there a particular area of the seat that is uncomfortable?

I have not found an uncomfortable area yet but the longest I been in the seat is about an hour. I have also never owned a higher end vehicle before.

 

[Davethadog]

I'm 5'9" with a 30" inseam, 55 years old, 165lbs. (seems relevant when discussing seats and comfort)

I find them very comfortable. I've done multiple 12+ hour driving days in succession on two different trips and don't have a single complaint. Definitely the most comfortable seats I've ever had (which isn't saying much as my nicest car before this was a 2020 Crosstrek).

However, I can imagine that seats are a wildly personal thing, so what works for me definitely might not work for someone else.

Do you sit more upright or do you have the seats oriented more like a sports car?

 

[thrill]

Those of us with 'normous noggins find fixed headrests uncomfortable. To get some comfort we need to recline the seat a little extra, which means now needing sliding it forward to reach the wheel comfortably, which means the pedals are now too close, unless you have short legs. I was lucky enough to be born with short legs vs. my torso (I'm 5'10" - my grandfather was the same sitting height but at 6'4").

The "fix" is adjustable headrests that drivers can set as needed, but nooo, the gummit doesn't like treating adults like adults.

 

[bd5400]

Exactly the opposite for me. I find them to be extraordinarily comfortable. 2nd only to one other vehicle I've owned.

Just goes to show that seats are a very subjective thing, and it's probably impossible to make one that everybody likes.

I'd also rate my R1T seats as the second most comfortable seats I've had (the first being a 2008 Volvo S80). I think they're great.

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