Uncomfortable Seats

My daughter got a '23 TRD ORP several months ago, and I've ridden in it a few times, mainly just around town so no long road trips. The passenger front seat seems fine, but for short trips I would expect that. One of the reasons I got my '23 Limited was because of the seats. They look like they have more bolstering, have the adjustable lumbar support, and just look more comfortable. I do a 140-mile drive each way about every other weekend, and the Limited seats don't seem to bother me. They're not as comfortable as the massaging front seats I had on my '22 Explorer ST that I traded in, but they'll do. Sounds like the easiest thing would be to swap to Limited seats?

 

I had a Tacoma (2021 TRD Offroad) and I had to put in seat jackers in it to deal with the seat issue. I haven't had to do that with the 4Runner. I'm very tall (6' 3"). In the Taco my legs/thighs would still kind of hurt on long distance drives.

Here are two distinct differences I have noticed:

1) The Tacoma & 4Runner have roughly the same amount of ground clearance. However....
2) The step-in seemed harder for the Tacoma. I also noticed the seating position is a lot like a Corvette. My legs stuck straight out and my butt was closer to the floor.
3) The step-in seems easier for the 4Runner. The seating position is like my office chair at work. I'm very upright. Feet are flat on the ground and the seat bottom isn't near the ground. Even though I'm sitting very upright, I still have a lot of headroom. I had a sunroof in the Taco and in my 4Runner.

Overall, I've found the 4Runner seats MUCH better than my Tacoma, and I haven't had to mod them at all. I daily drive my 4Runner and it takes me 45-55 mins to get to work, so I spend a lot of time in my truck on a daily basis.

 

From experience, yes the GX seats are in a different league in terms of comfort. And they are not ultra soft, so it must be the shape that makes the difference. Maybe the added adjustability too, but I think shape is the most fundamental factor. A miata seat for example is also certainly not plush, but shaped such that it's more comfortable than the 4R's seat.

For the jackers, they are spacers in a generic sense. And they change the geometry. And loads/stresses will be affected as a result. Whether it's enough to matter is another question. One question/concern I would have w/ these is the non-parallel fit one would get at the rear mounting points when using a spacer at the front to tilt the seat cushion.

 

I rode 250 miles on a group ride once - really long day of twisties.

Made upgrading the seat on my Sportster a no-brainer. I was in agony by the end.

 

I wonder if those beaded thing cabbies used to drive on would help.

 

I've thought about those. I suppose I could just Google comfortable seat covers. I always prefer to get opinions here, when possible.

 

I can end your search right now with one suggestion. Real sheepskin covers.

Everyone will make fun of you for it…but you’ll be laughing all the way past the wayside rest area, while seated in rich, luxuriant comfort, unmatched by the greatest corinthian leather craftsmen.

And when somebody points and laughs, tell them you took them out of your F-16 fighter jet.




Yes! I’m being serious! They are pretty expensive, but every once in a while Costco or sams club will sell pretty big pelts for not much money relatively speaking. If you can find a short-haired version, it might be perfect to cut down and stitch yourself a cover. They don’t have to form fit, just overlay, then you can throw them in the back when you don’t want to look at them.

 

250 miles is a long ride. Having nice twisties can help dull the pain though lol.

I haven’t ridden a sportster, but seeing how tiny those seats are suggests they suck even more than a dirt bike seat!

 

Mine was back when the engine was solidly mounted to the frame, so at least you got a cheap motel co-operated bed style massage.

 

They work to an extent. I had one in a over the road semi once. There's kind of a massage thing going on with the beads. They are held together with string, it's like a heavy fishing line. When some of the strings broke, I got rid of it. I'm sure you guys know this already.. but don't sit on your wallet when you drive either! An uncomfortable seat made even worse with sciatic nerve pain, it's just lovely.

 

The Tacoma seats are worse! Too close to the floor for my likes. We drove to Georgia, only to stop for gas and dinner, and when we got there it took a bunch of stretching to get "mobile" again. We don't have this problem in the 4Runner, is there room for improvement?... probably.. are they adequate? Yes.

 

I've found out over the years of owning Toyotas, that the seat and back support has been ok overall.
But with the technology to improve accident survivability, the headrest with its forward canting, is the down fall of my comfort level.
My old '93 Tacoma and '98 4R were really the last of the comfortable seats.
Our previous '10 Rav, '14 Tacoma D/C and current '16 4R, have the forward canting headrest.
I don't drive with the seat back strait up nor do I have it leaned too far back but, that headrest is my biggest concern for my comfort.
Some of the best seats, IMO, were the low tech, low back seats found in older Jeeps, Early Broncos, K5 Blazers and oddly enough, Cat and JD heavy equipment.
And I've been in Cats and JDs for hours and hours at a time.

 

This place has been around for a long time. Maybe a fix can be found here?

https://www.sickafus.com/shearling/sheepskins-seatcovers.html

 

Thanks. My orp has all the same settings just the soft Tex is the only difference is the leather. I’ve had leather in my last car and thought it may be better

 

Parallel thread:
https://www.4runners.com/threads/driver-seat-discomfort.26024/#post-534091

I found much comfort in the sheep skin (strip), had full covers in my CJ when I was a kid. Wet Okoles on my FJ prior to 4R. Current is by far the most comfortable for me.

And if status bothers someone plenty of the cool kids in Australia use them.

Jet cockpit in progress... plug and play ejection seat switch though is hard to find.

 

Thanks, anyone have experience with them? Their website doesn’t convey confidence to say the least. I’ve looked at a few other USA made sheep skin covers and will probably go with one that has a better website