Riding That Perfect Line Between Comfort and Cool
Story By: Keith Hook
Photos By: Brandon Bunch
There’s no doubt that the UTVs of the last couple years have improved leaps and bounds over their predecessors. Comfort was always a distant second thought in the design of the original utility vehicles.
As the industry redefined itself, the manufacturers spent some serious time at the R&D table making our butts a little more comfortable, literally. But even so, there is still room for improvement in style, comfort and most importantly safety.
Digging deep into aftermarket seating, you can quickly be overwhelmed with various solutions and options from dozens of brands. Upgrading your throne in these side-by-sides is certainly not new, but new-to-market brands have popped in for their slice of the pie.
Some companies offer crazy designs that wow the eyes and draw you in with some serious cool factor, but may lack the peace of mind when you’re upside down. On the other side of the spectrum, we have brands that skip the fun entirely and focus only on safety when things get hairy. Both have their place, but wouldn’t a little bit of both be nice?
Falling right in line with that is Simpson Seats. For over 60 years, the Simpson name has been synonymous with safety and protection far beyond just the seat. The Simpson family of brands also cover helmets, head and neck restraints, harnesses, racing suits, gloves, shoes, window nets, drag parachutes and more. Along the way, Simpson always found a way to add style and pizzazz without compromising their real purpose.
I could go on about the obvious details of the seat itself, but in the end that’s old news. The Pro Sport seat has been out for a little while, but rather than leave good enough alone Simpson continues to deliver new options and mounting solutions. Today’s consumer expects more than a universal seat to have to figure out how to mount, nor do they want to lose the creature comforts of the vehicle itself, like removability and adjustability. Well, Simpson delivers.
Not only is the seat available in a handful of standard colors, but you can dive into a configurator tool on their website to pick out colors and an array of options. Long gone are the days of dropping in a basic black seat and fabricating mounts to make it work. They are continuing to release application specific mounting kits that make life so much easier. Our seats were mounted into a 2021 Polaris Pro XP and I will admit, the mounting brackets require some finesse with a file, but they integrate perfectly with the factory latching system so the seat is as easily removable as the factory seat was. I’ll take that over some other brand’s attempt at ‘permanent’ brackets, making access to the battery impossible and eliminating adjustability without busting out the toolbox.
I have 1000s of miles in these seats, not just this Pro XP but other makes and models as well. I’ve had dozens of passengers, ranging in age and body type, and I can’t recall a single complaint. I’ve had to install, uninstall, temporarily remove and reinstall… The seats hold up incredibly well to the abuse and wear ‘n tear that the desert lifestyle delivers. I’ve yet to be upside down in one, but I have been very thankful my rear was planted and harnesses tight more than once!
There are very few reasons to cut corners when it comes to investing in your UTV, especially when it comes to harnesses, seats, and roll cages. Don’t settle or compromise when it comes to these top of the list upgrades. Budget product lines shouldn’t exist here, and that’s why you won’t find one from Simpson. They put everything they got into their product, ensuring you can look good knowing your safety and comfort is in good hands.
