Finding The Best Seat In The House
Story By: Kyle Callen
Photos By: Brandon Bunch
Bouncing down the trail for hours on end in stock seats can be a pain in the arse… literally. One of the first aftermarket purchases that most UTV owners make is a set of seats. When it comes to seats, there are two schools of thought. The suspension seat and the shell seat. The suspension seat is all about comfort and style while the shell seat is all about ergonomics and performance.
Being involved in my fair share of on and off-road incidents and tip-overs (which don’t count as wrecks by the way), safety is generally at the top of my mind. Many recreational enthusiasts only find suspension seats at their local off-road retailer, but it’s important to do your research to choose the seat that is best for you.
Just like a tire is the only contact patch to the road, the seat is the only contact patch to your body. There is a wide variety of aftermarket seats on the market, some prettier than others, some less expensive, but when picking out an aftermarket seat for your UTV, it needs to be safe. The suspension seat has taken over the off-road market. With a comfortable, cushy feel and solid bolstering to support the body, it is easy to see why. Instead of sitting directly on the base of the seat, the suspension seat uses a tube frame construction with paracord pulling an inner lining tight to give you that extra little bit of cushion. The comfort is unmatched, and for most riders, preferred, but they have their drawbacks. In the relaxed position, when you pull your harness tight, you are quite secure, but as your body moves through the travel of the seat, the belts can’t tighten with you. Miles down the road, you will notice that your harness seems loose, and that’s because it is. Having to constantly check to make sure your belts are tight can get annoying, not to mention a safety concern.
If you look at any form of auto racing, the occupants in the vehicle are held snugly in place by a shell seat. Instead of a steel tube structure, the frame of the shell seat is made out of composite materials such as fiberglass or carbon fiber, and the occupant sits on a foam pad. Although the suspension seat is more comfortable to most consumers, the shell seat has a higher bolster that will hold you in the seat better and with little up and down movement, you will always stay tight in your belts. This means less strain on the body trying to stay in the seat and ultimately, less fatigue at the end of a long day on the trail. Shell seats also have a few drawbacks. If it is your first time in one, they do take some getting used to and can be a bit uncomfortable at first. Packaging shell seats into your UTV can also be tough, but companies like PRP Seats are diligently working on bolt in solutions.
Whether you prefer a suspension seat or shell seat, it’s a significant investment that we believe is worth it. The suspension seat is a great upgrade in comfort and safety of the stock seat while the shell seat is the ultimate in protection. Do your research. Companies like PRP Seats work hard to keep their dealer educated on the various seats they offer with many of the dealers having seats in the showroom for you to try out before you make your purchase.
