Are Ventilated Seats Worth It?
Your car is somewhere that should be as comfortable as possible. The comfort issue can be especially crucial if you drive a lot. You may find yourself looking for various ways of achieving comfort. There are many luxury cars features nowadays like a heater, ventilated seats, and A/C that ensure your ride is comfortable and relaxing.
Although the HVAC system is excellent at regulating your car temperature to a comfortable level, ventilated seats warm you directly and thus instantly. So, if you’re still wondering whether ventilated seats are must-haves, read on to find out if they’re worth your money.
Are Ventilated Seats Worth It?
Ventilated seats can be worthy of your money if they suit your needs. So, the answer to whether they’re worth it or not depends on the one purchasing them.
Start by thinking of how hot your car inside gets during summer and whether your A/C is enough to cool you down. If you think the A/C does a great job and enjoy the refrigerated air during warm weather, then ventilated seats may not appeal to you or be worth the extra expense.
However, if you feel your A/C is not enough to cool you down during summer, you experience extreme summer and winter, you prefer a car with many features, or you spend lots of time on the road, ventilated seats can be worthy of your cash. Ventilated seats are an incredible feature with many benefits for those who can afford them. This brings us to the question: what are ventilated seats, and how do they work?
What Are Ventilated Seats?
Also called seat ventilation, ventilated seats are a luxury car feature that distributes air evenly through the small spaces or holes in the seats’ upholstery onto their occupants, reducing body temperature and assuring comfort. Drivers and passengers, especially those on long trips, benefit a lot from seat ventilation without using refrigerated air.
So, how do they work? Small ducts and fans are found inside the cushions and backrests of ventilated seats, providing cooling. The fans draw air from the cabin to the seats. It then blows the air out through tiny holes in the upholstery toward the occupants, creating a cooling sensation.
You can switch on or off the seat ventilation and adjust the force of the air. Some cars have automatic ventilated seats that begin the cooling process immediately after detecting hot external temperatures. Others can be set to auto such that they only begin the cooling process when the cabin temperatures reach the level preset by the driver.
Once switched on, the fan begins at its highest speed. That’s so because quick ventilation and comfort are needed the most during that time. Once the manufacturer’s preset temperature is reached, the speed automatically slows down. Different vehicles have unique fan speeds to select at the beginning, with some having two and others three. So, it’s crucial to establish the number of fan speeds your car has beforehand.
Do ventilated seats have any benefits?
Pros Of Ventilated Seats
Safer Driving And Instant Relief
Ventilated seats offer instant relief, ensuring safe driving, especially in extreme weather conditions. You wouldn’t have to wait for your HVAC system to restore your car’s optimal temperatures before driving, which usually takes a while. Imagine leaving your car in the sun on a hot summer afternoon, and your car heat so much that it becomes uncomfortable to be inside it. In such a case, seat ventilation can save you time as they’ll provide instant relief, and you’ll be good to go. However, relying on A/C alone would mean waiting some time for the A/C to blast cool air through the vent and try to regulate the entire cabin’s temperature before driving the car.
As for the ventilated seats, they blow cool air directly on the seat’s occupant. Doing so results in the seating surface in contact with the occupant’s body becoming warm almost immediately. Seat ventilation also ensures you’re fresh from sweat and your clothes are not wet. It’s also better to have cool air blown directly to your overheated body by ventilated seats rather than blown over your face through the vents by A/C.
Minimal Pollution And Fuel Consumption
Seat ventilation has an excellent temperature regulating mechanism. This means that they consume less fuel and have a less environmental impact than air conditioning and regular heating. And although ventilated seats use fuel to function, they minimize their usage and air pollution.
Remote Activation
Some vehicles allow you to activate the ventilated seats remotely. So, you can switch the seat ventilation on before getting into the car, and this can save you from burning your behinds on the searing upholstery. Most of the seats that can be remotely controlled allow passengers and drivers to adjust the temperature to their preferred comfort.
Cons Of Ventilated Seats
Although a deal-breaker, seats have their drawbacks. They include:
Noise
Some seat ventilation in specific vehicles can be too noisy. The noise issue is especially common in cheaper makes and vehicle models, not luxury models like Mercedes-Benz. Although the noise is not so much, it can somehow be irritating and may sometimes force you to turn your radio’s volume to maximum settings to avoid hearing it.
Ineffective Ventilation
Some car owners report having an ineffective ventilation system from their ventilated seats such that the cool air blown is not sufficient to cool you down. If this is your case, try turning the ventilated seats to the highest settings to obtain adequate ventilation. Failure to do so may result in your back feeling sweaty and sticky.
May Not Be Liked By Some People
Many drivers and passengers say they love the sensation of having sufficient air surrounding them, which helps them feel fresh. As for seats, some drivers note that the feeling of having air blowing onto their back is weird. However, this is a minor issue as you can turn off your seat ventilation if you don’t like the feeling.
Conclusion
They are an excellent luxury feature to have in your car. They help you cool down on hot days during summer, making your driving experience worth it. So, if you live in an area with extreme weather conditions and can afford them, go for them. They are worth it, and you’ll love the experience.
