Racing Seat recommendations

[Roman1987]

Hi guys,

I am currently thinking about upgrading my racing seat. I am racing with an aluminium profile racing rig from Simlab. I think it is their first ever created GT Rig. Mounted to that rig at the moment is a low budget racing seat and my main issue with it is that I get very heavy back pain issues (mainly sacroiliac joint pain) after some longer racing sessions. It feels like there is not enough stability/back support especially in moments where i need to brake heavily using my HE Pro Pedals.

Do you have any recommendations for picking up the right racing seats? Maybe you already had similiar experiences like me and found better solutions at the market.

The ones I am currently looking at are the Sabelt Racing Duo or the Sparco Sprint. Do you think they might do the job?

Cheers,
Roman

 

[CC]

Sounds interesting. What else should I measure next to my height? Butt size ?

Yeah specially around the bottom rear of the seats some get more narrow + some cussions have different materials,
currently have mine on my Playseat Alc seat still on the seat slider so measured that seat + the new seat and where I deem the seat to me wrong,
so measured everywhere in this current situation hard to get out to any shops + where I live this stuff is 100,s of km away most likely the closest shops even to test fit in one,
so measuring is really important even the back of my legs, hips, back, shoulders, I measured everywhere and measured around 7-8 different seats,
I did want one with a Halo around the top I love that style,
I wouldnt say sitting in it 12-15hrs isnt like sat on your sofa when all said and done there professional racing seats specially the Sparco and such FIA approved so the padding is not the thickest in the world but the seat fits my body shape really lovely when driving it comes to life,

but yeah make sure 100% you measure your legs, shoulders, everywhere + allow some slight freedom otherwise you dont want to be pinned inside the seat so allow an extra 4-5cm+ each measurement this way will give some slight freedom,

looking at all the brands all the measurement tables personally I found the sparco ones the most detailed + more common with reviews on YT, please measure 50 times and buy once then you wont go wrong.

 

[djm68]

I want to upgrade from my tubular steel Corbeau Forza to the standard size FX1. Was there a particular reason for choosing microsuede over cloth? Which vendor did you use?

The microsuede is similar to the alcantara on my GT2 seats -- which is a nice materiel. I did not want to be sitting on cheap vinyl or poor quality cloth, especially considering the price difference was only $50. I ordered the seat from https://www.racing-seats-usa.com -- shipping was free.

The great thing is the FX1 is actually more comfortable in many ways than the crazy expensive Porsche GT2 carbon seats. The FX1 is wider in the shoulders which I appreciate -- I am only 5'9" and 150-ish lbs, but I have broad shoulders and the FX1 is wider in the shoulder area while not being sloppy every where else.

Dom

 

[Ruttman98]

The microsuede is similar to the alcantara on my GT2 seats -- which is a nice materiel. I did not want to be sitting on cheap vinyl or poor quality cloth, especially considering the price difference was only $50. I ordered the seat from https://www.racing-seats-usa.com -- shipping was free.

The great thing is the FX1 is actually more comfortable in many ways than the crazy expensive Porsche GT2 carbon seats. The FX1 is wider in the shoulders which I appreciate -- I am only 5'9" and 150-ish lbs, but I have broad shoulders and the FX1 is wider in the shoulder area while not being sloppy every where else.

Dom

Dom - Thank you for the source and the real world info.

Sincerely,
Chris

 

[jamescarruthers]

For a while I had a cheap-ish race seat in my car and it was really rather uncomfortable. Be sure to try out the seat if you can. Race seats are not necessarily designed for comfort - they’re designed to be solid and mostly lightweight. You’re not going to be experiencing cornering forces in your sim. Comfort isn’t number one priority in a race car - at least in a cheap one. You’ll have to spend a lot to have a more comfy one than a road seat.

My daily has the most comfortable seats ever - OEM non adjustable carbon fibre bucket seats finished in leather. But then they’re a £4,000 option. No I didn’t buy the car new.

You might find a road seat far more comfy - which is probably of greater importance than it being a “race seat”. It’s worth checking out aftermarket fixed “classic” seats - you can get bucket style there too.

 

[rjkoneill]

I found a Corbeau Clubsport seat for sale and went for that. £200 with side mounts and rails included so in my book was a bargain.
Had sat in them before so I knew they fit. It has flex and isnt the most comfortable seat but an OMP lumbar cushion behind the seat back and some of the extra foam it shipped with in the seat cushion fixed that easily.

I don't understand why anybody would actively seek out an FIA approved seat for sim racing really unless you have the same seat in a track car or something.

 

[jamescarruthers]

I don't understand why anybody would actively seek out an FIA approved seat for sim racing really unless you have the same seat in a track car or something.

Because an achy arse is part of the "immersion"!

 

[Kill KRT]

The problem with non-FIA approved seats is that are not easy to be found around and so you cannot test them, it is also difficult to find reviews online.
For example I am trying to choose one seat for my next rig (P1-X), but at the moment I didn't yet find any seat that 100% convinced me, mostly because I would like to avoid a pure racing seat that is not so comfy and is pretty expansive.
I was tempted to buy a Sparco R100 (I can find at 220€ here) that seems a mix between a road-racing seat, but some people told me that it is no so sturdy and comfy.

 

[djm68]

People are making a lot of erroneous assumptions about race seats. First, it is rather easy to find non-FIA approved seats; non-FIA seats have the added bonus on being much less costly. Second, people assume racing seats are not comfortable. This is simply not true. Certainly, some race seats are uncomfortable, but the same can be said for OEM street car seats. As I noted in my post above, my $400 Corbeau seat is more comfortable than the $12,000 OEM Porsche GT2 seats that came in my car (thankfully and zero cost option!). My wife jumped in my cockpit the other day, first thing she said "wow, this seat is really comfortable". And this is no joke: I usually race at the end of my work day, after dinner and time with the family -- when I jump in my seat, it is so comfortable that after a bit, I just about fall asleep .

I realize seat availability varies in different regions, but there are many good quality, non-FIA seats to be had that are comfortable and not excessively expensive.

Dom

 

[Ruttman98]

To underline Dom's comment about diverging regional offerings, this even occurs with regard to a single manufacturer: Corbeau UK offerings are quite different from those from Corbeau USA based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Corbeau seat range is different and side brackets seem to be more limited on this side of the pond. ThecUK site shows 4 types of side brackets, some of which allow for mounting in tighter spaces. The US site seems more aimed at supplying seat mounts for street use and, although offered at $139 in driver and passenger side versions for the FX1, no photo is provided. (I will look again at Racing Seats USA.) Corbeau brackets are cheaper in the UK even with VAT, but seats may actually cost a little more there than in the States. I chatted with a Corbeau rep today who confirmed they do not offer the range of their sister company.

Neat to see the seats are still made in the UK, and the story of founder Colin Folwell is a good read.

AND I finally learned "corbeau" means "crow" in French. I never picked up on that in the logo. I wonder why that name was selected.

 

[jamescarruthers]

Funnily enough I find my Porsche GT3 seats unbelievably comfortable — I can sit in them all day and not feel it at all.

Goes to show it’s incredibly subjective.

 

[Kill KRT]

Sorry for this stupid question, but I've tried to have a look to the Corbeau UK site and I found this site, but it seems a fake/empty site.

 

[rjkoneill]

People are making a lot of erroneous assumptions about race seats. First, it is rather easy to find non-FIA approved seats; non-FIA seats have the added bonus on being much less costly. Second, people assume racing seats are not comfortable. This is simply not true.

Agreed totally. It was easy enough for me to test many non approved seats through other people's cars and simply going to a trade show to test seats out. (Seriously, autosport international was brilliant for this)

I don't think FIA seats are uncomfortable personally as most I have sat in have been far superior in build quality, stiffness and support to my current corbeau clubsport.
However when it came to dropping £200 on a seat, mounts and rails compared to £600+ on a recaro option that is fairly similar it made more sense to me personally to go for something cheap when it's not needed to survive race level impacts etc.

I'd rather invest money in other areas of my sim experience personally.

 

[djm68]

Funnily enough I find my Porsche GT3 seats unbelievably comfortable — I can sit in them all day and not feel it at all.

Goes to show it’s incredibly subjective.

Just to be clear: my GT2 seats are super comfortable as well -- I was just pleasantly surprised that the $400 Corbeau FX1 is even more so.

Dom

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Funnily enough I find my Porsche GT3 seats unbelievably comfortable — I can sit in them all day and not feel it at all.

Goes to show it’s incredibly subjective.

Not at all, seats like shoes, they need to fit. I had extremely uncomfortable "racing" seat that came with RS1 just because it was too constrained in shoulder area, moved to Corbeau FX1 and could seat in it the whole day, which I was doing at times as it was essentially my home office.
If trying seat on in person is not an option, at least make sure to check the dimensions when picking one, some come in different sizes, my personal experience is that super snug fit might be not as comfortable in a long term, so go size up.

 

[djm68]

Sorry for this stupid question, but I've tried to have a look to the Corbeau UK site and I found this site, but it seems a fake/empty site.

UK site: https://www.corbeau-seats.com/

 

[jamescarruthers]

Not at all, seats like shoes, they need to fit. I had extremely uncomfortable "racing" seat that came with RS1 just because it was too constrained in shoulder area, moved to Corbeau FX1 and could seat in it the whole day, which I was doing at times as it was essentially my home office.
If trying seat on in person is not an option, at least make sure to check the dimensions when picking one, some come in different sizes, my personal experience is that super snug fit might be not as comfortable in a long term, so go size up.

Sorry, subjective was the wrong word.

I meant personal.

Everyone is a totally different size.

I also don’t think “sitting in seats is easy” is fair - it’s a privileged position to have easy access to showrooms or trade fairs. (The cost of going to a trade fair for some might be a considerable % of a seat purchase)

It’s also worth remembering what FIA approved actually means - it just means approved for racing. It has nothing to do with comfort. Manufacturers get the approval so they can sell them to the people who actually need them - racing drivers.

FIA = is it strong enough to survive in a crash, and the materials fire proof.

In the end it doesn’t matter what the seat is - FIA approved or not - fixed bucket or not - as long as it’s comfy.

I do think however there are probably a lot of people choosing uncomfortable “race” bucket seats when a road car seat is probably far more preferable

 

[mPax]

Hi guys, I would like to hop in into this, with my own (related) topic. At the moment I am trying to rebuild a PX1 rig on my own. I have got already all the aluminium extrusions as well as most of the hardware. But I am still in decision makig in regards of the seat. First I was thinking either of one of the sparco's REV QRT or GRID-Q seats. Yesterday then I was in contact with a vendor, who suggested me to consider maybe the OMP WRC-R model instead.
And now I am a bit insecure of which one to choose, unfortunately I have not the possibility to try out one of them, what of course would be the ideal solution.
Does one of you have any opinion on the mentioned seats?

 

[CC]

Hi guys, I would like to hop in into this, with my own (related) topic. At the moment I am trying to rebuild a PX1 rig on my own. I have got already all the aluminium extrusions as well as most of the hardware. But I am still in decision makig in regards of the seat. First I was thinking either of one of the sparco's REV QRT or GRID-Q seats. Yesterday then I was in contact with a vendor, who suggested me to consider maybe the OMP WRC-R model instead.
And now I am a bit insecure of which one to choose, unfortunately I have not the possibility to try out one of them, what of course would be the ideal solution.
Does one of you have any opinion on the mentioned seats?

I bought a official FIA Sparco EVO 2,
I did measure my body + all the various seats to get a good fit in which is a must,
Very pleased with my purchase.

 

[wgards8]

I'm happy with my Sparco R333.

Lots of padding for long sessions, the seat reclines and I have it sitting on runners so good amount of adjustability to get my driving position spot on.

Used car seat would have been my preference but eBay hunting came up short.

FWIW I'm 6ft 4 and skin on bone.

 

[djm68]

I received the Error 404 message also; thank you for retrieving the info. I really like the red/black cloth after seeing a fellow RDer's Sparco Sprint in the same color combo. I like the idea of microsuede wearing longer, but I also don't get to use my rig very often. I have a feeling cloth will clean easier. Thanks also, Andrew for the testimonial about the cloth option holding up well.

To answer my other question, shipping is free direct from Corbeau on the black/red USD $379.99 FX1 to my KC area zip code.

New question:

I already have a Corbeau slider from a 4th generation (1993-2002) GM F -body,which I know I can with the FX1 because that seat has both side and bottom attachment points like my Corbeau Forza. I want to retain the slider because my wife is a little over 5' while I am 6'2".

I am curious whether I can bolt the side mount brackets to the slider because it would be great to be able to adjust the incline angle of the seat with alternate side mount locations.

Yes, the side mount bracket can be bolted to the slider assembly. The bolt pattern on the sides of the seats follow a universal pattern. The seat bottom holes are not quite as universally adhered to, but most follow the same pattern and if not, it is certainly a simple matter to drill a few holes in the sides mounts if needed.

Hope that addresses your question.

Dom