Seat in 2017 Prius Four UNCOMFORTABLE

I found that the seat was very uncomfortable for any length of use at first. After trying various adjustments over the course of a few weeks (all of which felt great at first) I finally found one that works for me.

Remember that the driver's seat (at least mine does), has height adjustment, backrest angle adjustment, and forward/backward sliding position adjustment. Some models also have electronic lumber support adjustment. Also the steering wheel has height and distance adjustments. There are a LOT of combinations.

From what you describe though, it sounds like the discomfort is coming from the sides of the seat squishing your hips together? A cushion may fix that. Amazon (UK at least) sell products that are designed for this, but bear in mind they can affect the safety of the seatbelt system, by both changing the way the belts sit on your body, how they change position during an impact, and the risk of you sliding under the belt which directs energy into your abdomen rather then hips.

I would definitely try adjusting the height of the seat and backrest angle first to see if a more lying down or sitting up position helps. It's very easy to prioritise the reach of the controls first when adjusting the seat, but if you haven't already done so I would try experimenting to try and find a comfortable sitting position first, and then move the seat back/forward and the adjust the steering wheel height and distance second.

 

Did the other cussions not fit? What happened with them and the towels? I'm beginning to suspect that if they haven't helped then it's not the seat shape causing the discomfort.

There are other options... The seat rails in cars are generally compatible with other seats, so you may be able to swap it for a seat from another vehicle that you know is comfy for you, for example.

Pixel 2 ?

 

Being a fairly specialist question, I'm wondering if you could work with your physiotherapist or some other health-car "expert" to help get the positioning right for you. What car did you have previously?

Really, I think the PRIUS seats just average. I have more trouble with the backrest, I find the base quite OK. But it took me a fair bit of adjusting before it was reasonable. I ended up putting the seat as HIGH as it would go, and that helped me get the backrest/steering wheel right.

 

Take your Prius to a 3rd party auto upholsterer and talk to them about your problem. They can reconfigure the seat cushion for you (and do leather as I had done in my wife's Subaru).

JeffD

 

I feel your pain, Laura!

Big Bad John
"He stood 6'-6" and weighed 245... kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip.... and everybody knew you didn't give no lip to Big John...

Every day I ask myself, "why the heck did I buy a Prius?!" I need a daily Aleve pill just to crawl into the thing. It's more like falling into it! And yes, the seat was uncomfortable in the beginning, is uncomfortable now, and always will be uncomfortable. I'm so tall, I can't place any type of cushion on the seat bottom because then my head would hit the roof.

Had 2 spine surgeries, discs removed, spinal fusion, stem cell bone graft, and a titanium stabilization device wrapped around my lower vertebraes. That's why I'm always cranky and grumpy! Seriously, I should be driving a BIG SUV or Tundra pickup truck. I've lasted 2.5 yrs with this Prius, but every drive is an unpleasant adventure.... Why did I buy a Prius! Great gas mileage, but this car is just too darn low. And small. I will look at the hybrid trucks when Toyota comes out with them.
~Big John

 

Option 1:
Buy a pre-made cushion
Laminar Orthopedic Cushions by Dynamic Systems, Inc. — Dynamic Systems, Inc.

Option 2:
Make your own cushion.
1/2 inch foam can be cut with scissors. Make a template of the space you want to fill, and then measure the height. Use 2 or more layers, going from firm (bottom) to soft (top). Cut the layers according to the template, then glue them together using spray adhesive. (Shop 3M 16.7-fl oz Bonding Multipurpose Adhesive at Lowes.com) You might want to make a template for the bottom layer, cut out the foam and put it on the seat, then make a template for the second (larger) layer on top, and so on. You could even finish with a layer that fits over the entire seat bottom.

Discounted Overstock — Dynamic Systems, Inc.

Please note that this is not the low-quality foam you'd find in a craft store. This is OEM grade for at least several airplane manufacturers I'm aware of.


Option 3:
Have a custom seat cushion made for you by the specialists who make custom wheelchair cushions, using something like this:

Liquid SunMate Foam-In-Place-Seating (FIPS) — Dynamic Systems, Inc.

 

Bolsters? What bolsters? I'm so big, I guess I sit on top of the bolsters. I never even noticed them. So they are not a problem. (Laura must be very petite?) But I do find those Prius seats to be fairly hard. No easy answer for a person that finds the seats to be painful.

(All kidding aside, I'm only 6'-4", and 250 lbs. Once I'm actually done folding myself into the car, it's a pretty good fit. More room than my old Camry. I can live with it.)

 

The driving force for spending an extra $1.2k was to change the interior color from white (shows all flaws) to black. We did ask for adjustable lumbar support as my wife always drove with a small pillow at the small of her back. The price included a full leather interior and $200 for the lumbar support.

If you watch some of the custom car builds on velocity, the interior designers/implementors always shape the foam under the fabric so you can ask the people doing the work to do whatever you need (e.g. lumbar support, heated seats, or reshaping the foam.). They will, of course charge for any custom extras. Just ask to sit in the seat after they reshape the foam and before they put the fabric on to insure that your problem is solved.

JeffD

 

Only car I really felt that way was a GOLF GTI (might have been R?) a couple of years ago - but it was squeezing my torso mainly. I sat in a rally seat many years ago and didn't really fit, but then they said that the seat was a Custom Recaro seat made for the driver.

Which - I guess is an option for you - Recaro or Sparco et al. They could make one for you which you could take to your next car as well - and keep you PRIUS original to be reinstalled when/if you sell it.

 

There’s a seat cushion that was made specifically for comfort during long drives
The company's called Cush Comfort and the product is called the Cush Comfort Extended Seat Cushion

I suggest try the XL version to fit the Toyota prius.

Happy driving, and hope this helps!

 

Cush comfort could work, so could purple cushion, or Obus Forme, or g-seat, or Therm-a Rest, or Skwoosh, or Vive...there are a great many to try.