Thanks for the information and the link. Except for the lack of deep bolstering on my '10 Limited's seats, I have no real complaint about them. That said, I do have lumbar disk problems that perhaps this seat pad will help me with when driving.

I'm glad it seems to have solved your particular seat problem.

 

With the removable cover, you could easily add a seat heater bottom to the top of the cushion. To add the seat heater back part is a bit more work, but if you have any heater complaints, it would probably be well worth it.

 

Great review of that seat cushion!

At least one of your peeves is solved!

You found a solution which is the main thing. Now the challenge is finding a solution for the "weak heater"....

 

if subaru provides me a sweet pair of subaru-branded wool socks, i'll keep my mouth shut lol

 

As I posted before, I'm having really good luck with the Costco $20 gel cushion; it is quite a bit smaller, but does the job for me, additionaly Costco has a liberal return policy if you don't like it.
It does accumulate quite a bit of heat & has a handle, one could take it into the house overnight, I do that when my car is parked in the sun, instead of sitting in the "hot seat" I can sit on something cool.

 

your suggestion is actually what started my search for a cushion. both Costcos near me said they stopped selling that cushion back in 2013

 

Oh bummer.
I just got mine this summer, so they must've had some stock left.
I liked it so much I got 6, so now every driver & every rider in my family is riding on top of one even the ones who found their seats comfortable.
The degree of comfort, especially on long trips, is substantially increased.
I don't know, however how it will work with a seat heater.
The only other thing to let everyone know that it does get hot if you leave it out in the sun, although my experience with that is limited to sunny summer days with ambient over 70F.

 

just out of curiosity can you post a pic of it in your Forester? i want to see how well it fits on the seat bottom cushion. thanks man, much appreciated

 

It is gel. I will check for the manufacturer tomorrow as I'm parked outside.
My seat may be different from yours, I didn't experience the width or the belt buckle issue & wasn't terribly uncomfortable, I just wasn't comfortable.
For me the seat cushion was too short too hard & too slippery, the bolstering of the bottom & the back insufficient especially when I adjust the lumbar to the maximum, which is the way I like it.
I'm about the same size as you, but also have long legs & making enough room for them while still being able to reach the weel comfortably took a lot of effort.
So now with the help of the cushion & moths of trying different positions I'm somewhat comfortable even on multi-hour trips, but not greatly so.

 

yeah the proportions do seem a bit off from where i like to sit and the telescoping max distance of the steering wheel. i find myself having to sit a little bit closer than i ideally want to b/c reaching the steering wheel, well, feels like a reach

 

So I know seat issues have been discussed here , but in particular I am quite bewildered concerning the length of seat bottom cushions on foresters. A few weeks ago I randomly stopped in my local subie dealer and just started hopping in and out of different trim levels of foresters and the first thing I noticed was what seemed or felt to be, differing lengths of seat bottom cushions.

I know it may sound crazy but some went almost to the back of my bent knee and some were quite shorter. If I had a tape measure I'm afraid my suspicions would of been realized!

This has not stopped me from ordering a 15 xt premium but I was wondering....... Anyone game to measure their respective seat bottom cushion ( driver seat obviously ) and see if they fall into analog ranges?
Basically from where seat back meets with bottom out to the edge
My legacy btw measures in at 19.5" and supports well under thigh. I'm 5'11" btw

Thanx

 

Will measure in the morning and post the number. I have to say I'm curious to know more about this. Purchased a Forester last weekend. Test drove a gray premium but purchased a green one. The seat cushion is really shallow. I have long legs andI can't figure out why i didn't notice this on the test drive.

 

Yes there is some truth to your statement but I was asking for measurements taken from each drivers permanent seat position. With that being said most individual driver seat positions will come somewhat close to each other . Basically whether lumbar is activated to whatever degree, as well as seat back angle, valid and somewhat reliable measurements CAN be taken from where seat back meets seat bottom and out to edge of bottom. The plus or minus variability shouldn't be that large

I tried to induce large variances with my legacy seat (lumbar/back angle/H position) and I still basically came away with 19.5"
Basically I held a straight edge flush on seat back and measured bottom cushion from where the straight edge came in contact with seat bottom and measured out to edge of seat bottom to where I held a straight edge upward and against seat bottom edge. Rather simple mechanics involved

 

if you look at prior gens of Foresters - they all tend to have short seat bottoms but the seats were historically wider in the past than they are now. the flat part of the seat was wider with thinner side bolsters. now, the bolsters are thick, chunky, but stubby and super firm which has posed a huge problem for me when i am sitting in the seat longer than 30 mins. i had to buy a gel cushion

see this thread:

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f77/uncomfortable-seat-solved-conformax-airmax-gel-cushion-436194/

a neat modification to the gel cushion if you want thigh support - just take a hand towel, roll it up, and place it under the gel cushion. now you have thigh support and it makes the Forester seat VERY comfortable.

without the gel cushion, i was on the verge of ditching the Forester for how bad the seat cushion bottom was. it still is bad, but at least i can mask it with the gel cushion. Subaru really doesn't know how to design seats

 

if you look at prior gens of Foresters - they all tend to have short seat bottoms but the seats were historically wider in the past than they are now. the flat part of the seat was wider with thinner side bolsters. now, the bolsters are thick, chunky, but stubby and super firm which has posed a huge problem for me when i am sitting in the seat longer than 30 mins. i had to buy a gel cushion

see this thread:

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbull...rg/vbulletin/f77/uncomfortable-seat-solved-conformax-airmax-gel-cushion-436194/

a neat modification to the gel cushion if you want thigh support - just take a hand towel, roll it up, and place it under the gel cushion. now you have thigh support and it makes the Forester seat VERY comfortable.

without the gel cushion, i was on the verge of ditching the Forester for how bad the seat cushion bottom was. it still is bad, but at least i can mask it with the gel cushion. Subaru really doesn't know how to design seats

Many thanks for posting this. I've had my 18' forester for a year and am prepared to ditch it if this or a few other ideas don't work.

 

Approx. 19.5 from where it meets the back.
Forester 2015 i2.5 US touring leather.

 

Same here 19.5 on a 2015 2.5i Premium. I drove past the dealer today and stopped for a minute. The 2015 2.5i Limited on the showroom floor also measured the same. The gel cushion is a good solution and something I'll consider when it gets warmer. For winter I don't want to block the seat warmer. I'm going to look for a way to just get a little more front seat support as my legs extend quite a bit past the end of the seat.

 

How tall are you btw? Long legs?

Good to hear similar measurements so far
I think if the front lip of the seat bottom scooped upwards more then there would be more thigh support
I would hate to think of using the gel cushion as it would block the effect of the heated seats

Too bad a custom upholsterer couldn't either extend bottom out an inch or so .....or maybe cause the lip to curl up higher with power option

Weird .... My legacy seat is also 19.5" but it supports so well
Perhaps the lip curls up more and I also think the legacy seat is more naturally curved back which would explain the cradling effect

 

Hi to all,

Just wanted to pass along a solution I have found for the uncomfortable driver's seat. I mentioned it in a few prior posts that I was trying out a gel cushion called "Conformax Airmax". I went with the Airmax model for the mesh bottom for seat bottom ventilation. I didn't want to sit on neoprene and get sweaty, plus the Airmax cover is slightly thicker too.

The gel cushion just came today and dear lord it completely changes the experience of sitting in this seat. No longer does my leg get cramps, no longer do I feel the short stubby side bolsters dig into my outer thigh, and no longer do I feel that I don't have any thigh support. I have posted photos below of the gel cushion in my new Forester but I will also list some key points of this cushion:

- Dimensions (20" L, 20" W at front, 14" W at rear, ~1.5" thick)
- Weight (feels a little over 5 lbs - it's a heavy no joke cushion)
- Material (Top is a mesh material, bottom is a rubberized no-slip cover)
- Cover is removable via a zipper, is washable, air dry recommended
- Price (I paid $83 w/ free shipping on eBay, Amazon is +$9 shipping)

My impressions:
- Adds impressive comfort to sitting in the seat
- Adds thigh support since the cushion is slightly longer than the actual seat
- Seat is nearly identical in size to the Forester seat - the whole seat is covered and you no longer feel like you are sitting on a bench actually since the gel conforms to your rear end and keeps you in the seat on turns. Other seat cushions make the bench-effect worse when the cushion ends up being even shorter than the Forester seat!
- Cushion does not bottom out like memory foam, this seat provides both support and cushion, driving on bumps are actually absorbed more too
- Cushion does not slide due to rubberized material on the back and the fact that it's a heavy cushion
- Cushion is a bit cold when being left in the car overnight, and I'm not sure how well heat radiates up through it for those who have the AWP (I just have a 2.5i base model)
- I didn't need the Conformax Airmax seat-back cushion but for those who have serious problems with the lumbar thrust you can get that as a $65 add-on
- Seating position (Since the cushion adds thickness, I only pump the seat up 2X and I'm at my desired seating height, steering wheel is a few deg from max upright angle)

I have been so happy with this seat cushion literally just from the first 5 mins of testing it out that I finally took the Forester back out of the driveway and went for a spin. Just one word...amazing. I can finally use my Forester again and as I said repeatedly in multiple threads I can deal with the pet peeves but what I couldn't deal with were the pet peeves AND a seat that screwed up my thigh so badly that I couldn't walk after driving.

I know the Forester seat has been a polarizing issue for many on here. I just wanted to offer a relatively inexpensive solution that may very well work for people. I know it's not aesthetically pleasing, but it does the job perfectly and the black against grey goes with the overall color scheme of the interior anyways in my model (Quartz Blue)

Here is a link to the Amazon page: Amazon.com: CONFORMAX Airmax Gel Car/Truck Seat Cushion (L20AMAU): Automotive . I received the cushion on the 4th business day - comes UPS Ground in a large protective cardboard box so you don't have to worry about fabric tears or something from being shipped in a bag

This seat cushion is an inch bigger in both directions according to your measurements. Does it fit without a problem? Also does it smooth out the annoying bolsters? thanks.

 

i haven't come back to this thread for an update. this cushion is too thick for me, even when compressed from my weight. it raises me up and b/c it doesn't taper at the front it puts a lot of pressure under my thigh and my knee starts to ache.

let me backup to my original problem with this seat. lumbar was fine for me, seat angle is not ideal but that's not a problem for me. seat width is narrow for me but it's not unbearable (although the seat belt buckle does contact my right hip)...my issue was strictly with the seat foam on the sides bottoming out (especially between each crease of the seat bottom and the bolsters on each side). as a result, the metal frame protrusion that gives the bolsters their shape and firmness was digging into my thigh. it led to leg pain, knee pain, foot hot flashes (meaning it was cutting off blood circulation and/or aggravating a nerve).

fast forward when i found this seat cushion i thought it was the solution. turns out it didn't quite work out. i have since moved on to the below seat cushion and have been using it now for well over a month. i can truly say this is the solution i was looking for all along. it is the perfect seat cushion:

Amazon.com: Ergo21 Liquicell Original Seat Cushion - Better Than Gel, Foam, and Air! Liquid-Filled Membranes. Blood Flow Improved by 150%: Health & Personal Care

the Ergo21 has 4 sealed pockets of a viscous fluid that provides the best cushion feel i've ever sat on. most importantly though, the pockets of fluid cover the area where the bolster frame protrusion is and thus i don't bottom out (it technically still is bottoming out, but i don't feel it). apparently i am not the only one who suffers from this issue with Subaru vehicles. when i was looking at getting the Outback i did a test drive. i had the same exact issue. the bolster bottomed out and i was riding on this bolster frame protrusion. i googled the issue and came across 3 threads on the issue. the first was from a Legacy owner who removed the seat cover, cut some small diameter PVC pipe to cover the entire bolster rail on each side, added 1" foam, then put the cover back on. he said the seat is extremely comfortable now. the second was from someone who literally took an angle grinder and shaved off the bolster frame protrusion. he said when he sits on the seat, he feels like he is sitting in his comfortable office chair without bolsters. the third was on the Outback forum where someone had the same issue. went to an upholstery shop to have 1" of foam strips added on all contact points of the bottom and back of the seat. he said this solved the problem



i am probably going to create an on-going thread with all seat cushion solutions, photos, and the pros/cons of each cushion. i will say i also use a cushion from Oregon Aero. they are a custom seat and softgoods company based in Oregon that specializes in custom aircraft seats. in addition, they have portable products. they use a very unique type of memory foam layer that they heat seam onto a denser foam block. i tried the 1" model and had the same issue as the Conformax one. i downsized to the 0.5" one and it works great.

 

Anymore updates to this seat thread?

I just bought a 2018 Forrester Limited and the seats are really lousy, which seemed to be the case in all of the compact SUVs

Interested in any seat modifications people are doing

 

I bought the cushion for my '17 touring and it make a HUGE difference.. BUT you have to adjust the height down to stay the same driving position..

I also had a local upholstery shop rework the seat bottoms with a softer foam and that helped a lot. $150 for both front bottoms. Due to the airbag he would not touch the backs

After all this, i realized that if i leaned the seat back farther than I had it i was way more comfortable..

I tried a few other cushions (the purple cushion and some from Walmart) and they didnt fit the seat likes this cushion does.. I think the also sell a thinner one, which would probably work as well - just make sure its the same dimensions.. As is this cushion matches the seat exactly

Brian

 

interesting video..

https://www.subaruxvforum.com/forum/interior-audio/173472-jaguar-shares-perfect-seating-pos.html

 

just got a 2018 premium a few days ago and wow these seats are killing my back. noticed it during the test drive but didn't think it would be that big of a deal. I have had a lot of different rental cars for extended periods of time and never worried about seats before.

anyone found a good cushion for your back? i don't think i need any lumbar support as I have mine set on the lowest level right now and i don't like it.

 

I dont understand why everyone is going on and on about the seats. They are very easy modify with the appropriate memory foam pillow.
Look for the 4 inch siatica cushions on Amazon. Add a memory foam lumbar support that straps around the seat. The lumbar support cushion is also great to add the proper height and thickness to that tiny armrest. For $50 I feel like im riding in a recliner! Lastly get the REAL memory foam...NOT memory GEL foam....there IS a difference!

 

@wgilbert Really??? You spend $40K on a new Forester then you have to create a cushion to put on the seat in order to make it comfortable? Surely this was noticed in the test drive? The seats need to be comfortable especially on long road trips. What is with the seats in the 19 Foresters that they are not hitting the comfort factor?

 

I am 5'4" and just purchased a 2020 Forester and I have back issues. I thought I could get used to the bucket seats, but I have tried all kinds of lumbar supports and seat pillows and I still cannot make it comfortable. Other than trade the car, does anyone have any thoughts? I need lower and upper lumbar support... Thank you in advance...

 

It's funny..... I have back issues too and found my wife's '08 was a literal pain to drive. A big part of that was the fact that the steering wheel was fixed in place. Sure, it tilted buy did not telescope which played a huge part in not being able to find a comfortable seating position. The '20s seat is bigger, there's much more room in the cabin and the steering wheel is fully adjustable. .....much more comfortable for me.

 

Everyone’s body is different— for me, I had the same issues with my 2017 (July).

Two things helped:

1. Putting the seat as far back + high as it would go (75% pain reduction)
2. Time, after 1.5-2 years it feels like it has broken in some.

I did try going to an upholstery shop (2 actually) but neither fixed the seat issue itself and in the end I had the seat put back to normal. One thing one of the upholstery shop did fix was removing the seat belt connector and bending it more so it didn’t rub against my hip.

In the end, is it as comfortable as a RAV4? No, but it’s passable now vs. I wanting to get rid of it before.

 

Greetings all,
After dealing with the lack of comfort and pain for three years in this vehicle, I traded in my 2018 Forester with 18K miles. The good news is this car really holds it value. I lost 20% of my purchase price over this three year period which is fantastic. Thanks all for the guidance in finding comfort.

 

@wheezer So what did you get?

 

Certified 2019 Lexus NX300 Premium w/Nav. SOOOoooooo comfortable.
It cost me 10K plus my trade-in. Very happy with the NX 300

 

Very nice - aka Toyota Harrier! ;-)

 

Thank you.
I thought that as well, until I sat in and test drove the nx.