Are my seats the only ones that are so uncomfortable?

I've got a bone stock 2000 C2 with the standard mechanical seats with the electric recline. Now I have to say that I've got two other Porsches, a 1984 Carrera with the stock "sport" seats and a brand new 2007 Cayman, also with standard seats. With that said, the seats in my 996 are far and away the most uncomfortable seats I've ever sat in. The problem seems to be an overabundance of lower back lumbar support. It basically feels like I've constantly got someone's knee sticking in the small of my back. I swear, I've never fiddled with seats as much as these trying to find a comfortable position. In contrast, the seats in the '84 and those in my wife's Cayman are supremely comfortable, with none of the severe lower back lumbar support built in. Am I the only one to notice this, and if not, what have you guys done about this issue? I'm seriously considering trying to find some alternate seats to put in - maybe Cayman, 997, or even Boxster seats. What do you guys think about this?

The standard seats in my wife's Boxster are the same as yours and I have sat in the drivers seat as well a passengers seat for hundreds of miles without issues. My 996 has Sports Seats and these are probably the most comfortable seats I've sat in. 1700 miles in 3 days and when I got home I didn't want to get out of the car they were so comfortable ;-) I find the standard seats in the Boxster more comfortable than the ones in my wife's '06 Lexus. I've heard of people stuffing things in the lumbar area before and maybe this has been done on your car. BTW I am 6' and 185#.

Interesting. I'll take a look behind the cushion. Thanks.

Scott - We have the same cars and my experience has been that the Carrera 3.2 seats are more comfortable than the 996. I have no idea why, but I have a much better seating position in the 3.2.

So, I'm one of those guys that gets into a car and cranks the lumbar sport until the lower cushion is practically popping out of the seat. Sooooo... I find my seat quite comfortable. However, I can understand the frustration of an uncomfortable seat. Spoils the whole experience. May I suggest foregoing a Porsche seat altogether and getting a high-end Recaro? The number of adjustments will give you a better chance of finding a comfortable seating position. Peter

Get GT3 seats!

no problem w my std seats. wish they have a little more lateral support, that's all. i suspect your seat may be modified. is the passenger the same way?

I managed to peek behind the seat cushion and found no pillow or anything like that back there. However, both seats have a spring-like structure that basically pushes the cushion away from the shell. It looks like it belongs there. Oh well. I'll keep fiddling until I can find some seats I like. Any recommendations (besides pricy GT3 seats).

Mine use to bother me until I had a butectomy Much better now

I agree, but in reverse. My '02 has standard seats with the supple leather option. I wish it had more lumbar support, not less. Just goes to show you, you can't please everyone (so you've got to please yourself). Michael

I too find MY01 seat highly uncomfortable for long drives (over 2 hours) and I end with back pain. I hope I can explain this correctly while taking my first sip of coffee. It isn't due to the lumbar support (which I like) but rather the fact the front section of the lower part of the seat is higher then the rear part of the lower seat. For short, spirited drives it is great but for longer drives it puts a a lot of strain on the lower back because the knees are higher then the @ss. I know someone who went to a trim shop and for $100 had another cushion (~12in X 2in.) added to the back section of horizontal part of the seat and it looks/works great. Much cheaper option then new seats. I found sitting on a thin, memory foam cushion also works well for longer drive.

My seats are the best of any car I have owned, ride in a CLK Benz and you will appreciate your seats. In the past, this was the biggest complaint from the CLK owners, and I totally understand why after riding in my ex's car.

Completely agreed. I've had an Acura, 2 Corrados, a Jeep, an M3, and a Boxster S (same as 996) and the 996 seats fit me like a glove. It's definitely a personal preference thing as everyone here has suggested. You might want to sit in a few other 996 seats and check if they feel the same as yours, or maybe even discover that yours is defective. Otherwise, there are literally dozens of options to choose from in the aftermarket and you're best course is to sit in each of them and get the one that feels best. Nothing ruins a nice drive like incorrect and uncomfortable sitting position. One last thing comes to mind, have tried moving the seat bottom a little farther back (away from the pedals) and tilting the seat farther forward (more vertical)? Sometimes when a seat is too reclined, it exaggerates the lumbar pinch a bit. Let us know what you discover.

Funny thing is, I believe mine lacks lumbard support.

Scott, I have the sport seats and I think they are the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in. Try them next time I see you.

I have the sports seats and I find them too short (or I'm too tall). Quite irritating to sit like a C, the shoulder blade getting pushed out by the top curve of the seat.

The Previous Owner had these installed and I love them. Heated, cooled, very adjustable, Lumbar, etc...and they look cool. They use to have an ad for them on Rennlist. Great seats.

I have the so-called Sport seats on my 40th and the lack of lombard support just kills my back. I can usually do no more than 2,000k before I need some serious rest from driving it.

2000k? Where the heck are you driving? Manitoba?

M Fig does the cooling function actually work during the summer?

I dont' think it really "cools". I have turned it on and heard a fan go on and i suppose if you were on a track and had the AC turned off it would be better than nothing, but it's not as noticable as the heat function.

Yeah, but what about the comfort seats? I have a pair, and they kill me. Argh. Need GT3s. What's the closest thing to a GT3 seat without a fixed back? I actually use my rear seats occasionally for luggage and passengers, too, not all that infrequently

Sorry for the late response guys. I was out skiing today with my wife (getting blown around by 40 to 50 mph winds actually, and dealing with the resultant insane wind chill - like about 5 below.) Mark, you seem to have hit the nail on the head. It seems as if the rear of my seat is just to low compared to the front, which seems to really exaggerate the lumbar support in that area. I was sitting in the seats (left and right) and noticed that the very bottom of my back (near the butt) doesn't even touch the seat-back at all. Rather, the area a couple of inches above that is where the back makes firm contact with the seat. And then, higher up, my upper shoulders don't even touch the seat at all. My mid-back area seems to take the entire pressure. Interestingly, as I said earlier, my wife's Cayman and my '84 have beautiful seats. I can sit in those for hours with no squirming. I squirm after five minutes in the 996. M Fig, those Recaros look really good. Do you know roughly what they cost? Brian, I'll take you up on your offer to sit in your car.

I find my standard seats to be rather comfortable, in fact I've spent literally DAYS sitting in them and was shocked that I didn't get cramps or uncomfortable by the end of my trips. I've taken long trips in the past in other cars and gotten cramps going up my legs, lower back, etc, and I think my 99 is the most comfortable seats I've owned.

You guys that have standard seats and are in love with them...would you take a picture and show me your seats? I want to see if there might be something different about them compared to mine. Thanks.

I'll bet your seats are exactky the same as others but due factors such as posture, age, driving habits, height, etc the standard seats just aren't a good design for a small % of us - especially on road trips. Check with a good trim shop about adding some additional padding under the rear part of the lower section, so it is almost even with the front of the seat and you'll be thrilled. I started this same thread almost verbatim on a different forum last year after driving my car home from Ga. to Md.

Thanks Kolshak, I'm guessing you're right. For some reason I'm the type of driver who hates any sort of middle to lower back support at all. I fly an airplane for a living and I constantly need to adjust the lumbar support all the way down to the minimum position, yet I find quite a few pilots have adjusted the lumbar out quite a way, if not all the way. I don't know how those guys can stand it but we are all different when it comes to comfort. I may very well try your suggestion. Does the mod push you way up high in the seat to where you feel as if you are sitting almost too high up?

I didn't do it my car because it only bother me on long drives. I do use a 2 inch piece of memory foam to level out the bottom of the seat for longer hauls and it works great - no back pain. The person who actually added the extra cushion into the seat said it worked wonders - he did both driver & passenger sides. With the seat all the way down he still had plenty of headroom. Lot cheaper then replacing the seats. Good luck!

Maybe it makes a difference that I am 5'8" and 165lbs(?). The seat seems to fit me like a glove. I spent a lot of time on adjusting my seating position. I'm sure you guys have stumbled across the guidlines that are out there for supposedly the "perfect" posiiton to sit in, as written by race/performance drivers I think. Anyway, they just talk about distance to the pedals and seat height and stuff. First thing they recommend the seat be as low as possible, and close enough to the pedals so that when fully depressed, your leg will still have a slight bend in it. The seat back should be fairly upright, and when your shoulders are pushed back into the seat, your wrists should be able to rest on the top of the wheel with hands hanging over - with fully outstretched arms - so when you are at 9 and 3, your arms would be slightly bent. If you are a little too far or close to the wheel for this position, you should adjust the seat back angle to fine-tune it. Most people sit too far back btw. Now, I understand that these guidlines are more for being in the perfect position to sit balanced and in control of the car in all situations, however I think maybe it would be a good starting point for comfort. From here all there is to worry about it the angle of the seat bottom. My seat has a slight upward angle, but not too much that it lifts my legs too much. Well, all that stuff I wrote probably doesn't apply to some people anyway, who may simply have body shapes/types that aren't very compatible with certain seats. Hell I don't know I'm just rambling.

i'm 5'6'' and i have the stadard seat....... comfortable, but the sport seats are just heaven especially with lumbar........ i wish i had the lumbar support............

I noticed that in my old Boxster (with standard seats), the lumbar area's seat insert had a habit of popping out around back where it fit into the seat with a furring strip of sorts. Whenever this happened it had the effect of adding to the lumbar area. I'd check behind your seat to see if the strip is loose, and if so, carefully tuck it back into place. This may help, but if it doesn't you might want to find an upholstery shop that could shave a cm or two off the foam backing of the center insert. Mark

My '02 seats are the same way........ They are extremely uncomfortable after a while and I have found no real adjustment to make it better. I will say they are exactly the same as my '99 Boxster. My friend has a 997 and the seats are night and day different as far as comfort is concerned! Tony

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dam these look nice! i wonder the price? (and the seat back width)

i have the standard seats, i am 5'10" and 230 lbs. the bolsters are about 2-2.5" too narrow in the back and a bit higher bolsters would be an improvement. (i do want to keep rear adjustibility though)

Love mine - but many people cannot even get in (or out) of my car

I don't have a problem with my seats but I DO have a problem with my arm resting on the door. My elbow resting on the arm support is shot after an hour of driving. I don't know why Porsche didn't put even a little padding under the leather but I guess with the driving postion I use the inside of my elbow right on the bone rubs against what I think is a too hard arm support, (top side of the flip open cover). Was there an option ever produced that upgraded this unit to one with more padding?

I have a 2003 with sport seats. I can't speak to how well they might support MS. Lombard but I find the lumbar support more then adequate for my back. I�m 6�3� 265lbs. The seat bottoms are a completely different story. I�m crippled after about 20 minutes. I bought new seat foam and with that as a backup I took my seat out and started modifications. The seats are very easy to take apart and reassemble no hog rings just clips. I ended up adding about 2� of foam from a sport seat cushion. The Porsche foam is only $50 -$75 dollars depending on where you get it. Vertex or Sunset.

Well, as it turns out, I fiddled and fiddled until I finally found the ONE seat position that worked for me. Once I had it, I pulled the fuse that controls the seat back angle so that no one - me included - could change it. I've been comfortable ever since. The seat bottom position is easy for me to re-adjust: all the way to the floor. Thanks for all of the replies, btw.

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Can you be more specific about what you added where? Did you replace the old foam with new first? Or did you cut chunks from the new foam and bolster the old foam in places?

I ordered a "sport seat" bottom foam from Sunset that turned out to be about 1" thinner then my original foam, ~$75. Then I ordered a "comfort seat" bottom foam that turned out to be very similar to the sport seat cushions in my 2003, $50 from Vertex. I also ordered the mat or seat cushion carrier that supports the foam bottom. I doubled the mat and mounted the comfort foam then used an electric knife to shape the sport cushion to get the extra support I wanted. The cover is not stretched up it just does not compress as much in the center. This keeps me off the seat pan "side rails".