Clarity Seats....uncomfortable?

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by NJClarity, Jun 30, 2018.

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  1. Ken Chino Hills

    Ken Chino Hills New Member

    Good to know, I was in talks with some of the design people at "Extend my seat" bought the rails for the accord, obviously didn't fit.....they have so far refused to design rail extensions for the Clarity because the car is so new (and they haven't received enough complaints) custom fit rails from them are 1500 dollars and they need the car for a week.... Yikes
    I wonder now if I bought rails for the civic if they would fit?
     
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  3. blastfurnace

    blastfurnace Member

    This is interesting. I am 6'-1" and 200 lbs and find the seats to be wide and comfy...especially compared to my BMW X1 seats. I really wouldn't want them any wider...it would be like driving in a King sized bed!
     
  4. 2002

    2002 Well-Known Member

    sub·jec·tive
    based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions

    I'm sure that is not what you meant, although looking at some of the other comments I am not sure that some people don't think it's just a matter of personal taste. People cannot change their body shape other than gaining or losing weight which as far as car seats goes would make a difference in some cases but not others. When we buy shoes and clothing we can select the size that best fits us. When we buy furniture we can try it out in the showroom and select something comfortable, although like with cars it's hard to predict long term comfort, but at least with a chair or sofa you can reposition yourself to some extent when sitting for longer periods, or simply get up occasionally when needed. With a car however it's one size fits all which you either are lucky or not that it will be comfortable for you when jammed behind the wheel for several hours with sometimes limited options for rest breaks. Glad you were lucky. Others weren't and are trying to find remediation, which is not always possible. I haven't made any long drives yet so I don't know yet what it will be like for me.
     
  5. RobinBrain

    RobinBrain Member

    The seats seem fine to me. I'm 6'1" Maybe it's because I'm coming form a 2000 accord, so any seat is an improvement
     
  6. Robert_Alabama

    Robert_Alabama Well-Known Member

    As I have said before, it is generally interesting to me how there can be so many views on a subject. I haven't ever given a second thought to the comfort for the seats. I have the touring model and I find them as comfortable as I would want. I like the look. I am also 6'1" and am anything but a regular in yoga class. I do have a back that can aggravate me, so I like the heated seats. I do wish there was a separate setting for heating the seat back alone or the cushion or both.
     
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  8. 2002

    2002 Well-Known Member

    Would you be equally surprised by the many differences of opinion on how well size 10D shoes fit?
     
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  9. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    I haven’t been as sympathetic as I should have been with those who have found the seats uncomfortable since they seemed fine to me with only occasional use of a lumbar pillow for my injured back.
    Well, the shoe’s on the other foot now, and here is your seat laugh for the day.

    I recently became diabetic and was put on an injectable Byetta pen (exenatide) that brought my A1c down to 5.9 which is practically normal. Yah!! It also has a side effect in some people that may cause some weight loss. Boy howdy, did that hit me! I lost 50 lbs in 7 months without even trying to diet or exercise. I just don’t have hunger pangs and don’t feel like eating as much or as often as I used to. And that fixed my hypertension as well. Wow, a triple win.

    Now for the humorous bad news. With much less padding in my personal ,ahem, “trunk”, my normally comfortable Clarity Touring seats are now awful. After about 10 min, I’m very uncomfortable where my hip bones hit the seat bottom (but at least it makes my back pain almost unnoticeable). Add yes, I’ve tried every angle of the Touring seat. My perfect Clarity is now not so perfect.

    My experience makes me wonder if the variability of the human form is causing some to love and some to hate the seats. I think it’s next to impossible to design a seat that fits absolutely everybody. Even the military’s new modular handgun with 3 different sizes of grips will only fit 95% of all service members. So logically, there is no way one seat is going to fit every single person’s unique shape. The designers are just trying to hit the middle of the bell curves for all the many ergonomic measures of the highly variable human form.

    So while I wait for someone to post that a Civic seat will work, I found a highly rated seat cushion on Amazon with a washable cover that is saving my bacon (or rather my lack of bacon). It works great, but only comes in black, so it’s a little bit of an eyesore on the beige seat.
    Link:
    https://www.amazon.com/your-orders/pop/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_pop?_encoding=UTF8&gen=canonical&lineItemId=kkpgrripsimtwny&orderId=112-1808780-8848267&packageId=1&returnSummaryId=&returnUnitIndices=&shipmentId=D71rhwXt3
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2019
    ClarityDoc and 2002 like this.
  10. 2002

    2002 Well-Known Member

    Eureka! Although that means "I have found it", I'm not sure what the word is for "you have found it" :) Ergonomics is a complex subject, easily ignored and only appreciated when you find yourself in a situation that causes discomfort.

    @Sandroad stated it very well in a previous thread on this topic:

    "It's more than just height; it's leg length, arm length, weight, torso length, neck length, flexibility, width, shape, and pre-conditions that pre-dispose you to problems and probably many other factors."
     
  11. 4sallypat

    4sallypat Active Member

    Wow, I wish I could take this diabetes drug myself - it would help me out big time (weight loss, lowering blood pressure) but I don't have a high sugar level.
    BUMMER!
     
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  13. Robert_Alabama

    Robert_Alabama Well-Known Member

    You know, I never really thought about that really. Maybe I'm just easily surprised. And I thought we were talking about seats, not shoes, which are more designed to fit most occupants, not ordered to a specific fit. I am more surprised that I have never owned a car where I have spent any significant amount of time thinking about the comfort or lack of comfort of the seats. I seem to have much less of a concern for seat comfort than most. Kind of like having a wide tolerance to temperature in a room, whereas others are cold or hot. However, your question does make me want to ask one as well. Are you naturally a nuisance and ill-mannered or is it something you have to work at to accomplish?
     
  14. MPower likes this.
  15. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    Sorry about that. I don’t have teen age tech support anymore (He graduated, got a job and is getting married next year).
    Here it is (I hope):

    https://www.amazon.com/Everlasting-Comfort-Cushion-Designed-Tailbone/dp/B01EBDV9BU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=seat+cushion&qid=1564083293&s=gateway&sprefix=seat+&sr=8-3

    There are a ton on Amazon. I picked this one because it had so many good reviews.
     
  16. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    I don’t know what’s going on. I go to Amazon.com in Safari and find the cushion but when I copy the link it changes to the above. Argggg!
    Try searching for Everlasting comfort seat cushion.

    OK, logged out of Amazon and copied this link. Maybe this will work.

    https://www.amazon.com/Everlasting-Comfort-Cushion-Designed-Tailbone/dp/B01EBDV9BU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=everlasting+comfort+seat+cushion&qid=1564083879&s=gateway&sprefix=evwrlas&sr=8-3
     
  17. 2002

    2002 Well-Known Member

    And that's the problem and the reason for the shoe comparison, which I got by the way from a previous post earlier in this thread by someone who experiences discomfort in the Clarity seat on longer drives, and who used the bad fitting shoes comparison as a way to try and relate what it was like.

    It is not practical for car makers to offer different sizes of seats even though people have different body shapes. So they try and create a seat that will be comfortable for the largest amount of people, with the result that any particular seat will usually be fine for most people, mildly uncomfortable for some, and unfortunately very uncomfortable or even acutely painful on longer drives for a smaller group that either have a specific body shape or a physical condition that makes them more sensitive. This smaller group tends to experience that in some cars they are okay or at least just mildly uncomfortable on longer drives, but in other cars it is really intolerable. In many cases they have never had a previous problem then they purchase a particular car and realize too late that the seat for them is not a good fit. The human body is complex, and car seats are a unique situation due to the length of time in a fixed position with few opportunities to change position or stretch even for a moment. The only other comparison would probably be something like airplane seats, although for most people that is only something they endure for a few hours a year a most.

    Those who have an ongoing issue usually have to experiment with different types of cushions which doesn't always work, and it takes experimentation on longer trips to find out. The problem oftentimes is the lower seat length or width, which obviously is a potential area of weight and cost savings for car manufacturers. Unfortunately custom seats are no longer an option like they used to be because of airbags and sensors.

    Which means you likely have a body shape that fits in with the average. Lucky for you. And it's not as simple as height, people of the same height can easily have different body shapes, as well as varying levels of back health.

    My bad, it's not because of your body shape it's because you are tougher, not wimpy like others who complain about their car seat.

    This is why I am riding this so hard because your comments come across as insensitive to people who have an actual problem with certain car seats that causes discomfort or even pain on longer drives, when it has nothing to do with their tolerance or their "viewpoint". I don't believe you are purposely trying to be insensitive or look down on people who are complaining, you are just befuddled about it because you don't have a problem and wonder why anyone else should. If I am mistaken and you actually understand that some people have a real issue that is causing them discomfort or pain and you were just commenting that you are one of the fortunate ones that don't have such an issue and just didn't word it as well as you could have, then I apologize.
    With most people it would take some effort, with others not nearly as much.

    A note to others, including myself. Our backs are complex and in many ways delicate structures. Most damage occurs over time and in many cases is irreversible. Posture, exercise, as well as making careful choices in all types of seating purchases is something most of us should think of more than we do. Don't just endure discomfort or pain, your body is telling you something.
     
  18. 4sallypat

    4sallypat Active Member

    But that memory foam unit seems to be made for women because there is a lump where men's privates are going to get crushed...
    I wonder if they make one for men ?
     
  19. Totally agree with you Ken Chino, the seats on the Clarity are really really bad. After 2 months of trying every f* positions, my back hurts after a 10minutes ride. Never had this problem with my old cars (Toyota Tercel,Matrix, Subaru Outback, Forester). And this is not like shoes that you can return, I doubt that any dealer would take the car back. The Clarity was perfect on paper but not as perfect in really. Already have a A/C problem after only 2 months. Wish I could return it and get my Matrix back.
     
  20. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    I didn’t notice that until I got it and it wasn’t worth the shipping cost to return so I just whacked that part off.
    The cushion, not me!!!!
     
    ClarityDoc, MPower and 4sallypat like this.
  21. Teslawannabe

    Teslawannabe Active Member

    My Clarity seat feels good for about the first hour, then my back starts hurting. I can feel lumbar support in the seat, not being adjustable makes it a different fit for different people. My back hurts after sleeping all night so i'm sure in my case it is just years of hard labor. What I am missing is the lack of cooled seats. Here in Florida a/c cooled seating is great. Even Mustangs have that on the higher level models. Clarity Touring should be equipped likewise.
     
  22. Teslawannabe

    Teslawannabe Active Member

    Sorry to hear about your A/C problem. This Clarity is my first Honda, and a risky one to boot. I know the A/C compressor in a Ford Cmax a few years ago was around $2700. with no labor. Having a high voltage vehicle makes every thing expensive. Hoping for the best.
     
  23. Atkinson

    Atkinson Active Member

    I disconnected the J hooks at the bottom of the seat back cover and unzipped the rear drivers cover, then flipped it over the top of the seat to get a look at why these seats are so bad.
    It appears that the foam is solid and firm, but there is little to no support for the foam.
    I cut a 10" x 18" piece of 1/2 plywood and inserted it into the seat frame to support the foam and it feels great to me.
    Very good lumbar and thoracic support for my spine.
    Easily modified if I need to shim it anywhere (or remove it completely).
    Requires no fasteners, but I will evaluate as time goes on in case the plywood shifts at all.
    This is the way I would have liked the seats delivered by Honda.
     
    Teslawannabe likes this.

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