Here are some products that could help. This outfit sells a support called a Tush-Cush that I wholeheartedly “support” [rimshot]. I use the ‘cush’ for support and comfort in one of my rough-riding trucks, and I would imagine their other products are of similar high-quality. It changes the angle and shape of the seat to something that will allow me to travel long distances. (The original seatcushion support and angle was horrible.) You can probably find some examples to try by looking for a chain of stores called “Relax the Back”. I found one here in the DFW area that let me try out several support cuchions before I bought one. Don’t know if any of this will help, but it’s a place to start.
Good luck. I’m having the same headrest problem with the wife’s Camry, but haven’t done anything since I don’t drive it much.
I don’t believe that’s what the OP complained about. He said the problem is that it’s uncomfortable. If someone asks, “How can I change the seat so I’m not looking at my knees?”, you might be on to something, but I don’t think anyone asked that. As for me, I didn’t have any problem looking straight ahead in the Civic; the problem was that it made my neck sore. Again, it’s not the absolute angle of the seat, it’s the relationship between the seat back and the headrest, which, due to the non-adjustability of the headrest, is a fixed relationship.
>I don’t believe that’s what the OP complained about.
You’re exactly right. My complaint arises because of the completely unadjustable relationship between the plane of the seat back and the location of the front of the headrest. I would be just as uncomfortable conforming to this no matter what our overall angle. Being able to see the road is a separate issue, and is fine.
>Here are some products that could help.
pullin, big thanks for some leads. I will pursue these eagerly!
Six inches! Sheesh! Why isn’t everyone complaining??
[Wild ass guess mode] Because we don’t find them uncomfortable?[/WAGM]
I just went and measured my seat on my Volvo. depending on just how and where I measure it it comes out as between about 5" and about 7" I find the headrests to be very comfortable in my car. Furthermore, crash tests have shown the headrests in my car to be among the most effective on the market in preventing injuries.
My question back to you is, why would you buy a car that you find the seat so uncomfortable to sit in? I have a bad neck, and I don’t care if the car has 500HP, goes 0-60 in 3 seconds, gets 50MPG and gives blowjobs, If the seat is uncomfortable, I am looking at something else.
Sorry for the necro-thread-bump, but this thread still shows high up in Google’s search results for this topic, so, I’m respecting good SEO practices.
I think both the OP and I suffer from a chronic condition known as “proper neck posture.” Unfortunately, the manufacturers of modern automobiles seem to assume everyone has poor neck posture.
Headrests in many modern cars force you to sit like the person on the right. I, however, prefer my head to remain on top of my spine and not hanging forward from it. In cars that do this (Toyotas are especially bad, IME), I find myself leaning left or right of the headrest so I can stretch my neck back and relieve the tension on my neck muscles, which strain to hold up the weight of my neck while being forced to lean forward.
Now, all this said, this thread was last active in 2007, and the car I’m riding in now and suffering from a painful neck in is a 2008 Toyota Camry. I think that things have gotten a little better in the last few years, as most newer cars I’ve rented or driven in the last few years have either had adjustable or less-obnoxious headrests. Still, I wanted to confirm the OP’s complaint and provide links to a couple of those images that illustrate the issue.
But changing the seat recline will change the angle of your head relative to the seatback. When you recline the seat further, you don’t lean your head back by the same angle - you will tilt your head forward (relative to the seatback) so you can still see ahead. This should increase the clearance between your head and the headrest.
I have a 2006 Jeep Cherokee, what we ended up doing is pushing the adjustment button, taking the headrest out, and reversing it. No, it most likely is not as effective, but now my wife (her car) can drive the car without complaint. Both of us have good posture and with this car I think that is a problem.
What I’ve heard is 1: take it out and reverse it (this is sort of the unwritten rule, it is unofficially designed to do this, yes you are taking a risk the automakers are not by doing this), or 2 order the european head restraint (if available). If you also order the euro sun visor you will not get all those warning written on them.
IIRC on my 2002 Wrangler, the headrest was tiltable if you pressed forward really hard like when the bucket seat was layed forward. Like leaning against it when getting out of the back seat. It took a hard pull to get it back straight. Usually a right roundhouse to the passenger headrest got it to move.
To adjust my head restraints, I simply rock it all the way forward. Then it will click all the way back. At that point I can tilt it forward to the angle I want. Give this a try!
Uh yeah, pain in the neck. I am a big guy with a big head and this new headrest leans wayyy to far forward. The problem with reversing the headrest is that it removes all support. I took it out and bent the rods, one at a time, to a comfortable position. Who said they aren’t adjustable???
