SUV Head restraints

[OmegaMare]

We're looking around at small SUVs . My neck can't handle the position it's put into by the modern forward head restraint. The Mazda CX5 had my neck in spasm in 5 minutes. The Hyundai Tucson was better but not good enough; the salesman suggested I take out the restraint, turn it around, and put it back in, and that worked except that it was no longer height-adjustable. I'm also not sure about the insurance implications.

I've heard that the Forester has an adjusting head restraint, but don't know if it adjusts enough.

I am reluctant to spend all the money on a new vehicle, only to have to use an Obus form to keep my head 1/2" away from the head restraint. It's not just the principle that bothers me .... I am enjoying the heated seat feature, and the Obus form would get in the way.

I have a freakishly long, straight back, without much built-in padding. From what I read on the internet, mine is the toughest build to fit the modern seat design.

Anyone have any experience or suggestions? We're looking for comfort, quiet, easy access, reliable, good in town and the highway. So, basically, perfection?

[orono]

I gather you are needing to have your hear further forward, vs further back? I find the newer headrests put your head too far forward for my liking, I do wish they had more adjustments.

[OmegaMare]

Yes, orono, the new headrests put my head too far forward, taking my upper back with it, generating all sorts of upper back, shoulder, chest and neck pain, no matter how I adjust the angle of the seat or seat back. It's enough to put a person off driving. It reminds me of saddle-fitting-hell.

[orono]

I agree. I have sort of gotten use to mine but am now googling to try and find a solution! (I don't have a chronic issue though)

[heddylamar]

You're going to have to sit in vehicles. Both the Subaru and Infiniti (Nissan) adjust far enough back for me.

[boots-aregard]

I don't know what the insurance implications are either, but I took my headrests out and reversed them. The 'cant' of the modern design is all wrong for my back. Reversed, my head does not actually come in contact with the headrest, but I'm only a little bit away (like 1/2 an inch or so) in case of an impact.

[orono]

I did read that it impacts your insurance in the case of an accident, so might be worth looking into before turning them. Have you test driven the Santa Fe? I love mine and have adapted to the headrest, though I suspect it's similar to the tuscon.

[Racetrackreject]

My head can't rest on any headrest of any vehicle I've ridden in the past several years. I'm not sure what it is, but I feel your pain in trying to find something that works.

I'm sway-backed and I sit incredibly upright naturally. Even now, nothing above my hips touches the back of my office chair and it's the same in a car. Not sure how to fix that.

[OmegaMare]

When I reversed the headrest in the Tucson it was about 1/2" away from the back of my head, but I'm not sure it was high enough (I'd need to get a photo... the salesman said it was high enough, but I need a more objective opinion). The intention of the new design of head restraints is to have a 1/2" gap maximum; for me, I am in full contact with a curve in my upper back to make it work. It feels okay to begin with, but a few miles down the road my muscles are obviously tense. I'm going to try to talk to an insurance rep today. I don't know that I could ever claim on a whiplash injury anyway, as I have had so much trouble and physio for my neck.

Orono, we are moving up from a Toyota Echo, a pint-sized gas-can-on-wheels. Even the Tucson is going to feel huge for me, especially when it comes to parking in town. The Santa Fe is a bit bigger, and we really don't need the extra size for anything. The seat design is likely the same.

But boy is it nice to be in a fuller-sized vehicle. We loved the Echo, but it's noisy and bouncy and not at all a relaxed ride. Great in town though. We also have an older Sierra. It's like driving around in your couch -- very comfortable, but a horror in parking garages.

[boots-aregard]

It seems to me that car seat design has adopted a "lowest common denominator" viewpoint. I fit just fine if I slouch, like most people who work at computers all day. But I'm fighting that slouch, and I don't want my car to reinforce that slouch. In order to be comfortable in a modern vehicle's seat, I have to roll my shoulders forward and collapse my rib cage just a bit. Plus, my eyes are pretty much staring-at-the-steering-wheel level because of the position it puts my head in.

If you angle the seat back more, it works better, but that's only because you remove your back from the seatback entirely and can actually sit up straight.

Since the seats DO angle, and you ARE able to sit up straight (without touching the seat back) and that IS an option in the vehicle, I can't imagine there's anyway for insurance to ding you if you were to have an accident. (But of course, I am not a lawyer and I do not play one on TV. Nor did I sleep in a Holiday Inn last night.)

[Rhianon]

I have a new Forrester and the headrest is a killer for me--tips my head forward no matter how I adjust it. With severe stenosis, that's a big problem! I didn't think of the obus form solution. I'll try that. But then does that mean the headrest won't do what it's meant to do?

I'm 5 foot 3--not sure if height makes a difference.

[OmegaMare]

That's what I was afraid of, Rhianon. I had a quick sit in one and wasn't convinced it made enough difference. I am 5'8" and very very long in the back.

Boots, I wasn't able to sit up straight with only low back and head touching the seat. I think pelvis angle also comes into the equation.

[pawsplus]

I just tilt the seat back a bit, and that takes the headrest back behind me a bit when I am sitting erect. It still works, as I found out when I totalled my car in Jan., but it doesn't interfere with me.

[Rhianon]

I've tried tilting the seat back, but that puts my lower back into a bad position--I'm fighting to sit upright.

[Alex]

I'm in the same boat. I'd suggest getting a seat cushion for your entire back that's sufficient to bulk your back up enough to bring the head restraint into better alignment w/your torso. The seat cushion would compress in the event of an accident and shouldn't prevent the head restraint from functioning.

These car designers have waaaaayyy over done it w/this ultra-forward angle. I think they arrived at this angle because so many American drivers seem to like having their seats tilted slightly horizontally to the rear so the driver is kind of slumped on his butt.

[orono]

Good idea Alex, I like my seat back completely upright, adding a supportive cushion might be enough to equalize the headrest.

[TeresaA]

We rented a Chevrolet Traverse in Arizona for our vacation. The headrests were moveable front to back as well as up and down. I really liked the design.

[Rhianon]

I'm in the same boat. I'd suggest getting a seat cushion for your entire back that's sufficient to bulk your back up enough to bring the head restraint into better alignment w/your torso. The seat cushion would compress in the event of an accident and shouldn't prevent the head restraint from functioning.

YES!! I did this as a result of suggestions on this thread, and I was able to drive to and from the city without getting a headache--the usual result of the awkward angle. I just used a relatively, cheap bed pillow. The back of my head almost but not quite touches the headrest.

[Alex]

Thanx for being our test subject, Rhianon!! I've got a HIDEOUS body pillow I bought for a human youngster w/emotional difficulties that I haven't used since then and it is going to be dedicated to this should I bite the bullet and buy a second car for myself.

[viscountessleftfield]

Good idea Alex, I like my seat back completely upright, adding a supportive cushion might be enough to equalize the headrest.

They caution pregnant women against cushions because the seat belt locks, then the cushion compresses, then the seat belt can't do it's job.

I'm pretty sure that advice goes for the non-incubating crowd, too!

No advice for you, I'm really short and my head doesn't hit the headrest properly, so I feel your pain!

[OmegaMare]

I had a chat with my insurance agent about the implications of turning the headrest around to a position I could tolerate. She said it would not void my insurance, but if I was in an accident and suffered whiplash, my claim would probably be denied even if the modified headrest position ended up being the one advocated by the insurance industry (ie, no more than 1" behind my head, and centered correctly vertically.)

Given all the physio I have had on my neck, I'm not sure I could ever succeed in a whiplash claim anyway.

It looks like I have a choice of reversing the headrest and hoping I don't have a whiplash accident, or using an obus form to add seat padding/structure but lose the benefit of heated seat back.

Still shopping. There is no good solution. Unless I win a lotto and get high-end BMW or Audi. Ha!

[OmegaMare]

I was back at the Hyundai dealer today to check the headrest height when reversed. My salesman wasn't there, so another helped me. She didn't like my position in the seat of the Tucson and suggested I try the Santa Fe because the head restraint adjusts horizontally as well as vertically. Interestingly, the Santa Fe was easier to get in and out of (higher opening and narrower sill) and the seat was more comfortable with less forward curvature in the upper back. And the restraint may slide back enough for me... I would need a long test drive to be sure. But I didn't want a Santa Fe! It is about a foot longer and the turning circle is 2 feet bigger! And I am used to an Echo, which would probably fit in the back seat of the Santa Fe.