Does anyone else find Car/Truck headrests to be uncomfortable?

[Caden]

Off topic question but I'm curious.

I drive a early 80s Ford Truck. Basic seat with no headrests. I find it very comfortable, and it allows you to keep a good posture.

Whenever I have to drive a newer vehicle, I feel that the headrest is aggressively tilted forward, making your neck constantly bent. I know headrests are supposed to be somewhat close to your head due to whiplash reasons, but to me they are extremely uncomfortable to an average height person.

Is this just me because I'm used to not having a headrest or is this a common thing?

 

[Bee-Positive]

I'm 5' 10", never noticed. Some headrests are adjustable, you sure it just wasn't adjusted correctly or do you find them all uncomfortable? Maybe it's a personal anatomy trait.

 

[Caden]

I'm 5' 10", never noticed. Some headrests are adjustable, you sure it just wasn't adjusted correctly or do you find them all uncomfortable? Maybe it's a personal anatomy trait.

I very well may have missed an adjustment... I have never found any of them comfortable but I have never heard anyone else have a problem with them either which is why I figured to ask about it.

 

[cliffboyer]

Have same issue with wife's Nissan. She's about 5'1" and still front rests tilt so much they touch her head. Simple fix was to flip around so they angle back.

I removed the rear ones altogether for more visibility when turning head to look out the back. Rarely does anyone ride in back seats, so safety not a big concern there.

 

[NCL4701]

I don’t know about every older pickup ever made, but I know the bench seat in my 1973 Dodge regular cab was more similar to sitting in a church pew than a modern vehicle. There was plenty of head room and you sat up straight. The “headrest” was the back window. Seen a bunch of those busted out by occupants heads in wrecks back when regular cab trucks were popular.

Newer vehicles, the seat designers expect you to drive in a semi-reclined position and they’ve moved the headrests to angle forward to be close to the back of your head to reduce whiplash in front/back collisions.

That creates problems for people who tend to sit up relatively straight either because they’re short, they prefer sitting up straight, or they like to crowd the steering wheel. If you sit up straight, a headrest designed for a reclining driver will force your head forward.

Not saying the below is some sort of official SAE design parameter or anything similar, but it’s a decent visual representation of what’s going on IMO. If nothing else, it’s pretty clear if the driver moves the seat to a fully upright position, the headrest will push his head forward into an unnatural position.

 

[ken erickson]

I recently purchased a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. I also kept my 2002 Grand Cherokee.

2017 headrests tilt forward , I find them very uncomfortable compared to the 2002. I do prefer to sit more upright versus reclined.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

OMG…..I was just asking my wife the same thing…No shit!

We rented a Jeep Cherokee Wagoneer about 2 months ago to go to SC. (~14 hours away)

Turned out to be the longest, most uncomfortable trip I have ever taken.

I wasn’t even past Detroit (35 min) before I had to pull over, and try to figure out what was wrong with the headrest!!!! My neck was killing me.

Found out, that’s the way they are.

Not to mention my ass was so sore after only 2 hours, my legs were going numb.

The seat must have been designed by the guy that designed Iron Maidens...

I told my wife that there was no way in hell I would buy one of those things SPECIFICALLY for that reason.

I drive for 12 hours in my 21 year old truck with no problems, but those new Jeeps are insanely uncomfortable.

 

[skeets]

I swear the people that design these cars and trucks are all 5 foot 6 inches tall and weigh 110 pounds. My truck went in for some front end work and the dealer lent me a new Chevy little truck Colorado I think it is. It looks not large but big enough. I had the seat pushed all the way back my knees were in the steering well and my toes hit both the gas and brake. The worst POS I have ever driven

 

[CTinline-six]

I recently purchased a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. I also kept my 2002 Grand Cherokee.

2017 headrests tilt forward , I find them very uncomfortable compared to the 2002. I do prefer to sit more upright versus reclined.

Many newer cars have very uncomfortable interiors, even luxury cars. I had a 2009 BMW 3-series that was pretty comfortable, the seats in my 2019 Grand Cherokee are good. My early 90s Grand Cherokee takes the cake though, the seats were like sitting on a plush couch. These days it seems every vehicle seat is about holding you in while doing mach 3 around a corner. Sure that is great for the track, but it sucks when you want to drive a sport sedan on a 4 hour drive and by hour 1 your back already hurts.

 

[Old Machinist]

All headrests are not angled the same. Most if not all are adjustable for height. I had to raise the one in my F150 so my head hits it at the lower area of the slant which helps but it isn't perfect.

My old Mustang has aftermarket racing seats and the head area is fixed at the same angle as the seat back. It works fine for driving with a helmet but offers no natural support without a helmet on. I keep one of those travel neck supports in the car for when I drive it on the street.

Some headrests can be pulled all the way out and reinstalled reversed so they angle rearward. I had a 13 Mustang I could do that on and had to reverse the headrest when driving it with a helmet on. If you prefer low back seats you might try doing that.

 

[cliffboyer]

Love my 1997 Suburban for road trips. Head rests are straight up, in line with seat back. And I'm 6'3". Can drive for hours on end with no serious issues. Getting older, I do stop every 2 hours to stretch legs and walk around a bit. more comfortable than wife's pervious 1995 Eldorado. Better ride too.

 

[GeoHorn]

I found this problem when I bought my 2012 Ram 1500….and ended up pulling the headrests up.out of the seat-back and placing their “rods” in a vise…. gave ‘em a little “tweak”…. and solved that problem.

When I bought subsequent Ram trucks… the headrests do not bother me…. I’m wondering if it’s because I’ve grown older (it’s almost 15 yrs now)….and “old man posture” may be creeping up on me…. I may be tilting my head more forward …(”hunched over) like an old-man …. than I used—to, becuase the new trucks don’t bother m….and I doubt Ram changed anything.

Reclining the seat may help you if you don’t want to “bend” the mounting-rods. By reclining more …you will naturally tilt your head more forward… perhaps the headrest wil no longer bruch against the back of your head. ??

 

[Blue2Orange]

Basic work truck trim on my Chevy. Headrest adjustment is limited to up and down. Seats limited to just the rake of the back and forward/back. Was told years, decades ago that the proper headrest height is the top of the rest close to the top of your ears for best protection against whiplash. Maybe a pre-internet myth? I'm short. The headrest all the way down sits in the "proper" position. No discomfort at any seat back rake angle.

 

[mikester]

Some are, some aren’t. Tell the wife you NEED to buy a new vehicle.