Automobile seat comfort: occupant preferences vs. anthropometric accommodation

Automobile seat design specifications cannot be established without considering the comfort expectations of the target population. This contention is supported by published literature, which suggests that ergonomics criteria, particularly those related to physiology, do not satisfy consumer comfort. The objective of this paper is to challenge ergonomics criteria related to anthropometry in the same way. In this context, 12 subjects, representing a broad range of body sizes, evaluated five different compact car seats during a short-term seating session. Portions of a reliable and valid survey were used for this purpose. The contour and geometry characteristics of the five seats were quantified and compared to the survey information. Discrepancies were discovered between published anthropometric accommodation criteria and subject-preferred lumbar height, seatback width, cushion length, and cushion width. Based on this finding, it was concluded that automobile seat comfort is a unique science. Ergonomics criteria, while serving as the basis for this science, cannot be applied blindly for they do not ensure comfortable automobile seats.