Heated car seats, they have certainly evolved over the years.

[Dave7]

I worked at Volvo, must have been early 80s.
Volvo first installed heated drivers seats as a safety measure. Yes, it was comfort related BUT comfortable, relaxed drivers = safer driving as drivers were not tensed up.
Then along came heated passenger seats.
Some 10 years ago my wifes Corsa had/has a heated steering wheel while my "better" spec Astra didnt grhhh.
This week my grandson got a 68 plate good spec Astra which has heated rear seats (that would have been useful in my courting days)..
Where will it finish i wonder (the heating, not my courting) ?

 

[Mo1959]

I worked at Volvo, must have been early 80s.
Volvo first installed heated drivers seats as a safety measure. Yes, it was comfort related BUT comfortable, relaxed drivers = safer driving as drivers were not tensed up.
Then along came heated passenger seats.
Some 10 years ago my wifes Corsa had/has a heated steering wheel while my "better" spec Astra didnt grhhh.
This week my grandson got a 68 plate good spec Astra which has heated rear seats (that would have been useful in my courting days)..
Where will it finish i wonder (the heating, not my courting) ?

Heated headrests with flaps that fold in to keep your ears warm?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Volvo first installed heated drivers seats as a safety measure. Yes, it was comfort related BUT comfortable, relaxed drivers = safer driving as drivers were not tensed up.

Not so sure about that assertion. It is well known that being too warm can make you drowsy, and opening a window to cool down helps you stay more alert.

 

[Drago]

even my van has heated seats.

Mrs D's car has heated seats all round and a heated steering wheel. Even when I was in the dibble the bottom spec Corsa's they'd hire for CID to run about in had heated steering wheels.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It will end with self tanning tubes, so you get a sun tan as you drive.

 

[Dave7]

Not so sure about that assertion. It is well known that being too warm can make you drowsy, and opening a window to cool down helps you stay more alert.

• 1974 Debut: Volvo first introduced electrically heated front seats in 1974 to help drivers cope with harsh Scandinavian winters. [1, 2]
• Safety Purpose: Unlike modern systems designed purely for intense luxury warmth, Volvo originally engineered the heaters to gently take the chill off the seat, helping the driver stay comfortable and alert. [1, 2]
• Thermostat Control: Early designs

 

[lenfield]

Where will it finish i wonder (the heating, not my courting) ?

Electric seats that give the driver a jolt if they go above the speed limit?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

• 1974 Debut: Volvo first introduced electrically heated front seats in 1974 to help drivers cope with harsh Scandinavian winters. [1, 2]
• Safety Purpose: Unlike modern systems designed purely for intense luxury warmth, Volvo originally engineered the heaters to gently take the chill off the seat, helping the driver stay comfortable and alert. [1, 2]
• Thermostat Control: Early designs

Can you provide a link to independent data showing that assertion to be true. All you have provided is marketing links above.

 

[ivegotabike]

The Mercedes S class now has heated seat belts in the front.

Heated, cooling and massaging seats are also a thing, e.g https://www.ford.co.uk/support/how-...ts-and-seatbelts/what-are-multi-contour-seats

 

[Dave7]

Can you provide a link to independent data showing that assertion to be true. All you have provided is marketing links above.

I am not that arsed tbh.
Volvo taught us that early 80s. That report 'confirms' it.
Feel free to dis' it.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Can you provide a link to independent data showing that assertion to be true. All you have provided is marketing links above.

There's a good book called Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker (professor of neuroscience and psychology and the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley) in which he explains that opening a window while driving may give a temporary sensory stimulation for a couple of minutes but does nothing to address the underlying physiological need for sleep.

Numerous studies in this field are conclusive.

Continuing to drive in that state is very dangerous and opening a window will not alleviate it.

 

[wafter]

Electric seats that give the driver a jolt if they go above the speed limit?

Can we go one better and have seats that cook the driver if they're installed in an SUV?

 

[Dogtrousers]

How swanky.

I drove a hire car in Finland about 15 years ago that had heated seats. A reasonable consideration in northern Finland in the winter. Apart from that I don't think I've come across them. I've never owned a car with them.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Not so sure about that assertion. It is well known that being too warm can make you drowsy, and opening a window to cool down helps you stay more alert.

Not that I'm interested, but there is research out there. With a bit of googling I'm sure a determined cherry-picker could find sufficient to support whatever bee they had in their bonnet. There might be research to support your drowsiness theory too.

First one I came across
These findings support adaptive, user-specific seat heating strategies to enhance comfort, safety, and energy efficiency in vehicles. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169814126001186

 

[Drago]

Blimey, why are we starting an argument over cars seats? No need for it to get heated!