On COMPUTER BILD’s test and comparison portal, we present you with the best seat heaters.
Not every car comes standard with the luxury of heated seats. Does not sound fair – it is not. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to do it ourselves, and for only about 10 to 25 euro a seat heater can be retrofitted in an uncomplicated way.
If you don’t want to wait shivering on cold winter days until the seat heater has finally warmed up, you should choose a product with fast heat generation. Which seat heater is the best and which convinces with a particularly good price-performance ratio? get all the information you need with the help of our test and comparison table.
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Buying advice for the seat heater test or. -comparison: find your personal seat heater test winner with our help!
- Seat heaters are not dangerous to health. On the contrary, they can help against tension or general discomfort.
- A distinction is made between fixed seat heaters and mobile products. Mobile seat heaters such as a car seat heating pad can be retrofitted yourself with just a few simple steps.
- To use a seat heater safely, not only to get its size right. Equipment and energy requirements must also be right.
as soon as the summer draws to a close, the first of us start to shiver. The thick sweater is taken out of the closet, cuffs are pulled over the ankles, and in dirty weather rain jackets or even gloves are added.
If you travel by car, you can protect yourself from rain and wind. However, the cold can only be counteracted to a limited extent. If you want to "unfreeze" while driving from one place to another or have a warm body feeling even at minus degrees, a seat heater can help you.
In this buyer’s guide, including a comparison of seat heaters in 2022, we show you the different types of seat heaters available. Where you can buy a cheap car seat heater and which brand supplies the best seat heater for the car, read in the following.
1. How does a car seat heater work??
Basically, a seat heater is one in which a seat surface is heated evenly by heating elements.
Seat heaters are mainly found in cars and other motor vehicles such as motorcycles. While newer vehicles usually have seat heaters as standard, older models need to be retrofitted.
Tip: seat heaters in cars are usually an extra charge when buying a car. Seat heaters are only standard equipment in higher vehicle classes.
A seat heater is always electrically powered. Heat is generated via heating wires. When in contact with the seat and the heating wires, the seat heater emits heat.
2. Which seat heating types are best, pre-installed car seat heating or retrofitted seat support?
The various types of seat heaters can differ according to the form in which the heating wires are installed. We distinguish:
- Heating wires installed between car seat cover and foam core in a heating mat
- Heating wires incorporated into the seat cover
Seat heaters can also be divided into those that are permanently installed and those that can be mounted variably. Below you can see the product details of the different types:
- Seat heating installed as a fixed feature in the seats
- Elaborate and expensive in case of retrofitting
- heated seat cover is placed on the car seat
- Heating mat supplied with power via the cigarette lighter
- Heating mat is attached under the seat cover
you are considering buying a car seat heater for retrofitting? The following advantages and disadvantages speak for themselves:
- Comparatively inexpensive
- Can be installed by yourself
- Seat heating made of carbon fibers is less susceptible to cable breaks
- Flexible application: seat heating can also be used on office chair
- Can be easily replaced in case of malfunction
- Not applicable to already integrated, defective seat heaters
Regardless of which product you prefer from our seat heater comparison, you will be surrounded by pleasant warmth on both short and long journeys in your car.
The durability of permanently installed car seat heaters depends on the respective manufacturer.
3. What is important when buying a seat heater??
Seat heaters can differ in terms of price, performance and similar key data. To help you find the right seat heater for you, we show you the details you should look out for when buying a seat heater.
3.1. Power and energy – seat heater taps into car battery
Mobile seat heaters can be powered from the cigarette lighter socket.
A seat heater – whether permanently installed or retrofitted – directly affects the car battery. This is exactly where the energy comes from that the seat heater needs to generate heat.
Tests of car seat heaters have shown that the different retrofit seat heater models are all in the same energy range: they need around 30 watts to work. For comparison: the low beam already needs 125 watt. Even pre-installed seat heaters only come up to 100 watt.
Seat heaters in the form of heating mats can be supplied with energy via the car’s cigarette lighter.
Tip: seat heating pads that have been retrofitted sometimes still consume electricity even when the engine is switched off. Make sure that you always switch off the seat heating when you are not using it.
3.2. Comfort – washability and adjustable heating levels
If your car is to have a fixed seat heating system, you can usually vary its intensity. The driver’s and passenger’s seat can usually be adjusted independently of each other in this case.
Warming seat covers must fit perfectly to the shape of your seat if you want to enjoy complete comfort. When buying a seat heating mat, make sure that it is compatible with the type of vehicle you are using. Even such seat heaters today can be regulated by a switch for the seat heater, wheel or regulator.
Comfortable seat heaters have an ergonomic design. They heat both the backrest and the seat surface in equal measure.
High-quality seat heaters heat up within a few minutes and are thus immediately ready for use. As a rule, there is no preheating time, as we know it from other products.
Mobile seat heaters should also be easy to wipe clean. Since the different models are sometimes more, sometimes less easy to dismantle, you can clean them at any time with a damp cloth.
3.3. Safety – this helps against a short circuit
If you decide to use a seat heater, it should be equipped with an overheating protection. This works through temperature sensors or thermostats that have direct contact with the heating wires and immediately indicate a defect.
3.4. Mounting – installation determines safe use
seat heaters, which are pre-installed, usually have an operating display.
There are differences between the individual models in the way they are mounted. While some models can simply be placed over the seat cover, others must be installed under the seat cover. Each of these fastening methods has its advantages and disadvantages. In principle, however, mobile seat heaters can be removed at any time.
Simple heating mats are particularly easy to integrate into cars. The price of such simple seat heaters is also rather low.
The seat heating system to be installed under a seat cover is practically invisible and therefore very pleasant to look at. Because nothing disturbs the appearance of your car, the heater remains hidden. Although covered by a slipcover, these seat heaters provide consistent heat.
4. What the consumer organization says in the seat heater test?
Stiftung warentest has not yet carried out a seat heater test. For this reason, we can not yet present you with a seat heater test winner.
However, a possible winner of the seat heating test could come from both camps. Because the mobile seat heaters are in no way inferior to the permanently installed heaters.
What stiftung warentest has tested are parking heaters, but that was already in 2001. Currently, the organization published the message that 16 degrees with a parking heater is perfectly sufficient to preheat the engine and car interior accordingly.
5. questions and answers – everything about seat heaters
5.1. What does it cost to retrofit the seat heater?
Permanently installed seat heaters should only be fitted by a specialist.
even the price of the individual models differs: mobile seat heaters, which have to be integrated between the cover and the upholstery of the car seat, usually cost between 80 and 150 euro. Heating mats, on the other hand, are available for as little as 20 euros.
Retrofitting a seat heater from conventional tests of heated car seat cushions is so easy that professional retrofitting is not necessary. Simply place the mat on the seat, fix it in place and power it from the cigarette lighter.
For integrated seat heaters or even permanently installed seat heaters, the situation is quite different. The latter must be installed by a specialist without question.
If you want to have a seat heater installed in a workshop, you must expect costs of at least 100 euros – often even more. The costs, if you retrofit the seat heater yourself, are correspondingly lower, the retrofit kit of the seat heater can be ordered on the Internet for this purpose. In addition to the purchase cost, you must take into account the increased fuel consumption of the seat heater, so we advise you not to let the heater run continuously.
5.2. How damaging is a seat heater?
How the seat heater works
On the technical side, a distinction is made between stranded wire technology, pressure technology and parallel technology – the exact way the heating wires in the seat heater work.
There are a lot of rumors about heated seats. The best-known of these revolves around fertility or. infertility of men, another asks about the possible use of a seat heater for increased bladder infections.
Rumor has it that seat heating has a negative effect on male fertility. How it should work? due to the continuous higher temperatures that affect the testicles and thus the sperm production is limited to such an extent that one can speak of infertility.
Here, however, experts give the all-clear. The time you are exposed to a seat heater is much too short to cause any damage. Only when the temperature in the testicles is permanently elevated over a period of weeks can infertility occur. However, this is not the case with seat heaters.
And on the contrary: seat heating can bring health improvements. If you suffer from back tension, poor circulation or even pain, the warmth of the heater can have a relaxing effect. In either case, your well-being will be enhanced.
5.3. How warm does a seat heater get?
Seat covers can be installed on the car seat even by laymen.
How warm a seat heater gets, depends strongly on the respective manufacturer. In addition to seat heaters from the well-known brand waeco, you can buy models from the following suppliers:
- Systafex
- Electronicx
- Dometic
Car seat heaters vary in their maximum temperature between 32 degrees and even 50 degrees. It should be noted that heating temperatures around 50 degrees for a seat heater in the car are only moderately useful.
Too high temperatures can not only harm the body but also unnecessarily stress the battery. Much worse: think rainy day, wind and cold. With 50 degrees under the butt, the danger of nodding off or even falling asleep at the steering wheel is quite high, especially on longer journeys.
Temperatures around 30 degrees are perfectly sufficient to warm up in the car via a seat heating mat. For comparison: the optimum bathing temperature is around 36 to 38 degrees. Would you like to be warmer in your car than in your bathtub at home??
5.4. How to install a seat heater?
Installing a mobile seat heater? It is very simple. However, fixed seat heaters must be linked to the on-board electronics, which is why you should always leave this installation to the professionals. That’s why in the following we refer exclusively to mobile seat heaters.
To fix the seat heating pad on the car seat, you have to put the heating mat on the car seat in the most suitable way possible. Make sure there are no wrinkles or creases in the product. This could not only limit the functionality of the seat heater, but could also be uncomfortable while driving.
Mobile seat heaters are usually supplied together with fastening straps. These should be threaded between the seat and the backrest and fixed to the back of the seat.
Tip: if you fold the car seat forward, you can better slide through the straps to fix it in place.
Then all you have to do is tuck away the cables and wires from the heating pad and plug in the device.
5.5. What does a seat heater cost??
A price comparison is particularly useful for seat heating systems. This is how much a cheap seat heater of this type costs less than 40 euros. In the middle price range you pay between 50 and 80 euros. But you will also find seat heaters for more than 150 euro.
5.6. Who invented the seat heater?
The seat for the car seat became launched on the market at the beginning of the 1960s. the inventor is bob ballard, who was an engineer at general motors (GM).
5.7. What connection do you need in the car for the seat heater pad?
Car seat heating pads are often equipped with a 12-volt connection. You can therefore quickly and easily connect the seat heater to the cigarette lighter of your car.
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currently available from 99,99 € " now to amazon " now to ebay |
| hook& tapes universal use |
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| the heated seat cover mobicool magiccomfort MH 40S has a lumbar support by means of a reinforced padding in the lower back area. |
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currently available from 39,97 € " now on amazon " now on ebay |
| hook& tapes universal use |
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| +++ | |
| The seat cover 130046 from dino is easily cleaned with a damp cloth or upholstery cleaner. |
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currently available from 28,99 € " now to amazon " now to ebay |
| hook& tapes universally applicable |
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| +++ | |
| The upstartech seat heater is a pad, but it gives off heat immediately after use. |
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currently available from 19,99 € " now to amazon " now to ebay |
| hook& tapes universally applicable |
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| the unitec car seat heater fits all seat sizes, but is not suitable for sport seats or for seats with integrated headrest. In the seat heater comparison this product is non-slip. |
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currently available from 70,77 € " now to amazon " now to ebay |
| hook& tapes universally applicable |
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| +++ | |
| buyers of the 30204 luxury seat heater have made the experience that they do not have to wait long until the seat heater warms up. |
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currently available from 49,99 € " now to amazon " now to ebay |
| hook& tapes universally applicable |
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| Thanks to the so-called triple-antislip-design the qhui seat heater always stays in position. It has anti-slip strips on the back, an adjustable strap for the headrest and an anti-slip surface. Based on seat heating experience, the mat does not slide. |
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currently available from 41,88 € " now to amazon " now to ebay |
| tapes universal use |
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| +++ | |
| The walser massage seat cover laxly has several functions. you can use the pad as a seat heater or for massage. In total, there are four different intensity levels as well as five different massage programs. |
Which are the best seat heaters from our seat heaters test resp. comparison 2022?
Choose your personal seat heater test winner from the following list:
- 1st place – very good (comparative winner): SEAMETAL seat cover – from 69,99 euro
- 2nd place – very good: upstartech car seat heater heating pad – from 20,99 euro
- 3rd place – very good: walser 13989 – from 59,95 euro
- 4th place – very good: QDRECLOD – heated car seat cushion 12V – from 19,99 euro
- 5th place – very good: GREENSINDOOR heated car seat cover 12V – from 99,99 euro
- 6th place – very good: 2 pieces seat heater car pad universal – from 49,99 euro
- Rank 7 – very good: universal seat heater car pad – from 28,99 euro
- 8th place – good: zhongyishangmao123 – seat heater – from 70,77 euro
- Rank 9 – good: dino 130046 seat heater – from 39,97 euro
- place 10 – good: 12V seat cushion car seat cushion – from 19,99 euro
- 11th place – good: electronicx seat heater – from 29,99 euro
- 12th place – satisfactory: zhongyishangmao123 – heated seat – from 41,88 euro
In summary, the overview of the seat heater comparison shows 7 "very good" seat heaters seat heaters, 4 "good seat heaters and only one seat heater with a grade worse than "good contain.
In the seat heater comparison, several manufacturers may include more than one product in the seat heater category show. The "good" and "very good seat heaters you can get from qdreclod as well as from zhongyishangmao123.
How many different manufacturers’ models are compared in the seat heater comparison??
In the seat heater comparison, 10 different manufacturers are compared. More specifically, the experts compared and evaluated models from SEAMETAL , upstartech , walser , qdreclod , GREENSINDOOR , N/V , N/C , zhongyishangmao123 , dino or electronicx. More information "
Which price categories can I choose between in the seat heater comparison??
The cheapest seat heater you get from 19,99 euro , for the most expensive seat heater you have to spend up to 99,99 euro. The seat heaters within this price range in the seat heater comparison cost on average ca. 46.04 euro. More info under seat heater test. More information "
Which seat heater stands out with the most customer reviews?
The electronicx seat heater won the most customer reviews, however the electronicx seat heater received the best reviews on average . More information "
How many models in the seat heater comparison were rated "VERY GOOD"? excellent?
Of the 12 different models, a total of 7 were rated "VERY GOOD" by the editors rated, these include:
- SEAMETAL seat cover
- Upstartech car seat heater heating pad
- Walser 13989
- QDRECLOD – heated car seat cushion 12V
- GREENSINDOOR heated car seat cover 12V
- 2 pieces seat heater car overlay universal
- universal car seat heater
Which models have been compared or tested in seat heater comparison?
The 12 different seat heater models include:
- Zhongyishangmao123 – heated seat cover
- Electronicx seat heater
- 12V seat cushions car seat cushion
- Dino 130046 seat heater
- Zhongyishangmao123 – seat heater
- universal seat heater car support
- 2 pieces seat heater car cover universal
- GREENSINDOOR heated car seat cover 12V
- QDRECLOD – heated car seat cushion 12V
- Walser 13989
- Upstartech car seat heater heating pad
- SEAMETAL seat cover
What other products are shown in the seat heater category when searched for "seat heater retrofit"? searched for?
We would like to offer you the best product selection and therefore compare not only seat heaters, but also related products like seat heater retrofit, seat heater car or car seat heater. More information "