For anyone who lives where snow and single-digit temperatures are a common winter experience, the idea of having seat heaters is more than a novelty. The pleasure of jumping into a vehicle frozen to the core and having to wait for it to get warmed up is something most people won't forget.
While many vehicles have seat heaters available in upgrade packages, many consumers can't afford them at the time of purchase. But a few years after the purchase, the money is available and many wish to have them. Luckily, there are aftermarket seat heaters that look and work just like the OEM systems.
Installation Tips
While seat heaters are a relatively simple system, we recommend having an experienced auto-accessories shop install them. Tearing apart your interior, with its many hidden clips and fasteners, requires knowledge. Also, the system draws electricity to make heat, so it must be installed correctly. To show what an installation looks like, we followed along as Specmo Auto Sound & Speed in Royal Oak, Michigan, installed a Rostra Comfort Heat system in a '98 GMC Jimmy. Check out the tools and steps required to warm up your buns.
The Facts
How they work: Seat heaters create heat by using the resistance of electricity passing through a pad to provide warmth. There are usually two pads, one each for the bottom and back of a seat.
Where they go: Most pads are slightly thicker than a piece of paper, so they can easily be positioned between the cover and padding of the seat.
Note: Some seat heaters have only one setting, while others have two: Low and High. Pad operating temperatures vary between 100i to 145i.