Ottoman seats for rear seat comfort: Are they worth the hype?

I simply love it and when I find myself in a car with a calf support, I use it even for a 20 min car ride.

BHPian Sahil recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Ottoman Seats are the best thing that happened to rear seat comfort since the introduction of the air suspension decades ago. Infact, they provide more tangible comfort than a cushy suspension does.

In a chauffer driven market like ours, these seats are fast catching on but I think they further need to gather some pace. They now exist in cars right from the GLS Maybach to Toyota Innova Hycross ZX.

This one feature is enough to make a car a hit even if it looks like a ‘dabba’ aka The Vellfire. Several others have done well in our market such as the Kia Carnival.

From the Sedans currently only the higher end models like the S,7 and A8 offer this. I hope with the new E LWB and 5 LWB due next year, we see this feature catching on.

I simply love it and when I find myself in a car with a calf support, I use it even for a 20 min car ride.

What your take on it?

I hope this poll compels more car makers to explore adding this to their rear seats! Or even front passenger seat like the Nissan Tian did over a decade ago!

Here’s what BHPian Shreyas_Jain had to say on the matter:

Frankly, not enough people have had the experience of ottoman seats to have a poll of consequence. This is still a feature beyond the mass market. The closest it has come to being democratised has been the top ZX model of the Innova HyCross. But even that has been a blow hot – blow cold kind of car with its extremely limited availability and overall cost cutting which kills the interior ambiance and feel.

Ottoman seats require a big car with a very long wheelbase and loads of legroom. Indian mass market cars are simply not big enough for this to catch on and become a trend like sunroofs.

Here’s what BHPian ron178 had to say on the matter:

Tried them in a Toyota Vellfire and they made the whole experience a lot better.

But in shorter-wheelbase models like the Innova Hycross they can at best improve thigh support when set to their mid-position (feet just below the front seat). Even with the seat as far back as possible, for most people they will be impossible to extend fully without flexing their knees.

Given the option, I would certainly choose “depends on car”.

Here’s what BHPian Haze had to say on the matter:

As a 6’0″ guy, I have tried them in various overnight Volvo buses, and disliked them in every single one of them.

So my vote would have been “Strongly dislike”.

Here’s what BHPian Jeroen had to say on the matter:

Can’t say I ever had the pleasure of sitting on such a seat on a car.

However, I do have such a reclining leather seat as a stand alone chair at home.

It has travelled with me all over the world. Nobody sits in my chair other than me. As soon as I sit down and recline the cat will jump in my lap. She knows I ain’t getting up.

My wife and my kids call it my old git chair! I don’t care, super comfy and relaxing

Jeroen

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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