30+ Most Common Questions About Bucket and Racing Seats, Answered
Bucket seat buying guide
We are asked a wide range of questions about bucket seats and racing seats, from whether they suit a road car to how they bolt in, how long an FIA approval lasts and how one brand compares with another. This page collects more than 30 of the questions we hear most, with straight answers.
It is split into general questions, fitting and compatibility, questions about each of the main brands we sell, and seat care. If your question is about a particular car, send us the make, model and year with your height and waist size, and we will answer it for your car.
- Racing seats are bucket seats built for motorsport, with harness slots and approval
- Most bucket seats need a frame or mounts made for your car
- Side airbags in factory seats are lost when the seats are replaced
- FIA 8855-1999 seats are approved for five years from manufacture
- Sizing is mostly about waist and shoulder width, so measure before you buy
- Reclining sport seats suit daily driving better than fixed back buckets
What is on this page
General questions about bucket and racing seats
What is the difference between a bucket seat and a racing seat?
A bucket seat is a shaped seat for one person that holds you better from side to side than a standard seat. A racing seat is a bucket seat built for motorsport, usually with a fixed back, high bolsters, harness slots and an FIA approval.
Can I use a bucket seat in a road car?
Many people do. The seat has to be securely mounted, work with the car’s seat belts or a suitable harness, and suit the way you use the car. We are a retailer, not a legal adviser, so if you are unsure about road use in your area, check before you fit it.
Do racing seats make you a better driver?
They hold you in place, so you are not bracing yourself against the wheel and door in a corner. That makes the car easier to control and less tiring to drive hard, which is why people notice the difference on track.
Can a racing seat go in any car?
Most cars can take one, but it needs a frame or mounts made for that car. Some small cabins limit the seat width, so the car decides the shortlist as much as the driver does.
Are racing seats comfortable every day?
It depends on the seat. A fixed back competition bucket is firm and harder to climb into. A reclining sport seat, such as the Recaro Sportster CS or Recaro Speed, gives much of the support with far more day to day comfort.
Do racing seats save weight?
Usually. A fibreglass or carbon shell is normally lighter than a factory seat with its motors and runners, but a steel framed FIA seat can weigh 10kg or more, so check the figure on the listing.
Are there bucket seats for bigger drivers?
Yes. Many seats come in a standard and an XL or L shell. Go by your waist and hip measurement, and check the shoulder width against the car.
Fitting and compatibility
Do racing seats need professional fitting?
If you are confident with tools, most direct fit frames bolt to the car’s own seat mounting points. If anything has to be drilled or modified, or you are not sure, have a garage fit it. A seat is only as safe as its mounting.
What happens to the airbags?
If your factory seats have side airbags built in, those airbags go when the seats come out, and the car may show a warning light. Some reclining seats, such as versions of the Recaro Sportster CS, are made with a side airbag. Ask us before you order if your car has seat airbags.
Can I use the standard seat belt?
Many reclining sport seats and some buckets work with the standard belt. Fixed back competition seats are designed around a four or six point harness, so check the listing.
Do I need a special harness?
Use a harness that matches the slots in your seat and is mounted correctly in the car. For competition, your championship will set the harness standard as well as the seat standard.
What are PCI and M2 fitting kits?
They are side mount frames made for particular cars. They bolt to the factory seat points and take a side mount bucket seat, some with a slider built in. Corbeau side mount seats are the exception: they now use M10 fixings, while PCI and M2 side mounts are drilled for M8, so the holes need drilling out slightly for M10. It is a small modification rather than a straight bolt-on.
Can a bucket seat slide or recline?
Reclining sport seats recline, and most base mount seats can take sliding runners. Competition buckets are fixed back for strength, but many can be fitted on a frame with a slider.
Do I need to tell my insurer?
We cannot give insurance advice. Changing the seats is a modification, so speak to your insurer before you fit them.
For how the seat, mounts and frame fit together, see our guide to base mount and side mount fitting.
Questions about the main brands
Sparco: will one fit my car, and what do I need to mount it?
Sparco seats need a frame or mounts for your car; Sparco make direct fit sub-frames for many models. For a first FIA seat, the Sparco Sprint is their entry point, with a steel shell that can be base or side mounted.
Recaro: which seats suit daily driving and occasional track days?
The Sportster CS and the Speed are Recaro’s reclining sport seats for that job. Recaro seats go straight on Planted brackets, an OMP base frame can take one with a little modification and drilling, and they are not compatible with Corbeau frames.
Recaro: are they worth the money?
Recaro are known for the quality of their construction and comfort. Whether that is worth it depends on how you use the car; we will happily compare one with the alternatives for you.
Corbeau: how do they compare, and can I choose the trim?
Corbeau offer a wide range at sensible prices, and many of their seats can be ordered in different fabrics, colours and tartans. Their frames use 345mm or 291mm fixing widths on most models, so match the seat to the frame.
Momo: are they FIA approved, and do they come with mounts?
Many Momo competition seats carry FIA approval; check the label on the model you choose. Mounts are not usually included, so budget for side mounts or a frame.
Kirkey: what are they made from, and how do they mount?
Kirkey seats are aluminium, fixed back and made in a range of sizes. They are universal, so they fit any car with the right frames or side mounts, and they are built for racing. Tell us which Kirkey seat you want and which car it is for. There is more in our Kirkey racing seats update.
Tillett: what makes them different, and how do I size one?
Tillett make light composite seats for cars and for karts. Sizing is by hip width, using Tillett's own chart, and the seat should be snug without pinching.
Sabelt: what is the GT-PAD?
It is a Sabelt seat with removable pads in different sizes, so the fit can be tuned to the driver.
OMP: are they FIA approved, and which should I look at?
Many OMP competition seats are approved to FIA 8855-1999; the WRC-R is a popular fibreglass example, side mounted at the standard 290mm spacing. The TRS-E is OMP’s entry FIA seat and can be base or side mounted.
Cobra: what do they offer, and do they work with a factory belt?
Cobra seats are hand trimmed in the UK with a wide choice of trims. Their reclining seats work with the standard belt, while their fixed back seats, such as the steel plated Monaco Pro, are made for four or six point harnesses.
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Care, heating and expiry
How do I clean a racing seat?
Use a cleaner made for the trim, whether fabric, leather or Alcantara. Vacuum regularly and spot clean marks early. Alcantara and suede want brushing, not scrubbing.
Can I keep seat heating?
Most competition seats have no heating. Some reclining sport seats can be ordered with it, such as the heated versions of the Recaro Sportster CS, so choose one of those if heating matters.
Do FIA seats expire?
Yes. A seat approved to FIA 8855-1999 is valid for five years from its date of manufacture, which is printed on the label, not from the date you bought it. Ask us to read the date on a seat before you order. Our guide to FIA 8855-1999 and 8855-2021 seats explains the two standards.
Garreth’s advice for any seat is the same: measure yourself, measure the car, and sit in the seat before you buy if you can. Many of our seats are on display in the showroom.
Can I use a bucket seat in a road car?
Many people do, as long as the seat is securely mounted and works with the car’s belts or a suitable harness.
Will fitting bucket seats affect my airbags?
Side airbags built into factory seats are lost when the seats are replaced, and the car may show a warning light.
How long does an FIA bucket seat last?
A seat approved to FIA 8855-1999 is valid for five years from its date of manufacture.
Do Corbeau seats fit PCI or M2 fitting kits?
Not straight on any more. Corbeau side mount seats now use M10 fixings, so the M8 holes in PCI and M2 side mounts need drilling out slightly. It is a small modification; ask us if you are unsure.
Which bucket seats suit daily driving?
Reclining sport seats such as the Recaro Sportster CS and Recaro Speed suit daily driving best.
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