Which Steel Frame Seat Should You Pick? A Complete Guide to Our Bestselling Models
Seat buying guide, steel frame seats
Steel frame bucket seats are where most people start: a proper fixed back seat, with FIA homologation if you need it, for a lot less than a composite shell. Three families make up most of what we sell in this category: the Sparco Sprint, the OMP TRS-E and the Cobra Monaco.
They look similar from a distance, but they differ in size, in approval and in how they mount. This guide goes through each family, the versions available, and which one suits which driver, car or sim rig, using the sizes and details from our own listings.
- Sparco Sprint, OMP TRS-E and Cobra Monaco are our most popular steel frame seats
- The Sprint, TRS-E and Monaco Pro are FIA 8855-1999 homologated
- The Monaco Sport and Sport Narrow are road and track seats without FIA homologation
- Most of these seats can be base or side mounted; the OMP TRS-E XL is side mount only
- The Sprint L and TRS-E XL are the wide versions, for a larger waist
What is on this page
Why choose a steel frame seat
Steel frame seats give you a fixed back bucket, with harness slots and, on most models, FIA homologation, at the lower end of the price range. They are a common choice for a first track car, a budget club racer and sim rigs.
The trade is weight. A steel frame or steel shell is heavier than fibreglass, typically somewhere around 10 to 12kg for the seats in this guide according to our listings. In a sim rig or a track day car that rarely matters, and a steel seat is less likely to be written off by a knock. If every kilo counts, look at fibreglass instead.
There is another practical advantage: most of these seats can be base mounted as well as side mounted, so they can go on a direct fit frame without side mounts, which keeps cost and fitting time down.
Sparco Sprint: standard, Sky and L
The Sprint is Sparco’s entry FIA bucket seat, homologated to FIA 8855-1999, with a steel shell rather than a composite one. It comes in three versions:
- Sprint in velour, in black, blue or red, listed for a 32 to 36 inch waist.
- Sprint Sky in black vinyl, which wipes clean after a wet event, listed for a 32 to 36 inch waist and drivers under six feet.
- Sprint L, the large shell, listed for a 40 to 42 inch waist.
All three have six point harness slots, are HANS friendly and have no head support wings. The Sprint can be base or side mounted: our listing gives the base pattern as 345mm by 271mm, and side mounting uses Sparco’s FIA steel side mounts. The standard Sprint is the slimmer choice for a small car; the L is noticeably wider, so check your cabin before choosing it.
OMP TRS-E: standard and XL
The TRS-E is OMP’s entry FIA seat and one of the seats we sell most of. It is built on a tubular steel frame with hard wearing velour, medium height bolsters, removable leg cushions and five harness slots for a four or six point belt, and it is FIA 8855-1999 homologated and HANS friendly.
- OMP TRS-E, listed for a 28 to 36 inch waist and drivers under six feet, weighing 10.3kg. It can be base or side mounted, which makes it easy to fit to a wide range of cars.
- OMP TRS-E XL, the wide shell, listed for a 36 to 42 inch waist and drivers under six feet, at 12.3kg. The XL is side mount only, with no base mounting points, so you will need side mounts and a frame to suit.
The removable leg cushions are more useful than they sound: they change the effective cushion depth, so one seat can suit drivers with different leg lengths. If you want a sharper looking steel seat, the OMP TRS-X is a step up in shell shape and trim, also FIA 8855-1999, base or side mount.
Cobra Monaco: Pro, Sport and Sport Narrow. The Monaco is fully steel plated, with a solid back and base, and Cobra's reason is intrusion protection. It has an integral head pad and shoulder support, slots for a four or six point harness, and spacer fabric trim that lets air move against your back. All three versions weigh 11.4kg and can be base or side mounted.
- Monaco Pro: FIA 8855-1999 homologated, listed for a 32 to 36 inch waist and drivers under six feet.
- Monaco Sport: the same shape, approved for road and track but not FIA homologated, 32 to 36 inch waist.
- Monaco Sport Narrow: a genuinely narrower shell, listed for a 28 to 32 inch waist, road and track approved.
The Pro or Sport question comes down to one thing: whether your seat will be scrutineered to FIA rules. If it will, you need the Pro. For track days and fast road use, the Sport does the same job for less. Cobra offer a wide choice of trims and colour combinations on the Monaco too.
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The seats side by side
| Seat | Approval | Listed waist | Mounting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco Sprint / Sprint Sky | FIA 8855-1999 | 32 to 36 in | Base or side |
| Sparco Sprint L | FIA 8855-1999 | 40 to 42 in | Base or side |
| OMP TRS-E | FIA 8855-1999 | 28 to 36 in | Base or side |
| OMP TRS-E XL | FIA 8855-1999 | 36 to 42 in | Side only |
| Cobra Monaco Pro | FIA 8855-1999 | 32 to 36 in | Base or side |
| Cobra Monaco Sport | Road and track | 32 to 36 in | Base or side |
| Cobra Monaco Sport Narrow | Road and track | 28 to 32 in | Base or side |
Standard or wide: fitting it in the car
The wide versions, the Sprint L and TRS-E XL, are there for larger drivers, and they are noticeably bigger. In a small, narrow car such as an MX-5, S2000 or Z3, a wide shell can foul the door card or the centre console, so the standard or narrow seats are the ones to look at first. In a larger cabin or a sim rig, space is rarely the limit.
Garreth’s advice is to measure two things before choosing: your waist, and the gap in the car between the door card and the centre console at hip height. Send us both and we will tell you which shells will fit you and the car. Our guide to narrow racing seats covers more options for tight cabins.
Trying them, and the wider range
These three families are the ones we sell most, and the ones we are most likely to have out in the showroom. If you want to sit in one, call ahead and we will tell you what is on display. Our steel frame seat section has the full range, including trims and versions not covered here.
If you are buying an FIA seat for competition, ask us to read the manufacture date off current stock, as the homologation runs from the date the seat was made.
Which steel frame seats are FIA approved?
The Sparco Sprint range, the OMP TRS-E and TRS-E XL, and the Cobra Monaco Pro are FIA 8855-1999. The Monaco Sport and Sport Narrow are road and track seats.
Can the OMP TRS-E XL be base mounted?
No. The standard TRS-E can be base or side mounted, but the XL is side mount only.
What is the difference between the Cobra Monaco Pro and Monaco Sport?
The same steel shell, but the Pro is FIA 8855-1999 homologated and the Sport is approved for road and track only.
Which steel seat is for a narrow driver or a narrow car?
The Cobra Monaco Sport Narrow, listed for a 28 to 32 inch waist, or the standard OMP TRS-E from 28 inches.
Which steel seat suits a 40 inch plus waist?
The Sparco Sprint L, listed for 40 to 42 inches, or the side mount only OMP TRS-E XL, listed for 36 to 42 inches.
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Where to startSprint, TRS-E or Monaco
Pick the family by approval and mounting, then the version by your waist and your car.
Need a personal recommendation?
We're here to ensure you pick the right seat.
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