The installed SeatHeater on the passenger side.
Words: Angela Molina
Photos: Andrew Chen
When we got the SeatHeater Seat Heating Kit from Covercraft in the office, I immediately lobbied to be the one to test it. I have a 2006 Toyota Tacoma Access cab, and my lower body is always cold when I’m driving! I have friends in the car a lot, and it’s a constant challenge to keep myself warm enough without roasting them. I also have issues with car heaters drying out my eyes and compromising my vision when I’m driving. The aftermarket seat heaters seemed like an ideal solution. Plus, installing them gave me a much needed incentive to clean out the backseat of my car.
The SeatHeater kit consists of a pair of seat heater elements for two seat bases and seat backs. There are also insertion “envelopes” for the elements as well as the wiring harness that plugs into the vehicle accessory power outlet. Finally, there is the power plug with individual on and off heater controls. The kit works for most vehicles, and is also usable with seat covers.
I got ready to install the seat heaters, and discovered my first flaw – not with the heaters but with my approach. I’m not always great at reading directions, so I went on YouTube and watched some instructions on how to install a similar item. In retrospect, I would have made my life easier by reading the directions first. However, the installation was still pretty basic.
My primary difficulty was with the driver’s seat, largely because accessing the part of the seat I needed to pass the wires through was a challenge in my truck. It has a cover that runs from the back down under the seat about a foot. The end of the cover is connected to a thin bungee rope with two aluminum rings that loop around the frame of the seat. I had to cut them off to gain access to the cords that feed through the seat. Assuming you have a normal seat cover (or plan ahead and read the directions), it shouldn’t be nearly this complicated.
The passenger side seat heater was far easier to install. That seat folds completely down revealing a 2 inch gap where I fed the wires of the seat heaters through. From there, I just had to connect each seat cover to the power source while the car was off. There are controls for both individual covers, so if one person wants heat and the other doesn’t, that’s also an option.
Once installed and plugged into the power source (the vehicle accessory power outlet) the seat heaters were great. They heated up quickly, and the surface stays warm when the engine is off but the car is still on. Plus, since they use a radiant heater instead of forced air, the whole thing is easier on my lungs and eyes when I’m driving.
These were a life-saver on a recent trip snowboarding. After spending too much time sitting in snow it was great to have my legs warm up quickly when we got back to the truck. Plus, after a long day at work, or after playing sports, the heat is therapeutic on my sore lower back muscles. The heat is quick, effective, and can occasionally get a little too hot.
Living in Southern California, the seat heater is a great solution to heating up the entire car, but these would be great to help people warm up a little before the heat kicks on in a colder climate. They’re easily installed, look sharp, and have made life with my truck that much better. And next time, I’ll read the directions first!