What Are Captain Seats? Advantages, Disadvantages, and More

Road trips and long drives can be quite tiring, especially when you’re forced to sit upright for hours. You’ll start to feel stiff after an hour or two, and if you have muscle or joint problems, the discomfort can become pain.

Sitting in captain seats can prevent these problems. Captain seats are designed for only one person, and they’re usually in the second row of SUVs. Unlike standard bench seats, you can recline and position them based on your preference.

Advantages of Captain Seats

Captain seats have a handful of advantages over bench seats. These include better comfort and adjustability, improved ambiance, more legroom, making the third row more accessible, and enhanced customizability.

Better Comfort

Captain seats offer better comfort because of their improved lumbar support and adjustable armrests.

You can also adjust the position and recline these seats, which makes trips more comfortable, especially if you’ll be on the road for a long time.

Improves Ambience

Compared to bench seats, captain seats look more luxurious, which does wonders for the overall ambiance inside the car.

Also, cars that upgraded to captain seats are more valuable than those with stock bench seats. After all, how a vehicle’s interior looks has some sort of impact on its value, depending on what the customers are looking for.

More Leg Room

If you invest in captain seats, your third-row passengers will get more legroom, thanks to the space between the two captain seats.

Captain seats also give way to a more spacious cabin because there are only two seats in the middle, compared to the standard three-seater bench.

The Third Row Becomes More Accessible

The gap between the two seats means you don’t have to fold the second-row seats to access the third row. This is especially useful if you have kids.

If your children sit in the third row, you can easily reach them without climbing over a bench seat.

You can also move the captain seats forward if you can’t wiggle between them, which certainly beats going over bench seats.

Option to Add Center Console

Because of the gap the two individual seats create, it opens up the possibility of adding a second center console. This can give the second-row passengers cup holders or somewhere to place their phones.

Not interested in a center console? If you have a dog, you can add pet seats between the captain seats instead.

Note that filling the gap may require removing the armrests to make adequate room.

Disadvantages of Captain Seats

Of course, there are also drawbacks to having car seats instead of bench seats. Some glaring ones include less capacity, availability, and decreased cargo space.

Less Capacity

One advantage bench seats have over captain seats is they can accommodate three passengers instead of two. This means that, with captain seats, you’ll have one less seating capacity than other SUVs, which could be a problem for big families.

And if you want to fill the gap, there are upholstery shops that customize makeshift seats to install in the middle of the captain seats.

Not Always Available

Captain seats are expensive, hence why the SUVs that have them are pricier than standard ones. Manufacturers tend to reserve them for more premium trim models, making them unavailable to everyone.

And if you’re still willing to make the upgrade, expect these seats to cost as low as $150 and as high as $1,000 or more per chair. Not to mention the installation fee, which varies depending on the auto shop you visit.

Less Cargo Space

Because captain seats are usually unfoldable, you’ll have less cargo space in the back. While you could place your baggage on the seats, you might have to be creative when loading your luggage.

The limited space also makes it slightly harder to travel with numerous passengers because it will be cramped at the back if they’re carrying bags.

One way to deal with this issue is by installing a roof rack. It’ll help you keep the space and comfort of your passengers without worrying about their belongings.

Tips for Maintaining Captain Seats

The easiest way to maintain and take care of your captain seat is by cleaning it. Make it a habit to vacuum and wipe down the seats after using them to prevent built-up dirt and debris that could stain.

There are also specialized cleaning solutions catering to different materials. For example, if the captain seats are leather, it’s best to use conditioners that could restore and rejuvenate them.

Lastly, you need to take care of the seat’s functions by constantly using them so that the joints, motors, and gear components don’t rust. It’s also crucial to adjust the seats back to their original positions when the vehicle stops to keep the components durable.

SUVs With Captain Seats

Not every SUV has standard captain seats because they’re more expensive than typical bench seats. If you’re planning on buying a new car that has built-in captain seats, here are some models you could choose from:

• Toyota Highlander
• Subaru Ascent
• Chevrolet Suburban
• Ford Expedition
• Jeep Grand Cherokee L
• Kia Telluride
• Acura MDX
• Volvo XC90
• GMC Acadia

Note that there are other models that offer captain seats. The ones listed above are some of the more affordable SUVs, costing less than $70,000.

If you want to splurge and make your money worthwhile, here are luxury SUVs that have captain seats:

• Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class
• Lincoln Navigator
• Cadillac Escalade

SUVs with captain seats aren’t for everyone. They usually cost more than standard SUVs and have drawbacks that might make them unsuitable for roles like carrying the maximum passenger number or cargo. But if you prioritize factors like comfortable seating and an easy-to-access interior, SUVs with captain seats are well worth their price tag.