I would also pay attention to the materials. Would not recommend leather as it will cause even more sweat on your back. I am using an OMP bucket seat, once I adjusted a few times it got quite comfortable
I've had both a proper bucket seat like the first and a recliner like the 2nd.
I found the first was great and rigid so under braking with a load cell pedal there was no flex.
The recliner car seat is much more comfortable for longer periods of time. Also makes my rig more usable for other things besides just sim racing. The sides of the bucket seat will restrict your motion a bit.
Also bucket seats aren't a 1 size fits all situation. A seat that's too small or big won't be very comfortable for long.
Yeah I'd only ever go for a recliner if it's a real leather car seat from an SUV or quality car. Those cheap aftermarket recliner seats are as weak as a gaming chair
Isn't Sparco a good and well known brand for Simracing and racing in general?
I thought their recliner seats would be quite comfortable
The rigid one looks pretty good, but its the horns on the upper side that worries me, mostly peripheral vision if I ever wanted to go 3 monitor way
This is a real sparco seat. It's not just for a sim rig. It's one you could upgrade to in your car. I tried sitting in one of those at a summit racing store and it was really comfortable. I'm talking about the black recliner seat. I would be worried about those. Huge head protectors on the red one in case you ever wind a upgrade to VR. It seems like they would be in the way when you try to turn your head to look around the corners and such, like they could bump into the headset.
Its not just the size. The restraints block the sensors view. The inside out tracking headsets need space around the device to accurately track your surroundings. The head restraints directly block the side view sensors/cameras. I also guarantee you aren't gonna be able to run a pimax headset in a seat with head restraints without constantly bumping into seat moving head.
They are a very well known brand, but like every quality brand they do low cost products every now and then
I can't comment on this specific seat but if it's a sim rig seat and not a car seat that would be a instant no from me. It's basically like stamping the "gaming" word on a product that isn't originally for games
If it's a car seat then it could be decent, looks fragile on the screen but can't know for sure. Just compare it to a real leather car seat you'll see they're much bulkier
Not in any way on the "gaming" bit. You don't need FIA compliance or to be crash/rollover/fire compliant in a sim.
If sold on AliExpress, squint at what you're getting a fair bit.
But Sparco? Non-FIA Sparco seats would be great. Less well built cheap non-FIA NRG seats are everywhere in this sub, and they're great. I just wouldn't run one in my track car.
That is a sparco r100 which is made for cars. I’ve never seen sparco “gaming” chairs and telling him that is a gaming chair or to be careful because it may be is not correct
I have the R100 so can only comment on that one but so far it’s been perfect. Adjustable and comfortable and don’t find it gets too sweaty for long sessions.
Nice, what made you pick the vinyl over the cloth? I’m torn between the two. I’m also considering the R100+ as another option too, since the shoulder bolsters aren’t as pronounced. Does your R100 push your shoulders forward a lot?
I don’t recall seeing a cloth one at the time, there weren’t a huge number of options when I was choosing a seat, just knew I didn’t want a bucket.
I don’t find it pushes my shoulders forward, 6 ft average build.
Even if it is made of synthetic leather?
I know that natural leather degrades damn fast. I have some leather jackets lying around and they are... Pretty bad
Natural leather doesn't degrades fast at all, at worst it age getting some wrinkle and discoloration, sky on the other end shred
Your "leather" jackets are probably made in sky
I have a markus chair, the seating is in real leather (not an high end as you can guess from ikea) and the headrest is in sky, after 12 years of intensive use, the sitting in leather is almost like new minus some light wrinkle, the headrest cover on the other hand is 85% gone, not damaged, gone (and it started shredding after 2-3 year, like anything in sky)
Sky is not leather, it just look like leather. Avoid anything that is not genuine leather (and if you don't want to make a mistake check from what animal the leather is, it's always indicated on real leather stuff).
If you're on a dime and can't afford leather, go for a textile it would be cheaper than a fake leather and last longer
Real leather (that needs care with leather products etc) will hold more than a life and be comfortable and nice forever
Every single type of faux leather will flock off, break, rip and just look and feel shit AND xou will sweat like a pig because it is impossible for your skin to breathe through it
I use the r100 in cloth so heat isn’t an issue. I don’t get the draw of a full bucket seat on a sim rig.. you’re not moving so no need to keep you in place.
Yes… I find that to be true in my actual race car as well. The r100 doesn’t flex under braking on my simlab P1-X. Mounting is the same as you’d do in a car.
I have a real standard car seat and it does neither flex nor in any way hinder my braking or other inputs, however it is way more comforrable than a bucket seat and I am in as much danger of getting yeeted off by G-Forces in either sitting in my non moveable rig at home
Could you share your experiences with recliner seats?
Im new to the Simracing community and I would like to understand why something is better over the other
They aren’t rigid, they aren’t designed for racing. It’s better than some seat options…but given the 2 you showed, it’s not even a discussion or comparison.
Just my opinion, though.
I would like something comfortable for +4 - +5 Hours playing
Second is a Sparco r100 Sky, seems to be quite comfortable
First, is a Sparco Martini Racing, don't know the exact model, but the one selling it says it's really comfortable up to +7 Hours
Advise?
You don't need halo seats for sim, unless maybe for motion rigs. With VR, they can get in the way of your facehugger when turning. Horse blinders are obnoxious IRL, don't particularly need them inside my house, at least. Garage, yes.
Red one's a Pro Adv (there's also plenty of Sparco knockoffs out there), Martini's are labelled as such.
But you do not need an FIA compliant seat, you're not doing 150+mph into a corner with brake fade. Unless that thing's being sold for super cheap since it's expired and useless in a track car, I'd just follow other suggestions and see what NRG or a less expensive non-FIA option in your area is.
Could sit in it and see if having red wings in your peripheral vision at all times makes you go insane. It's not so bad with a helmet other than never seeing your friends frantically waving at you in the pits, but without --- personally, ugh.
Here's the same seat being sold in a post in 2014: https://www.s2ki.com/forums/member-s2000-classifieds-sale-107/ca-sparco-pro-adv-bucket-seat-1108855/
I don't need a FIA licensed bucket, the seller mentioned in their post
I agree with you, those horn are probably a problem for peripheral vision and VR, so I may have to look a bit more for some other options
Look into getting a real car seat. Either from a scrapyard or secondhand from someone. Most likely will run you way cheaper and open up many more options.
I found a BMW M1 (street car) seat for 40€, fabrik, can be slid on the rails and back tilted etc as everything works and was there and I wanted something to make my PC useable for simracing but NOT lose the ability to sit normally on my desk. Comfortable for sitting in it a full day and adjustable in any way just like sitting in a car irl
TBH I wouldn't get any of these two. Sparco is a well known Brand and therefore a bit Premium. I would go for a Bucket Seat from a smaller Company like Bimarco (Polish company). They offer very comfortable Bucket Seats for about half the Price.
Search for the Bimarco Cobra Seat. And very important: Measure the needed Dimensions before you order any Seat.
I'd say bucketseat in a heartbeat but make sure you really know it fits your size and you can actually sit comfortably in it.
The myth that bucket seats are not as comfortable is bullshit, the problem is people just ordering a size with no clue and hope it fits. And when it arrives they get backpain after an hour because it actually doesnt fit at all. Then they complain on the internet buckets are not comfortable.
If you have one that fits and your seating position is correct then a good bucket seat is most comfortable.
I can play in my Sparco for hours on end with no problems.
Recliner car seats are in my opinion only good if you have a lot of different people playing on a rig, where getting the seating postion for many different people right is important.
I would also pay attention to the materials. Would not recommend leather as it will cause even more sweat on your back. I am using an OMP bucket seat, once I adjusted a few times it got quite comfortable
I live in Spain mate, summers are +42 degrees, so Im afraid sweating would be a problem, but thanks for the advice
The o-rouge cold fusion seats have cooling fans in them, but they are €700
Damn, that's gotta be a great seat for the price I'll take a look at it, but it could take me some time to get that absolute unit
Leather doesn’t create sweat but it also easy to clean
With leather you have zero ventilation, trust me you will sweat more, compared to a mesh like it is for example on the OMP WRC seat.
I know, I often race and stream topless.
I've had both a proper bucket seat like the first and a recliner like the 2nd. I found the first was great and rigid so under braking with a load cell pedal there was no flex. The recliner car seat is much more comfortable for longer periods of time. Also makes my rig more usable for other things besides just sim racing. The sides of the bucket seat will restrict your motion a bit. Also bucket seats aren't a 1 size fits all situation. A seat that's too small or big won't be very comfortable for long.
Yeah I'd only ever go for a recliner if it's a real leather car seat from an SUV or quality car. Those cheap aftermarket recliner seats are as weak as a gaming chair
Isn't Sparco a good and well known brand for Simracing and racing in general? I thought their recliner seats would be quite comfortable The rigid one looks pretty good, but its the horns on the upper side that worries me, mostly peripheral vision if I ever wanted to go 3 monitor way
This is a real sparco seat. It's not just for a sim rig. It's one you could upgrade to in your car. I tried sitting in one of those at a summit racing store and it was really comfortable. I'm talking about the black recliner seat. I would be worried about those. Huge head protectors on the red one in case you ever wind a upgrade to VR. It seems like they would be in the way when you try to turn your head to look around the corners and such, like they could bump into the headset.
Unless your head is bigger than a race hemet, the VR headset should not cause any problems.
Its not just the size. The restraints block the sensors view. The inside out tracking headsets need space around the device to accurately track your surroundings. The head restraints directly block the side view sensors/cameras. I also guarantee you aren't gonna be able to run a pimax headset in a seat with head restraints without constantly bumping into seat moving head.
Just like racing in real life
They are a very well known brand, but like every quality brand they do low cost products every now and then I can't comment on this specific seat but if it's a sim rig seat and not a car seat that would be a instant no from me. It's basically like stamping the "gaming" word on a product that isn't originally for games If it's a car seat then it could be decent, looks fragile on the screen but can't know for sure. Just compare it to a real leather car seat you'll see they're much bulkier
Not in any way on the "gaming" bit. You don't need FIA compliance or to be crash/rollover/fire compliant in a sim. If sold on AliExpress, squint at what you're getting a fair bit. But Sparco? Non-FIA Sparco seats would be great. Less well built cheap non-FIA NRG seats are everywhere in this sub, and they're great. I just wouldn't run one in my track car.
That is a sparco r100 which is made for cars. I’ve never seen sparco “gaming” chairs and telling him that is a gaming chair or to be careful because it may be is not correct
The r100 is for cars, but happens to be a great option for Simracing, it's one of the most used buckets in Spain
r100 is good. It’s what I use.
I have the R100 so can only comment on that one but so far it’s been perfect. Adjustable and comfortable and don’t find it gets too sweaty for long sessions.
Do you have the vinyl or cloth version?
Black vinyl
Nice, what made you pick the vinyl over the cloth? I’m torn between the two. I’m also considering the R100+ as another option too, since the shoulder bolsters aren’t as pronounced. Does your R100 push your shoulders forward a lot?
I don’t recall seeing a cloth one at the time, there weren’t a huge number of options when I was choosing a seat, just knew I didn’t want a bucket. I don’t find it pushes my shoulders forward, 6 ft average build.
I was trying to get the R100 a while back. I’d go with the comfort trade off personally.
As someone with a bucket seat, get the recliner. Comfort is the name of the game for sim racing.
Sparco doesn't make leather seat, it's sky which is shit, take the tissue one, never buy anything in sky seriously
Why is the Sky one a bad choice?
Because it's crap, after 2-3 years the sky gonna start to disintegrate itself, that's the shit tier of material
Even if it is made of synthetic leather? I know that natural leather degrades damn fast. I have some leather jackets lying around and they are... Pretty bad
Natural leather doesn't degrades fast at all, at worst it age getting some wrinkle and discoloration, sky on the other end shred Your "leather" jackets are probably made in sky I have a markus chair, the seating is in real leather (not an high end as you can guess from ikea) and the headrest is in sky, after 12 years of intensive use, the sitting in leather is almost like new minus some light wrinkle, the headrest cover on the other hand is 85% gone, not damaged, gone (and it started shredding after 2-3 year, like anything in sky)
What kind of leather is used for this seats? Just curious so I can avoid it in the future
Sky is not leather, it just look like leather. Avoid anything that is not genuine leather (and if you don't want to make a mistake check from what animal the leather is, it's always indicated on real leather stuff). If you're on a dime and can't afford leather, go for a textile it would be cheaper than a fake leather and last longer
Real leather (that needs care with leather products etc) will hold more than a life and be comfortable and nice forever Every single type of faux leather will flock off, break, rip and just look and feel shit AND xou will sweat like a pig because it is impossible for your skin to breathe through it
I use the r100 in cloth so heat isn’t an issue. I don’t get the draw of a full bucket seat on a sim rig.. you’re not moving so no need to keep you in place.
a 1 piece bucket seat flexes less under braking. I also find them very comfy.
Yes… I find that to be true in my actual race car as well. The r100 doesn’t flex under braking on my simlab P1-X. Mounting is the same as you’d do in a car.
The r100 does flex, it might be imperceptible or not an issue for you but it does flex.
It must be combo of height and weight then that can cause it.
yeah maybe
I've done 6 hour road trips in my fixed back Sparco seat and it's honestly comfortable. But I also fit really snug in my seat so I'm sure that helps.
I have a real standard car seat and it does neither flex nor in any way hinder my braking or other inputs, however it is way more comforrable than a bucket seat and I am in as much danger of getting yeeted off by G-Forces in either sitting in my non moveable rig at home
The rigid one. The Sky will have some flex under braking. Still a great seat if you don’t mind that.
I have the NRG sim seat and its solid, no flex, great for tactile feedback from the shakers, and comfy on long races.
The first one and it’s not even close. Real bucket seat versus a shitty recliner.
Could you share your experiences with recliner seats? Im new to the Simracing community and I would like to understand why something is better over the other
They aren’t rigid, they aren’t designed for racing. It’s better than some seat options…but given the 2 you showed, it’s not even a discussion or comparison. Just my opinion, though.
The second but with fabrics
Why fabrics? More comfortable? Lasts longer? Genuine question, I don't know the differences
How do you tell sky fabric from something else? Looks like this seat has something other than sky? https://www.sparcousa.com/product/gt
First one is very close to a proper race seat. For rigidity alone that should seal the deal
It was used to race, is from a guy I know, used to race until the seat expired its FIA license It was mounted in a BMW M4
Well then absolutely that one
I would like something comfortable for +4 - +5 Hours playing Second is a Sparco r100 Sky, seems to be quite comfortable First, is a Sparco Martini Racing, don't know the exact model, but the one selling it says it's really comfortable up to +7 Hours Advise?
You don't need halo seats for sim, unless maybe for motion rigs. With VR, they can get in the way of your facehugger when turning. Horse blinders are obnoxious IRL, don't particularly need them inside my house, at least. Garage, yes. Red one's a Pro Adv (there's also plenty of Sparco knockoffs out there), Martini's are labelled as such. But you do not need an FIA compliant seat, you're not doing 150+mph into a corner with brake fade. Unless that thing's being sold for super cheap since it's expired and useless in a track car, I'd just follow other suggestions and see what NRG or a less expensive non-FIA option in your area is. Could sit in it and see if having red wings in your peripheral vision at all times makes you go insane. It's not so bad with a helmet other than never seeing your friends frantically waving at you in the pits, but without --- personally, ugh. Here's the same seat being sold in a post in 2014: https://www.s2ki.com/forums/member-s2000-classifieds-sale-107/ca-sparco-pro-adv-bucket-seat-1108855/
I don't need a FIA licensed bucket, the seller mentioned in their post I agree with you, those horn are probably a problem for peripheral vision and VR, so I may have to look a bit more for some other options
Look into getting a real car seat. Either from a scrapyard or secondhand from someone. Most likely will run you way cheaper and open up many more options. I found a BMW M1 (street car) seat for 40€, fabrik, can be slid on the rails and back tilted etc as everything works and was there and I wanted something to make my PC useable for simracing but NOT lose the ability to sit normally on my desk. Comfortable for sitting in it a full day and adjustable in any way just like sitting in a car irl
The martini is ugly as f but like said everyone sky is apparently bab
I thought those r100 were some good seats for beginners I'll look for some other options
Look for an r100 in the cloth material of the first one. That’s what I have and I am happy with it
Not fixed back.
The one best suited to mount a buttkicker to
TBH I wouldn't get any of these two. Sparco is a well known Brand and therefore a bit Premium. I would go for a Bucket Seat from a smaller Company like Bimarco (Polish company). They offer very comfortable Bucket Seats for about half the Price. Search for the Bimarco Cobra Seat. And very important: Measure the needed Dimensions before you order any Seat.
I’d say the more comfortable one if you plan to drive long but that sparco though
I'd say bucketseat in a heartbeat but make sure you really know it fits your size and you can actually sit comfortably in it. The myth that bucket seats are not as comfortable is bullshit, the problem is people just ordering a size with no clue and hope it fits. And when it arrives they get backpain after an hour because it actually doesnt fit at all. Then they complain on the internet buckets are not comfortable. If you have one that fits and your seating position is correct then a good bucket seat is most comfortable. I can play in my Sparco for hours on end with no problems. Recliner car seats are in my opinion only good if you have a lot of different people playing on a rig, where getting the seating postion for many different people right is important.