The NASA Club Codes and Regulations require the use of a racing seat in racecars. It’s also a good idea to have one in dedicated Time Trial cars. For street cars, that’s a tough call to make, although it’s happened more than once that when an owner installs a racing seat, the car gets used less often on the street. It’s a slippery slope.
Of course, buying a seat for your racecar involves several choices beforehand. For example, any seat that is not homologated by the FIA is required to have a back brace. Those are for the most part aluminum seats, which are not included in this roundup. FIA-homologated seats for closed-cockpit cars are in all cases made from composite materials such as fiberglass-reinforced plastic or the more lightweight carbon fiber. FIA homologation comes with the added benefit that the seats don’t need a back brace before their expiration date, but would be required to have one after the seat has “expired.”
Here’s how the NASA CCR spells out the need for back braces in section 15.6.21:
“An exception may be made for those seats homologated to, and mounted in accordance with, FIA 8855-1999 or 8862-2009 standards. Those seats that qualify for the aforementioned exception must conform to the entire FIA 8855-1999 or 8862-2009 set of regulations, as applicable. This includes a mandatory seat replacement, or use of a seat back brace, for any seat more than five (5) years old (8855-1999) or more than ten (10) years old (8862-2009).”
Racetech offers composite FIA seats with accommodations for seat brace built right into the back, but that’s a rarity. Most FIA seats don’t have back-brace brackets or bolt holes, but they’re also not necessary if you want to brace them according to 15.6.21, which says a back brace “need not be attached to the seat itself.”
Another NASA rule in section 15.17.9 states that, “All vehicles, except formula cars, must be outfitted with a right-side impact head restraint system. A seat with a “bolster” to keep the head from moving to the right side in an impact is acceptable. A side-impact head-net restraint system, such as shown in picture 15.17.9-2 below, is also acceptable.”
However, it’s become common knowledge that a right-side net isn’t as good as a full containment seat, with the full “halo” to surround the back and sides of the driver’s helmet, and that a full containment seat is well complimented by a right-side net.
When shopping for an FIA-homologated seat, there are at least a few things to consider. One is the FIA ratings themselves, which can be a bit obscure. FIA 8855-2021 is the newest standard. The 8855-1999 seat standard has not been nullified by 8855-2021 and possibly will not be due to the effect the standard has on pricing. Seats with the 8855-1999 ratings are going to be more affordable than the top-tier 8862-2009 standard and the new 8855-2021. The good news is that the new 8855-2021 seats have a 10-year lifespan compared with five years on the 8855-1999 seats. That’s great news.
Those standards tend to affect price most, but other considerations when choosing an FIA seat are the size of the driver and the size of the cockpit in which it’s being installed. Of course, weight is always a concern for racing cars, so where carbon-fiber options are available, they typically cost more than fiberglass seats.
We worked with NASA’s official equipment supplier Competition Motorsport and some other manufacturers to put together a roundup of some of the FIA-homologated seats on the market. CMS has a good YouTube video on how to fit yourself for a racing seat. Most of them are of the containment variety, but some are non-halo models in here with the 8855-1999 rating.
This is not a complete selection of everything on the market, but a good cross section of some of the most popular FIA-rated seats available currently.
Lightweight Carbon Seats
Racetech RT9119 Lightweight Racing Seat, $5,199.99
– FIA 8855-1999
– Multiple size options (wide and tall)
– Option for a back brace
– Option for cooling (there is a hole for forced air in the back)
– Six-point harness ready
– Halo seat
– Shell weight is roughly 9.9 lbs.
Sabelt X-Pad Carbon Racing Seat, $3,299
– FIA 8855-1999
– Carbon Fiber
– Six-point harness ready
– Fits in just about anything (Designed for small cockpits. i.e. Miatas and Corvettes)
– Halo seat
– 13.7 pounds
Specialty Seats
– FIA 8855-2021
– Only 10-year homologated seat on the market
– One shell size but multiple pad sizes to fit any driver
– Six-point harness ready
– Halo seat
– Large size weighs 35.5 lbs.
Most Popular and Affordable
– FIA 8855-1999
– Deep seating position
– Highly breathable Airtex material
– Multiple size options
– Fits in most vehicles
– Six-point harness ready
– Halo seat
– 20.7 to 23.1 lbs.
– FIA Approved
– Multiple size options
– Lightweight QRT fiberglass shell
– Six-point harness ready
– Halo seat
– Special non-slip fabric
– FIA 8855-1999
– Fits in most vehicles (great for small cockpit cars)
– Six-point harness ready
– Halo seat
– Lightweight
– 19.3 lbs.
RaceQuip Composite Full-Containment Seat, $735
– FIA 8855-1999
-15- and 16-inch widths
– One-piece FRP fiberglass shell
– Breathable black mesh fabric
-Six-point harness ready
-Full containment left and right
– 23 lbs.
– FIA 8855-1999
– Standard size, XL and XXL
– One-piece FRP fiberglass shell
– Breathable black mesh fabric
-Six-point harness ready
-Full containment left and right
– 20.7 lbs.
Max Papis Innovations MXP07, $949
– FIA 8855-1999
– 16- and 17-inch seat widths
– One-piece FRP fiberglass shell
– Breathable black mesh fabric, removable back and bottom cushions
– Suitable for four-, five-, and six-point harnesses
– 22.2 and 26.4 lbs. for 16- and 17-inch versions
– Cell phone pocket in right thigh brace
– FIA 8855-1999
– 14- and 15-inch seat widths
– One-piece FRP fiberglass shell
– Breathable black mesh fabric, removable back and bottom cushions
– Suitable for six-point harnesses
– 26.2 to 27.1 lbs.
Non Halo Seats
– Multiple size options (32- to 38-inch waist)
– Lightweight QRT fiberglass shell
– Six-point harness ready
– Special non-slip fabric
– Excellent fitment in small cockpits
– FIA 8855-1999
– Deep seating position
– Highly breathable Airtex material
– Removable cushions
– Multiple size options
– Six-point harness ready
– 23.5 lbs.
– FIA 8855-1999
– Multiple size options (Wide and Tall)
– Option for a back brace
– Six-point harness ready
– 12.5-lb. shell weight
Sabelt Titan Racing Seat (Non-Halo), $989
– FIA 8855-1999
– Multiple size options
– Six-point harness ready
– Anti-slip fabric on shoulders
– Large harness holes
– Max weight 21.8 lbs.
Seats for Small Drivers/Cars
– FIA 8855-1999
-Fits in most vehicles (great for small cockpit cars)
-Six-point harness ready
-Halo seat
-Lightweight
– 19.3 lbs.
OMP HTE-R 400 Racing Seat, $1,029
– FIA 8855-1999
– Deep seating position
– Highly breathable Airtex material
– Fits in most vehicles
– Six-point harness ready
– Halo seat
– 22.4 pounds
– FIA Approved
– Multiple size options (32 inch waist)
– Lightweight QRT fiberglass shell
– Six-point harness ready
– Cloth or vinyl seating surface
– Special non-slip fabric
Seats for Tall Drivers
– FIA 8855-1999
– Multiple size options (wide and tall)
– Option for a back brace
– Six-point harness ready
– Halo seat
– Shell weight 17.5 lbs.
Sabelt Taurus Racing Seat (Halo), $1,059
– FIA 8855-1999
– Multiple size options
– Six-point harness ready
– Halo seat
– Anti-slip fabric on shoulders
– Large harness holes
– XL weight 25.1 lbs.
Seats for Heavier Drivers
– FIA Approved
– Multiple size options (38 inch waist)
– Lightweight QRT fiberglass shell
– Six-point harness ready
– Special non-slip fabric
– FIA 8855-1999
– XL Pad size
– Anti-slip fabric on shoulders
– Integrated head protection system
– Air ducting system (space between pads for driver cooling)
– XL weighs 23.1 lbs.
Shape shape shape! All of these features are meaningless if you’re swimming in a seat, sink too deep, or can’t fit your derrière into a narrow opening. Just like helmets, every manufacturer is significantly different in their shape designs.
Very surprised to not see the Momo Lesmo One seat. It’s what I’m running and I absolutely love it.
As mentioned in the last paragraph of the introduction: This is not a complete selection of everything on the market, but a good cross section of some of the most popular FIA-rated seats available currently.
Participated in Rally for 5 years and selling seats for 12 years. Came to conclusion that there are too many of them :))
This would be more like European market experience and I am aware that there are a lot more manufacturers around the globe about which I do not have exprience.
Novadays if you plan to participate in any type of FIA events with saloon car (Circuit, Rally, Rallycross, Cross) you look for seat with side head protection (we call it “ears”). And basically they are as follows: (from cheapest)
– OMP RS.PT.2 = when price is priority and you are young,
– SPARCO Circuit = one of the lightest seats in the category but it has short back.
– OMP HTE = (same shape as RS.PT.2) Airtex material/good head protection.
– OMP HTE 400 = for narrower cocpits but shape of the seat the same.
– SABELT Taurus = a bit heavy for 2023 technologies but goes well for taller drivers and overall it has shape closest to Recaro Pro Racer which is the best seat in category FIA8855-1999 but the price of that seat is almost the same as for Carbon seat from other manufacturers.
Seats without “ears” are still used in cross karts but less and less with each year.
Seats with tubular frames (cheapest versions of FIA seats available in the market) are used in some Historic cars and some amateur events where cars with rollcage are mandatory but they are often crashed.
I got some good Tip (reason) why to choose a good seat when started to participate in Rally.
– A good seat price in 2023 overall is EUR 700,- (cheap seat around 500,-)
– you can use it for 5 years.
– In five years we in average are participating in 5 events per year which is 25 events.
So, divide difference EUR 200,- to 25 and = EUR 8,- (for rally you multiply this by 2 as two seats are used in car).
Finally that guy told me: “Do buy cheapest seat you are looking and remember that one you decided to not to buy. Then before each event I will come to you at the end of first day of rally (after 100km in that cheaper seat) and will remind you that for 8 (16) euros you could get something better or maybe in your case the best for you.”
As autoracing costs a quite a bit I definitely bought that idea and always choose best possible choice for Seat (5years), Helmet (usually same around 5 years or more) and Steering wheel (it is the same when you choose “boobs” with which you would like to get around for 5 years :D)
Each manufacturer has a lot more models in their catalogues and my point of written above is that only 2% of drivers are aware what exactly is difference between all of them and if you look in their catalogues there are Zero explanation why they are offering so many models. Just some marketing sentences and price. Thats it. So people see only price or they see in what seats are driving the guys who he wants to beat and decide to choose those. Only after couple of years of experience they come to conclusion what is the best for them.