What’s All the Hype about Captain’s Chairs?

Being stuck in traffic or traveling long distances and taking the same sitting position for hours can certainly conjure up images of lying and stretching contentedly on your bed. If you're one to groan about the pains of car travel, perhaps you've imagined what it would be like to ride in a car with captain's chairs, which are often associated with luxury and comfort. Today, many vans and SUVs come with this feature, but are these stand-alone seats as good as they're made up to be, or would it be better to stick to traditional bench seats? CARMUDI PHILIPPINES takes a look at what's so great and not-so-great about second row captain's chairs.

Comfort

Captain's chairs offer maximum adjustability, so it's easy to find the most comfortable seating position. Also, these chairs usually come powered, so adjusting them is a cinch. They are designed to accommodate only one person, allowing for freedom of movement. The backrest and armrests also offer reliable support, making long travels and commutes less of a pain in the butt, literally and figuratively speaking. Simply put, if comfort is what you're looking for, then you can't get any better than captain's chairs.

Space, space, space!

Most captain’s chairs are movable from front to back and side to side, providing vehicle occupants with easier access to the third-row seats, or anywhere else in the car, for that matter. Since these are stand-alone chairs, there's plenty of space in the middle and sides for people to freely move out and about.

For all ages

Sure, you're sacrificing the number of passengers your vehicle can handle, but captain's chairs are very comfortable for a wide range of people, from your youngest to your oldest family members. Speaking of very young children, these chairs can more easily accommodate child-safety seats of different sizes. Each kid will also have their own defined space, so there's less opportunity for bickering and arguing in the car.

You might think that losing a seat by going with the captain's chairs is a big deal, but this only becomes a problem if you have a really big family. If your members total seven or less, then there's no reason a car with captain's chairs shouldn't work for you.

Can you imagine other benefits or drawbacks that captain's chairs present? Tell us in the comments section below.