Uncomfortable Headrests

[niki.milligan]

I've been compaining to hubby for the last few weeks - since getting our new Octy II - that the headrests are uncomfortable.

It doesn't bother him - he's a slumper who goes nowhere near the headrest, but following a major back injury I have as near to perfect posture as it is possible to get.

I've found some similar comments here and there, but thought it would be useful to get a feel for how many new owners feel the same as me, or otherwise.

I work in IT and am well educated in posture ergonomics, and the way I feel with these headrests is that I am in for musculoskeletal injury in even the medium term they are so uncomfortable. Add to that that in a comfortable position for my neck my line of vision is the bottom of the dashboard, so the alternative to a sore neck is severe eye muscle strain.

So come on and give me your opinion, as to whether the headrests are perfect and its me that's abnormal! :p

[K1W1]

I voted no. I have no problems at all with them, in fact I thing that they are amongst the best head rests I've ever had on a car.

[nealb]

Never had an issue with any headrests in Octavias

[Spudhoolio]

My head does not seem to touch the head rest whilst driving.

Hope you find a comfortable position eventually.

[ChrisRs]

No problems at all

As 'Bruce' says, "..in fact I think that they are amongst the best head rests I've ever had on a car."

[Steve vRS]

To be pedantic, they are head restraints not head rests and are designed to stop whiplash injuries. If you are driving with your head resting on them, I would suggest that your seat and head restraint are poorly adjusted and you should alter the positioning of the seat.

Steve

[wardth]

To be pedantic, they are head restraints not head rests and are designed to stop whiplash injuries. If you are driving with your head resting on them, I would suggest that your seat and head restraint are poorly adjusted and you should alter the positioning of the seat.

Steve

That was my response as well - headrests are incorrectly named - they are simply there to help prevent whiplash in an accident.

[TsvRS]

I did find them extremely uncomfortable until I changed the seat setting. The head restraint pushed my head forward exactly as you described. I don't think I have cracked the seat position yet but have found a way of avoiding this problem by making the seat more reclined than I would have done.

[div]

I too have had a bad back injury in the past took me alittle while fiddling about with the headrest and it was very uncomfortable until i got it right but now its spot on and i agree is probably one of the most comfortable i have had

[beedie]

To be pedantic, they are head restraints not head rests and are designed to stop whiplash injuries. If you are driving with your head resting on them, I would suggest that your seat and head restraint are poorly adjusted and you should alter the positioning of the seat.

Steve

use your neck muscles to support your head rather then pretending its a pillow

[niki.milligan]

use your neck muscles to support your head rather then pretending its a pillow

My problem is that if I use my neck muscles to support my head any further forward then I'll be looking at my feet - not an ideal driving position :p

It looks like fiddling about with the seat position may be required - hopefully I'll not have to put it so far back that I fall asleep!

Thanks all that replied

Niki

[gregoir]

Mine seem to be several inches from my head and there is no forward adjustment. At least my old Passat allowed some movement.

[philbes]

To resurrect this thread.  I recently purchased a 2012 MkII FL vRS and my wife has exactly the problem described -  the head restraint on the front passenger seat pushes her head forward.  She is around 5'4", so not particularly short.  The only solution I have found so far is to remove the head restraint and refit it turned around so that the rear face is now the front - this moves the 'face' of the head restraint further back.  She does have the seat reasonably reclined.  Perhaps bending the mounting rods may be required, but that would spoil the mounting position for taller persons.  I am rather paranoid regarding passengers having a correctly adjusted head restraint after three rear shunts in less than 3 years (the last 15 years ago).  Any suggestions as to how to solve the problem (apart from changing the front seat for a non-Skoda item}?  She won't drive the car because it is an automatic (DSG)!

[Woo7dy]

A new wife...?

[philbes]

A new wife...?

I would also have to find 2 new daughters (32 & 35) to replace the 2 that have the same problem with the head restraint as does my wife.

[bluey2]

VERY uncomfortable. There is no forward/back adjustment on the headrest. The Golf [2002] was a bit better . Wife does not mind the headrest but then she sits away from the back of the seat. I like to fit upright and into the seat, doing so leaves me bent forward and gives a bad posture. If this develops into a problem can  I sue Skoda? Changing the headrest for one from the Golf has made things a bit better but then keeping this in may cause me Insurance problems if involved in injury?

 

Apart from this we also have an alarm problem, road noise but that about it on complaints , so pretty good , so far...

 

 

[JulieD]

VERY uncomfortable. ... I like to fit upright and into the seat, doing so leaves me bent forward and gives a bad posture. If this develops into a problem can  I sue Skoda?

 

I take it that's some sort of joke?  Maybe you'd have more luck suing yourself for picking the wrong car   

[philbes]

My last 12 cars all had head restraints that did not cause me wife, or daughters, any problem.   None of our friends' cars exhibit this trait (I almost said fault) nor have any of the hire cars we have used in Europe and America.   So it seems to be only the Octavia vRS seats in which the design of the head restraint pushes their heads forward and down.

 

As I said in an earlier post, as an interim measure I have turned the headrest around which has the effect of moving the 'front' further back so it is not in permanent contact with the passenger's head.

 

I shall contact Skoda for their view, although no doubt they will deny the problem has ever been reported!

Edited 25 August, 2013 by philbes

[kris1]

Where's the problem. Not every car fits every person. If you test drove it then bought it I'm not quite sure what you would expect Skoda to do?

My vrs is fine. The head restraints on the new focus zetec S are quite extreme though!

[philbes]

Where's the problem. Not every car fits every person. If you test drove it then bought it I'm not quite sure what you would expect Skoda to do?

My vrs is fine. The head restraints on the new focus zetec S are quite extreme though!

"Where's the problem"? - the problem is that this is the ONLY car out of dozens of different models driven  in which the head restraints have been a problem and I am not the only person who has found this.  With the head restraint fully down the front face of the headrest is in front of the seat surface and angled down and so forces the head of the occupant both forward and down.  In the last few days I have looked at many other cars and not one had head restraints in this position.  When I test drove the car the salesman was in the front passenger seat so the problem was not apparent. 

 

Are you saying that the head restraint on the new Focus Zetec S exhibits the same problem?  I haven't been in a Focus newer than 2010.

[philbes]

The illustration (titled "Correct seated position for the driver is important for safe and relaxed driving") on page 142 of the owners manual shows the head restraint in the fully down position and the seat almost fully upright, i.e., only very slightly reclined.  The driver is shown sitting with his shoulders off the seat and his head in contact with the head restraint as if the head restraint has pushed him forward.  Perhaps this is how Skoda expect the driver to be seated!

[Sarge]

Intriguing thread. I find the vRS seats very comfortable and have no issue with the head restraint. My head doesn't touch it when driving.

Sarge.

[gregoir]

I still can not see how a headrest or restraint can force your head forward. Mine is always some inches from my head as I said earlier.

[philbes]

The head restraint pushing the driver or passenger's head forward only seems to be an issue when the head restraint is adjusted near the bottom of its height adjustment.  It is fine for me at 6-foot tall, but not for my wife at 5'4".  Possibly also only on the Octavia vRS seats?

[chr1staylor]

Earlier vRSes had forward/back adjustable headrests, you could see if you could locate a pair (though you might have a job convincing a scrappy to sell them separately to the seats).

Also might be worth seeing if you could swap it with one of the rear headrests to see if the different design is any better (no idea if they'd fit though, would be interesting to see if they do).