Cooled Seats in Cars: How They Work

Heated seats brought the comfort of driving a car in winter to a new level. But as the climate warms and summer heat waves become more frequent, automakers have begun equipping their vehicles with seat cooling. Today, we prepared an overview of this feature and a list of cars with cooled seats to help you navigate the market.

Here are the models with cooled seats from the most popular manufacturers. The above list does not specify the trims and transmission types of the models with this feature. Most likely, cooled seats are not provided in basic configurations, but in the used top models available for sale at the Indy Auto Man, Indiana dealership, the possibility of getting this feature is rather high.

• Acura: MDX, TLX, RDX;
• Audi: Q5, 7, 8; A4, 5, 6, 7, 8; E-Tron;
• BMW: X3, 4, 5, 6, 7, M; 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 Series, i4, i7, iX; 
• Buick: Enclave and Envision;
• Cadillac: CT4, 5, Escalade, XT4, 5, 6;
• Chevrolet: Malibu; Blazer, Equinox, Suburban, Tahoe, and Traverse SUVs, Colorado and Silverado 1500/2500/3500 trucks, Camaro and Corvette sports cars;
• Chrysler: 300 and Pacifica;
• Dodge: Durango; Hornet, Charger, and Challenger sports cars; 
• Ford: Edge, Expedition, and Explorer SUVs; Mustang sports car; F-150 (including Lightning) and Super Duty F-250/350 trucks;
• GMC: Acadia, Terrain; Yukon, Canyon, and Sierra 1500/2500/3500 trucks;
• Honda: Accord, Odyssey minivan, Passport, and Pilot SUVs;
• Hyundai: Sonata; Palisade, Santa Fe, Tucson SUVs, Santa Cruz truck, Elantra Hybrid, Ioniq 5, 6, Kona Electric;
• Genesis: G70, 80, 90, GV60, 70, 80;
• Infiniti: QX50, 55, 60, 80;
• Jaguar: I-Pace, F-Pace, F-Type, XF;
• Jeep: Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Compass, Wagoneer,
•  and Grand Wagoneer; 
• Kia: EV6, Forte, K5, Sorento, Sportage, Stinger, Telluride, Niro;
• Land Rover: Defender, Discovery, Range Rover, Range Rover Evoque and Velar;
• Lexus: IS, LC, LS, LX, NX, RX, ES, GX, RC, RZ, UX;
• Lincoln: Aviator, Navigator, Corsair;
• Mazda: CX 5, 9.

The basic idea behind the principle of seat ventilation is circulating air through micro openings in the car seat surface instead of directly cooling the surface. The airflow helps prevent the body from overheating naturally.

Ordinary systems of car ventilated seats use small fans built into the seats. They increase the circulation of air in the cabin. In various configurations, the air is cooled and circulated by pushing or pulling it through holes in the upholstery.

More complex versions use fans to circulate cooled air through the vents. The most sophisticated and rare versions blow cooled air from the car's air conditioning unit. It's impossible to determine which one is the best, it all depends on personal choice and feelings.

Tesla has patented a new method for heating and cooling car seats. There is a liquid-circulating layer in the chairs. It also contains a heating and cooling element, as well as a small pump that provides fluid flow. The manufacturer guarantees that leaks are excluded.

The Tesla solution has several undeniable advantages: 

• Only one system for heating and cooling instead of two; 
• Perforated leather will not be required to cool the seats; 
• Autonomous system mounted directly into the seats.

By and large, the automaker has staked out the idea, and knowing the company’s craving for everything unusual, you can be sure that the new system will soon begin to appear in Teslas. Later, due to its simplicity and low cost, it will migrate to cars of other brands.

Ten years ago, when manufacturers introduced the new feature to the market, the experts included seat cooling in the list of useless functions that were not worth paying money. A lot has changed since then - these systems have become more ergonomic and performant.

Now, we can recommend evaluating the seat cooling system by whether it blows sufficient air over the seat and backrest area. You can check this by taking the car with cooled seats for a test drive. 

At Indy Auto Man, we can offer a wide range of used cars from the most popular brands. Check the models with cooled seats available for sale in Indiana and schedule a test drive!