Sabelt Makes Fantastic, Affordable Racing Seats
One of the more difficult pieces of the race car puzzle to fit has traditionally been the racing seat. Sure, there’s a fair variety of designs in the racing seat market, and if you’re built like an Italian racing driver you won’t have much trouble finding a seat that fits you properly. But what if you’re among the other 95% of people who are built like, well, regular people? What if you’re tall? Or wide? Or tall and wide? What if you’re racing a smaller car? Racers who don’t fall into seat manufacturers’ idea of “proportionate” often struggle to find a solution that’s both safe and comfortable. Depending on your body shape, you may find it nearly impossible. That is, until now.
For the past couple years, Sabelt has been quietly building a line-up of very high quality racing seats to fit people of all shapes and sizes. They’ve especially run the table in the big-and-tall market; there’s no manufacturer of racing seats making a more affordable product line that fits as wide an array of body types. In this article, we’ll give you some fitment examples to help guide you to the best seat for you. Talking to one of our experts, taking proper measurements, and reviewing size charts will save you time, money, and aggravation. Call Competition Motorsport at (844) 438-7244 and talk to a racing seat expert about the right seat for you.
If You Have A Car With A Smaller Cockpit...
If you’re looking for a full-containment seat and have a small-cockpit car (e.g., Miata, Corvette, Boxster) you owe it to yourself to check out the Sabelt X-Pad Racing Seat. It is one of the most innovative racing seats we’ve seen in a long time.
From start to finish, this seat was designed with full containment and small-cockpit cars in mind. Whether it’s eliminating the “rolled” material on the sides to reduce width or minimizing padding to maximize headroom, the Sabelt X-Pad is redefining race seating.
The X-Pad carries the highest price tag of any non-carbon Sabelt seat at $1,159, but when you consider its pioneering design and game-changing compatibility, we don’t think they’re asking a lot. This seat is also available in an off-road version (Sabelt X-Pad Rallycross) which is fully waterproof and can actually be hosed off for easy cleaning.
If You're Tall With A Slim / Athletic Build...
The Sabelt GT3 Racing Seat is a great seat for taller drivers who don’t need a full containment seat. The GT3 is the most standard-fit seat in the Sabelt line-up.
So, size-wise, it doesn’t necessarily stand out in the crowd. But the Sabelt GT3, priced at $839, offers excellent fit, premium features, and exceptional craftsmanship for taller, more slender drivers.
The new Sabelt GT3 Racing Seat was re-designed with light weight and driver comfort in mind. The GT3 shell weighs 15% less than the previous model thanks to the innovative use of lightweight lamination.
Getting all of this for under $900 isn't just impressive, it's downright amazing.
If You're Big And Tall...
The Sabelt GT-Pad Racing Seat will fit various body shapes and sizes thanks to its three levels of customizable padding thickness. With an outer shell best suited for cars with more cockpit space, the GT-Pad really shines for the big-and-tall crowd. It offers an unmatched level of lateral support coupled with taller shoulder belt pass-throughs, a taller halo, and ample shoulder wings to keep you firmly in place.
All three pad sizes are centered around the big-and-tall driver rather than just one XL size like most other manufacturers offer. You can also swap out pad thicknesses as needed whether you have multiple drivers or just wear them out over time. And the $1,179 price of the Sabelt GT-Pad doesn’t go up with increased padding size if you need a more generous fit.
If You're Bigger And Taller Than That...
We’ve never seen a racing seat that's better suited to tall drivers (i.e., 6’1” and taller) than the Sabelt Taurus Racing Seat. And with three sizes of Taurus, there’s no reason tall (or big and tall) drivers ever need to sacrifice comfort again.
The Taurus Max, for example, offers significantly more width in every area of the seat, making it a fantastic option for those buying jackets with T’s and pants with X’s. On the other hand, the Medium Taurus is narrower in the torso and hips for more proportional body shapes.
In between those two in both height and width is the Large Taurus for the driver who is maybe a little bigger without necessarily being a lot taller. Every Sabelt Taurus requires ample room to mount, so don’t expect to squeeze it into a tight cockpit.
At $1,059 for any of the three sizes, this big and/or tall racing seat is priced competitively with most standard sized racing seats.
If You're Not That Tall But Still...Well, Big...
As the name suggests, if you're big but not tall (it happens to us all), the Sabelt Titan Max Racing Seat is for you. The Titan Max is an exceptionally comfortable seat for those of us with more width than height.
This seat has high sides to prevent lateral movement and shallower shoulder cups for added comfort, further reflecting its tailor-made purpose. While it’s certainly not for everyone, those for whom it was designed have never had a better option.
Like the Taurus, the Sabelt Titan Max is priced very competitively at only $989, below the price of many competitors’ standard-sized seats.
If You Own A Ferrari Challenge Car...
On the other end of the spectrum is the bespoke Sabelt GT-635 Racing Seat. Renowned for years as the original-equipment fitment for Ferrari Challenge race cars, this latest Sabelt GT-635 racing seat was developed in partnership with the fastest teams in both the Ferrari Challenge Series and the GT Championship.
The GT-635 is extremely lightweight and incredibly comfortable. Offered in Medium, Large, and XL versions, it accommodates a wide range of driver builds.
Beautifully constructed and upholstered to offer exceptional support and comfort, the carbon fiber shell of the Sabelt GT-635 is available in two sizes: M (smaller shell) and L/XL (larger shell).
At a cool $9,595, the Sabelt GT-635 is a real bargain compared to the $175,000 488 Challenge car itself.
