The transit seats have airbags built into them but a few people switched seats anyway, Most just keep them.
I think I have read about maybe 3 people switching the seats out.

 

Fabric is more comfortable than the vinyl there are a few threads on this.
The XLT trim is way more comfy especially for passengers the reclining rear seats make a huge difference over the church pew standard seats.

 

E-Transit has no back seats, I am debating which seats to add. I prefer 2 long benches facing each other and a table in the middle. This will be used primarily when not moving as an office desk but also once in a long while to carry passenger. The other option is one of those old econoline foldable beds to double as a bed when needed. I am also looking at mercedes sprinter seats but Id rather get matching seats just not to look aftermarkety.

 

i think leather fabric is comfortable then other fabrics

 

My XLT has the 4-way cloth seats. They are plenty comfortable. We just recently added seat covers, not for comfort but to protect them from the dog and my wife's sunscreen.

Our last 3 cars had leather seats. Love the durability and look of leather. However I would only get leather if the seats were also cooled and heated. Black leather seats can get incredibly hot, especially with such a large windshield.

If I knew at ordering that we'd be installing seat covers, then I would've considered the vinyl seats. I don't know if the internal seat construction/padding is different between the vinyl and cloth seats.

 

I am considering installing a ceramic film on front windshield to stop heat from baking them.

The Toyota Prius seats have really spoiled me. The first time I sat in a Lexus ux250 (hybrid) I ran to dump my land cruiser and ended up with a bz4x XLE (just over cloth seats). But these are not like typical cloth seats these are way better than recaro racing seats which I use as an office chair.

 

FYI, whether it be OEM or aftermarket, heated seats in an EV are worth their weight in golden extra range in the winter. at least until heat pumps become standard in EVs

 

Does e-transit have heated or cooled seats? I like both but ford is not known for basic luxury amenities. They didn't bother with 12 way adjustable seats with lumbar support. I feel bad for truck drivers who drive these long distances everyday. It will hurt the back real quick.

 

i'm fairly certain heated seats are an option, i don't know about cooled seats but i doubt it. also not sure about a heated steering wheel but the e-transit does not have the invisible wire front window defrost option that the e-sprinter has.

 

Only a fool would want vinyl over cloth. I pity the fool.

but also...vinyl with a very nice fabric seat cover would be acceptable.

 

Cloth seats are always my preference in any vehicle. Not as hot and sticky as vinyl or leather. I hate leather seats. But, cloth seats covers over my vinyl makes it all ok

 

All I have ever owned was vinyl so it seemed like a natural choice. Boomers often bought vehicles without options so they would have more money for family, My parents put two and a half kids through college with savings alone.
I only had one kid but you but you do what you know.

 

We have a 2020 with 10-way leather and a 2023 with 10-way fabric. I agree that the fabric is a little easier on bare skin - especially when it's hot. But I prefer the leather for being harder to stain or rip. All things equal, I'd go leather if possible for the durability.

Plenty of folks here think the seats are uncomfortable in general. I don't. They seem fine to me and I don't mind spending 6-8 hours driving in either.

 

........Plenty of folks here think the seats are uncomfortable in general. I don't. They seem fine to me and I don't mind spending 6-8 hours driving in either.

I suspect that many folks that find the seats uncomfortable are taller, shorter, heavier, etc. than average. To me the Transit seats are fine to very good. I recently was chatting with my brother who's 6'4" and 240ish pounds. He was saying how seats in his Volvo were pretty poor. To me at 5'10" and 185, they were fine.

 

i wear shorts most of the time and cloth seat covers are much nicer... cooler and non-sticky in the Summer, and not so cold in the Winter. I've always ordered cloth ones and never had punctures or problems. I do treat them with 3M fabric waterproofing spray when new, but don't retreat them as suggested.

The Transit airbag seats are a PITA to swap the seat covers. There are many fasteners and hog clips... dozens... holding the seat covers to the seat and seat back. While I watched videos for the Scopema swivels(a PITA!), I didn't think the seat covers would be so involved. Those clips came as a surprise and at first I was trying to straighten them out with long needle-nosed pliers for reuse, I had to give up because I was tearing out the anchors for those. I watched a seat cover replacement video and got the hog clip pliers and clips... and, a stronger better cutting pair of wire cutters to just clip the hog clips out. Make sure you get all of the metal bits you clip loose, as those can "bite" you in the butt later! A strong magnet can be helpful!

As recommended, I used 3M 77 spray adhesive to glue the foam and anchors back in place. With the hog clip pliers and better cutters, the swap went much better, though it took a while. I had to alter some attachment strips of fabric, as the factory had done, too. I got my factory cloth seat covers installed and don't mind the hole where there's no passenger arm rest. I put a piece of black Gorilla tape over the foam underneath and it's good to go.

The vinyl seat covers didn't seem too bad, but I like a little breathability to avoid hot spots when traveling.

 

I prefer fabric seats since they feel warmer when it's cold out and not sticky when it's warm.
FWIW, my biggest peeve is the puny arm rest on our 10 way power seats; anyone know of a cushion that could slide on over the factory arm rest?

 

it seems strange to me that the electric van comes with manual seats not electric.

 

I am trying to find something nicer and bigger for back to face each other in a dinner type setup. I like tracks on bottom

 

So I stopped at ford dealer and reviewed the vinyl seats, they didn't have any cloth seats for me to see. They claimed vinyl was the preferred option as it lasts longer. Cloth seats don't have any extra lumber support like in a ford mustang, that would be my biggest reason for getting cloth. I do know this is a commercial vehicle but considering many people sit for long periods inside I would have thought they would invest some money for better lumber support to help peoples backs.

 

Yeah without lumbar support reclining the seat back will make your back hurt, But you are fine as long as the seat back is kept straight up.
We get this complaint a lot here.

I have driven a few commercial vehicles, Often there are no seat adjustments.
You dont want them getting too comfortable they might fall asleep.

 

I have pretty basic cloth seats in my 2020. The drivers seat has a knob that changes the lower back shape. Not much good at supporting lumber though it is pretty good at lumbar support .

For me it's a set it and forget it thing. The adjustment knob does make a handy place to hang a garbage sack though.

 

I am purchasing an E-Transit and want to know which seat is more comfortable?

When you get your skin seared on the vinyl that's been baking in the sun for hours, you will wish you had ordered cloth.

How would that happen? When you're wearing shorts, for example.

This is why vinyl seats disappeared in the early '80s. I have no f-ing idea why they are trying to bring back that really bad idea. Vinyl is not more durable than cloth.

 

I don't wear shorts and I am planning to install uv blocking clear ceramic film on the inside of the windshield for heat blocking. I might consider tinting windshield if I can get away with it (have gotten away with it in my land cruiser but I think etransit will stick out more).

I did prefer cloth seats on my ford e350 but they were chateau seats which were high spec back in 1999 not your standard cloth seat. They had a velour kind of feel to them. They were considered luxurious in that era but now would be considered dated.

 

I have a Transit cargo on order, scheduled build date next Monday (we'll see) that I ordered with basic vinyl seats with both armrest. My current XL150 it has vinyl seats with solid black TigerTough seat covers that I will also be ordering for the Transit. They may not look as nice as the OEM cloth seats, but they are very durable, spill/moisture proof, and easy cleanup with out removal. After 80,000 miles of usage, they still look new and are my first pick over others seat covers I've tried in the past. This is more of an expensive option than the difference between cloth and vinyl when ordering, but I'm really satisfied with these seat covers over OEM cloth seats, so I use the cost difference between cloth and vinyl to apply the toward aftermarket seat covers. I will also install a aftermarket seat heater only on the driver seat between the seat and cover.

Bucket Seat Covers for Ford Transit Vans (W0526002)

TigerTough seat covers for Transit bucket seats. This set includes covers for driver and passenger seat backs, seat bottoms, armrests, and headrests. These won't fit on Transit vans with heated seats.

www.tigertough.com