I totally recommend these things!
 

Hey, so I was going to take a 200 mile trip with my g/f to North Carolina today, I don't have air conditioning and it was 85 degrees out side and I did not want to sweat the whole way. I got 2 of these lumbar support things for the air to the back (see picture) at CVS, I was planning on getting back from the trip and returning them...Nope, these things are freaking awesome! instead of rolling the windows down all the way I rolled them down about 25% and stayed really cool, it was great. I got 2 for $11, I HIGHLY recommend these if you don't have a/c. http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...2&d=1244690262

I'd get one for the support

Beaded Seat Covers Are Cheap, Keep You Cool

Yeah they were really great support too, I liked mine placed a little higher than all the way at the bottom and it felt awesome. :thumbup: I didn't get beaded seats because I don't want anything that will slide around the seat too much, the ones I used were pretty dang locked in to where you place it.

I found one of these for $2 at a surplus store, and decided to give it a go for back support on my office chair. Getting in the car for a long drive home, I offered it to the driver to test out. We didn't even get out of the parking lot before he sent me back to buy another. Now, I mostly use it for the car, where it has a tendency to ride low, but it is easy to adjust.

That's pretty neat, never seen one before.

Yeah when I first sat down I was like "wow this feels pretty good" (as far as the support) but as soon as I started driving and the air flowed straight to my back I fell in love hahaha. At CVS they were $6 a piece, $10 for 2, they really made that trip way better.

Looks great for those of us with no AC...I hate having a sweaty back wherever I go.

Yeah my back was always sweaty in my Fiero, which also didn't have a/c, I wish I would have had some of these when I had that car.

looks I will be stopping at CVS to look for those.
Thanks!

Me too!

I was thinking window tint to help with heat in the car, but this is quite a bit cheaper!

HypermilingNoob -

I've seen the smaller lumbar-only ones, but I'll keep an eye out for these. They meet my price point.

CarloSW2

Sweet!! I have been using a pillow cushion thing I got at Kragen. I think it was $11 but Im not sure. It works well except its all smooshed down now. How well do you think this guy holds up over time?

Hello -

Got a pair of these a few weeks ago for $10 at Walgreens. They work pretty good. They help my wife because the Saturn seats aren't good for her back. They might not last long, but I shouldn't expect much if I'm not paying much. I've banged my right funny elbow on the metal edge a few times, but I can live with that.

I just realized an exploit I am going to try. I can put freezer "gel packs" inside the webbing. I wanted to do something like this before, but I was worried that I would sit back and break the gel pack (what a mess!!!!!). My idea was to use foam with cut-outs for the gel packs, but I didn't think it would keep me from squishing them. However, the webbing is good at maintaining it's shape, so it *should* protect me from doing that.

If it works, then the only way I think the gel would break is if I got in an accident. In that case, who cares about the gel pack. Ha ha, someone would see the mess of blue gel and might think I'm an alien, :D .

CarloSW2

Awesome. I'm in OC, so I'll check out my local Walgreens on my lunch break.

Clev -

Cool (literally and figuratively). The gel pack worked, but it still kept sinking into the crease of the seat, which I didn't like. I am going to have my Mom make a little pouch with straps that I hang from the headrest. It will allow the pouch to hang without sinking into the seat. That way, the webbing will protect the gel pack, and the gel pack will not get wedged into the seat. Everybody wins!

CarloSW2

Well so far mine has not broke in any way. I'm still pretty happy with them :)

Yeah the only problem I am having with my little lumbar support things is that they slide into the crack of the seat and I have to pull it up every time, I need to think of a way to keep it from doing that. I thought of the gel pack Idea too :D but I never tried it b/c I didn't know if it would just be too cold and I don't want to get my seats wet. Maybe a small fan that runs off a 9 volt or something back there would be nice?

RandomFact314 -

Neither me nor the seat got wet. The gel pack I used today comes in a "bandage wrap", so I think I had an extra layer of protection. I will try it without a cover to see if it is too cold. I think I am safe from the seats getting wet because my back is evaporating the "coolth". I will post pictures when I have the pouch setup.

CarloSW2

Neat thread. I'm going to check Walmart for a pair. On a similar note I would like to build a seat that basically is a racing seat frame with a similar mesh that can be adjustably tightened for a custom fit. Similar to pic but with mesh.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...-seatstudy.jpg

Yeah I think something like these made into like a seat for your car would be a great idea and would pretty much make it WAY less of a hassle to not have a/c... I know the biggest issues with these seats are safety during a crash.http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1248382024 http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1248382024

RandomFact314 -

I tried another gel-pack without the "bandage" covering and it does sting. It's very cold. I will monitor to see if I get a lower-back rash, but at this point it's still worth it to me. When I get to work I don't fell sticky.

It does make the seat a bit wet, but it's a context thing for me. It was already getting damp from sweat, so "condensation wet" is fine with me. And I am using it when it's hot, so it evaporates quickly.

I have a 12V DC/5 AMP bilge pump fan I could use, but it's too noisy at 5 AMPs. I'd need to use it at a lower amperage (I have a DC motor controller for that too). I might give that a whack.

CarloSW2

those look nice but they don't do anything for butt sweat though.

Hmmm, my friend actually said he gets "amazon a**" driving, I don't get butt sweat driving, I must be lucky or something :confused:

I like this original seat support idea. No a/c + vinyl upholstery = a sometimes nightmarish drive. Like today when it's cloudy, forecast for rain, way humid, and 95* out.

Binger -

When I use the gel-pack on my back, I think it helps because of convection. Ha ha, I don't have proof of this, so this is literally a "butt dyno" moment!!!!!!

CarloSW2

Yeah its the same way here sometimes, but usually more like high 80s or low 90s

Stopped at CVS today and looked for one, they didn't have any :(

jcp123 -

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-cf...re984-rats.jpg

There are similar ones in "As Seen On TeeVee" stores, but they usually cost the magic $19.99.

CarloSW2

Good thinking! But...Tyler isn't special enough to have one of those. Kind of an odd city I live in...we have a lot of holes in our retail (and entertainment) lineup for a city of 100k. :( we have tons of CVS's though, so I'll try another one whenever I happen to be near one.

Me -


Here it is :

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-cf...d-gel-pack.jpg

And here it is installed :

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-cf...ack-doesnt.jpg

Works like a charm. Gel Pack won't sink into the seat. There will always be a risk that I will burst the gel pack at some point, but I think the risk is diminished, and I can line the pouch with a plastic bag to mitigate the mess.

Thanks Mom!

CarloSW2

jcp123 -

I went to the Walgreens today and they still have plenty :

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-cf...ar-support.jpg

If they weren't so bulky, I'd offer to mail one to you. I think it would be at least $6 + 9.25% tax + $5 to $15 for shipping.

CarloSW2

Got one today at Walgreens, but I'm not feelin' it. Do I need to turn it around or something?

Clev -

Get a rectangular gel-pack like the one I have, put it in a sock, and place it like mine. Don't smack into the seat when you sit down because I'm sure you can burst it (so far so good the past month).

Even if you don't use the gel-pack for driving, it's still good to have one around for bumps and bruises (aka I'm not wasting too much of your money because it's a 2-for-1). You can also make Gel-packs from a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water :

How to Make an Ice/Gel Pack | eHow.com
I would use a hot water bottle for this (or maybe not, the plug might hurt my back). Ha ha, would that count as an open container?!?!?!?

CarloSW2

Gotcha. I use those gel packs in my lunch bag, so I'll try one out. At any rate, this does give me some lumbar support where the Clunker's seat is a little lacking, so it was worth the money anyway.

Yes it does help me a lot with support, if your on a really long trip, to me it seems like it started to hurt a little but that is just your back getting used to it, that feeling went away later....

ALSO.... About not feeling, you have to make sure that it is not sunk into the seat to much, the further you pull it upwars (only by like a inch or 2) the more air that flows into it (from my experience with mine) But im guessing it will have to do with how high your window is, I know the Fieros was really high up compared to the neons....

Like if you look at the first picture I ever put on this post you see that it is resting on the seat, now if you look at cfg83 pic where he is showing off his awesome ice pack, you will see his is jammed into the crack of the seat.... I like to pull mine up about an inch

BTW: cfg83... You know the strap that goes horizontal on the back of those things are suppose to go around the seat so you don't have to jam it in the crack right?

We just purchased a pair of these and drove from Goshen, IN. to Atlanta, GA.(750 miles).
They have save our backs and provided us with dry shirt and blouse.
I totally recommend them.

RandomFact314 -

Maybe I'll strap it in and see if is stays as I want it. I chose not to use the strap because I wanted to be able to easily slip the icepack in. I also adjust it in a specific way when I sit down. I found that for my car, the curve of the metal edge is such that I whack my funny bone when I shift. I make that curve "flush" to the side of the seat when I sit down. In the original post, you can see that it has a "padded" edge in the picture. I am happy with my cheapy knock-off, so I can live with this.

CarloSW2

MrMiata -

Welcome to EM! And Woo-Hoo on the successful trip. They help my wife's back too.

CarloSW2

I'm current sitting in a Herman Miller Aeron chair, had it since 2003, comes with a 12 year on site warranty. The only thing that has broken on it was a bolt that holds the adjustable arm rest, herman miller sent someone out the next day to fix it :)
They aren't cheap, but you get what you pay for, excellent build quality and good service.

Anyway, unless it's really hot anyway, you hardly get sweaty in the chair, it's also supremely comfortable, no numb arse cheeks, normal foam chairs seem old fashioned after having this chair.

Also what is the name of the back support in the OP, wanted to see if they sell it over here in the UK.