What Is Lumbar Support in a Car?

Lumbar support in cars has been on the increase due to an overall increase in the amount of time spent driving and riding a car, baby boomers aging at alarming rates and experiencing their lower back ailments, and poor posture. Customers are demanding in larger numbers than ever before to have car seat designs contain lumbar support. In turn, there is an increase in the number of products that offer lumbar support in cars.

With the increasing number of drivers on the road comes the increased complaints about lower back pain caused by poor car seat design. Proper lumbar support in a car is significant since it can increase the number of safe drivers on the road while also increasing the driver's and passengers overall health. In turn, this will decrease medical costs. Auto manufacturers realize the significance of offering comfortable back support and car seat designers place high emphasis on this area.

Lumbar support in cars comes in different varieties, depending on the personal preference of the driver. It can come built into the car seat with some manufacturers offer it as either a standard or optional equipment. It can be adjustable or not. Or, there are a variety of cushions and lumbar support items available for purchase in stores. A low cost recommendation by some is simply rolling up a towel and placing it behind your back.

If you are interested in finding built-in lumbar support in a new car you are considering purchasing, know that this feature is more prevalent in foreign-made automobiles. With the financial hardships that the North American automobile industry (formerly known as the Big Three-Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford) has been experiencing, one of the areas they have cut expenses in order to save costs is that of placing importance on car seat design options such as lumbar support. Therefore, you may want to consider an import.

In addition to the obvious benefit of having lumbar support in a car--that of decreasing lower back pain, there are other areas that will improve the during the driving experience. These include: decreasing fatigue levels which in turn increases concentration levels, increasing vision capabilities due to better head motion, better breathing capabilities, and less pelvic pain. Good lumbar support in cars can also increase driver's reaction time, and decrease pressure discomfort from the driver's tail bone being in the wrong position.