[Sahil]

Ottoman Seats are the best thing that happened to rear seat comfort since the introduction of the air suspension decades ago. Infact, they provide more tangible comfort than a cushy suspension does.

In a chauffer driven market like ours, these seats are fast catching on but I think they further need to gather some pace. They now exist in cars right from the GLS Maybach to Toyota Innova Hycross ZX.

This one feature is enough to make a car a hit even if it looks like a 'dabba' aka The Vellfire. Several others have done well in our market such as the Kia Carnival.

From the Sedans currently only the higher end models like the S,7 and A8 offer this. I hope with the new E LWB and 5 LWB due next year, we see this feature catching on.

I simply love it and when I find myself in a car with a calf support, I use it even for a 20 min car ride.

What your take on it?
I hope this poll compels more car makers to explore adding this to their rear seats! Or even front passenger seat like the Nissan Tian did over a decade ago!

[Shreyans_Jain]

Frankly, not enough people have had the experience of ottoman seats to have a poll of consequence. This is still a feature beyond the mass market. The closest it has come to being democratised has been the top ZX model of the Innova HyCross. But even that has been a blow hot - blow cold kind of car with its extremely limited availability and overall cost cutting which kills the interior ambiance and feel.

Ottoman seats require a big car with a very long wheelbase and loads of legroom. Indian mass market cars are simply not big enough for this to catch on and become a trend like sunroofs.

[Bhodrolok]

As someone who's always self drive, I dont see the attraction.

[ron178]

Tried them in a Toyota Vellfire and they made the whole experience a lot better.

But in shorter-wheelbase models like the Innova Hycross they can at best improve thigh support when set to their mid-position (feet just below the front seat). Even with the seat as far back as possible, for most people they will be impossible to extend fully without flexing their knees.

Given the option, I would certainly choose "depends on car".

[Haze]

As a 6'0" guy, I have tried them in various overnight Volvo buses, and disliked them in every single one of them.

So my vote would have been "Strongly dislike".

[PaddleShifter]

The mass market cars (Punto, S-Cross etc) that I drive can not have ottoman seats due to limited wheelbase.

I am also a solo driver mostly but given a chance, I’d love to have these seats in my car:
i) for my co-passengers or family members
ii) for resting (power nap) during a long highway drive.

[reppy]

God sent for people with varicose veins. We are loving our's in the Hycross!

[Jeroen]

Can’t say I ever had the pleasure of sitting on such a seat on a car.

However, I do have such a reclining leather seat as a stand alone chair at home.

It has travelled with me all over the world. Nobody sits in my chair other than me. As soon as I sit down and recline the cat will jump in my lap. She knows I ain’t getting up.

My wife and my kids call it my old git chair! I don’t care, super comfy and relaxing

Jeroen

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Frankly, not enough people have had the experience of ottoman seats to have a poll of consequence.

Perhaps not in a car but quite a few airlines offer it in premium economy. So do some trains and buses so it might not be that rare an experience.

[condor]

Originally Posted by Haze

As a 6'0" guy, I have tried them in various overnight Volvo buses, and disliked them in every single one of them..

The regular buses we have in India with such seats are a compromise kind of seat. Wont compare them to those in a car like Velfire.

[Cliff9091]

Originally Posted by Haze

As a 6'0" guy, I have tried them in various overnight Volvo buses, and disliked them in every single one of them.

So my vote would have been "Strongly dislike".

The "ottomans" on our buses are more of a gimmick than actual function. If you notice these buses in their EU spec have a 2+1 seating layout configuration and in India it is a 2+2 configuration. Even in the sleeper buses in India they use a 2+1 configuration. Indian buses would be a great judge for these recliner seats.

[Pythonista]

Personally, it is a good addition for enhancing rear seat comfort. It boosts under thigh support and provides a better sense of comfort altogether.

Voted for love it.

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Frankly, not enough people have had the experience of ottoman seats to have a poll of consequence. This is still a feature beyond the mass market. The closest it has come to being democratised has been the top ZX model of the Innova HyCross. But even that has been a blow hot - blow cold kind of car with its extremely limited availability and overall cost cutting which kills the interior ambiance and feel.

Ottoman seats require a big car with a very long wheelbase and loads of legroom. Indian mass market cars are simply not big enough for this to catch on and become a trend like sunroofs.

Totally agree with the first part, several have not tried this yet as it's not a mass feature.

However, with the love of SUVs growing, the size of cars are also growing. Several mass market players like Tata and Mahindra have a few models that can include Ottoman seats.
The captain seats trends caught on well and SUVs/MUVs that have captain seats in the second row can adapt to ottoman seats most likely.
The XUV and Tata Safari could benefit greatly with this.

While we are talking mass market, there is also room for the luxury players to adapt more of this. The X7 has captain seats and can easily get ottoman but they have not done so globally either. The regular GLS can also get it but I guess they don't provide it so that the GLS Maybach finds its novelty.

[Cresterk]

Hmm it all depends on the way it is implemented. In some business class or above flights, you have the entire seat shift into position to be a perfectly comfortable bed. If you are expecting this from the cars like the Hycross, you will be disappointed.

While you can raise the ottoman to be completely flat against the seat base, this is not recommended unless you are only 5 feet tall. What it does help me with is adjusting it in small increments which does significantly increase comfort by adjusting the angle of your calves which also lead to the resting angle of your thighs changing. It might seem small but it is very useful during long trips and you won’t be wanting to stop and stretch your legs.

Some of the very very high end luxury cars also have an closeable opening in the front passenger seat backrest along with the rear ottoman. This can let the rear passenger lift his legs and put it right into the front passenger seat base which will get you closer to that perfect bed experience.

[Ashar]

If the discussion is solely focused on ottoman seats in general, rather than ottoman seats in cars, the most accessible example that comes to mind is the (manual) ottoman seats in Volvo/Scania Multi-Axle Buses used for intercity travel.

Before Multi-Axle buses gained popularity, Single-Axle Volvo buses featured regular recliner seats without ottoman functionality. Despite lacking ottoman seats, these buses provided an excellent ride experience at the time, thanks to their advanced air suspension. However, with the introduction of Multi-Axle Volvos/Scanias, the traditional recliner seats were replaced by ottoman seats, offering a comfort level at least ten times superior to the standard recliner seats. So, YES, ottoman seats DO make a difference.



Regarding ottoman seats in cars, I recently had the opportunity to experience them in the S-class. However, it was during a brief 10-minute test drive. The ottoman seats were exceptionally comfortable, unlike any other car I have been in. Nevertheless, given that it was an S-class, we cannot solely attribute this comfort to the ottoman seats alone.