Adding a golf cart rear seat kit or a set of custom golf cart seat cushions to your cart are two of the most popular things our customers do! But with so many options on the market, and so many different levels of quality and cost, it is important to learn a bit about golf cart seats before you take the leap and purchase new seating for your cart. Today, we'll walk you through everything there is to know about golf cart rear seats, golf cart front seats, golf cart seat cushions and seat covers, and golf cart seat belts so that you can make the best decision when purchasing any of these items for your cart.
Most course used golf carts come from the factory with 2-passenger front seats in a “bench-style” design. These seats typically come in basic factory colors such as tan, white, stone or black. Because golf carts are used for golfing, they feature a bagwell storage area located behind the front seats where clubs are stowed during a round of golf. This area typically has space to strap in two full-size golf bags, and has a small storage basket directly behind the front seats (to hold your personal items).
Modern golf carts are used for so much more than just a round of golf. And when a golf cart finishes its life on the local golf course, it typically begins a much more exciting second life in the real world! Golf carts these days are used at lake houses, race tracks, around neighborhoods, at concert venues and for any other use you can dream up for them. And effectively using golf carts for these types of activities (outside of golf) demands more seating capacity. This means golf cart owners typically want to replace their rear bagwell space with additional seating so they can carry more passengers (or cargo). And many golf cart owners want to use the opportunity of buying new seats as a change to give their cart an additional bit of style as well!
Because of this, it will come as no surprise that golf cart rear seat kits and custom golf cart seats are one of the most popular golf cart accessories purchased on the market. We sell more golf cart back seats and front seats than anyone else on the internet, so allow us teach you everything you could ever want to know about golf cart seats, seat cushions and rear seats!
When it comes to choosing a golf cart rear seat kit, custom golf cart front seats or rear seats, factory replacement seats, or any type of golf cart seat covers (both front or rear) for your golf cart, there are a few things to consider up front:
If you don’t know the answer to any of these yet, or you are still trying to decide which direction to go with your golf cart seat setup that's okay! You’re in the right place and you have many options; from mild, to wild. Below we will discuss some common things to think about before you upgrade your golf cart seats or add a golf cart rear seat kit to your cart.
Following only golf cart wheels and tires, the second most popular golf cart accessory sold on the market is the golf cart rear seat kit. A golf cart back seat replaces the bagwells on the rear of your cart with a rear-facing seat. This rear golf cart seat is nearly identical to the one on the front of your cart, but typically features a slightly smaller backrest. Best of all, this new additional seat allows your cart to carry up to four passengers (five, or six if they are young kids)!
Golf cart rear seats will also allow you to carry cargo, because almost all modern golf cart rear seat kits have a “folding” function allowing them to fold down into a useful cargo bed when you’re not carrying extra passengers:
(Pictured Above: Golf Cart Rear Seat folding cargo bed function. This makes hauling coolers, fire wood and other heavy items a breeze!)
Once the cargo bed is folded up (retracted), you have a perfect rear seating place for your passengers!
(Pictured above: Rear Seats are revealed once the cargo bed is flipped into the "folded-up position")
In addition to a folding / flip cargo function, your golf cart back seat kit will likely include or offer a few other very helpful rear seat accessory items:
One of the great things about purchasing a rear seat kit is that most kits are color-matched to your factory front seats. This ensures your cart will look uniform and professionally done (like it came that way from the factory). If you look at all of the images above you can see how the black vinyl seat covers included with the aftermarket rear seat kit on the Yamaha Drive (G29) cart in the pictures perfectly match the front black seat covers on the cart. Nice!
But some of our customers want something a bit more custom than just a factory color matching rear seat kit. So let’s walk through all of the custom possibilities out there when it comes to both front and rear custom golf cart seats.
Following rear seat kits, the next most popular thing our customers search for when it comes to seating for their cart are custom golf cart seat cushions and golf cart seat covers. People tend to get these two confused, but the primary difference between golf cart seat covers and golf cart seat cushions is:
We carry both front and rear seat custom cushions and front and rear simple seat covers that can instantly give your cart a fresh look (on any budget). We also carry factory replacement seat covers and seat cushions.
Custom staple-over golf cart seat covers reuse your existing seat cushions (as long as your foam is in good condition) for an affordable and easy way to give your cart a semi-custom look. Seat covers come in many unique colors and patterns, and staple directly over your seat factory seat cushions. While custom seat covers won’t change the shape (or comfort) of your factory seats, their bright/fresh material will give new life to your old golf cart seats! Many customers go this route to get the most bang for their buck on their cart when going for a custom appearance.
If you want to get a full custom look on your golf cart (no matter how old or new it is) and truly upgrade the comfort of your golf cart seats with wider bolsters, taller seat-backs and high-quality cover materials then you will want to go the route of custom seat cushions with covers.
Custom golf cart seat cushions are typically designed to give a sporty or classy custom look to your cart, while providing additional comfort when compared to factory seats. These seat covers come in a wide variety of cushion shapes and thicknesses as well as material types ranging from vinyl to full high-quality Italian leather.
Custom seat cushions are more affordable than you might think, but depending on the seat cover materials you desire for your cart the price can quickly move upwards. When selecting custom golf cart seat cushions, it is important you choose one of the industry's best brands, some of which include:
If your seat covers have faded or begun peeling due to age and wear-and-tear then ordering new factory covers can be the quickest and cheapest way to breathe new life into your golf cart. As long as your seat cushion foam is in good shape, you can simply replace your seat covers with a new factory colored set and get a totally refreshed look on your cart!
If the factory foam on your cart seats is torn, shredded, or otherwise in terrible shape then it is time to replace it. It's imperative that you have seat foam that is in good condition in order for your seat covers to fit right / look right, and in order for your rider comfort to be at the highest level possible. Luckily, seat foam cushion is cheap and easy to replace.
If you’re looking to upgrade the seating situation on your cart, you have some choices to make up front. But once you have an idea of what you’d like for your cart, it’s time to start browsing! Just click one of the categories below to get started:
Because golf carts are used at low speeds and off-road (at the golf course) their seats do not typically feature seat belts. They also do not feature arm-rests. So be sure to keep that in mind as well while you decide on your golf cart seat setup!
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Written by: Alex Sturwold of the Golf Cart Expert Team
Updated: 5-11-2023