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One of the plusher luxury cars I ever tested was a Mercedes GL SUV (the model now known as GLS). I still remember being impressed by its heated, cooled, and massaging seats. That tech has been trickling down into sub-six-figure cars for a while now. But if you want to get improved seating comfort on a really tight budget, you can get a massager built right into a slip-on seat cover. Here’s how well the Laxon Air Massage Seat worked out for me. At $299.00 on Amazon (free shipping for Prime members) it’s not cheap-cheap, but it is pretty nice for the price.
The Bottom Line
Heated seats have almost become standard equipment across the spectrum of new cars today. Cooled, or more accurately, ventilated seats are slowly making their way into entry-level cars, and even massage seats are popping up in average-priced cars. (Average car pricing is nearly $50,000 these days, according to KBB.) Most people aren’t going to go buy a new car just to get massaging seats, and they don’t need to. The massaging function of these Laxon covers is as good as any massager I’ve used in a car. I tested this in my car during the hottest two months of the year here in Las Vegas, so I have no concerns about durability in that regard.
At first, I balked at the $299.00 price tag, but if you have a long commute or especially if you drive professionally, the cost per hour of use seems pretty low. It installs in minutes on just about any seat. I’ve also been using this in my office chair. It might be a little loud for some work environments, but it makes long days of writing a little easier. It’s especially useful on days after a hard workout.
| Laxon Air Massaging Seat Cover | |
|---|---|
| Value | 9/10 |
| Quality | 8/10 |
| Ease Of Use | 8/10 |
| Durability | 9/10 |
| Overall | 8.5/10 |
What the Laxon Air Massaging Seat Cover Does and Doesn’t Do
I’ve mentioned seat ventilation a few times already, so I should point out, the Laxon doesn’t do it. It does have five levels of massaging that also allow you to isolate just the seat bottom or seat back. The heating feature has two levels, either 100 or 110°F. You can set the timer for either 15 or 25 minutes of operation. It can be powered by either a 12-volt DC cigarette lighter socket or a 120-volt standard AC outlet; cables for both are included. It comes in three colors; black, brown, and chocolate. The seating surface is PU leather, which is synthetic and is “leather” in the same way that Oatly is “milk.”
The seat cover has 11 independently controlled air bladders sandwiched in between the seating surface and the non-slip underside. There’s a bit that hangs down in front of the seat bottom that has a pocket for the wired remote, has the connection for the power cable, and houses the air pump. Reader, you have no idea how many jokes I’ve left on the table in this review. To secure the cover to the seat, there is an elastic strap that wraps around the seat back, another strap with a D-clip that secures around the headrest posts, and two disk-like pieces that stick in the crack, or the separation between the seat bottom and back. The seats in my Tiguan have minimal bolstering, and the seat cover still didn’t move around much during use. It conforms to more contoured seats also, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it fits my Sparco office chair.
Pros and Cons of the Laxon Air Massage Vehicle Seat Cover
In several of the luxury cars I’ve driven, or been driven in, the massage function isn’t all that noticeable, even on the highest setting. The lowest setting on the Laxon is noticeable and once you get up to the highest Dynamic setting, you’re in for a ride. You might be wondering why there are 11, an odd number, of bladders. There are six in the seat back, three pairs stacked on top of each other. There are two pairs in the bottom, and then one lone balloon in the center of the seat bottom. Laxon says it’s positioned for the user’s tailbone … yeah, no. It’s much too far forward for that. Another opportunity for a joke, but I tain’t doin’ it. On the higher settings, I only use the seatback massager.
I’m considered tall for a human. The highest seatback massagers don’t reach my scapulas like they’re supposed to, but I still get a good back massage even if my shoulders feel a little neglected. I work from home, but when I used to have a 35-mile commute that took anywhere from 45 minutes to over three hours depending on traffic. This would have been ideal for the days that I drove home barely averaging 12 mph on the 405. I would have removed it any time I was going to do some real driving, but it would have made my day-to-day life better.
Final Thoughts on the Laxon Air Massage Vehicle Seat Cover
First, I should explain something. I continue to type Laxon Air Massage Vehicle Seat cover and intentionally leave the c in cover lowercase. Shout out to Andrew who had to endure this while copy editing. Laxon doesn’t include “cover” in the official product name. It’s not an entire seat, so adding the cover is necessary, in my opinion, but it isn’t part of the proper title. I’m glad we cleared that up.
Some of you are still angry about the $299.00 price, and I should point out, the list price according to Amazon is $399.00 but I don’t think it has ever sold for that. I will acknowledge that 300 dollars is a considerable amount of money, but if you are trying to modernize an older car, or just add luxury features to a more modestly equipped car, this is a pretty reasonable way to do it. Adding CarPlay is going to cost more than that. Adding a valved exhaust or adjustable suspension operable with a remote from inside the car, are also going to cost you more than this. A couple of professional massages at a spa will cost you more than this. I see the value in the product.
Before testing the Laxon Massager I probably never would have considered buying one. The performance surprised me. After a few months of testing, I have no doubt that it will hold up in the harsh environment of a car’s interior. If I were an Uber driver or a trucker, or I still had a long commute, this would change my life. I should point out, this would make a perfect gift for any of those people. The only upgrade I’d like to see in future models is ventilation, other than that it does everything as advertised, better than I expected. I know we focus a lot on tools, occasionally we do dashcams or a radar detector, let us know if you’re interested in seeing more products like this reviewed by Hank and me.
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