[Lyn862]

I am looking for an alternate headrest with a less severe angle for my 2010 Cobalt. Please hear me out before giving me a safety lecture. I know that they are really called head restraints and that they are there for safety and not for comfort. I know that their purpose is to alleviate whiplash.

I am a 5'7", 125 lb woman. I carry my weight in my hips and my shoulders are narrow. When I sit in my Colbalt with my seat all the way back in the driver seat and have my head touching the headrest, my back does not contact the the seat at all. My shoulders are a good 3 and maybe 4 inches from the car seat. In the event of being rear-ended, my back would be forced back into the seat and my head shoved down toward my chest. I would not be able to see to steer. I would probably receive a neck injury. I have pretty good posture but sitting upright on the bench with no back support is tiring on long trips.

I have searched the internet for several days and the only solution I have found is to bend the posts on the headrest. I hate the idea. First, I would probably mess it up. Second, I worry that it would compromise the structural integrity of the headrest. Third, I would like to be able to put the original headrest back in should I sell the car or if my 6' 220 lb husband needs to drive the car.

I am wondering if a headrest from an older car will fit this car. Maybe a Cavalier? How would I go about finding the measurements and what am I looking for?

I am pretty normal sized. There is no way that a car seat is going to fit both me and my husband, who is pretty normal sized too. Surely I am not the only one with this problem?

Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[Coby7]

I'm 5'6", and never had a problem. Have you tried moving the seat ahead and tilting the seat back. Lower the headrest so it just where the neck meets the lower part of your skull.

 

[rrob5382]

I suppose you could always try turning the headrest around

 

[MP81]

The headrest is designed to put you into that position. The Cobalt's is a "passive" system - meaning that it is stationary. More expensive cars of the time used an "active" system where, in the event of a crash, you'll be pushed into the seat back, which forces the headrest forward and down into that position. Newer cars have managed to handle all this without the crazy angled headrests of the late aughts.

My wife is 5'2 and never had an issue in her two Cobalts.

 

[Lyn862]

The question isn't how tall you are, but how wide you are from the midpoint of your shoulder bone back. Add into that equation how wide you are in the hips to calculate the angle of your back in comparison to the curves in the seat back. My headrest is all the way down and I have tried the seat in every configuration. I have watched maybe 15 videos about how to adjust the seat in hopes of finding something I have not tried. I gave my height, weight and build so you could get the over all picture of my size.

Someone who is proportionally wider (front to back) through the shoulders will need more of a space difference between the headrest and the seat.

The things I have read indicate that to be safe, your back and head should hit the seat and headrest at the same time to be safe in a crash.

---------- Post added at 06:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:34 AM ----------

I suppose you could always try turning the headrest around

I have tried turning the headrest around, but I can't get it to slide down. Is there a trick to this?

---------- Post added at 06:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:36 AM ----------

If your wife is 5'2", does her head contact the headrest at all?

I am sad to hear that this is the way the seat is designed to be. I was sort of afraid of that. I wish my back would have some sort of support when I drive.

 

[MP81]

Couldn't tell you - she totaled that car five and a half years ago - but I don't recall her having any issues. She's about 115 lbs or so, and narrow at the shoulders as well and never mentioned any issues.

The Cruze is a different car, but she fits just fine in that - her back touches the upper seatback, with her head on the headrest. My Cobalt has the Recaros, so the headrest is entirely different so I couldn't use that to compare.

 

[Coby7]

Maybe you just need to strap a cushion or padding to fill the void.

 

[Lyn862]

Maybe you just need to strap a cushion or padding to fill the void.

I will try this. Thank you.

---------- Post added at 04:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:50 PM ----------

https://www.amazon.com/Obus-Forme-Lumbar-Support-Backrest/dp/B000FJUABU?th=1
Maybe???