BMW’s Lack of Heated Seats: Why They’re Causing Such a Stir Among Drivers

Regarding luxury, few things can compete with a warm and cozy ride. While this may be especially appreciated during the coldest months of winter, heated seats are also helpful year-round. Not only is it nice to have a cozy cocoon on those chilly evenings, but heated seats can provide a surprising amount of comfort and assistance when sitting for extended periods.

With so many car manufacturers out there these days, it might surprise you that BMW is among the few car makers that don’t offer a heated seat option as standard in any of its models. Instead, passengers will find only lukewarm options in their high-end 7 Series flagship sedan by default. That being said, with the proper preparation and connections, almost any car can have its seats heated efficiently. Read on to learn more about BMW’s complete lack of heated seats and how you can use that knowledge to make your Bimmer just as comfortable!

Why don’t BMWs come with Heated Seats?

BMW’s heated seats dilemma is a strange one. The issue lies in the way that the seats are heated. Traditionally, seats are warmed by passing an electrical current through a wire embedded in the cushion. This works by way of a control unit that is wired directly into the car’s battery. Unfortunately, such a system can be dangerous if it malfunctions, as it could lead to a dangerous electrical shock.

For this reason, BMW decided against installing such a system in their cars. Instead, BMW uses what’s known as a low-voltage system. This method passes the current through a thin film of copper embedded in the seat’s cushion. This film is connected to the control unit through a low-voltage cable that can be easily disconnected in the event of a malfunction.

Let There be Light!

While these copper films help heat the seat up, they do very little to provide light. Most cars have a few switches by the seat that allow passengers to control the level of light inside the cabin. However, in BMW cars, passengers can only control the brightness of the footwell lights. This is because the footwell lights are wired directly into the same low-voltage control unit that supplies power to the seat-heating films. Therefore, whenever you want to add light to the seat, you’ll also add brightness to the footwells. Fortunately, you can solve this problem quite quickly by installing a set of seat-headrest lights onto your Bimmer’s seats. Seat-headrest lights allow you to add light to your seats while maintaining control over the brightness of the morning.

LED Seat Heaters: The Easy Way to Warm Up Your Bimmer

If you’re looking to add heated seats to your Bimmer, it’s highly recommended that you go with a seat heater kit that includes LED seat heaters. Seat heater kits have everything you need to add heated seats to your car. By connecting these wires, you’ll be able to control the temperature of the seat heaters from the car’s control panel. Then, you can add warmth to your car’s seats with minimal effort by simply plugging the seat heater kit into the car’s low-voltage control unit. Seat heater kits offer a simple, plug-and-play option for anyone looking to add warmth to their car’s seats.

CO2 Heater Kits: A Safer, DIY Way to Heat Your BMW Seats

If you’d prefer to avoid using low-voltage wiring, you might be interested in CO2 heater kits. While CO2 heater kits aren’t as plug-and-play as their LED counterparts, they are a safer and more reliable alternative. CO2 heater kits use a CO2 cartridge to heat the seat’s cushion by releasing a small amount of carbon dioxide gas. The heat released by this gas is then transferred to the cushion by a thin layer of copper embedded in the seat’s cushion. While CO2 heater kits are more difficult to install than LED seat heater kits, they are far safer. In addition, unlike the low-voltage wiring that powers LED seat heater kits, CO2 cartridges emit no electricity. This means there’s no risk of electrical shock if the cartridge malfunctions.

Concluding Thoughts

BMW’s lack of heated seats may be strange, but it doesn’t make them any less comfortable. With the right connections, you can easily add heated seats to your Bimmer without costing you a fortune. Whether you choose to go with a CO2 seat heater kit or an LED seat heater kit, you’ll be able to enjoy heated seats with minimal effort. If you’re the owner of a German car, you may have noticed that heated seats are a strange option. However, you can easily add heated seats to your vehicle with the right connections.