In the installed position, the pads protrude forward and get in the way of entering the seat. So they need to be placed in the working spot after you are seated. Fundamentally, the device functions as a wedge, which is difficult to pre-position.
The outside surface has a layer of a high-performance material that has an extreme coefficient of static friction that grips the seat. Simply leaning back against the pads creates enough friction to lock them into place.
The pads exerts a slight inward pressure on the sides of your torso, like a wide, gentle hug. When accelerating, you feel the inward pressure increase. While cornering, the pads provide a soft, yet firm surface to lean on. When you turn the wheel, you feel it immediately on your side. This makes the steering feel more crisp and responsive. The harder you corner, the tighter it hugs!
By stopping the sideways motion, it minimizes the strain caused by torso swaying. As it supports your sides, it decreases the weight on your lower back and reduces driving fatigue. Several drivers with lower back issues have reported that the Bolster Boost increased driving comfort and helped decrease their back soreness.
We want a safe product so we are very concerned about this issue. I’ve studied many slow-motion videos and the side airbag actually deploys forward of the seat, into the space between the driver and the door, not sideways into the ribs.
We plan to do crash testing but have not yet done any as it is very expensive. As a professional engineer with more than a decade of designing and building aerospace parts, analyzing forces is what I do. So to me, it seems reasonable that more padding in an accident is a good thing. Any additional foam or cushioning between your body and the car would be helpful in dissipating the force and providing extra energy absorption in an impact. Don’t you agree?
The built-in adjustment mechanism is limited to making a specific spot feel tighter, you cannot change the location of the support. Also, the amount of contact area stays the same, so it is just more force over the same area, which means more pressure and this can feel like being pinched. The Bolster Boost massively increases your contact area with the car which spreads out the holding force on new areas of your body. In effect, it acts as a side bolster extension that projects forward to better envelop and support your torso.
The Bolster Boost makes everyday driving more stimulating, engaging and fun! You become more alert, sensitive and actually a better, safer driver.
The SCCA Rules Administrator, Doug Gill, has ruled that it is allowed in all classes of competition except the Street category. We will be sending a request for clarification to the Solo Events Board to see if an allowance can be made for this category. Although it is not yet formally approved, it has been in a FIA sanctioned race series in Europe where it was used in the winning car!
We want everybody to try it without risk, that’s why we offer a free trial.
We have tested the grip material now for a few years of daily use and it has no effect on modern car seat covers, leather, cloth, felt, marine-grade vinyl, even Wet Okole. If you have a classic car of unknown seat covering, we can supply a swatch of the grip material for you to test on a hidden area. For Tesla’s vegi-leather we have an alternate grip material.