Ultimate 350z Seat Buying Guide

Loving your 350z but hating the stock seats? Whether it’s for daily use or a track weapon, we’ve got you covered in our ultimate 350z seat buying guide.

350z seats buying guide

Bride Zeta III
Corbeau Forza
Sparco Sprint
Bride Gias III
Sparco Evo II US
Bride Stradia III
Buddy Club Racing
NRG Fixed Bucket
Bride Vios III
Corbeau FX1 Pro
Sparco Pro 2000
Corbeau A4
Takata Race LE
Jump to winner

In a hurry? Here is our best 350z seat summary

Daily Choice	Drifted Choice	Runner-Up Choice

Bride Stradia III	Bride Gias III	Takata Race LE
🔥🔥🔥🔥	🔥🔥🔥🔥	🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now

We’ve been witnessing just how quickly the 350z has been growing in popularity over recent years, and since our fans here at Drifted keep asking us for more Z articles, so we’re more than happy to oblige!

After building up a comprehensive list of 350z guides for various tuning parts that we recommend to build the ultimate 350z, other than our roll cage guide, we’ve not yet covered interior upgrades as much as we’d like.

It probably won’t come as much of a surprise, but seats are one of the most vital parts of any car, after all, it’s what connects you to the damn thing!

Whether you spend your days cruising around in your 350z or if it’s driven a few times at the year at the track, upgraded seats will undoubtedly have crossed your mind at some point.

I mean, let’s face it, we’ve all got a little tail-happy at some point with the stock seat, and almost found ourselves sliding over, awkwardly destined for the passenger’s lap.

That’s before you’ve even entered your first drift day at the local track, where more of your concentration is focused on staying in place rather than keeping the car sideways.

Jokes aside, Nissan understandably designed the seats to be comfortable for basic road use with the occasional spirited driving in mind, so it’s no real surprise that they’re not ideal for racing purposes.

There are many reasons why aftermarket seats are far more ideal than the stock OEM choice. For some owners, height may well be an issue, especially if you’re wearing a helmet. Those valuable millimeters that you once had above your head will soon become an inconvenience once you’ve added the protection.

You can mount an aftermarket seat however you wish, so not only can you mount it lower, but it can also be further back, providing more leg room and head clearance.

Be warned, a lot of the cheap seats and rails will sit higher than stock. They do an extremely basic job of simply ‘placing’ you in the car and for that reason, we have avoided the insanely cheap options and we recommend doing your own research on any setup which you’re potentially considering.

Another benefit is weight saving. The stock seats and rails weren’t designed with weight in mind so you can guarantee that any decent set of aftermarket seats and rails will be far lighter.

That’s not all, aftermarket seats allow you to choose what design you’d like. You can opt for tight-fitting racing-spec bucket seats which will ensure that no matter how much angle you get when throwing it down sideways, you’ll stay in the correct position. However, if you’re on the larger side, there are often various size alternatives, so don’t panic!

Alternatively, you may want a more convenient seat to get out of than a bucket for daily use, perhaps something which provides a little extra bolster support without everyone staring at you when you awkwardly try to climb out of the car when you head to the store.

Before we get started with our guide, we want to give a word of warning. We know how tempting it is to run the latest and greatest JDM products, but there are many fake seats out there on the market, particularly with Bride on both the new and used market.

Bride had some copyright issues which means that outside of Japan, fakes are able to be sold without the customer being aware, so it’s extremely important to make your purchase through an approved vendor.

Some of the replicas may look the part (some don’t, trust me), but safety is extremely important and the last thing we would want is to be involved in a crash with a seat which has had no real-world crash testing.

Safety is ALWAYS the most important thing when tuning, whether you’re rocking a road car or a serious form of motorsport. For the sake of a few hundred bucks extra, it’s worth saving for a few more months to get the real deal.

It’s time to take a look at the awesome selection we have for you. Be warned, some of these seats are about to become very tempting!

If you’re looking to carry out more mods to your 350z, you’re definitely going to want to check out our other articles.

350z Tuning guides

Don’t have a 350z? Then check out our universal best racing seats guide.

Let’s take a look at our aftermarket 350z seat selection

To find out more about any of these products just click on the product name or photo.

Bride Zeta III

Manufacturer: Bride
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ?????
Purchase link: Discontinued

Updated June 1st 2021: Product discontinued. We recommend taking a look at the latest seats in the Bride range, the Bride Euroster.

Our comment: Bride certainly needs no introduction when it comes to aftermarket seats. These are undoubtedly the most popular seats in Japan and are the seat of choice for some of the best drivers such as Daigo Saito and Naoki Nakamura.

Bride’s Zeta III are quite possibly their most popular seat and there’s certainly no question that they’re one of the best looking!

The base of the seat features a two-piece polyurethane which distributes the body pressure for maximum pedal operability.

Bride seats are notoriously ‘Japanese-sized’, which means that for those of you on the larger size of, well, stick-thin, you may want to consider the large or extra large options. Alternatively, they also have a small, which we’d expect is insanely small!

You can always count on a great selection of variety with Bride seats, so we’d imagine they’ll have your needs covered. Whether you’re after a red carbon-fiber or the HANS device friendly FIA seat there’s something for everyone in their selection.

These are the typically fantastic quality that we’ve come to expect from Bride, and although they’re not the cheapest, you’ll earn back the extra money in scene points anyway!

Manufacturer description: “The ZETA Series comes in 4 types to fit various heights and body types. Its design characteristics are the narrowed-down waistline and small needlepoint design of the shoulder support part. We also offer models which support car models with tight interiors to meet the needs of a broad range of users.“

“BRIDE’s fixed bucket seat ZETA has won in countless races while always keeping drivers safe. The racing comfort model, which has been tuned with consideration for all Motorsports settings, ZETA series“

Corbeau Forza

Manufacturer: Corbeau
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ????
Purchase link: Buy your Corbeau Forza seats here

Our comment: Branded as a ‘competition seat with a price tag for the weekend racer’, the Corbeau Forza is certainly excellent value.

The Forza features five harness slots for your race harness along with integrated shoulder support. Corbeau recommends this for those of you with a 36-38″ waist. They also have a wide alternative if you require a bigger size, which is for up to 44″.

These really are impressive value for money, and although they may not be the most exciting seat, they’re certainly worth considering for the price.

If black doesn’t tickle your fancy, you may want to consider the ‘Red’ variation.

Manufacturer description: “The Forza is the perfect entry level racing seat. The Forza racing seat combines comfort, performance, and safety at an absolutely unbeatable price.“

“If you enjoy racing and want a practical and affordable seat, the Forza is the seat for you.“

Sparco Sprint

Manufacturer: Sparco
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ????
Purchase link: Buy your Sparco Sprint seats here

Our comment: Sparco’s Sprint seats are their entry-level competition seat, which comes in at a reasonable price for the quality. At just $400, these FIA Approved seats should definitely be a consideration.

With a steel tubular frame and 6-point harness slots, these are ideal for both competition and daily driving use. Weighing in at 8.74kg, they’re going to be far lighter than the stock seats.

Sparco says that these are the best-selling seats in Europe, and we can see why. Excellent seats at an even better price point.

There are three color variations to choose from with these – Black, Red, and Blue.

Manufacturer description: “The Sprint is our entry level competition seat, perfect for weekend racers. It carefully balances safety, styling and value. The fastenings for side or bottom attachments on the tubular frame are better positioned on the shell while the holes for fifth and sixth seatbelt points provide improved safety. “

“This seat is made from fire retardant fabric and features contrasting quilting. Available in black, blue and red. FIA approved. “

Bride Gias III

Manufacturer: Bride
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ????
Purchase link: Buy your Bride Gias III seats here

Our comment: These are quite possibly the most stunning seats in the Bride range, and we absolutely love them so you might be wondering why we’ve only rated them 4*.

Let’s be honest, reclining seats aren’t anywhere near as necessary for a 350z as something with rear seats. Combine that with the fact that these are over double the price of the Zeta’s above, the Zeta’s feel more justified for the price tag.

Don’t get us wrong though, the Gias are as comfy as they are pretty, and if you’re looking for reclining seats for your daily, these are up there with the very best. However, for competition use, we would always opt for fixed back seats.

These are more similar to a bucket seat in the thigh region than the Stadia seats as they offer increased support.

These also come in low cushion variations. You can view the full Gias III range here.

Manufacturer description: “By adopting a super monocoque shell structure and an all-aluminum frame, GIAS series is a sporty reclining sports seat which realizes both lightweight and rigidity. The design deeply envelops the driver and realizes high holdability.“

“For the GIAS backrest we utilize a monocoque structure shell for decreased weight and reinforced rigidity. The shell materials we provide are 3 types including the lightweight and strong carbon aramid, the super aramid black shells which have superior tensile strength the same as carbon aramid which is only used by BRIDE, and FRP.“

Sparco Evo II US

Manufacturer: Sparco
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ????
Purchase link: Discontinued

Updated June 1st 2021: Product discontinued. We recommend taking a look at the latest seats in the Sparco range, such as the Sparco EVO L QRT.

Our comment: Given the number of orders for their larger seats from the US market for the original Evo, Sparco opted to make their Evo II in a larger size in this ‘US’ model.

Featuring an ultra-light fiberglass composite shell, this is an extremely popular seat priced at the higher end of the market.

This has been designed with extensive input from some of the finest racing drivers and is FIA approved and HANS device compatible. An excellent choice for those of you that are intending to race or drift at the track or competitively.

Manufacturer description: “Sparco’s EVO II US Racing Seat offer racing drivers both quality and value you can only expect from the Sparco Evo seat line. Features includes a unique shell shape and fiberglass construction that increases rigidity without adding excess weight. The EVO US II Racing Seat offers re-engineered seat proportions, which provide greater ergonomics.“

“This results in a seat that is both taller and slightly wider than the regular Evo and Evo II seat, making it perfect for taller/larger drivers. The seat belt slots featured on the EVO II US Racing Seat are also repositioned to sit more level with the driver’s shoulders. The Evo II US Racing seat can also accommodate a Hans device for even more added safety.“

Bride Stradia III

Manufacturer: Bride
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ????
Purchase link: Buy your Bride Stradia III seats here

Our comment: The Bride Stradia features a near-identical design to the previously reviewed Gias, with the exception of a shallower thigh area. This makes it perfect for daily driving, but for us, it has priced itself out of the typical daily driver price-range.

Combined with the reclining function, which isn’t vital for 350z’s unless you’re using it as a daily, this only earns itself a 4* rating from us despite once again being a fantastic and incredible-looking seat.

As always, Bride offers a great level of variety to choose from if the Stradia ticks the right boxes for your needs.

Manufacturer description: “STRADIA series’s shape features a lower knee support section compared to GIAS to enable easier boarding and exiting. The backrest deeply envelops the driver the same as GIAS, maintaining the high holdability. Because it utilizes a super monocoque shell structure and an aluminum frame, it achieves both light weight and high rigidity. This model is perfect for those who do not want to sacrifice holdability but are also concerned about ease of boarding/exiting.”

“With the STRADIA, the backrest has an enveloping form that enables high holdability, but the height of the thigh part is just enough to prioritize ease of boarding/exiting while maintaining holdability. This makes for a reclining sports seat which achieves both a suitable holdability and ease of use. In addition, wide-size is available for part of STRADIA lineup.“

Buddy Club Racing

Manufacturer: Buddy Club
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ????
Purchase link: Buy your Buddy Club Racing seats here

Our comment: Buddy Club is another popular seat manufacturer on the Japanese market and are well known for being extremely light (5kg) and well built, with a high-quality standard to match.

This is a performance seat for fast road use, ideal for use with a 4-point harness, however, they aren’t recommended for serious track use due to not having FIA approval.

There are Black and Red color options available and also a ‘Wide’ variation if required.

Manufacturer description: “Buddy club Racing Spec Seats have been tested and used in competition on various racing circuits around the world. This extensive “real world” testing was instrumental in the development of our one of a kind seat bolsters which offer the user support and grip while cornering and has proven extremely effective at even the most severe lateral g conditions.“

NRG Fixed Bucket (FRP-300)

Manufacturer: NRG
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ??
Purchase link: Buy your NRG Fixed Bucket seats here

Our comment: NRG are known for bringing some great-looking budget parts to the market, and these seats are no exception with the impressive $200 price tag.

These may be ideal for a budget track build, but with car parts, we know that you often get what you pay for, and it looks like it’s the case this time around too.

We’ve heard several reports of the quality being to a low standard with fiberglass and issues with the mounting holes.

These have been included in our list as they’re an exceptional price, but we’d personally look elsewhere for something higher quality.

If you are interested in these, then this is the large variation and you can find the medium one here.

Manufacturer description: “NRG Innovations racing seats are designed with the best of comfort and style to improve the look and performance in any vehicle. Great lumbar support and holding feel as opposed to the stock seats. NRG seats are designed differently to accommodate different harness styles.”

Bride Vios III

Manufacturer: Bride
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ?????
Purchase link: Discontinued

Updated 1st June 2021: Discontinued. We recommend taking a look at the latest seats in the Bride range, the Bride Euroster.

Our comment: If you’re looking for the ultimate low seat, Bride has once again come through with the goods on this awesome fixed-back seat.

This is almost identical to the Zeta, with the exception of the lower fitment, so it all depends what you’re looking for.

The Zeta does have more variety when it comes to sizing, so if you’re looking for a larger seat, that may well be the better option.

Manufacturer description: “Our VIOS line-up includes a total of 5 seats: VIOS III standard model. the premium “Japan” model which uses high-class faux suede for its surface material. the basic SPORT-C model. the REIMS model featuring a full cover extending to the back surface and a one-point accent color. and TYPE-R with a high holdability in its thigh section. It is an active fixed bucket seat which can meet a variety of customers’ needs from sports-oriented to luxury-oriented and fashion-oriented.“

“Because VIOS utilizes BRIDE’s patented Lomax System technology, it enables a low position even in a tight seat space. Even if offsets between the steering and seat centers occur, with the Lomax System it is possible to set the offset to zero*. (In some cases certain models may not reach zero).“

Corbeau FX1 Pro

Manufacturer: Corbeau
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ????
Purchase link: Buy your Corbeau FX1 Pro seats here

Our comment: The Corbeau FX1 is a very similar design to the original Sparco Evo seat but at a fraction of the price. Don’t get us wrong though, the quality isn’t quite as good as the Sparco, nor are they FIA approved.

Corbeau has a good reputation within the budget scene, and if you’re looking to run bucket seats in your daily driver or for light track use, these will be ideal. For serious racing, we always recommend FIA-approved seats in case it becomes a requirement further down the line.

This ‘Pro’ range is the cheapest, which features narrower shoulders with racing in mind. There’s also the wider-shoulder FX1 and the large FX1 seats available.

Manufacturer description: “The FX1 Pro racing seat features composite fiberglass technology. The FX1 Pro combines comfort, performance, and safety at an absolutely unbeatable price. Designed with an emphasis on comfort, this seat is one of the most comfortable race seats you will ever sit in.“

“If you enjoy racing and want a practical and affordable shell seat, the FX1 Pro is a hard one to pass on. As a rule of thumb, the FX1 Pro racing seat will fit up to a 36 inch waist, the FX1 will fit up to a 38 inch waist and the FX1 Wide (black only) will fit up to a 42 inch waist.“

Sparco Pro 2000

Manufacturer: Sparco
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ????
Purchase link: Buy your Sparco Pro 2000 seats here

Our comment: The Sparco Pro 2000 seat has certainly stood the test of time and is still one of the most popular seats on the market.

This great looking racing seat is FIA homologated and is also suitable for use with a HANS device.

Weighing in at just 7.7kg, it should certainly be a consideration for those of you that are looking to go down the more serious motorsport route.

Manufacturer description: “The Sparco Pro 2000 is our most popular competition seat. It combines comfort and ergonomics with safety and performance. The non-slip fabric on the shoulder and cushion area and two lumbar support pads improve cockpit comfort.“

“Made from a light fiberglass composite shell and wrapped in a fire retardant fabric, the Sparco Pro 2000 features a seat design that cradles the body for greater performance. The Sparco Pro 2000 is FIA approved.“

Corbeau A4

Manufacturer: Corbeau
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ????
Purchase link: Buy your Corbeau A4 seats here

Our comment: Corbeau enter the higher end of the market with their extremely popular A4 seat.

This is another reclining option but this time aimed at the more reasonable side of the market than the Bride variants.

These are a great all-rounder for daily and perhaps occasional basic light track use. If you are looking to get seriously involved with motorsports or drifting, we’d definitely recommend the fixed-back seats.

These come in a wide variety of colors, with Black, Blue, Red, Black Suede and Grey/Black Suede to choose from.

A reasonably priced all-rounder for those of you looking for a simple reclining seat for daily use.

Manufacturer description: “The Corbeau A4 seat is a snug fitting touring seat with a fully reclining back. This seat has excellent lateral support with low side bolsters and a low profile design.”

“As a rule of thumb, the A4 will fit up to a 34-36 inch waist while the A4 Wide will fit up to a 38-40 inch waist.“

Takata Race LE

Manufacturer: Takata
Fitment: Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008
Value for money: ?????
Purchase link: Buy your Takata Race LE seats here

Our comment: Best known for their signature JDM-style green harnesses, Takata have also entered the seat market with this great looking selection.

There’s no doubt that Takata knows a thing or two about safety, and these seats would look awesome alongside their harnesses.

These are FIA-homologated, designed 6-point harnesses and also HANS compatible, so they are an excellent all-rounder for those of you looking to get serious at the track.

Given that these are only a Limited Edition, we highly recommend that you grab yourself a set before they all sell out if they’re the choice for you.

Manufacturer description: “The limited edition TAKATA Race LE Competition Bucket Seat is an incredibly safe, deep sided and extremely rigid seat that still allows freedom of movement for all disciplines.”

“The black Spacer Fabric, stitched in subtle TAKATA Green, keeps you cool. High backed, fully HANS® compatible with increased kidney protection, but relieved below the shoulders for lateral arm movement, this seat allows you to really get over the wheel and take control without any compromise on what is known as one of the most comfortable seats in the industry.“

Our winner

Our winning seat is the Bride Gias III

To pick our winner from this choice of 350z seats, we looked at a number of criteria; performance, quality, popularity, and design.

Based on these criteria we have chosen the Bride Gias III’s to be our winner.

Bride Gias III

There’s a valid reason that Bride are the most popular seats in Japan and the most sought-after across the rest of the world. With their stunning, unique styling and perfect workmanship, these are fantastic looking and comfortable seats.

Combined with the huge selection and variety of sizes, styles, and colors that Bride has to offer, it allows the owner to customize their Gias III’s exactly to their needs.

As the Gias is a reclining seat you will enjoy support, comfort and adjustability that a conventional bucket seat will not be able to offer.

If you’re going for a serious competition seat, you’ll want to take a look at the Zeta IV range, which is both FIA homologated and HANS compatible.

Thank you for reading our Nissan 350z seat guide

We hope that you’re now confident in choosing the right product for your needs, whether it’s cruising on the street or tearing it up at the track!

Enjoyed this article? Make sure you check out more of our 350z tuning guides!

You can also check out our Ultimate Nissan 350z Buyer’s Guide.

Photography credits

We would like to thank the following sources for the use of their images:

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Written by Joe Terrell Drifted.com founder, motoring journalist and all-round car enthusiast. Read more about Joe and the Drifted team on our about us page.