jakepdx

Just had my first need and chance to try out the cooled seats yesterday, and I have to say, I wasn't very impressed. It was definitely on, because if I moved my back away from the seat I could hear a loud fan noise, but I didn't notice my back or seat feeling cool. This is my first time trying any kind of cooled seat, so I don't have anything to compare it to - maybe none of them actually cool off the occupants very much? My wife, seating in the passenger seat, was also not impressed.

FWIW, there was definitely cool air coming out of the vents.

amphipri0n

Check out this thread: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es3...ted-seats.html

lesz

Here are some other threads that deal with the ventilated seats.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es3...ted-seats.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es3...pointless.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es3...led-seats.html

Note that there is a difference between cooled seats and ventilated seats. Cooled seats use cooled air to cool the seats. Ventilated seats, which is what we have on the ES, simply recirculate air that is in already in the cabin through the seats.

Note that Lexus seems to have made a design decision for the current generation ES with the ventilated seats to move more of the air flow through the seat backs and only a small amount through the bottom seat cushions. With the seat heaters, on the other hand, more of the heat comes via the seat bottom cushions. That is much like with heat and air conditioning, most of the heat comes through the vents at the feet, and most of the air conditioning comes through the dash vents.

In any case, there are some who are not happy with the ventilated seat performance, while others seem satisfied. If I compare the performance to that of the ventilated seats in the older ES that I had, there is definitely a difference, but the major part of that difference is that, with the older ES, most of the air came through the seat bottom cushions, and, with the current generation ES, more of it comes through the seat backs.

jakepdx

I should have searched before starting a new thread - thanks for those links. Sounds like my experience is fairly similar to what others are having. I don't live in a particularly hot climate, so I don't think it's going to be a major issue, but I'm curious to learn all I can about what it works and what I should expect. Thanks!

amphipri0n

I just realized/remembered that thread I posted degenerated into something completely useless by the end, you should skip most of the last hundred or so pages ; )