The 2021 Ford F-150 came with a whole lot of new things, like a hybrid mill, 12-inch touchscreen system, and a Pro Power Onboard Generator, amongst other things. One other impressive feature are the Max Recline Seats.
These are seats that essentially flip down almost 180 degrees so you can take a nap on work sites. Instead of just having the existing seats to fold flat, Ford worked from scratch to make sure you don’t end up with sprains and aches if you decide to have a siesta.
What Are The Max Recline Seats All About?
Ford says that it has developed the Max Recline Seats after studying how customers use the interiors of a truck to take rest.
The upper seatback can be rotated forward up to 10 degrees to provide comfort for the neck. Although it sounds like a simple idea, there are quite a few unique ideas implemented here, thus garnering Ford five patents for it.
Initially, Ford made mockups using glue, foam core, and pins, and attached them to the seat frames to test multiple concepts. When they were happy with the result of the concept, Ford went on to build a metal prototype and then created the production parts. Ford’s seat design and release engineer, Ben Kulhawik, said, “There are no additional motors in these seats – just a simple mechanism that relies on the customer moving the seatback using the power recline function.”
Final Thoughts
Max Recline Seats will be available on the top-tier trims of the 2021 F-150 – King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited. However, Ford said the XLT – second from the bottom – is the most popular trim. So, it would good if it can be offered as standard of this trim, too, and perhaps optional on the base model. Although it’s useful for any truck owner, it will be used the most by folks who will use it as a work truck will need it the most.
Apart from this, Ford has also introduced something known as ‘Interior Work Surface’ where the gear lever folds down and provides a flat surface for you to use. Ford said that one-third of the owners use their laptop (up to 15-inch systems comfortably) in the truck, but there was no usable, convenient surface to date. This arrangement can be had on any trim and any seating style (bench or captain seats), so why not offer the Max Recline Seats also the same way, even if it means a premium of a few hundred dollars on the sticker price?
Let us know what you think about the Max Recline Seats and whether they should be offered as standard on every trim or not. Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.