As Kelley Blue Book reports, Nissan has rolled out zero gravity seats across its lineup to help reduce fatigue and improve the comfort of drivers during long trips. But what do these seats actually do?

The origins of zero gravity car seats

Zero gravity seats aren’t a new concept; they originate from the early days of the U.S. space program (and sorry, they don’t make you weightless).

NASA scientists set out to find the most ergonomic seating option for Gemini and Apollo astronauts who’d spend most of their time secured in their seats. Sitting for an extended period of time can cause fatigue and put too much pressure on joints. This caused scientists to identify the concept of “neutral posture”—a natural position the body assumes in a zero-gravity environment—which helps address fatigue and puts the least amount of pressure on joints.

Basically, zero gravity seats are designed to keep you in a neutral position as comfortably as possible in order to reduce fatigue.

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Taking cues from space exploration

Nissan

built on that concept

over the course of a decade, creating its own version of the zero gravity seat that uses 14 pressure points to keep drivers close to a neutral posture when driving. It provides support from the hips to the shoulders, which Nissan says maximizes blood flow and keeps drivers’ energy levels elevated.

KBB

reports, the automaker worked with scientists from Keio University in Tokyo to take biometric readings from test drivers—including blood samples to measure lactic acid—to make sure the seats could accommodate different body types.

Do they work?

If the precedent set by NASA doesn’t convince you, KBB reports that zero gravity seats help to reduce their drivers’ fatigue. It’s not something drivers will notice immediately; it took five hours of driving for KBB’s drivers to notice they were more alert and relaxed in a Nissan.

KBB recommends the feature, calling Nissan’s zero gravity seats one of the best choices consumers can make while car shopping if higher-tier luxury seating isn’t within your budget.

It’s to be seen if other automakers adopt the feature in the future; if they do, it will likely be under their own nomenclature to avoid any direct allusions to Nissan’s tech.

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Which cars feature zero gravity seats?

Zero gravity seats debuted on the 2013 Nissan Altima and you can currently find them on 13 Nissan models and five Infiniti models.

2022 Nissan models with zero gravity seats:

Versa

Sentra

Altima

Maxima

Leaf

Frontier

Titan

Titan XD

Kicks

Rogue

Murano

Pathfinder

Ariya

2022 Infiniti models with zero gravity seats:

Q50

Q60

QX50

QX55

QX60

Where else can you find zero gravity seats?

If you want to experience the comfort of zero gravity seating yourself but don’t want to splurge on a new Nissan vehicle, you can find standalone zero gravity chairs just about anywhere outdoor seating is sold.

They make for great lawn and patio loungers, as well as a more ergonomic seating choice if you’re tied to a computer for an extended period and don’t feel like standing.

MORE: The 2022 Nissan Rogue Sport and Sentra Just Made It into Consumer Reports’ 'Best Of' List

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