When it comes to karting, the Tillett seat is widely regarded as the go-to option for drivers seeking precision, comfort, and quality. Renowned for their highly accurate sizing and exceptional craftsmanship, Tillett seats have become the benchmark in the industry. At KKC Kart Components, we offer a wide range of Tillett seats to cater to every driver's needs. To make choosing your ideal seat straightforward, we've created this handy guide.
Tillett seats are celebrated for their meticulous attention to detail, ensuring consistency and quality that few other brands can rival. With sizes and designs that cater to every type of driver and kart, Tillett provides solutions that fit perfectly, enhancing performance on the track. At KKC, we stock an extensive selection of Tillett seats, and while the variety might seem overwhelming at first, this guide will help clarify your options.
A good fit is essential for the protection of the driver and the handling of the kart. If a driver is loose in a seat, they will pull to steer, inadvertently pulling themselves out of the kart, making it bounce at the slightest provocation. This guide will explain how to achieve the best fit.
For an OTK kart with a Rotax or Iame X30 engine, the best choice is a T11 VG seat.
VG Seat: The VG is the softest seat commonly used in karting. A softer seat provides more movement through corners, improving handling on tracks like Whilton Mill, which feature heavy cornering.
Standard Seat: Offers the most rigidity for strength and stability but less movement in corners.
T Seat: Slightly softer than the standard seat, designed with OTK karts in mind.
VTi Seat: Even softer than VG, though less commonly used, often favoured in Cadet classes.
For Cadet karts, a T5 seat is the norm, usually in a CCD (Cadet Cut Down) variant. The CCD design lowers the back of the seat to prevent discomfort under the driver’s arms.
Tillett seats come in a broad range of sizes, starting with Cadet and XS, progressing through S, MS, ML, and XL, with additional intermediate sizes in between. These intermediate sizes were named by Steve Tillett after the drivers they were developed for and offer precise increments in fit, both around the hips and the upper body.
Wide Tops and Wide Hips: Ideal for drivers who need extra space in specific areas. For example, if a standard Small seat fits except for the hips, a Small Wide Hip version could be the solution.
Padding Options: If a seat fits snugly around the hips but is loose elsewhere, you can add padding. However, we recommend aiming for a perfect fit without padding, as it can introduce unwanted movement or friction.
When selecting a seat, consider your rib protector. For instance:
Bengio Rib Protectors: Thicker and may require more room around the sides.
Tillett P1 Rib Protectors: Slimmer and may allow for a tighter fit.
The golden rule is to ensure the seat is snug but not tight. There should be no squeezing that causes discomfort or excessive looseness that leads to movement. With Tillett’s wide range of sizes, there’s no need to compromise on fit.
To assess whether the size of a seat is correct, sit the driver in the seat and check the gap over the leg bone, the hip bone, and down the length of the ribs from top to bottom. This must be done with the rib protector in place (though the race suit is not as crucial unless it has integral padding). The rib protector, when worn tightly, should not move inward as the driver sits back in the seat.
Once sat back in the seat, it should be difficult to squeeze your fingers between the seat and the driver’s ribs, hips, and leg bones. It’s important that all points are evenly pressured. Loose areas can be padded with firm foam, but pinching indicates the need for a different size.
If you don’t have a seat to try, factors like denim jeans waist size, weight, and height are good indicators. Additional information about chest circumference and rib protector type is also helpful. Overly thick rib protectors can make two sizes’ difference, leaving loose hips, which should be avoided or accounted for with options like the WT (wide top) T11 seat.
If your ideal seat isn’t available, note that Tillett seats can take up to three months to manufacture. While we aim to stock as many sizes as possible, some compromises might be necessary if you’re in a rush.
A well-fitted seat also needs correct placement in the kart. Misplacing half the kart’s weight by just 5 mm can alter the balance significantly. Over the years, the average seat position has moved further back in the chassis. Today, the average seat is positioned 3 cm further back than in the late 1990s.
Please refer to the Kart Seat Positioning Guide and the Kart Seat Dimensions Guide for additional support.
We recommend trying on your seat with your full gear—including suit and rib protector. Sit as if you were racing to ensure comfort, particularly under the arms. At KKC, we offer professional seat fitting services at our trackside kart shop at Whilton Mill. Contact us in advance, and we’ll have several options ready for you. Our team has been professionally trained by Tillett to help find your perfect seat.
Tillett occasionally offers seats with minor cosmetic blemishes, classified as "seconds" or "slight seconds." These seats are discounted but fully inspected to ensure they are safe and suitable for racing. This can be an excellent way to save money without sacrificing performance.
With this guide, we hope to make selecting your Tillett seat a straightforward and rewarding process. At KKC, we’re here to assist you every step of the way to ensure you have the perfect seat for your karting needs. Contact us for any questions or to book your fitting today!
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