Heated Seats -- 2015 OEM elements VS Aftermarket?

Planning on adding heated seats when I install the Katskin leather seat covers. How do the aftermarket heating elements stack up against OEM?

OEM element is around $400 per seat. Lower Heating Element is $200 and upper is $200 element. Complete aftermarket kit is $100 from eBay

OEM set looks like it offers a lot more coverage( side cushions and center cushions). How is the durability of the cheap-o elements? Do they slide around or fail?


OEM bottom element



Cheap-O eBay kit

 

Not sure about longevity but I just installed aftermarkets in my truck. Kit cost $80 on Ebay with better switches that look factory. No sliding around since the aftermarket seat heaters have double sided tape on them, that I stuck on the inside of the seat covers I was installing also. So far, they work great. Nice warm buns and saved a lot over OEM.

 

Here is the aftermarket seat I used. Switches were a perfect fit for the center console below the radio.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201248894942?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

I just installed the cheapo deluxe set in my gf's 01 corolla. They work very well.
The nice thing with the oem tho is that they are made for the seat and will require no cutting.

 

I installed heaters from Heated Seat kits.com. I only did the drivers seat ...but I've had them in my 2007 for at least 8 years without any issues. Sold the truck in February with them fully functional.

http://www.heatedseatkits.com/
http://www.heatedseatkits.com/heatedseatkits/index.html

Write up
http://www.lieblweb.com/heatedseat.html

 

ordered cheap-o ebay "china" kit... Should be here in say.... 6 months to a year lol.

 

I got some carbon fiber ones off of Amazon and couldn't be happier. They have the little round three way switches. Everything you need but the add a circuit. OEM is almost always the cleaning way to go but you definitely pay for it. I wouldn't recommend the the cheepo ones but find some that has good reviews . my two cents.

 

I just had Katzkins installed on Friday and also had them do the heated seats. I looked around for a while and hemmed and hawed about the oem switches and stuff and just said f it and had it done. The place is a certified Katzkin installer and they used carbon fiber heaters which I thought he said were road wire. They have the high/low/off round switch and they mounted the switches in the 2 outside blanks where the USB/Aux in is. They told me ahead of time that the Katzkins have thicker padding so I would have to use them on high to get them going. I tried them out today and they work decent, not as good as the ones in the BMW but acceptable. They said there is a lifetime warranty on the heated seats but who knows what that really means.

 

My heated seats with Katzkin got hot on the high setting and comfortable on low. This is my fist year with them and haven't gotten to really test them our on a 15 degree day.

 

Tacoma heated seats are a port installed option, and not factory installed.

So, China made is what you get regardless.

 

Picking up my new to me 12 dclb, was thinking that heated seats were the one thing missing on it. Not for long, thanks to y'all I now have an order in for a kit.

Buncha enablers...

 

@Drif10. This place will obliterate any savings you may have if you let it. LOL

 

I'm usually doing the enabling over at advrider, so I guess this is karma.

 

I did the ebay kit with the switch that looks like the t4r switch last winter. they work great, and i pretty much leave mine on all the time once the temps drop below 60.

 

60 bahaha, it's 19 - the windchill so feels like 5 here still and going down.

 

I cant stand any temp under 50, those seat heaters sound pretty damn nice!

 

Just got home and the temp is 15 and a WC of 0. I am sooo happy I installed heated seats.