How Max Recline Seats Work In the 2021 F-150

Cool Feature

The 2021 Ford F-150 is packed with all sorts of interesting and innovative new features as the iconic pickup enters its 14th generation. One of the coolest new features present in the pickup is its optional Max Recline Seats, which provide owners with a comfy place to sleep if the need arises. Recently, the automaker took the time to demonstrate how these seats actually work, and it's a pretty cool little piece of engineering worth scoping out.

Photos: Ford

Problem to Fix

"We know the folks who work on construction or mining sites use their truck cab for naps during downtime, and we learned everyday owners do, too," said Jackie DiMarco, Ford truck product line director. "When I would take my daughters to hockey tournaments, between games, one would be sleeping in the back seat while the other would be on the floor of my truck, and it reinforced the idea that, 'We need to fix this!'"

Photos: Ford

>>Join the conversation about the new Max Recline seats right here in the forum.

Idea to Reality

After making this discovery, engineers got to work figuring out how to make the new F-150 more accommodating in that regard. They used hot glue, foam core, and pins to build up components and attach them to a standard seat frame so they could test multiple concepts. After finding the most promising design, they developed a fully functional metal prototype to refine the motion and comfort of the seat; then production parts were created.

Photos: Ford

>>Join the conversation about the new Max Recline seats right here in the forum.

Award-Winning Product

The end result of all of that work is a seat that makes for a seriously comfortable nap. The Max Recline Seats' mechanism lifts the back half of the seat bottom up 3.5 inches to make a flat surface to support the lower back. The upper seatback can also be moved forward for neck support. Altogether, Ford's all-new seats have been awarded five patents tied to the novel design and assembly process.

Photos: Ford

>>Join the conversation about the new Max Recline seats right here in the forum.

Simple but Effective

"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," said Ben Kulhawik, seat design and release engineer. "It's simple, it's effective, and we believe our customers will love how much more productive they can be just by getting a little more rest during downtime."

Photos: Ford

>>Join the conversation about the new Max Recline seats right here in the forum.

First Class

Kulhawik also points out that the F-150's Max Recline Seats were inspired by the as-seen-on-TV adjustable beds, but the result is more like something you'd see in a top-notch first-class airplane cabin. 

Photos: Ford

>>Join the conversation about the new Max Recline seats right here in the forum.

One Caveat

There is one caveat, of course - Max Recline Seats are only available on King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited 2021 F-150 models. Sorry, XL work truck buyers. But we imagine those that tick the box for this nifty option will undoubtedly be glad they did when they can catch that first super-comfy cat nap in the mid-afternoon.

Photos: Ford

>>Join the conversation about the new Max Recline seats right here in the forum.

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