Searching for pontoon seats can be a bit tricky with all the different types to choose from. It all depends on the layout of your pontoon boat. You can also select them based on personal preference if you want to change the current layout for a more desired position. These also work great if you need to install a replacement pontoon seat for a factory one that’s been damaged since reupholstery can be quite expensive.
The most popular main types of pontoon seats include bench style, captains chair, seat arms, and corner seats. There are also a few specialty seats such as the lounge or lean back seats.
Here’s a quick list of our top picks for the best pontoon seats:
What to Consider
Before making a purchase you’ll want to consider what type of seat you’re looking for, how many seats you need, and your seat color for them to match.
The Best Pontoon Seats
These are our favorite pontoon seats for those of you who want a good seat for maximum comfort on your pontoon boat.
Honorable Mention: Wise Pontoon Double Drink Holder
When cruising around on a pontoon boat, you can never have too many drink holders. These little add-on drink holders work great for holding water bottles, soda, beer, sunscreen, keys, and anything else you can think of. No more sliding around! While not a “pontoon seat” it is a great pontoon boat accessory for your seats.
DeckMate 55″ Pontoon Bench Seat
This DeckMate bench seat is perfect if you want a standard pontoon bench seat replacement in your boat. They get the job done all in one piece with the seat and seat base included. It’s sturdy and easy to install on a pontoon. However, if you need alternative color options that what’s available, you may need to look elsewhere.
Pros
- High quality
- Easy to install
- Comfortable
Cons
- Limited color options
SeaMander Captain’s Chair Pontoon Seat
For those who want a quality captain’s chair for use with their pontoon boat, this is the one to get. The bucket seat design works for keeping the captain secure and comfortable while driving the boat. Their design helps to add comfort while sitting for long periods of time. The seat slides back and forth smoothly with easy height adjustment and without any wobbling.
Pros
- Comfortable
- Easy to mount
- Wide range of colors
Cons
- Arms more straight up and down
- Short bolts
DeckMate 7″ Pontoon Seat Arm
Another seat made by DeckMate, this seat arm is a great addition to make an “end cap” for your bench seats. The arm also includes a double drink holder with flap access for additional storage. It also comes in both right and left seat arm options. It’s much better to have an arm at the end of a bench so that when you get moving you don’t slide off the seat and onto the deck. However, some say that it is somewhat challenging to install this seat arm.
Pros
- Right and left options available
- Double drink holder
- Additional storage
Cons
- Harder install
- Limited color options
DeckMate 28″ Pontoon Corner Seat
To round out your pontoon seats, you’ll also need a couple of corner style seats. These work great to fill the ends around your benches. They’re high quality and comfortable with extra under-seat storage. DeckMate also includes two drink holders for more places to put your beverages. Overall, the corner seat is a great pontoon boat seat for your build.
Pros
- High quality
- Comfortable
- Double-stitched vinyl
Cons
- Limited color selection
Wise Deluxe Lounge Seat
These Wise lounge seats offer a comfortable heavy-duty vinyl and additional seat style option for your boat. The folding design works great with smaller boats under 20 ft that have less room to work with. They’re decent quality functional seats with underside storage. However, the base can be wobbly or somewhat weak. It also comes with a snap to assemble design that some find difficult to install.
Pros
- Good value
- Many colors and styles available
- High-quality vinyl
Cons
- Mixed reviews
- Can be loose/wobbly
- Challenging to install
DeckMate Pontoon Lean Back Seat
Out of all pontoon seats available, the lean back seats are one of the best to install. The design makes it more comfortable to lounge out and lean back when cruising around on the water. The seat installation may require some extra hardware depending on your boat. Overall, the lean-back style is another option compared to the arm for designing your pontoon seat layout.
Pros
- High-grade vinyl
- Very comfortable design
- Includes drink holders
Cons
- Sections not pre-drilled
- May require additional installation hardware
Wise High-Back Boat Seat
This Wise boat seat is a great folding seat option for mounting on your boat. The high back design also makes it perfect for fishing from your boat. However, many find the seat to not hold up for those “big and tall” due to the weaker back support it offers. Others say that while the seat does hold up over time, it’s also not the most comfortable.
Pros
- Good value
- Many color options
- Folding design
Cons
- Not great for big and tall
- Not the most comfortable
Conclusion
As you can see there are plenty of different pontoon seats on the market. If you’re looking for a durable pontoon seat, then the DeckMate or SeaMander seats are recommended. But, if you want a more unique seat option, then Wise has plenty of choices you may want to consider.