Last updated: August 20, 2026
A back to back seat is the closest thing to a free upgrade in a small boat. Fold the backrest forward and the seat becomes a sun lounge long enough to stretch out on, then flip it back up and you have two facing seats again. On a seventeen foot runabout that single piece of furniture does the work of a bench, a lounge and a passenger seat.
The catch is fitment. Back to back seats are wide and deep, they need floor space behind them to fold, and they bolt to the deck rather than to a pedestal. This guide covers how to check whether one fits your boat before you order, and how the styles differ once it does.
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Quick Answer
Is a back to back boat seat right for your boat?
- It gives you a full length lounge without cutting into the deck or refitting the cockpit.
- You need the floor length behind the seat for the backrest to fold flat, so measure that first.
- Most units bolt to the deck through a base or a slide, not onto a single pedestal post.
- Economy versions use a wood base, upgraded versions use a molded shell that will not rot.
Bottom line: measure the folded footprint against your cockpit, then buy the best base construction you can, since the base is what fails first.
What a Back to Back Seat Actually Does
A back to back seat is a two position seat whose backrest hinges forward until it lies level with the cushion, creating a flat lounge surface. Two of them facing each other across the cockpit turn into a pair of loungers, and a single one on the passenger side gives you somewhere to lie down without a full refit.
The design has been the standard aftermarket solution on runabouts and small fishing boats for decades because it is the only way to add a lounge to a boat that was never built with one. Wise, one of the larger marine seating manufacturers, builds several back to back lounge series specifically for this retrofit.
Where It Fits Best
Seventeen to twenty one foot runabouts, bowriders with an open cockpit, and aluminum fishing boats with a flat floor are the natural homes for these. They also work on the passenger side of a center console where there is deck to spare behind the console.
Where they do not work is any cockpit too short to let the backrest lie flat. That is the measurement that decides everything, and it is the one people skip.
Measuring Before You Buy
You need three numbers: the width of the deck where the seat will sit, the depth the seat occupies upright, and the total depth it occupies with the back folded flat. Listings publish all three, and the folded depth is the one that catches people out because it is roughly double the upright depth.
Measure from the front edge of where the base will sit to whatever is behind it, a bulkhead, a live well, the transom, and compare that to the folded dimension. Leave a couple of inches of margin so the backrest is not resting against the bulkhead when it is down.
Height and Sightlines
Back to back seats sit lower than a helm bucket on a pedestal, which is comfortable for passengers but can be limiting if you plan to use one as a driver’s seat. If it will be the helm seat, sit in one at the height it will end up at and check whether you can see over the windshield frame.
Also check the seat back height against your cover. A tall back to back seat left upright will tent a trailerable cover, so plan to fold it down before covering the boat.
Base Construction: Where Quality Shows
The economy versions in this category are built on a plywood box wrapped in vinyl. They look identical to the better ones on day one, and they are the reason back to back seats have a reputation for going soft. Water gets past the vinyl at the staples, the plywood absorbs it, and within a few seasons the base flexes under load.
Upgraded versions use a molded polymer or rotomolded base that cannot rot, or a treated composite substrate instead of raw plywood. If the boat lives outside or you boat in salt water, this is the single upgrade worth paying for in this category.
Hinges, Latches and Hardware
The hinge takes every bit of the load when someone drops onto the folded lounge, so look for a metal hinge with a positive latch rather than friction alone. Stainless or coated hardware matters here too, since the hinge sits low in the boat where water collects.
Storage under the cushion is a common feature and a genuinely useful one, but check that the lid seals or at least drains. An unsealed storage box under a seat is a mildew factory.
Picks by Situation
The Standard Runabout Retrofit
A single back to back on the passenger side is the most common purchase, and a mid tier unit with a molded base and marine vinyl covers it. Look for a model whose folded depth fits your cockpit with room to spare.
Two Facing Loungers
Buying a pair and mounting them opposite each other gives you a cockpit that converts from four seats to two loungers. Matching pairs are sold together and are worth buying as a set so the upholstery matches over time.
Boats That Live Outside
If the boat sits on a trailer in the driveway, the base construction decides how long the seat lasts. A rotomolded or composite base with drainage keeps water out of the structure entirely.
Mounting Hardware
Back to back seats need a base, a slide or a mounting plate to bolt to the deck, and the hardware is often sold separately from the seat. Confirm what is in the box before you plan the install.
Styles Compared
| Version | Base | Storage | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy lounge | Plywood box, vinyl wrapped | Usually none | Covered boats, light seasonal use |
| Deluxe lounge | Reinforced base, better foam | Often under the cushion | General runabout retrofit |
| Molded base lounge | Rotomolded or composite shell | Sealed compartment on some | Boats stored outdoors or in salt |
| Slider mounted | Fits a fore and aft slide | Depends on model | Helm use where reach matters |
Installing Without Regret
Fixing a seat base to the deck means bolting through the sole, and that is a job to do properly. Use backing plates or oversized fender washers under the deck so the load spreads instead of concentrating on four small holes, bed the fasteners in a marine sealant to keep water out of the core, and use stainless hardware throughout.
If the deck is soft anywhere near the mounting points, stop and deal with that first. Bolting a seat to a delaminated sole transfers the problem rather than solving it, and a soft deck is a structural repair rather than a seating project.
Dry Fit First
Set the seat in place, fold the back down, and sit in it before you drill anything. Check that the backrest clears the bulkhead, that a passenger’s legs do not hit the console, and that you can still reach the cooler or the live well behind it. Marking the holes is the last step, not the first.
For the mounting hardware options and how bolt patterns work across brands, our seat mounts guide covers the plates and adapters in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much room does a back to back seat need? Enough deck length for the folded depth listed by the manufacturer, which is roughly double the upright depth. Measure from the front of the base to whatever sits behind it and leave margin.
Do back to back seats mount on a pedestal? Generally no. They bolt to the deck through a base or a slide, because the load and the folding motion are more than a single post handles well.
Are they comfortable as a helm seat? They sit lower than a bucket on a pedestal, so check your sightline over the windshield before committing one to the driver’s position.
Which base material lasts longest? A molded polymer or composite base, because it cannot absorb water. Plywood bases in economy models are the usual failure point on boats stored outdoors.
Can I use one instead of a bench seat? Yes, and that is a common swap. A back to back gives you the lounge function a fixed bench seat cannot, at the cost of taking up more fore and aft space.
Should the hardware be stainless? Yes. The base sits at the lowest point of the cockpit where water collects, and plated hardware there stains the gelcoat as it corrodes.
The Bottom Line
A back to back seat is the cheapest way to add a real lounge to a small boat, provided the cockpit has the length to let the backrest lie flat. Measure the folded footprint, buy the best base construction your budget allows, and bolt it down with backing plates and sealant. For the full range of seating options see our boat seats guide, and compare against a fixed bench seat if deck space is tight.