The Best Creeper Seats for Working on Your Car

Creeper seats are essentially stools or firm boards on wheels or casters, with a very specific purpose in mind. Also known as mechanic seats, these handy devices give mechanics (or anyone who likes to recreationally tinker with cars) a convenient and often more comfortable place to lie down or kneel when working on car repairs or maintenance.

Kneeling beside or lying underneath a car on the floor of a garage floor is unlikely to be a comfortable or particularly clean experience. It’s not going to be a hygienic one, either. Career mechanics who kneel, squat, and lie on garage floors on a daily basis risk injuring or harming their bodies in the long run. That’s where creeper seats come in. They give mechanics and DIYers a place to sit or kneel that isn’t hard concrete and provide a shield in between their back or knees that isn’t a garage floor. And since creeper seats will almost always have wheels or casters attached, they allow the sitter to move to another section of the car or roll around their garage with minimal effort. If you think you’d benefit from adding a creeper seat to your own garage, here are a few we recommend.

What to Consider in Creeper Seats

Here are a few things to think about before buying a creeper seat:

• Type: Creeper seats can come in the form of a small stool or be long and flat. The former is better for tasks that involve kneeling or squatting, usually on the side of a car, while the latter is meant to give you a place to lie while working under the bottom of a car. Think about the kind of tasks you tend to perform on your car and which type of creeper seat will be more beneficial to you. Some models can be adjusted between the two types, which you may find more useful since it can take whichever form you need to accomplish your given task.
• Weight Capacity: Be sure to check how much weight a creeper seat can support at once. Not all creeper seats will have the same weight capacity, so you want to ensure that the one you buy will be able to support you without breaking. Most are able to support 250-300 pounds, though more heavy-duty options are also available. You may want to choose one that has a higher weight capacity than your current weight, to account for any tools you might have to hold while working or if you ever have to remove any parts from a car.
• Features: For such simple, straightforward devices, there are several different features you can look for when buying a creeper seat. Many are covered or padded with some sort of foam or another type of cushion for your comfort. Others have built-in tool trays or boxes so that you can keep the necessary tools right on hand at all times. Some stool-type creeper seats may be height-adjustable for your convenience or have a small back for some extra support. And as mentioned, others can be foldable or transform between a stool and flat models so that you can alternate between kneeling beside and lying under a car as needed.

Most Adaptable: Pro-Lift C-2036D Creeper Seat

It can be hard to predict exactly which tasks you’ll need to perform on your or someone else’s car on any given day. Handy as they are, kneeling creeper seats won’t be much help for certain tasks, and the same goes for those that lie flat. Rather than buy two different types of creeper seats, save your money and purchase this affordable convertible model instead. It can be adjusted between a kneeling and flat-lying form as needed, so you essentially get two creeper seats for the price of one.

Converting and adjusting this creeper seat between the kneeling and lying format is incredibly easy, thanks to the retractable pin along the bottom edge. All you have to do is remove the pin, adjust the creeper seat to the shape you need, and re-insert the pin to hold it firm. You can switch between the two formats as often as you need, whenever you need. Whether you’re kneeling or lying on this creeper seat, the thick, padded vinyl cushions and headrest ensure your comfort at all times. You won’t have to work with cold, hard metal digging into your back, knees, or neck. The six swivel casters along the bottom allow you to easily turn and maneuver and move the creeper seat as needed. The 300-pound weight capacity should be able to support most people. Available in black or green.

Most Comfortable: Traxion 2-230 Mobile Rolling Gear Seat

Garages, workstations, and other spaces where cars are worked upon aren’t exactly known for their comfiness. Kneeling, sitting, or lying on a concrete floor isn’t most people’s idea of optimal comfort, after all. But there’s no reason you can’t bring a little more support and softness into your workspace. This creeper seat is a great choice to provide you with both, in addition to an impressive 400-pound weight capacity.

Rather than having to kneel when working along the side of cars, this creeper seat allows you to perform the same tasks while sitting down instead. This is not only a more comfortable position but should be easier on your knees and joints as well. The tractor-style seat has a small back to give your lower back a little more support, and it’s both durable and padded. This not only provides some cushioning for extra comfort but, combined with the powder-coated steel construction, ensures a long service life, even if you use this creeper seat on a daily basis. For added convenience, there’s a pneumatic cylinder just below the seat that allows you to adjust the seat’s height anywhere between 13.5 and 17.5 inches as needed while working on your projects. The large 5-inch casters are made of sturdy plastic and allow you to roll this creeper seat around when necessary. Placed just above the casters is a circular, spinning gear tray where you can place some of your tools and parts for easy access during your work. A gear seat model is also available for a slightly higher price.

Best Built-in Toolbox: Torin TR6300 Red Rolling Creeper Seat with Tool Tray

One of the more convenient aspects of creeper seats is the wheels or casters along the bottom, which allow you to slide across your garage or workspace to grab tools as needed. But what if you could keep your tools and parts right on hand, without needing to move at all? And not just a few pieces of equipment but a good portion, if not all of, your toolbox? This kneeling creeper seat provides you with exactly that, to save you time while working on a car or project.

This model has an extremely convenient built-in tool tray along the bottom, below the cushion. The tool tray is both large and segmented in order to provide plenty of space to hold your tools and equipment while allowing you to keep them better organized. This keeps everything you need for your project handy and ensures you’re able to find precise tools and parts quicker, streamlining your working process. The body of this creeper seat is made of heavy-duty tubular steel to support up to 250 pounds and plenty of durability and security as you work. The seat, which you can kneel or sit on as you prefer, is soft and plumply cushioned for maximum comfort. And the swivel casters rotate a full 360 degrees, allowing you to smoothly roll and swivel your creeper seat across your garage or workspace unencumbered.

Best for Under Cars: Pro Lift Mechanic Plastic Creeper with Padded Headrest

Even though they have “seat” in the name, there are some creeper seats that are meant to be laid flat on the ground rather than provide a chair, stool, or perch for mechanics or anyone who works on cars. These types of creeper seats are extremely useful for tasks that require getting underneath a car instead of working alongside it. This model is an excellent choice for those sorts of tasks, giving you a comfortable place to rest as you work and protect your clothes from hard concrete, dirt, oil, and more.

Made out of lightweight but tough HDPE plastic, this creeper seat weighs only 13 pounds, making it a breeze to carry and transport when not in use (especially since it has a built-in carrying handle). The slender body also makes it easy to store. Don’t let its weight fool you, however, as it’s much stronger than its slim, lightweight frame implies. This creeper seat is capable of supporting up to 350 pounds at once and is impact-resistant to boot. The six swivel casters are strong as well, as they’re multi-terrain and industrial strength, resistant to oil, chemicals, and grease. Even if you’re working on a stained floor, uneven ground, or even outside, you’ll still be able to roll and maneuver this creeper seat around as needed. And at 40 inches long and 19 inches wide, it’s perfectly sized for most people. The ergonomic design will keep you comfortable as you lie beneath a car and fix it, with a padded headrest for bonus comfort and support. Two narrow molded-in tool trays, one on each side of the creeper seat, also give you a spot to rest smaller or slimmer tools like wrenches so that they’re always right at hand when you need them.