How to Adjust Your Head Restraint: Height, Gap and the Checks After Someone Else Drives

You get your vehicle back from a service visit, move the seat forward and reset the mirrors. There is one more adjustment worth checking: the head restraint. A setting that suited the technician may leave it too low or too far behind you.

The goal is a correctly positioned safety device, not simply a comfortable cushion. ICBC recommends placing its top at least level with the top of your head and keeping it as close behind your head as possible. Make adjustments while safely parked, using your vehicle’s instructions—not while driving.

1. Set the seat before judging the head restraint

Sit in your normal upright driving posture, with your back supported. Establish comfortable pedal and steering-wheel reach first. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) recommends setting the seat and controls together rather than stretching your arms or legs to compensate for a poor fit. Adjust the mirrors after completing the seating adjustments.

Changing the seatback angle changes the gap behind your head. If you measure that gap while leaning forward to reach a control, you are not checking the position you actually need on the road.

2. Match the height to your head

Use the release button or powered adjustment described in the owner’s manual. Following ICBC’s guidance, aim for the top of the restraint to be at least as high as the top of your head. Ask another adult to look from the side while you sit normally; looking over your shoulder changes your posture.

Do not assume the previous driver’s setting is close enough. Two people can want similar legroom but need different restraint heights. Check passengers’ positions as well, rather than adjusting only the driver’s seat.

3. Check the gap, not just the height

Keep the restraint close behind your head without adopting an awkward neck position. The SAAQ specifies no more than 7 cm between the back of the head and the restraint. This is a positioning recommendation, not permission to deliberately leave a 7 cm gap when a closer comfortable setting is available.

If the restraint has a fore-and-aft adjustment, use its documented controls. Otherwise, reassess the seatback position without compromising your ability to reach the controls. Do not bend the support posts or improvise a modification to create more space.

4. Confirm the adjustment stays in place

CCOHS identifies the ability to lock the restraint in position as an important check. Follow the manual’s locking check after adjustment. If it will not hold, or you cannot identify the control, ask the dealer to demonstrate or inspect it before relying on that seating position.

An integrated restraint may not move separately from the seatback. Do not force it. If the seat cannot accommodate you comfortably while meeting the manufacturer’s positioning instructions, get help assessing the fit rather than removing the restraint to solve the discomfort.

When should you recheck it?

• After another person drives, including after servicing or detailing.
• After changing the seatback position or recalling a different seat preset.
• When a different passenger occupies a seat.
• After a seat has been folded and restored, following its manual’s instructions.

The SAAQ specifically recommends checking again after lending the vehicle or having it repaired. For a shared car, make this part of the same parked setup routine as the mirrors and seat belt.

What about a child seat or booster?

Do not apply an adult seating adjustment as an installation rule for a child restraint. Follow both the child-seat and vehicle manuals for the permitted head-restraint position. If the instructions conflict or the child seat does not fit, seek qualified child-passenger-safety assistance rather than improvising.

Canadian guidance checked November 1, 2026. Controls and permitted adjustments depend on the exact vehicle and seating position.