The effect of aircraft seat pitch on comfort

Shabila Anjani; Wenhua Li; Iemkje A Ruiter; Peter Vink

doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103132

The effect of aircraft seat pitch on comfort

Appl Ergon. 2020 Oct:88:103132. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103132. Epub 2020 Jun 15.

Authors

Shabila Anjani¹, Wenhua Li², Iemkje A Ruiter³, Peter Vink⁴

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, 2628 CE, Delft, the Netherlands. Electronic address: S.Anjani@tudelft.nl.
² Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, 2628 CE, Delft, the Netherlands; Shaanxi Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Design, Northwestern Polytechnical University, No. 127, Youyi Road (West), Beilin District, Xi'an, 710072, PR China. Electronic address: iliwenhua@mail.nwpu.edu.cn.
³ Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, 2628 CE, Delft, the Netherlands. Electronic address: I.A.Ruiter@tudelft.nl.
⁴ Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, 2628 CE, Delft, the Netherlands. Electronic address: P.Vink@tudelft.nl.

PMID: 32678792
DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103132

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between seat pitch and comfort, and the influencing factors, like space experience and anthropometric measurements. Two hundred ninety-four participants experienced economy class seats in a Boeing 737 with 28-inch, 30-inch, 32-inch and 34-inch seat pitches. Anthropometric measurements of the participants were measured. Participants completed a questionnaire on comfort (10-scale), discomfort (CP-50) and space experience and the results were analysed using SPSS 25. This study showed a significant relationship between seat pitch and comfort as well as discomfort. Additionally, it was found that the mean rank of discomfort of each pitch size for the middle seat was higher than the window and aisle seat, though seat pitch did affect the (dis)comfort more compared with seat location. It was also found that anthropometric sizes significantly affect the (dis)comfort on smaller pitch sizes, and all space experience questions had a correlation to the pitch sizes.

Keywords: Anthropometric measurements; Comfort; Discomfort; Seat pitch; Space experience.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Aircraft*
Anthropometry
Equipment Design / psychology*
Ergonomics*
Female
Humans
Male
Sitting Position*
Spatial Behavior / physiology
Young Adult