14 Ways to Make a Jeep Wrangler More Comfortable

There are so many things to love about your Jeep Wrangler. Whether you’re new to the Wrangler family, or you’ve owned them for generations, you made a good choice. One of the biggest downsides to Wranglers is that they’re not the most comfortable vehicles to drive.

There are a number of ways to improve your Wrangler’s comfort. Some of the smaller changes include optimizing your tire pressure, changing how you drive, and adding aftermarket covers in your car. For more serious results, you can change your shocks, tires, and seats. For more detail, keep reading.

If you want to change that, then keep reading. I’m going to give you 14 different ways to make your Jeep Wrangler more comfortable. Using some of my tips might completely change your comfort level within your Jeep.

What Goes into the Comfort of a Car?

In my opinion, there are a few different factors that play into the overall comfort of a car. Let me elaborate a little bit. You’ll find these categories later on when I list the 14 different ways to improve your car’s comfort.

Comfort of the Ride

First and foremost, I think the comfort of the ride plays into how comfortable I am in a car. A car that smoothly sails over the bumpiest road is the goal.

I’d also say that it’s important that things aren’t rattling and making a bunch of noise while you drive. Maybe it’s just me, but it always annoys me and makes me feel uncomfortable when something is shaking the whole time I drive.

Comfort in the Seat

The next most comfortable aspect would be how I physically feel in the seat. The driving position starts to take a toll over a long enough trip.

If the seat isn’t set correctly or I have to sit in a weird position, then the discomfort makes the ride unbearable.

Creature Comforts

In addition, I’m looking for extra “creature comforts” to make things better. A strong AC system and plush steering wheel might mean a lot to the right person.

While this has nothing to do with the physical nature of how the car drives, I’d still consider this a matter of comfort.

In this category, I’d also lump in a ton of added luxuries like infotainment systems and speakers.

Why is the Wrangler’s Ride So Rough?

Driving a Wrangler means starting at a disadvantage when you talk about comfort. Older Wranglers are some of the least comfortable cars I’ve sat in or driven.

Of course, this is a choice from the folks at Jeep. They’re not making a luxury car that will glide across the street — that’s what Lexus is doing. Jeep made a name for themselves by creating a rugged, off-roading, open-air vehicle.

The stock Wrangler comes with an awkward driving position, junky shocks, and a poor choice of tires. A bumpy road can do a lot of damage to you while you’re sailing along in your Jeep.

Keep in mind, I’m not talking trash. I know the Wrangler is a popular car for a lot of reasons and I personally love the vehicle. I’m just being honest about the comfort level in a Wrangler that you drive off of the lot.

The Hidden Benefit of Starting with a Wrangler

You might be a little confused now. I just got finished talking about why Wranglers are so uncomfortable, yet I’m about to talk about why it’s great to start with a Wrangler if you want comfort.

Well, the hidden benefit of starting with a Wrangler is that there’s a huge aftermarket community. If you can think of a problem you have with your Wrangler, I can almost guarantee there’s a solution on the market already.

Wranglers are so popular, and people love aftermarket additions to their Jeep.

1. Swap Your Shocks

Your shocks determine how well your car reacts to a bump in the road. If you can feel every single bump as you drive along, your shocks are either due for a replacement or an upgrade.

I’d suggest swapping to upgraded shocks that can absorb impact better. The stock shocks that come on a Wrangler are pretty stiff, to be honest.

With better shocks, your car will seem to float.

2. Get Low-Profile Tires

Another stock part that could use a replacement is the set of tires that come on a Wrangler. They’re way too big and they wind up hurting your comfort a lot.

They are designed for off-roading, so they’re insanely grippy and have a ton of traction. As a result, your Wrangler’s ride will feel really uncomfortable.

Low-profile tires achieve two things. First off, they will lower the riding height of your car. This should be an immediate sense of relief for most drivers.

Secondly, they’ll reduce the “noise” you feel from the road as you drive. Commuter-friendly tires are perfect for anyone who is looking for a casual ride in their Jeep.

3. Add Some Weight

It might seem counterintuitive, but adding weight can help with your car’s comfort. If there’s not enough weight, your shocks will rattle you around more. You’ll also be positioned a lot higher off the ground.

The added weight will stabilize your shocks a little bit and lower your ride height.

You’ll notice I keep coming back to the height of the ride. The stock Wrangler feels like it sits way too high from the road. For some people, this is a great thing. For me, a person looking for comfort, it’s something that has to change.

With a heavier Jeep, it will act more like a tank as it rides over surface imperfections in the road. The result is a silky-smooth ride.

4. Make Sure the Wheels are Aligned

If you’ve had a few too many encounters with curbs, your wheels could be misaligned. This is also something that just happens over time as your car absorbs a lot of impacts from the road.

A quick realignment might solve the issues causing you to feel uncomfortable in your Jeep. Wheel misalignment is actually a big reason why your car is shaking. If you notice your car trembling, it’s either afraid of the asphalt or the wheels aren’t aligned.

If the wheels are even a little bit off, you might notice a dramatic response. When you look at the physics of your car driving down the road, it makes sense. Your wheels are essentially fighting each other, throwing a lot of force back and forth rather than focusing on going forward.

5. Have a Mechanic Check the Steering Alignment

In fact, alignment is such a big deal that you should probably consult a mechanic. An honest mechanic will be able to look at the alignment of your steering and wheels and fix it all for you.

6. Shift at Lower Speeds

A lot of people’s discomfort comes when it’s time to shift. When you’re learning how to drive a manual car, not a lot of teachers emphasize the importance of shifting at lower speeds.

When your car hits higher RPMs, there is more stress on the engine and more vibration is caused. While it might not be as efficient if you’re looking to drop record-breaking 1/4-mile speeds, shifting lower is great when it comes to comfort.

Another consideration is to practice slowly releasing the clutch. I’m not accusing you of driving stick poorly, it’s just a skill that can make a lot of difference in terms of comfort moving forward.

Slowly shifting at lower speeds will ease your car into the next gear. If you’re downshifting, consider staying in “neutral” until you’ve reached lower speeds that you’ll stay at. Continually shifting down each gear will lead to unnecessary rocking.

7. Consider Floormats

Another source of discomfort might be looking around at dirty and worn mats. With a Wrangler, there’s definitely going to be some outdoor fun that leads to messy floormats.

You should consider installing weather-proof floormats like the ones offered through WeatherTech. 

These floor mats can be removed, cleaned with a hose, and reinstalled. They’ll make your interior look way cleaner and will probably make you feel more comfortable.

8. Go a Little Slower

Another quick way to improve your comfort is to adjust how you drive. The simple fact is that the faster you go, the less comfortable the ride will be.

Shocks will have less time to react. Bumps in the road will seem more dramatic. Alignment issues will become much more apparent. Plus, the noise inside your Wrangler will be a lot louder.

It might be easier said than done, but going a little slower will make your ride more comfortable. If you have passengers in the car, they’ll probably thank you for it.

9. Fix the Seat Position

A lot of the comfort comes just from the seat position. Sitting too close, high, or leaning back will make you feel worn out after the ride is done.

Spend some time today to adjust your seat and make it feel really comfortable. If you have a broken power seat, then you should fix that. If it’s operational, then go through every adjustable setting.

Move your seat all the way one way then the other, then fine-tune it to create the perfect position.

If your Wrangler has the ability to “save” the seat position, I would highly suggest doing that.

10. Upgrade your Infotainment and Speakers

Playing your favorite music through crisp speakers will make you feel immediately more comfortable. This probably means upgrading the speakers in your Jeep. I put together a guide to help you pick out the perfect car speakers, so give it a quick read if you’d like.

There are also plenty of infotainment systems that will drop right into your Wrangler. This makes your interior look more luxurious and professional.

11. Grab Comfy Seat Covers

Seat covers are a low-cost way to improve the material you’re sitting on. Old Wrangler seats can get really uncomfortable.

The seat covers slip right over your current seat and they come in a number of different materials, prints, colors, and designs. Make sure you pick up ones that are specifically made for your year of Wrangler, though I doubt you’ll have any troubles finding one. After all, Wrangler owners love to customize their rides.

This is a good area to splurge a little and spend more money. Higher-quality seat covers will feel a lot better, especially during long drives.

12. Install Comfortable Seats

If you’re more serious about your seat quality, then you can install completely new seats. Aftermarket Wrangler seats come in different types, and there’s a whole lane of seats specifically designed to be impossibly comfortable.

Swapping out your seats should be simple enough. You’ll have to remove the bolts at the base of your current seat, take it out, then install the new ones with the same base bolts.

This alteration can get pretty pricy, so make sure you’re comfortable spending money on your comfort before swiping your credit card.

13. Add Steering Wheel and Shift Knob Covers

If your hands get uncomfortable as you’re driving around, it could be due to a steering wheel that’s not ergonomic or one that’s too rigid.

Plenty of people pick up steering wheel covers and shift knob covers. They are made from a whole host of different materials, and there are lots of ones that focus on comfort.

Installing these will give you a new surface to grab onto, rather than the stiff steering wheel in your Wrangler.

14. Check and Adjust Your Tire Pressure

Another aspect that affects your ride quality is the pressure inside your tires. Too much pressure will make a ride that feels too stiff, and too little pressure will make things feel spongy.

You can play around with the amount of pressure you put inside your tires, but I’d highly suggest sticking to the manufacturer’s suggested values. These values will be posted on the interior jamb of your driver’s side door.

It’s good practice to routinely check the health of your tires anyway, and the pressure is a big thing you’ll be looking for. Check it and adjust the pressure if you need to as soon as you can.

Conclusion

I just covered 14 different ways to make your Jeep Wrangler more comfortable. Implement any or all of my tips and drop me a comment below to let me know how it worked out. Want to see more car guides? Check out the rest of my site. In addition, take a look at my list of suggested car products.