Next Level Racing ES3 Review: Worth It?
Quick summary· AI-generated
The review examines the Next Level Racing ES3 Elite seat in both fiberglass and carbon-fiber editions, detailing its no-flex design optimized for load-cell pedals and motion platforms, sculpted GT-style ergonomics, and installation complexity. The author notes that seat swaps require time-consuming alignment work and driving-position re-tuning due to the ES3's taller mounting brackets compared to other seats. The piece discusses the seat's construction quality, removable cushion covers, and compatibility with various cockpit rigs.
Excerpt from Inside Sim Racing
Disclosure: Next Level Racing provided the ES3 Elite seat featured in this review at no cost. All opinions below are our own.
What does it actually take to make you swap out a seat you’ve been happy with for years?
For Darin, it took one email from Next Level Racing and about ten minutes in the ES3 Elite. That short test drive is the whole reason this Next Level Racing ES3 review exists. The seat wasn’t just a review unit passing through his rig. By the end of testing, he’d made a call most reviewers won’t. It’s not leaving his rig.
Next Level Racing ES3 Review: What You Get
The ES3 is Next Level Racing’s fixed-back, hypercar-inspired seat. It comes in two flavors:
Fiberglass Edition: $599 USD, high-strength fiberglass shell
Carbon Fiber Edition: $1,399 USD, full carbon fiber shell for a lighter build
Two editions, one seat: the ES3 comes in full carbon fiber or fiberglass, sharing the same ergonomic profile. Both share the same seat profile, support structure, and cockpit compatibility. The price jump buys you weight savings and shell material, not a different seat underneath. Here’s what you’re working with on either version:
No-flex performance design, built for heavy load-cell pedals and motion platforms
Sculpted side bolsters and shoulder support for a fixed-back, GT-style position
Precision-molded cushions: high-density foam, soft-touch synthetic suede, PU leather sides
Removable cushion covers, so you can wash or swap them
Bespoke side-mount brackets with multiple angle and height adjustments
Rated for users up to a 36-inch waist
It ships well protected, wrapped and cushioned inside the box. You get the manual, mounting hardware, brackets, and a pair of gloves, presumably so you don’t fingerprint the high-gloss finish while installing it.
Installing the ES3 Isn’t a Ten-Minute Job
If you’re coming from a different seat, budget more time than you’d expect. Darin ran into the classic seat-swap headache: lining up the seat sliders with the T-nuts on his Sim Motion 160mm extrusion chassis. He got it wrong twice before landing it on the third try. At one point, he seriously considered skipping the sliders and bolting the ES3 straight to the chassis rail.
That’s not a knock on Next Level Racing specifically. It’s just what happens any time you move between seat brands. The ES3’s brackets sit a little taller than what he was running before. That pushed his wheel deck up and forced a re-tune of his whole driving position. If your current…
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