In this short guide I will show you what the best Jon boat seat clamps with swivel mounts are, with some additional product recommendations and videos dependent on your boat set-up and design.
The first product I want to recommend is the one that I personally use in my Jon boat, and in fact it’s also the one with the best reviews on Amazon.
#1: Attwood Corporation seat mount clamp-on with swivel review
The Attwood seat mount reviews are exceptional, being the highest rated option available on Amazon. And I can personally testify to this too, as it’s is the best out there and works brilliantly on almost any size and configuration.
Here’s what you get:
- Adjusts from 7 ½ inches to 18 inches
- Black powder coated swivel
- Fits most seat-bolt patterns
- Simple to install and adjust
- Very competitively priced
Personal review
To read the read the Amazon reviews and see prices for yourself go look on the Amazon website, as it’s not just me who recommends and loves this option.
I love my Attwood and am currently using it on my aluminum 14-footer. It was really simple to install and can be tightened up intermittently using the wing nuts. That means I can tighten it up when on the water, without having to take any tools with me, as it will need tightening every few weeks.
You can easily remove your seat and re-position it if you need to. I do this because there are times when I want to pilot my Jon boat from the rear seat.
I weigh 180 pounds and it’s not showing any signs of damage, taking my weight easily and giving me the freedom to swivel and position myself easily when fishing. I’ve seen reviews on Amazon from people who weigh 270 pounds and say it’s a great swivel clamp.
The actual installation itself isn’t hard. You just need to rotate the swivel mount until you see a visible hole, place a screw in, adjust, and then line up the next holes. It takes about 5 minutes to figure it all out but is dead simple once you get it.
Just make sure though, that you mount your seat onto the clamp before you attach the clamp and mounting system. By doing so you can get to the screws easily for attaching into your bench.
My friend also has this Jon boat seat clamp with swivel mount installed onto his 18 ½ inch bench in his larger aluminum Jon. I asked him over email what his views were, and this is what he had to say:
“It works reasonably well, and I would give it 4.5 stars from 5 if I had to leave a review. To get it onto my 18 ½ inch bench I actually swapped the wing nuts it comes with for hex Nyloc ones. Plus, I placed some grip strips underneath the edges of the seat to give me more grip.”
To conclude, I love this Jon boat seat clamp.
It’s stable, rugged, and works just like it should.
#2: SeaSense adjustable seat bracket 7-16-Inch with base review
My second option I can recommend is this SeaSense seat bracket. It’s actually a pretty close comparison to the Attwood, with the two items being almost indistinguishable. But I would opt for Attwood purely because they have that brand trust in the Jon boat industry.
Here’s what you get:
- Perfect purchase for a gift
- Great craftmanship
- Stable and easy to install
Personal review
To find out how much it costs, and read some online reviews, please visit Amazon.
For full transparency I don’t own this product and have never seen it in real life. But what I can see is that it rates as the second highest option in terms of positive reviews on the Amazon website.
A sample of the positive feedback includes comments on the steel durability, great construction, ease of adjustment, non-corrosion and rusting, plus the simple installation time.
At time of publishing this guide, I only found one truly negative review from a retired engineer. His main complaint was that the seat flipped backwards. That could be isolated case though, given the majority of buyers only have positive things to say.
#3: Wise 8WD14 Jon boat seat clamp with swivel mount review
A final choice would be the Wise Jon boat seat clamp and swivel kit. The only reason I would consider buying this would be if you have a larger bench as this one can go up to 20 ½ inches wide, compared to the 18 inches with the Attwood.
Here’s what you get:
- Seat clamp System, includes swivel
- Mounts on all flat surfaces
- Adjusts 8 inch to 20 ½ inches for widest adjustment
- Coated steel frame bars
- Injection molded plastic brackets
Personal review
To see the reviews and comments, including how much it costs, click here.
Again, I don’t own this product, but have spoken to people who do, and seen it in action on my local rivers.
Let’s just start with a couple of negative though, as you need to be completely aware of what you’re getting here.
A few people on Amazon has said that the plastic bearings have come out of the plate, and the clamp has broken on many occasions. That’s only a small sample of reviews, as generally it does rate very highly, but I couldn’t not make you aware of these comments.
On a positive note, it’s a good price, and the people leaving highly rated reviews most commonly refer to the ease of installation and sturdiness. So, that complaint over the bearings coming out isn’t common, but has certainly happened on a few occasions.
You might also be interested in a seat bracket kit
If you do own or buy the Wise option shown above, and want to mount flat onto a bench surface, then the seat bracket kit below is a good additional option.
Wise 8WD73 Sure Mount Seat Bracket Kit, 33″
This is perfect for mounting boat seats to flat bench surfaces. All you do is bolt the seat with or without the actual swivel to the bracket seat plate which is 33 inches long in an L shapr design.
By doing so, your seat can then slide, letting you get into the best position for fishing, hunting, or leisurely trips down the river or lake.
It comes with a 3 year warranty and you can view prices here.
Here’s what you get:
- Strong Steel and plastic construction
- Mounts on all flat surfaces with 90-degree angle
- Accepts any brand swivel
- Fits seat tanks up to 20 ½ inches wide
Personal review
I don’t own any Wise products, instead using Attwood. And the bench in my Jon boat was shallow enough to just be clamped over using the lips technique and bolt tightening.
Current owners have comments along these lines though:
“It is an awesome bracket and lets me slide from side to side. I did end up using WD40 and some grease to get the slide action smoother. Now that works I can move to the righ to run the tiller steer outboard, and then slide back into the middle for fishing!”
Installing a Jon boat seat clamp with swivel mount
There are many different ways you can do this, and it will differ from boat to boat, so I’ve put just a few notes and videos together below which show the more common scenarios.
Video #1: Attwood Jon boat seat clamp
I wanted you to see this video first, at it shows the Attwood clamp and mount being unboxed.
You don’t see it being installed and fitted, but it gives you a better idea on the quality and why this is my number 1 recommended choice.
Video #2: How to install a swivel plate and boat seat
In this second example, the guy is only using a swivel plate and fitting that onto an existing wooden bench, with no actual mount system being used. He is drilling the Jon boat seat clamps into the bench, leaving enough space to let the swivel turn smoothly.
Alternatively, he could have ripped the bench out completely, and used one of the complete Jon boat seat clamp with swivel mount options I recommend at the beginning of this guide.
Video #3: Attwood clamp on swivel seat review
In this video we see the Attwood Jon boat seat clamp with swivel mount being reviewed after an easy installation.
As you can see it fits simply over the existing bench system, with the lips and clamping system tightened up with bolts. Go take a look to see this great product in action on a 14-foot aluminum boat.
Video #4: Portable clamp for Jon boat seat with lips
This last video is a bit rough and not great quality, but the content is well worth a look at you see how this guy fitted a clamp for Jon boat seat with lips.
It might give you an additional idea of how you could get the perfect set-up for fishing, hunting, and comfort.
What seats do I recommend?
All of the Jon boat seat clamps I recommend above are compatible with the seats I have recommended in the past.
In that list there are camouflage versions, high backs, and low backs all of which will snap-on to the clamps shown above. I also have a bench seat option, but that won’t work with the seat clamps listed above).
The last word…
I hope this has helped you in your quest to find the best Jon boat seat clamp (with swivel mount). I’ve been as honest and transparent as I can, but it’s key to remember that I only personally own the Attwood product.
However, if you read the online reviews, you will soon see that it’s not just me who loves the clamp. It’s a universally loved and used option around the United States and Canada.
Elsewhere on my website I’ve put together additional helpful guides for Jon boat owners, including a master list of all the Jon boat accessories I use and recommend.
