Taylor Made 698559 Platinum Series Fold-Down Fishing Seat, White

Taylor Made builds the Platinum Series fold-down fishing seat for boaters who spend real time in the seat and want it to last more than a season or two. This is the white marine-grade version, model 698559, sized at 17.5 inches long by 18 inches wide by 23 inches tall. It's a clean, no-frills fishing seat that folds down flat when you're done, so it doesn't crowd the deck or catch wind on the trailer.

We see these go onto pontoons most often, but they work just as well on aluminum fishing boats and jon boats where you want a comfortable, weather-tough seat that bolts to a fixed base. The backrest folds forward so you can drop the profile for storage or cover it up between trips. And because it's non-adjustable and non-foldable at the frame, there's nothing to wear out or rattle loose. What you mount is what you get, every time you step aboard.

The build is where the Platinum Series earns its name. The cover is marine-grade vinyl, the kind that shrugs off spray, sun, and the odd spilled drink without cracking or fading fast. Underneath, the foam is mildew-resistant polyurethane, so it holds its shape and doesn't turn into a sponge that grows funk after a wet weekend. The seat hinges are aluminum, the staples and mounting fasteners are stainless steel, and the thread is UV-resistant polyester. Those aren't glamorous details, but they're exactly the parts that fail first on a cheap seat. Taylor Made spent the money where the water attacks.

A few honest install notes from folks who've bolted these down. The mounting holes don't always line up with every pedestal pattern out there, so measure your base before you drill. If you're going onto an aluminum boat, drop an isolation washer between the stainless fasteners and the hull to keep galvanic corrosion from starting. And give the aluminum hinges a shot of marine lubricant at install and once a season after that. They'll seize up if you ignore them, same as any hinge that lives in salt air.

Height is worth a thought too. At 23 inches tall, this seat sits up where you'd want it for casting and running, but on a low-freeboard 14 to 16 foot aluminum hull it can crowd legroom near a console. Measure your clearance first if space is tight. On a pontoon or a mid-size fishing boat, that height is right in the sweet spot. You get real back support without feeling like you're perched on a barstool.

Care is simple. Rinse the vinyl with fresh water after a salty day and wipe it down. A quick wipe-down after each trip keeps grime from working into the seams. Keep the seat pan drain holes clear so water doesn't pool under the foam, and toss a vented cover over it when you trailer long distances so the sun doesn't bake the cushion flat. Do that and the mildew-resistant foam and UV thread do their job for years. The white cover stays looking new far longer than a dark seat that soaks up heat all summer.

This is a seat only. It doesn't include a pedestal, swivel, or base, so pair it with whatever mounting system your boat already runs. It comes without a headrest, which keeps the sightlines clean and the weight down. Who's this for? Anglers who fish from a fixed seat and want comfort without a bunch of moving parts. Pontoon owners rigging out a fishing station. Anyone replacing a tired, cracked seat that's been on the boat since it left the dealer. You're paying for stainless fasteners, aluminum hinges, and foam that survives the weather, and on the water that's exactly what matters.