5 Best Seat Cushions, According to Experts
Upgrade your desk chair and relieve some of that back pain with an ergonomic buffer.
Tested by Grace WuTextiles, Paper & Apparel Lab Product Analyst
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For many of us working in an office or from home, it means sitting on a less-than-comfortable chair that leaves you with pain running down your legs, a sore tailbone or numerous other ailments that make you miserable.
“If you’re sitting on a chair with a hard surface, or a chair that’s meant to be lower like a dining room chair, it will put pressure on the tailbone (also called the coccyx), and on the ischial tuberosity, which are the two bones in your butt cheeks,” says John Gallucci, Jr. DPT, founder of JAG Physical Therapy. He adds that over time, that can cause a pressure contusion and inflammation. You can also experience pain from lack of support on your lower back, or from tilting the pelvis at an uncomfortable angle, says Christynne Helfrich, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health.
One of the best ways to support your bottom and back as you sit, and to dial down the pain, is to invest in an ergonomic seat cushion to soothe you as you sit.
Our top picks:
Before you choose a seat cushion, it is important to identify where your pain is originating from, says Klee Bethel, MD, director of interventional pain management at the Neil Riordan Center for Regenerative Medicine in Tempe, AZ. “Your axial pain could be from coccydynia or degenerative disc disease or sacroiliitis,” he says. (Some of these ailments may require donut-shaped pillows).
We talked to experts and tried out a variety of seats here at our desks at Good Housekeeping, and these are the ones that made us say, ahhh.
Cushion Lab Pressure Relief Seat Cushion
Pros
- Comes in both standard and large size
- Bottom grips to your chair
Cons
- On the pricier side
Made of extra-dense memory foam, and available in more than 20 colors, this cushion was designed to relieve hip pressure and conform to your leg shape. GH testers loved that this seat was very supportive while still feeling squishy and comfortable. “I appreciate that it helps keeps my hips in proper position to help improve my posture,” said one tester, who added, “It helps prevent me from leaning side to side.”
Another tester raved about how this pillow helps her mom with her back problems, and she appreciated that you can bundle it with a back cushion and foot cushion for extra ergonomic support.
| Dimensions | 16"L x 16"W |
| Material | Memory foam |
| Shape | Seat |
Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion
Pros
- Best for tailbone pain
- Breathable fabric
- Modestly priced
Cons
- Can slip around the chair
Similar in style to the Cushion Lab choice, this less expensive memory foam option comes in five colors and also has a U-shaped cutout. According to the brand, that allows it to "lift the tailbone over hard seating surfaces." The brand also says that it can be used on-the-go as well.
One tester noted that the cushion "helped maintain a natural curve in my lower back for proper posture.” Her one complaint was that it slid around a bit. Because the material is “heat responsive,” it molds to the shape of your body.
| Dimensions | 17"L x 14"W |
| Material | Memory Foam |
| Shape | Semicircular |
Pros
- Best for pressure relief
- Extra thickness can hold larger body frames
- Works on most chairs
Cons
- No cutouts for tailbone pain
- On the pricier side
This squishy seat cushion made from Purple's GelFlex material is a little bit more of an investment, but testers love the feel and the fact that it makes your entire chair cushy. “I liked how I wasn’t sinking into the cushion, but it still conformed to my body,” one tester said.
It comes with a washable seat cover, and the grid design is said to let air flow through to keep your bottom cool. The square shape also allows for more coverage on larger chairs. The downside is that it is one flat shape, so if you are trying to offload specific pain, it might not be the right cushion for you.
| Dimensions | 17.5“ x 15.75“ x 2“ |
| Material | Gel |
| Shape | Seat |
Pros
- Best breathability
- Comfortable contoured seat
- Holds its shape
Cons
- No lumbar support or U-cutout
You'll find a hybrid mix of gel and memory foam here.
This contoured cushion has a squishier center area and a denser gel at the front and back to provide both support and softness. “I've been using it daily for about two years now, and it hasn't squished out of shape,” said one tester. “It still supports me perfectly!” It also has a mesh panel for airflow.
| Dimensions | 17“ x 2“ x 18.5“ |
| Material | Hybrid gel and memory foam |
| Shape | Rectangular |
ComfiWorld Memory Foam Seat Back Cushion
Pros
- Best for lower back support
Cons
- May be bulky to move around
- A bit on the pricier side
Dr. Bethel recommends this seat cushion for those who need lower back support and want an all-in-one option. “It has lumbar support for the sacral area and conforms to your bottom and upper thighs,” he says. Made with gel-infused memory foam, this is also a good option for those with a long commute or who otherwise spend many uncomfortable hours in a car.
| Dimensions | 16.10" x 17.36" x 9.44" |
| Material | Memory foam with gel pad |
| Shape | L-shape |
What should I look for in a seat cushion?
You'll want to look for the right material, shape and support for what's ailing you.
- For back pain, you will need a seat with some cushioning and plenty of lumbar support, says Helfrich.
- For tailbone pain, also known as coccydynia, a U-shaped cushion, or one with a cutout where the tailbone, would remove pressure. “Seat cushions are made to offload pressure at your pain point,” says Gallucci.
- If you have a tailbone or hemorrhoid problems, you’ll want a circular or horseshoe-shaped cushion.
- If you have a high hamstring injury, you want to offload the pressure off the ischial tuberosity (the bones in your butt cheeks) with a thicker cushion.
- If somebody has bilateral low back pain, "they want to use a pad that's neutral, and offloads the ischial tuberosity," says Dr. Gallucci.
Another thing to take into consideration when choosing a cushion is your body size. “If you are a larger person, a firmer pillow is better, otherwise it may collapse in and end up with pressure on your pain points,” says Dr. Bethel. Otherwise, it is often about personal choice. “It’s always best to find that Goldilocks area – not too hard and not too soft,” says Helfrich. “The most important aspect is that it is comfortable for you.”
What's the difference between gel and memory foam?
Both are good materials for a supportive pillow: Gel is more resilient and has a bouncy feel, whereas memory foam conforms to your body for pressure relief. “Gel is a dense liquid, similar to what you would find in gel shoe inserts, while memory foam is a solid foam that displaces its cells as opposed to moving the fluid around,” explains Dr. Bethel.
Helfrich points out that a cushion with memory foam and lumbar support can be helpful for relieving the pressure around the sciatic nerve. Gel, however, has its benefits, says Gallucci, “If you're going to be sitting for a long period of time, the movement of the gel helps with circulatory issues, and may help decrease inflammation, whereas foam becomes denser over time.”
Why trust Good Houskeeping?
Marisa Cohen, the Deputy Editor of Hearst's Health Newsroom, has two decades of experience writing about every aspect of mental and physical health. For this article, she interviewed three medical experts who work with patients who suffer from back, leg, or tailbone pain, Good Housekeeping staffers also tested out the seat cushions for comfort and support.
Marisa Cohen is an editor in the Hearst Lifestyle Group’s Health Newsroom, who has covered health, nutrition, parenting and culture for dozens of magazines and websites over the past two decades.
Grace Wu (she/her) is a product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, where she evaluates fabric-based products using specialized equipment and consumer tester data. Prior to starting at Good Housekeeping in 2022, she earned a master of engineering in materials science and engineering and a bachelor of science in fiber science from Cornell University. While earning her degrees, Grace worked in research laboratories for smart textiles and nanotechnology and held internships at Open Style Lab and Rent the Runway.
