Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Scouted/Amazon
I never thought I’d have to get a seat cushion, but now that working from home is a reality, I’m glad I did. A seat cushion is excellent for transforming any chair in your home into a comfortable oasis, a place you seek to sit at, rather than avoid at all costs. Seat cushions help align your spine and keep your lumbar supported, even on chairs that don’t have these features (like the ones in your kitchen). To help you find a comfortable place to sit, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite cushions.
Best overall:Purple Royal Cushion
Best upgrade:Purple Double Cushion
Best memory foam: Cushion Lab Pressure Relief Seat Cushion
Best affordable option:Comfilife Gel Enhanced Seat Cushion
Best lumbar cushion: OPTP McKenzie Lumbar Roll
Best for long hours:Everlasting Comfort Seat
Best for back pain: TEMPUR-Pedic Seat Cushion
Best for a workout: Gaiam Balance Disc
Best Overall: Purple Royal Cushion
This is the seat cushion I have and I love it so much that I find myself carrying it around to wherever I’m planning on parking it next.
Best Feature: It is made with Purple Grid technology that relaxes under pressure, allows for airflow, and makes it possible for sitting up to 8 hours.
Best Upgrade: Purple Double Cushion
This cushion from Purple works well if you have an office chair you’d like to spruce up.
Best Feature: It is two sided—one side for softness, and one side for firmness—and made with the same Purple Grid technology as the Royal.
Best Memory Foam: Pressure Relief Seat Cushion
Scouted Editor Jillian Lucas loves her Cushion Lab cushions. Her favorite is the memory foam seat cushion, which she says gives her reliever “immediately upon sitting down.”
Best Feature: The curved sides and back help to keep your legs and butt in the proper place and it settles nicely underneath me. It also has a grippy bottom to keep it from sliding off, no matter how many times I get up.”
Best Affordable Option: Comfilife Gel Enhanced Seat Cushion
Let’s be real for a second. You probably want to wash that thing you’re going to be sitting on for hours. With this cushion, you can.
Best Feature: The zippered sleeve makes it great for washing, and the memory foam gel will protect your rear on any surface, improving your posture, and your productivity, too.
Best Lumbar Cushion: OPTP McKenzie Lumbar Roll
If your lower back just aches everytime you sit in a chair, this is a good bet.
Best Feature: The roll sits right on your lower back and helps support you, lending a more natural curvature to your spine — more natural than the slouch you’re normally doing, anyway.
Best for Long Hours: Everlasting Comfort Seat
This cushion is made with a memory foam that responds to the heat of your rear to shape and mold to your body perfectly.
Best Feature: It also has a non-slip rubber bottom so it won’t fall out from beneath you while you’re hard at work.
Best for Back Pain: TEMPUR-Pedic Seat Cushion
Although TEMPUR-Pedic is known for their mattresses, their seat cushions, made with the same foam, are exceptional as well.
Best Feature: The curved design accommodates your rear, adapting to your weight and distributing weight evenly to give you an ergonomic place to sit.
Best for a Workout: Gaiam Balance Disc
Instead of ditching your chair for a balance ball, this is a neat little way to adapt your chair.
Best Feature: Not only does it make your chair more ergonomic, it acts as a fun way to increase your core strength and overall posture while sitting.
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Best Overall: Purple Royal Cushion This is the seat cushion I have and I love it so much that I find myself carrying it around to wherever I’m planning on parking it next. Best Feature: It is made with Purple Grid technology that relaxes under pressure, allows for airflow, and makes it possible for sitting up to 8 hours.
Best Upgrade: Purple Double Cushion This cushion from Purple works well if you have an office chair you’d like to spruce up. Best Feature: It is two sided—one side for softness, and one side for firmness—and made with the same Purple Grid technology as the Royal.
Best Memory Foam: Pressure Relief Seat Cushion Scouted Editor Jillian Lucas loves her Cushion Lab cushions. Her favorite is the memory foam seat cushion, which she says gives her reliever “immediately upon sitting down.” Best Feature: The curved sides and back help to keep your legs and butt in the proper place and it settles nicely underneath me. It also has a grippy bottom to keep it from sliding off, no matter how many times I get up.”
Best Affordable Option: Comfilife Gel Enhanced Seat Cushion Let’s be real for a second. You probably want to wash that thing you’re going to be sitting on for hours. With this cushion, you can. Best Feature: The zippered sleeve makes it great for washing, and the memory foam gel will protect your rear on any surface, improving your posture, and your productivity, too.
Best Lumbar Cushion: OPTP McKenzie Lumbar Roll If your lower back just aches everytime you sit in a chair, this is a good bet. Best Feature: The roll sits right on your lower back and helps support you, lending a more natural curvature to your spine — more natural than the slouch you’re normally doing, anyway.
Best for Long Hours: Everlasting Comfort Seat This cushion is made with a memory foam that responds to the heat of your rear to shape and mold to your body perfectly. Best Feature: It also has a non-slip rubber bottom so it won’t fall out from beneath you while you’re hard at work.
Best for Back Pain: TEMPUR-Pedic Seat Cushion Although TEMPUR-Pedic is known for their mattresses, their seat cushions, made with the same foam, are exceptional as well. Best Feature: The curved design accommodates your rear, adapting to your weight and distributing weight evenly to give you an ergonomic place to sit.
Best for a Workout: Gaiam Balance Disc Instead of ditching your chair for a balance ball, this is a neat little way to adapt your chair. Best Feature: Not only does it make your chair more ergonomic, it acts as a fun way to increase your core strength and overall posture while sitting.