Bad back? Here are the best office chair pads and supports.
It's important that when you choose an office chair, you pick an ergonomically designed one that will be comfortable for you to sit in for long periods of time. Even so, a chair pad can also be a worthwhile investment, not only to provide additional support for your back and/or butt, but to also to provide a cushier experience. I really like the Aylio Socket Seat thanks to its unique design that includes two holes designed to properly redistribute weight and provide relief for common pressure points. While it's more expensive than others, it might just be worth the investment.
Best Overall: Aylio Socket Seat
The patented design of this uniquely shaped seat is designed to take pressure off every bone where you might commonly feel it, including the tailbone, hamstring, hips, and lower back. At the heart of the design, which was created by a husband-and-wife team (the latter of whom is a licensed occupational therapist), are two holes, along with a tailbone cutout and ergonomic contours that shape to your body. The idea is to redistribute weight to where the body has natural padding already and away from areas that are sensitive to compression.
It's made of vegan leather with soft velvet accents, and comes with a zippered cover and built-in carry handle. Inside is made of high-density memory foam with a 3D spacer mesh cover. It measures 14.5-by-18.5-by-3 inches, making it ideal for all sizes of chairs and seats. It might be large for smaller chairs, however.
Best of all, it comes with a 100-day risk-free trial. That means you can try it out first to see if you like it and return it if you don't.
Pros:- Unique design
- 100-day risk-free trial
- Support small business
- Built-in handle
- Expensive
- Large size
Truly unique
This two-hole design is supposed to take pressure off every bone that might feel it after a long day's work.
Best for Tailbones: Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion
Help combat tailbone pain caused by sitting to work all done long with this seat cushion that employs a U-shaped orthopedic design, which is recommended by doctors to help treat chronic or acute pain. The shape and 100% memory foam plush material help to relieve pressure in strategic areas where you might feel it most.
In addition to helping relieve pain in your back and lower body, the seat cushion can also help improve your posture and relieve pain in your legs. It also responds to heat to mold to the shape of your butt so it is comfortable to use.
It measures in at 17.5-by-13.5-by-2.75 inches, which means it should fit most chairs. It's also available in four color options, and the seat cushion has a removable and machine washable cover for easy cleaning. Note that the non-slip rubber bottom can stain some light-colored leather vinyl, so wash and test it first. The lifetime replacement guarantee means if something goes wrong, you can get a new one.
Pros:- Lots of color options
- Responds to heat
- Memory foam material
- Machine-washable cover
- Lifetime replacement guarantee
- Rubber bottom can stain leather chairs
Relieve pain, stay comfy
Heat helps this seat cushion mold to the contours of your body for comfort while it helps relieve back and leg pain when you sit.
Best for Travel: Comfilife Gel-Enhanced Seat Cushion
What makes this seat cushion ideal for travel is that, like many of the others, it comes with a built-in handle for easily transporting it from one place to another, whether it's to a business trip or from your home office to your workplace. It's also pretty compact in size at 17.6-by-13.8-by-2.75 inches, which means you can easily fit it into your suitcase or carry-on.
It's made from 100% high-density memory foam on the inside, and it includes a gel layer on the top to help further contour to your body and keep you cool. It offers support for your tailbone, relieving pressure and promoting healthy posture. It can provide relief from things like lower back pain and sciatica.
The zippered velour cover offers a nice, plush firmness and is machine washable for easy cleaning. The cushion also has a non-slip rubber bottom so it will stay put on your chair or seat. The one big downside is that it only comes in one color.
Pros:- Built-in handle for travel
- Good size
- Machine washable cover
- Non-slip rubber bottom
- Only one color
- Some reviewers say it flattens too much
Take it with you
Bring this seat cushion with you from your home office to the workplace thanks to the convenient built-in handle and compact size.
Best for All Day: 5 Stars United Seat Cushion Pillow
If your 9-5 job, or whatever hours you work, see you sitting behind a desk for long periods of time, you might appreciate this seat cushion pillow, which is made of 100% memory foam and offers firm support to help you maintain good posture, promoting sitting using the natural curve of your spine, and helping to offload pressure on the spinal discs.
The ergonomic design helps to increase blood flow and can prevent lower back pain, muscle fatigue, leg tightness, and hamstring issues. The removable mesh cover is breathable to promote better air circulation and keep you cool, and the thick and harder-than-usual cushion makes it optimal for those weighing up to 220 pounds without flattening down too much. Conversely, however, it's not ideal for lighter individuals since it might not flatten enough (the ideal recommended weight is about 150-220 pounds). It also might not be the right choice for shorter individuals because without flattening as much, it could add too much height to the chair such that your feet can't reach the ground.
With a non-slip rubber base, it conforms to your individual shape while the U-shaped contour design rests your tailbone so there's no compression. The seat cushion itself is 17.7-by-13.8-by-2.8 inches in size. Bring it with you from one place to another using the convenient built-in handle on the side, which means you can use it in the car, wheelchair, home/remote office, or anywhere else.
Pros:- Breathable mesh cover
- Ergonomic design
- Non-slip rubber base
- Extra-thick padding not for everyone
- Might not flatten well for lighter people
- May not suit shorter people
A full day's work
Those working at a desk for full 8-9-hour shifts will appreciate the ergonomic design that contours to your body.
Best Value: Oveynersin Seat Cushion
When it comes down to it, price might be the sole factor in your decision-making process. If so, this one is a good option that is much cheaper than the others but offers similar features, including a U-shaped design, non-slip gel rubber bottom, removable and breathable cloth cover, and convenient carry handle.
Made with a slow-rebound memory foam pillow core, it can sense the shape of your body and shape accordingly for the most comfortable fit and to help alleviate pain and correct your posture. The perforates hollow interior helps to make it more breathable as well.
Measuring 17.7-by-13.7-by-2.75 inches, it's comparable in size to others here, making it a good option to take with you from one place to another. And you really can't go wrong with the price, especially as a secondary cushion.
Pros:- Affordable price
- Perforated hollow interior
- Non-slip gel rubber bottom
- Only one color option
Affordable comfort
Grab one or two of these to keep in different spots, like the car and home office, so you can sit in comfort when you need it.
Best for Full Body Relief: Soft & Core Seat Cushion and Pillow Set
Helping to decrease pressure on your coccyx thanks to its shape, much like other seat cushions noted here, this one provides full body relief thanks to the inclusion of a pillow as well. The seat cushion helps relieve pain from sciatica, herniated discs, tailbone injuries, and more, while the pillow provides lumbar support to further help relieve lower back pain and correct your posture.
Made of plush memory foam, the seat cushion has a non-slip bottom and built-in handle, while the lumbar support pillow has adjustable straps and a convenient pocket for holding your phone on its side. The lumbar support also has 3D breathable mesh that keeps you cool. Both are covered with washable velour that are zippered so you can easily remove them for cleaning.
Available in either black or dary gray to match your office chair, the seat cushion measures 18-by-16-by-3.5 inches and the lumbar support pillow 13-by-11.75 inches. Just note that if you get this set, you might want to measure your current seating arrangement first.
Pros:- Lumbar support pillow included
- Convenient phone pocket
- Washable covers
- Might not need/use pillow
- Larger size not for small chairs
Full-body support
Combine the seat cushion with the lumbar support to provide full comfort, from your shoulders to your toes.
Bottom lineThere are a number of reasons you might want, and should consider, a seat cushion for your office chair. For one, they help reduce pressure on the coccyx, otherwise known as your tailbone. The tailbone is positioned at the bottom of your spine, hence the name, and above your buttocks, and can start to hurt after you've been sitting for a long period of time.
Second, they help relieve pain and pressure from other areas of the body, from your hips to your buttocks, your legs, your entire spine, your lower back, and even your shoulders. Third, they can provide extra padding and comfort for a chair that might be too firm and hard, or that feels uncomfortable after you've been sitting in it for hours. And fourth, they also give you that added boost of height you might need to more comfortably use your computer and other office gear.
It might seem like all office seat cushions are made equal, as U-shaped pieces of foam you plop under your butt to hopefully alleviate the pain, aches, and sore muscles you might feel after a long day in front of the computer. But ones like the Aylio Socket Seat stand out thanks to the patented design that consists of two strategically placed holes to help redistribute weight and relieve pressure along with a clever tailbone cut-out. It might be one of the larger cushions in terms of size, but the functional and modern design (including a funky external look) and the risk-free trial make it a no-brainer of a choice.
Credits - The team that worked on this guide
Christine Persaud resides in Toronto, Ontario Canada with her husband and 8-year-old son. Working from a home office as a full-time writer means she's often sitting for hours and hours every day. And that means an ergonomic chair and comfortable seat cushions are musts for her office setup.