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8 best support cushions to alleviate back pain from sitting too long

8 best support cushions to alleviate back pain from sitting too long
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Modern life is about adapting to our increasingly sedentary lifestyles and finding ways to combat the back pain that comes with spending eight to ten hours a day sitting in front of a computer for work, plus untold many more for leisure and entertainment. It’s a rapidly changing world indeed, but our bodies won’t likely know how to deal with this new reality for generations to come given the glacial pace of evolution.

To help stave off an aching back, proper support is salient. Ordinary chairs simply aren’t designed for the workload we’re giving them (though you may want to check out standing desks to help alleviate that burden), but accessory cushions like those seen here are a quick fix that you can carry around easily so your butt is covered whether working, traveling, driving, watching a movie, or carrying out any other number of tasks that don’t actually involve “carrying” at all.

Read on to see some of the top pick seat cushions available on Amazon.com, the retailer with the widest and most varied selection by a mile, and grab one of these affordable, effective, and well-liked options on the market.

If you want to make a serious investment, consider one of these great office chairs as well, and pick up one of these cushions to really amp up your posture game.

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn a commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing, expert advice and our own research. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion

Nearly 19,000 ratings averaging 4.5 stars speak to the true test of this product and make it a top-seller on Amazon for those looking to ease the burden on their back while sitting all day at a desk job.

It’s made of 100% memory foam with an orthopedic design and fully machine-washable cover, and advanced heat technology helps it conform to your body’s shape for maximal effectiveness in targeting your trouble spots. One reviewer enthusiastically muses, “This stuff is magical, like seating on the back of a unicorn while coming down a rainbow.”

Everlasting Comfort
$39.95

ComfiLife Gel Enhanced Seat Cushion

Another best seller on Amazon is ComfiLife’s Gel Infused model that distributes you rear across a cushy sea of nonslip orthopedic gel nestled between layers of memory foam that conform to your shape for a flawless, easily transported tool of comfort. If the plethora of glowing reviews alone isn’t enough, consider this pro-user who swears his investment was a life-changer:

“As an audiobook narrator, I spend a great deal of time propped on my bum. It's difficult to concentrate on the book you're narrating when your bum goes numb. After trying a collection of folded towels and foam bed pillows, I took a chance on the ComfiLife pillow. OH MY. I can now sit for hours in complete posterior comfort. I thank you, and my listeners thank you.”

ComfiLife
$30.55

Overynersin Seat Cushion for Office Chair

If you’re pinching pennies but like the look of models like those above, the Oveynersin Seat Cushion is an under $20 option that claims to relieve back, hip, tailbone, and sciatic pain, plus they’ll refund your money or replace the item quickly if it doesn’t live up to the hype.

Its top review on Amazon, among hundreds of near-universal positive ones, calls the cushion “exactly as described” and relays: “I ordered this cushion because I sit for long periods of time at my job. About 7 years ago, I fell and busted my bottom and ever since, sitting can be really painful. I was sitting on a regular kitchen chair cushion in my desk chair, but that was getting squished and was worn out. I needed something else. The memory foam does seem to "reset" itself after I get up and helps make sitting more comfortable.”

Overynersin
$25.99

Fortem Seat Cushion & Lumbar Support

Now we go from budget to big-time with the much-loved Fortem seat cushion, a two-piece model that supports your weight while you sit on the bottom and hits all the right pressure points in your lower, middle, and upper back by providing an added lumbar support cushion.

This version is especially popular among those using wheelchairs who aren’t quite ready for a new chair but need an upgrade in comfort that’s easy to tote around and clean, plus it stays in place through shifting and moving without the need for constant readjustment.

Fortem
$34.99

Gaiam Balance Disc Wobble Cushion

Our next choice is for those who are looking for a more active and long-term solution to back pain that works through strengthening the core so the muscles around the spine help hold it in place more firmly.

The Balance Disc works similarly to fitness equipment that offsets your stance while performing mundane exercises like squats and lunges, thus forcing the stabilizer muscles deep in your trunk to work overtime to keep you upright, but this one does the same thing while you sit all day! Just plop down in your chair and find your best posture while working, and you can forget about the rest as your body compensates for a lack of balance and starts to build up muscles you didn’t even know you had.

Gaiam
$21.98

Feagar Lumbar Support Pillow

For those simply on the hunt for a lumbar pillow alone, you’ll do no better than to try the raved-about Feagar that features adjustable straps and a breathable cover, plus ergonomic design meant to reduce pain and help you maintain the natural curvature of the lower spine.

“I was having so much pain in my back,” one user writes, “and after using it one day, I had relief.” Others echo similar experiences and praise the straps for conforming to a wide range of sizes and shapes, one calling it “easily adjustable for any chair” and another saying it gives “very solid support.”

Feagar
$28.99

Purple Back Cushion Perfect Lumbar Support

In addition to being a really beautiful color that adds a pop of style to any drab office, the Purple back cushion has more than 14,000 reviews that back up its usefulness. One happy customer who uses a wheelchair writes:


"The pain in my hips started easing within hours, my back in days, I have never been more comfortable and the only accident where it got soaked was fixed with a quick handwash of the cover and a rinse of the cushion and I was back going again in two hours. I don't dread long trips, I will be comfortable begining to end. There are no words for how much it has improved my quality of life."
 

Purple
$39.00

As Seen on TV Egg Sitter Seat Cushion Blue

This item hinges its usefulness on being able to “sit on an egg without breaking it,” meaning its softness is inviting but provides the structure and support you need to maintain a healthy spine.

A non-slip, removable and washable cover comes with it for easy travel, making it ideal to cart along in the car or to sporting events, concerts, and the like. This cushion seems best for those with average-width backsides though, as the ridges around the edge can tend to be slightly uncomfortable for wider-figured users.

As Seen On TV
$39.99
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