3 Best Chair Cushions for Your Office Chair, Evaluated and Reviewed
We tried five seat cushions in our labs, including those from Purple, Cushion Lab, and Tempur-Pedic
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Sitting at a desk every day can wreak havoc on your body. An achy back, slumped shoulders, and the dreaded tech neck are all symptoms of too much time sitting. Paul Ritchey, DrPH, CR’s ergonomics expert, says we should avoid long-held static postures when working at a desk. But if standing isn’t an option for you (or taking walking breaks), a comfortable office setup is absolutely necessary to keep your body pain-free.
- Seat Cushions We Tried: Cushion Lab Everlasting Comfort Purple Tempur-Pedic TushGuard
- More About Our Evaluations: How We Evaluated Our Panelists
Meet Our Testers
Photos: Michelle Ma, David Schipper, Kristen Dorrell, Matthew Guayara, Jodhaira Rodriguez (Consumer Reports) Photos: Michelle Ma, David Schipper, Kristen Dorrell, Matthew Guayara, Jodhaira Rodriguez (Consumer Reports)
Michelle Ma is 5 feet, 3 inches tall. Half the time she sits at her desk criss-cross applesauce, and the other half with her feet resting on the footrest of her chair with a cat on her lap. She doesn’t use a seat cushion, and while she owns a counter-height desk, she rarely stands while she works. Her preferred seat cushion is soft, bouncy, and thick.
David Schipper is 5 feet, 10 inches and sits in a basic office chair with no additional seat cushion. He sits in his chair for up to 8 hours at a time, both feet firmly planted on the ground. His preferred seat cushion is thin and firm.
Kristen Dorrell is 5 feet, 4 inches. She usually sits with her feet on a footrest or on the floor with her lower back resting on the chair’s backrest. Her desk is a little high for her, so she’s been sitting in her standard-issue office chair with a cushion on top to accommodate the height and so the chair doesn’t “feel like cardboard.” Her ideal seat cushion isn’t too firm or too soft, and it’s at least a couple of inches thick.
Matthew Guayara is 5 feet, 8 inches. He sits on what he describes as a “fancy chair” for several hours a day with both feet on the floor or one leg crossed over a knee in a slouched position. His ideal seat cushion is “not too soft, not too firm, and more on the thinner side, so it doesn’t feel like a booster seat.”
Jodhaira Rodriguez (that’s me!). I’m 4 feet, 9 inches, and I describe my office chair sitting style as haphazard. Most days, I spend up to 7 hours sitting at my desk, legs crossed. While the traditional knee-over-knee cross is my go-to, I also spend a lot of time sitting in a pretzel pose or with one leg tucked under my bottom. I often have body aches due to this sitting style. I prefer a soft, thick cushion on my office chair.
Matt Schimmenti (not pictured) is 5 feet, 10 inches and uses a basic office chair, nothing fancy. He sits with both feet firmly on the floor, and his body tipped back or straight in his chair with his back pressed against the backrest. Matt prefers his chair to be breathable first and foremost, with a medium firmness and a cushion thick enough to sit comfortably for long stretches.
