Should You Get A Cushion For Your Office Chair?

If you are spending a good amount of time seated at a desk having a comfortable office chair is an absolute must. However, is it necessary to get a cushion for your office chair? We researched different types of seat cushions to understand how they impact your posture and improve comfort levels while seated.

You should consider investing in a seat cushion for your office chair for the following reasons:

To improve healthy posture.
Reduce stress on your body's joints and muscles.
To make your office chair more comfortable.
Reduce health problems from sitting in a chair for long periods..

At first glance, it may be hard to decide on the best seat cushion for your chair and body. Read on, to discover more about seat cushions as we uncover the benefits different types of seat cushions provide for your health and comfort.

The Benefits Of A Seat Cushion

Anyone who sits in a chair long enough might develop chronic lower back pain, ulcers, joint pain, or aching muscles and fatigue. Investing in a seat cushion made from supportive materials, like memory foam or cooling gel, provides welcome relief and comfort. Using a seat cushion ensures you are sitting in a healthy position, practicing good posture, and generally reducing pain and stress on the body.

A seat cushion should be wide enough to accommodate your frame, adequately supporting your tailbone, lumbar, hips, knees, and ankles. Persons who suffer health ailments while seated like hemorrhoids, varicose veins, leg numbness, chronic back pain, or fatigue can protect their health by using a seat cushion. A high-performance seat cushion may last between 3 and 5 years depending on the amount of use and maintenance.

Seat cushions support healthy posture to reduce the risk of long-term back, spine, and joint pain or injury from sitting long periods. Choose a seat cushion that has an ergonomic design, utilizes quality materials that support your frame, and is durable. Remember to leave your chair to move about every 20 to 30 minutes when sitting for long stretches, even if you have an excellent seat cushion.

Are Seat Cushions Good For You?

Adding a padded cushion made of memory foam or cooling gel is helpful to the body when sitting for long periods. Using a seat cushion is good for you because it distributes your body weight effectively, improves posture, and makes your chair feel more comfortable. Many times people suffer from back pain, stressed out joints, and body aches from sitting in a chair without adequate, supportive cushioning. Placing a seat cushion to support the lumbar region, tailbone, and buttocks can make a world of difference.

Check out this durable seat cushion set on Amazon.

Do Seat Cushions Help Back Pain?

Not all office chairs are created to support healthy posture, or built with an ergonomic design. Seated in an office chair for a lengthy period, you may notice pressure or pain in your upper or lower back. Placing a seat cushion strategically in an office chair can greatly reduce back pain.

Seat cushions are often designed to fit the unique curves of the human body. Cushions have a wide orientation and a sloping angle, to better distribute body weight, taking pressure off the spine. A seat cushion reduces back pain, and alleviates pressure on both the tailbone (or coccyx), and sciatic nerve. Additionally, a seat cushion encourages proper posture.

Check out this supportive chair cushion combo on Amazon.

Check out this lumbar support pillow on Amazon.

Is Memory Foam Good For Seat Cushions?

High-density foam, or viscoelastic, is commonly used in seat cushions. Memory foam easily molds to the shape of the human body. Memory foam is a desirable material because it doesn't degrade easily, resists sagging, encourages a healthier spine, and creates a pain-free seated experience. Choose a memory foam seat cushion for increased stability, comfort, and reduced strain on the hips and spine.

Check out this stylish memory foam seat cushion on Amazon.

Check out this contoured seat cushion on Amazon.

What Is The Best Gel Seat Cushion?

Many people like gel seat cushions because they are lightweight, durable, and have cooling properties. Gel cushions provide an optimal seated experience because the gel shifts with you as you move. Gel seat cushions encourage air circulation to reduce sweating. U-shaped gel cushions best support the tailbone and have therapeutic benefits. Overall, the best gel seat cushion should be designed to target problem areas of the tailbone or sciatic nerve, and improve posture.

Some of the most popular models of gel seat cushions combine both therapeutic, cooling gel with memory foam for the most support. Scientific studies demonstrate that gel cushions provide significant improvement for people suffering from chronic lower back pain in comparison to foam cushions. A gel cushion should be flexible, provide adequate support to the joints, reduce shock, and prevent pain while seated.

Check out this combo gel cushion on Amazon.

Check out this honeycomb seat cushion on Amazon.

What Is The Best Seat Cushion For Sciatica?

Ideally, the best seat cushion for sciatica is one that combines high-density foam with cooling gel for maximum comfort and support. Sciatica sufferers should select a seat cushion that has a wide design, evenly distributes body weight, and takes the pressure off the spine and joints. When seated, the cushion should encourage you to sit in a comfortable position, support healthy posture, and pose minimal stress or discomfort on the body.

Check out this ergonomic seat cushion for sciatica on Amazon.

Check out this supportive cushion on Amazon.

How Can I Make My Chair Cushions More Comfortable?

Even a chair cushion made with optimal materials can succumb to wear and tear. Make a chair cushion more comfortable by adding a layer of padded upholstery. Alternatively, add more supportive material by opening your chair cushion to secure a layer of either dense foam or cotton batting. Use an adhesive on top of the existing layers of viscoelastic to secure added material.

Select a chair cushion that has a wide profile and thick layer of supportive materials. Dense cushions endure being sat on for a long time. Place the cushion so it does not skid or slip off the chair when sitting.

How Do You Make A DIY Chair Cushion For An Office Chair?

Make a chair cushion as a customized option for your aesthetic tastes and comfort. Start by either creating a pattern from scratch or purchasing a commercial pattern. Check out the DIY example below.

We've also broken this down, step-by-step for you:

Choose a pillowcase you think is attractive.
Trim the fabric of the pillowcase to fit your chair perfectly.
Turn the fabric inside-out, so the stitches are not visible when the cushion is finished.
Use a sewing machine to stitch three out of four sides from end-to-end.
Opposite the open side, make some small stitches on a diagonal at the bottom.
At the open side, stitch the fabric on both sides. Be sure to leave an opening of 4 inches at the center, so you can stuff it later.
Turn the fabric right-side-out, then iron it. Fill with either thick cotton batting or poly fiberfill. If the pillowcase is cut to standard size, you could alternatively fill with chopped pieces of memory foam, or a pre-cut layer of gel or memory foam.