5 Reasons To AVOID Seat Cushions (on your ergonomic chair)

We bought SEVEN office chair cushions to see if they'd improve the seat comfort of a hard seat. While they helped with seat softness, they had some HUGE issues as well. In this video, we cover the 5 reasons you should avoid seat cushions.

Where to Buy Products in video:

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1. Minimized Lumbar Support Effectiveness 0:21
2. Shortens Backrest Height 0:56
3. Hard Edge on Front of Pad 1:29
4. Shortens Armrest Height 2:03
5. Won't Fit Chair 2:41
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[charliemartian]

I have 35.00 seat cushion I bought to test and it has reduced any chair fatigue so much. I work as a digital artist and also game on occasion. I have had a sciatic nerve act up twice and these cushions are the problem solver. The contour cushions are usually memory foam with a gel (cooling) top and therefore the front and sides with flatten and form nicely. I have a Steelcase 462 Leap and I saved myself from purchasing a new chair. I appreciate your reviews, but in this case, I tend to have a different opinion.

[GuilhermeSa]

Pretty sure that the intent for these cushions is when you don't have the ergonomic chairs (working from living room, etc).

[DispatchGod]

I have an Aeron chair with a headrest and use a cushion lab cushion with a coccyx cutout. I sit when not standing at my desk. This setup is a godsend.

[CaliforniaTravelVideos]

Right on! As I'll discuss in a moment, when I removed the cushion I put on top of my Aerodyne chair seat, the pain on my gluteus maximus instantly went away - *DUH* !!! So in my older car, some years ago I bought a Moller cushion (actual correct spelling, apparently no longer made) to make driving more comfortable but no longer needed it when I bought my Lexus. So silly me, back then I put it on my Aerodyne and it seemed okay for the last 20+ years. Then a few days ago my gluteus maximus was painful on my right side when sitting, especially on the somewhat firm cushion that ruthlessly pushed on my hip bone. So my first impulse was to move the Moller cushion sideways so it didn't push on my right glut which gave some relief. Fortunately I then found your YT video and realized all I needed to do was remove the frigging cushion entirely - as you know, the Aerodyne chair works like a hammock, giving perfect support while contouring to the bones and anatomy of person. MANY THANKS

[fredchester]

QUESTION. Don't the ergonomic chairs have 'adjustable backs and arm rests'? You're clearly looks like it does. So why don't you then 'adjust up' the backs and the arm rests to solve the problem. Also, the seat cushions come with back supports. With an adjustable chair, they should be fine.

[wdpk]

the main benefit I’ve had with these has been the tailbone relief. but agreed about all other points

[deborahthomas]

I found that the chairs are designed for tall guys like you. The cushion actually made my 5 ft 4 inch frame fit the chair.

[phrayzar]

Use a Roho style pressure cushion. These type of pressure cell cushions are used in clinical/ aged care settings to prevent pressure sores from extended sitting. Extremely comfortable for long term use. They also make a firm economy flight like a push business class seat.

[cathy]

well the chair i'm sitting in is too hard. its not an ergonoic chair..just wanted a better seat. this video just confused me..not sure what to do for an cost effective solution for my issue.

[Capt.Morgan-Retro]

I have no choice but to use a cushion with mine as otherwise the arm rest position is too high even on the lowest position and pushes my shoulders up into a "shrugging" position which caused me so much pain. They just don't seem to design chairs for people who aren't tall.

[svanir]

I've purchased a couple of these seat cushions in hopes of helping with longer sitting periods, and this hits the nail on the head. Props self up too high and the hard edge is extremely uncomfortable. Only benefit was relief of tailbone pressure.

I have a SitOnIt Torsa, which I used the cushions with, and a Clatina Mellet. I find the latter more comfortable in terms of cushioning and overall support, especially with all its adjustments, lumbar support and special recline.

[blackbear]

I had not considered the extra height ruining the lumbar support. Thanks for that good info! I also wanted to point out that my experience with one particular style of seat cushion has a large raised pad in the front and a cut out in the rear for your tailbone. This seat cushion could be great but the cushy pad pushes firmly right up into the prostrate and scrotal area. It's great for your rear end but the trade off is now there is a large amount of pressure right where no guy wants it. If you turn it around, your groin is good but now your tailbone suffers. I have tried this for about 3 weeks and have had enough. Will be buying a cushion that's uniformly flat and not too thick (lumbar support) :)

[charliemartian]

Although I did mention I have that cushion. I use it on occasion. I should add that you hit the nail on the head with a lot of issues regarding a seat cushion. It would be great to see you when taper in the front and the chair back height is a huge deal it's a deal breaker if it's too short

[davidperry]

Comfort is subjective and some people like sleeping in jade beds which is too extreme for me. However I find some pretty firm beds that are actually comfortable but don’t find them optimal. I like my bed medium to medium firm though but for desk chairs, I find very firm leather or leatherette ergonomic chairs to be the most comfortable for me to sit on.

[kombato]

I agree with you, the steelcase leap v2 with the ultimate purple seat brings me way higher where the back isn't as comfortable and I have to have my arm rest on max height, also the seat is a little to wide for the leap, but it's still usable

[texdoc]

I use the first one you sat on but for tailbone relief as no matter the chair I have tried out they ALL gave me horrible tailbone pain after only an hour or two on them. I will say I did have to add a lumbar back support to my chair because of what you pointed out being how much higher it puts you and how it messes with the one that comes with the chair.

[tomarik]

Thank you. I watched this in the evening and today I went in and removed cushion. The back support of my Mirra2 is immediately better. Also the arm rests are actually supportive.

[hdtripper]

i have artheritus in lower back. Which chair do you suggest for long periods of time like tv or computer surfing?

[christopherc]

Glad to hear it's not just me. I recently bought one of those seat cushions for my new ergonomic chair due to a compressed nerve in my lower back that I'm recovering from, and I couldn't agree more that it just makes me feel more uncomfortable. It advertises itself as providing spine support, especially for lower back issues, but after sitting on it for 10 minutes I feel the need to remove it and just sit on chair itself. It especially makes my legs uncomfortable. I think I'm going to just cut my losses on the $30 I spent and just trust the ergonomic design of the chair.

[javaman]

I've never experienced an office chair where my elbows could touch the armrests. My elbows are always at least an inch aboe the armrest even at its highest adjustment.