Most of us know what it’s like to experience back pain—that deep achy feeling that persists no matter which way you twist or turn in your seat. In fact, Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSM, director of sleep health at Sleepopolis explains that about 84% of all adults are impacted by back pain, and it can seriously wreak havoc on your quality of life.
The good news is that lumbar support pillows can provide much-needed relief to help us get through the day and sleep better at night. When you sit, your lumbar spine flattens and places pressure on your intervertebral discs, which causes strain to your spine, explains Christopher G. Bise, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Science. Lumbar support pillows help maintain the normal curves of your back while you’re seated, relieving pain and supporting your spine and muscles.
Experts we consulted recommend choosing a lumbar pillow based on factors such as material, shape, and whether or not it has positioning straps for holding the pillow in place. To find the best options available today, members of our team who have lower back pain used the most popular lumbar pillows on the market for two weeks and reviewed each option. A physical therapist on our Medical Expert Board also reviewed this article for medical and scientific accuracy about what to look for in lumbar support pillows, whether they’re helpful, and where they should be used.
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Sojoy
Why We Like It
The Sojoy 3-in-1 Foldable Gel Memory Foam Cushion offers durable versatility, so you can find your exact sweet spot position—even in the car. The thick cushion consists of two parts that can be used alone or combined via velcro in various ways. The portability is also a nice feature, and we noted it is easy to transport from the office chair to the car or even use on a train or plane. The grip bottom ensures it stays in place on any surface.
After a week of use, it was clear this is a great seat cushion for back pain; we noted increased comfort and improved sitting posture, especially in the car. The pillow also comes with a thin carrying strap that didn’t fray during testing. Spot cleaning is easy because the cover is made of synthetic rubber material.
It’s Worth Noting
- Based on our experience, you should plan on easing into using this pillow in the car by starting with shorter time periods and then increasing the time over the course of a week. Once you get used to the firmness, it keeps you more aligned. We suggest easing in for about a week to help your body adjust to the pillow and cut down on posture-correcting pain.
Product Details
- Shape: Rounded rectangle
- Material: Memory foam
- Positioning Straps: No
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Coushy
Why We Like It
The Coushy Ergonomic Back Relief Cushion is great for people struggling with sciatica because its firmness and full coverage encourage less slouching and better spinal alignment. The looping strap and additional strap help the pillow stay in place and make readjusting the pillow unnecessary.
After testing, we noticed a serious reduction in lower back discomfort and overall back pain. While the pillow is firm to the touch, it softens when you lean against it and conforms to your back over time. Even after using the pillow every day for about a month, the quality of the pillow remained high. There were no loose threads or frayed edges, and we noticed the pillow still looked and felt brand new. And while this product is too bulky to put into a washing machine, we felt like it was easy to spot clean with a wipe or paper towel.
It’s Worth Noting
- This is a bulky option and not well-suited for travel, cushioned chairs, or cars.
Product Details
- Shape: Chair-shaped square
- Material: Memory foam
- Positioning Straps: Yes
Health / Jhett Thompson
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Tempur-Pedic
Why We Like It
Firm yet soft, the Tempur-Pedic LumbarCusion Travel Pillow is strap-free, so it can be quickly packed up for your next adventure. It can be used in the lumbar area or higher up on the back (mid-back), depending on your preferences. Even without a strap, the pillow doesn’t slip around or fall down throughout the day. The slightly convex shape also adds to the spinal support, and the benefits can be felt throughout the whole back up to the shoulders.
When we tested this pillow, it forced us to sit straighter and prevented us from falling into our natural tendency to hunch or slouch. At the end of the testing period, no fabric fraying or loose threads were found, and the smooth stretchy material covering the pillow was perfectly intact. The pillow held its shape and still bounced back almost immediately after compression.
Overall, we feel like this pillow is above average quality as the lack of straps or grip bottom didn’t interfere with its functionality while we tested. Although the foam pillow cannot be washed, the cover can be. We attempted a machine-wash gentle cycle instead of the recommended hand washing, and no discoloration, pilling, or shrinkage occurred.
It’s Worth Noting
- This pillow doesn’t have any straps or gripped areas to help it stay securely in place.
Product Details
- Shape: Rectangle
- Material: Memory foam
- Positioning Straps: No
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Amazon
Memory foam makes the Samsonite Ergonomic Lumbar Support Pillow a strong choice for people with posture-specific concerns, as it has just the right amount of firmness. Plus, memory foam contours to your back and spine, which we felt made it extremely comfortable. It also has a single wrap-around strap to hold it in place, so the pillow doesn’t have to be adjusted often.
We noticed a major improvement in our posture when using this pillow and felt more relaxed and less tight at the end of each day. The benefits are also cumulative, meaning we experienced significantly improved levels of lower back tightness and discomfort over time. Moreover, the pillow keeps its shape and support over time, making it a great value. To care for this lumbar pillow, simply wipe it down. The fabric is durable, and we had no issues with pilling or stretching.
It’s Worth Noting
- The pillow is pretty thick, so it may not be great for tall people looking to use it in their car, since the thickness may push you too close to your dashboard and pedals.
Product Details
- Shape: Rounded edge rectangle
- Material: Memory foam
- Positioning Straps: Yes
Health / Lauren Coughlin
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Amazon
Why We Like It
We love the ComfiLife Lumbar Support Memory Foam Pillow for its wedge-shaped arch, which we found extremely comfortable and beneficial for relieving back muscle tightness and pain. While we tested, we found that we could use the unique arch in multiple positions and felt the natural curve of our spine was supported no matter what angle we ended up on.
The pillow also stays in place with minor positioning strap adjustments. It sits comfortably along the whole lower back. During testing, we noticed improved posture, relaxed back muscles, and significantly reduced tightness and discomfort. It’s also a great quality for the price, with no loose threads, frays, rips, or tears noted during testing. After multiple uses, this pillow kept its shape and support, and the memory foam stayed firm and comfortable. Care is easy with a simple wipe down of the pillow insert or the durable fabric cover.
It’s Worth Noting
- The different design of this pillow does take some getting used to.
Product Details
- Shape: Rectangle with arch
- Material: Memory foam
- Positioning Straps: Yes
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Sunday Citizen
Why We Like It
The Sunday Citizen Snug Lumbar Support Pillow is longer than your standard office chair lumbar pillow to support you in bed and ease you to sleep. When we tried this pillow ourselves, we were pleased with how it relieved pain by adding some support and pressure to the lower back, even when on couches and chairs. We felt like we were getting a lot more support from the pillow in chairs where we would normally slouch. Not to mention, it definitely helped with lower back strain and tightness that we’d normally get from sitting or slouching for long periods.
While it comes with a higher price tag than most, we believe the quality is superior to others. There were no loose threads or frayed edges in sight, the cover was soft and cozy, and the pillow held its shape for the testing period without any reshaping or fluffing necessary. You can machine wash the cover on cold and spot-clean the memory foam insert. Due to its larger size, the pillow arrives vacuum-sealed, so Sunday Citizen recommends throwing it in the dryer for a few minutes to fluff it and help it expand.
It’s Worth Noting
- Because of its sleeper style, this lumbar pillow is longer than options that are intended for chairs.
Product Details
- Shape: Rounded edge rectangle
- Material: Memory foam
- Positioning Straps: No
Health / Jaylyn Pruitt
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Target
Why We Like It
The Coop Ventilated Orthopedic Lumbar Cushion is spine-supportive, comfortable, and high quality. This medium-firmness pillow follows the natural curve of the spine for ultimate comfort. The level of pain relief we experienced in our testing made it our clear overall pick.
Our favorite thing about this pillow is that it encourages straighter sitting and better posture while you work, and it’s still comfortable enough for all-day, everyday use. We found that this pillow helped us avoid pain completely by keeping our spine and neck in a neutral position.
It’s Worth Noting
- The straps seem to be for a much larger and wider office chair than the standard chair we used in our test, and it didn’t always keep the pillow in place, even when on the tightest setting. This wasn’t a problem at all while we sat, but it did mean the pillow fell forward in the chair every time we stood up.
Product Details
- Shape: Rounded square
- Material: Memory foam
- Positioning Straps: Yes
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Desk Jockey
Why We Like It
When we tried it out, the Desk Jockey Lumbar Support Pillow provided the right amount of firmness and comfort for everyday lower back support. The pillow held its shape and firmness despite everyday use, and it’s also a cost-conscious option.
Given that this pillow is an affordable option, we were impressed by the durability and quality of the materials. The elastic straps maintained their stretchiness and didn’t fray or rip during our testing. We also didn’t notice any loose threads or fabric pilling.
It’s Worth Noting
- The elastic bands weren’t a great fit for our office chair. Because our chair is rounded with an opening in the back, the pillow constantly slipped and fell into the opening. If it had some type of gripper, we think it would be much better suited for modern-looking desk chairs.
Product Details
- Shape: Rounded square
- Material: Memory foam
- Positioning Straps: Yes
Health / Rachel Thalhuber
While these pillows didn’t fully meet our expectations, they may still be of interest to you.
- Everlasting Comfort Lumbar Support Pillow: This pillow is firm but not too hard, so it offers ideal posture-improving support. Everlasting Comfort Lumbar Support Pillow straps make it easily adjustable for the proper fit to the chair. We noticed the pillow held its shape and firmness over time and provided spinal support but only minor pain relief.
- Qutool Lumbar Support Pillow: The Qutool Lumbar Support Pillow provides consistent spinal support and is held securely in place with a large loop strap and grip bottom. However, the high-quality pillow is possibly too firm and large in size, in our opinion. Also, the cover is not removable for easy cleaning.
- OPTP The Original McKenzie Lumbar Roll: The Original McKenzie Lumbar Roll from OPTP offers significant spinal support that resulted in reduced back pain and tension and improved posture. However, the pillow is softer than others and compresses, causing it to lose its shape after about 10 minutes of use.
To determine the best lumbar pillow, we first spoke with several experts, including a neck and spine surgeon and a behavioral sleep specialist. We learned what’s most important in choosing the right lumbar pillow. Experts recommend choosing a lumbar pillow based on specifications like the material it’s made of, whether or not it has positioning straps to help hold the pillow in place, and the overall shape of the pillow.
With this background information, we tested the most popular pillows on the market that met expert criteria. We analyzed each pillow’s quality and design, used the lumbar support pillows either sitting or lying down for at least 30 minutes at a time, and continued using the lumbar pillow at least five times throughout the two-week testing period to see how each pillow held up over time.
Dr. Bise says that although lumbar pillows can certainly decrease or prevent pain, you should avoid the brands that claim to cure your back pain completely. Here are a few other important factors to consider when selecting a pillow:
- Intended Use: Make sure to take measurements of where you plan to use your lumbar support pillow to ensure you find one that will fit comfortably.
- Shape: Pillows also come in different shapes, so consider whether a rectangular, circular, or square pillow would fit best in your space.
- Materials: Most lumbar support pillows are made from high-density memory foam, which is known to trap heat and may feel hot to some people. If this sounds like you, Dr. Harris suggests looking for a lumbar support pillow made from poly foam or memory foam infused with copper or cooling gel.
- Care: Some lumbar pillows are machine washable, but others are spot-clean only. Be sure to check the care instructions if you prefer a pillow you can throw in the washing machine.
- Comfort: Rahul Shah, MD, a board-certified orthopedic spine and neck surgeon. says pillows that are not immediately comfortable are not likely to be a good fit, although you should also expect an adjustment period.
We consulted the following experts to help us select and test the best lumbar support pillows:
- Christopher G. Bise, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Science.
- Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSM, director of sleep health at Sleepopolis.
- Rahul Shah, MD, board-certified orthopedic spine and neck surgeon.
- George Cyril, MD, FAAPMR, assistant attending Physiatrist at Hospital for Special Surgery in the Department of Physiatry.
Michelle Pugle, MA, MHFA, is a health journalist, author, eating disorder recovery, and suicide prevention speaker with degrees in Women’s Studies and Feminist Research, Sociology, and English. Michelle lives with the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia and uses a lumbar support pillow in her office chair while working to help reduce lower back strain and tension and improve overall posture.
