This Seat Cushion Is a Pilot-loved Travel Essential

To reap the rewards of traveling, you sometimes have to endure a little bit of pain. No one is spared the suffering that comes with commercial air travel, no matter how elaborate first-class amenities have become. But pilots have a trick that makes sitting on a plane for hours on end a lot more comfortable: a supportive seat cushion. The Everlasting Comfort Memory Foam Seat Cushion is a portable pillow with over 90,000 perfect five-star ratings on Amazon, including recommendations from airline pilots, as well as doctors, long-haul truck drivers, and more.

Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion

The cushion is shaped like a “U,” ergonomically designed so that your tailbone is positioned in the cutout to improve spinal alignment and reduce pressure on your back. The padding supports you by your legs and bum, leaving your tailbone floating above the hard surface of your seat. It’s made of 100 percent high-density memory foam and has indents where your legs should rest.

Many reviewers who struggle with conditions like sciatica, bursitis, herniated discs, arthritis, and hip pain reported that they feel much better when sitting on this pillow. One who wrote that they broke their tailbone a week before a 13-hour car ride called it “the difference between excruciating pain and comfort.” Another with a pinched nerve in their neck said the pillow “made life bearable again.” Many prefer the “U” shape of this cushion (also called a “coccyx cutout” design) over a donut pillow.

We were most drawn to this seat by the five-star ratings from pilots, who prove how well the cushion travels. “This will roll up and fit into my suitcase. It’s comfortable, supporting, and priced right,” one pilot wrote, noting that they have chronic back issues from herniated discs. Another pilot said, “This product has provided me the best comfort. It has certainly helped with my sciatica issues. Would recommend to anyone.”

Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion

The cushion is great to use in an office chair, car seat, or wheelchair, and it reportedly fits within the dimensions of an airplane seat without spilling over into the neighbor’s space. After a trip, you can unzip the cover and wash away germs it might have picked up in the airport and on the plane.

“About three times a year, I take long plane trips … the ones where you will want to sleep. You know — 20-plus hours with connections,” a reviewer wrote. “I do not have sciatica, but those trips have been difficult for me.” Since using the Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion, they said they can sleep on long flights, their feet don’t swell, and their “bony backside” doesn’t ache. “For less than half the cost of a seat upgrade, I got something a lot better than a seat upgrade.”

Though it might be slightly bulky (weighing 1.5 pounds and measuring 17.5 by 14 inches), many travelers agree that the inconvenience of carrying it with them far outweighs that of a sore back to start a trip.

Take it from the tens of thousands of people who have found “life-changing” comfort in this $39 seat cushion — it’s worth a try if you have even an ounce of pain when you travel. And, if you want to see what other options are out there, we rounded up more customer-loved seat cushions on Amazon below.

More Traveler-loved Seat Cushions on Amazon:

ComfiLife Gel-enhanced Seat Cushion

5 Stars United Ergonomic Seat Cushion

Waoaw Seat Cushion

TushGuard Memory Foam Seat Cushion

Cushion Lab Patented Pressure Relief Seat Cushion

At the time of publishing, the price started at $37.

Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we’ll send you our favorite travel products each week.