Since I published my original post on Protecting Your Tush During Travel, I decided to add another product to the mix.  The initial products I evaluated, the Therm-a-Rest Travel Cushion and the Vive Inflatable Cushion, worked well for me, but did not have the elevation my wife wanted.  They do make the seat more comfortable, especially airline seats, and they compress nicely for traveling.  However, they did not have the thickness she need to ease her rising from the seat.  So, after looking around, we decided to get a memory foam seat cushion with a 3-inch thickness, realizing this would not compress so nicely for traveling.  After looking at many products available on Amazon, we settled on the Bod Support Orthopedic Seat.

Features Of Interest

I definitely spent more time than needed looking at various memory foam cushions.   Most of the reviews read the same.  Most people liked the cushions and a few complained of discomfort or the cushion getting flat.  In general, I think almost any of the cushions would have worked, but several features helped me decide.

Temperature Stable Memory Foam

After reading reviews, I realized that not all memory foam cushions are created equal.  This one seemed to have the best review.  I also looked at some cushions with charcoal, gel, and bamboo inserts, but decided these were more gimmicky than practical.  It seems to me that a single piece of quality memory foam should suffice well.

Size

The dimensions of 17.5″ wide by 14″ deep by 3″ thick were a little larger than some of the others, providing a larger seating area, yet still fitting within the size of an economy airline seat. Several of the cushions I evaluated were less than 3″ thick, so I ruled them out.  However, if the height is not of importance to you, you should consider some of these.

Contoured Seating Surface

Several of the cushions evaluated had flat top surfaces.  While this might not be a problem with a memory foam, it seems like a contoured surface would support the body better and take some of the stress off the thighs.  Maybe this is just my wishful thinking, but it does feel comfortable.

Strap to Hold in Place

This cushion has a strap on the back that can be looped around the back of a chair to hold the cushion in place.  While this is not useful on an airplane, it does help with other chairs.  No matter how “anti-slip” the bottom may be, the cushions do slide around when sitting and rising, so a strap can help a lot.

Field Report After Long Flights

We used the cushion locally in the house and at theaters to confirm the general comfort.  This cushion has a carrying handle which helps with transporting it, otherwise one must wrap an arm around the cushion or put it in a bag, which is slightly more cumbersome. We were planning to test the cushion on a trip to South America where we had 10-hour flight and were confined to economy seats. In the end, we did not take the memory foam cushion since it was just too big to maneuver in our baggage. However, here are some points to consider if you want to fly with this cushion.

Height May Cause Issues with Tray Table

Some seat configurations do not have a lot of space between the top of the passenger’s thighs and the tray table.  Adding 3 inches can result in the tray table resting on one’s thigh and at an angle.   This should not be a problem on the international legs of our flights which seem to have better seats, but could be more of a problem on the domestic legs which use older aircraft.  If you don’t use the tray on short flights, this should not be a problem.

Firmness Can Be Uncomfortable After a Few Hours

The memory foam is firm, although it does conform to the body shape of the person sitting on it.  It is not like sitting on a plush cushion, so may become uncomfortable after a few hours.   I did not sit on it long enough to experience any discomfort and my wife found it to be comfortable, although she did complain about the firmness in the beginning. Both of us prefer the inflatable cushion for flying.

It is Bulky to Carry

Unlike the inflatable cushions which can be easily packed in your bags, the memory foam cushion does not compress well.  It takes a lot of space and must be accommodated on your baggage plan.  The cushion weighs about 1.5 lbs, so it is not heavy, just bulky. In the end, it was this characteristic that prevented us from taking on the trip.

Get Black Cover

We ordered ours with a black cover (versus the gray) and were glad we did.  The black does not show soil as prominently as a gray cover.  The cover can be removed and washed, but be assured it will get dirty during any regular use.

Don’t Forget the Cushion When you Deplane

And, of course, don’t forget to grab the cushion when you exit the airplane.  It is easy to forget you are sitting on it and leave it behind.

Recommendations – Too Much Bulk for Travel

As I mentioned, we did not take this cushion on our trip. It was just too bulky when combined with everything else we wanted. We do use it at restaurants and theaters when we go out, where it performs well. On the trip, we had nice seats on the planes, so I used the Therm-a-Rest cushion as a lumbar support rather than a seat cushion. This worked very well for me and make the seat very comfortable.

Let me know if you have any seating recommendations or questions that I might answer in the comments below. If you use a seat cushion, what do you use? … and are you happy with it?