The Best Back and Lumbar Pillows for Your Car

Do you ever catch yourself hunching forward at the wheel? It may be time to upgrade your car seat with a supportive lumbar pillow.

What to Look for in a Supportive Car Pillow

While you could technically use any lumbar pillow in your car, you may get sick of it and revert back to your slouching ways. See, regular lumbar pillows are made for office chairs, not car seats. They may provide lower back support, but they often lack support for the upper back or shoulders.

So we suggest buying a lumbar pillow that’s designed specifically for the car. These pillows are more supportive than regular lumbar pillows, and they’re often a lot more breathable and adjustable to boot.

Of course, no two pillows are alike. Here are some things to look out for while shopping for a car pillow:

• Size: Small lumbar pillows can correct your posture, but they rarely provide support for your upper back and shoulders. If lumbar pillows have seemed uncomfortable to you in the past, then we suggest getting a full-back or a back and neck pillow.
• Removable covers: If you’re worried about stains and smells, consider buying a pillow with a removable, washable cover.
• The look: Back and lumbar pillows look super dorky. Spinal health is a solid trade-off for looking like a nerd, but you can try and minimize the dork-factor by buying a lumbar pillow that actually matches your car seats (beige pillow with beige seats, leather pillow with leather seats, etc.).
• Breathability: Memory foam isn’t very breathable, which means it can make your back sweat if you live in a hot and humid area. If you already experience some back sweat while driving,  maybe you should buy a lumbar pillow with a breathable mesh or cotton lining.

Now that you know what you’re looking for, it’s time to get into it. Here are the best back and lumbar pillows for your car.

The Best Overall: Dreamer Car Full-Back Pillow

Basic lumbar pillows can improve your posture and help with lower back pain. But they can leave your upper back hanging, which isn’t always a comfortable feeling.

Thankfully, the Dreamer cushion can support your whole back while you drive. It’s made of supportive memory foam and secures to your seat with adjustable straps. Sadly, the Dreamer’s cotton cover isn’t removable, but you should be able to clean it with whatever solution you use to clean your car’s seats.

The Budget Pick: ZIRAKI Lumbar Cushion

If you’re just looking for a cheap memory foam pillow that’ll fit in your car seat, then look no further than the ZIRAKI lumbar cushion. It’s a supportive, adjustable pillow with a washable cover. For less than $20, what more could you ask for?

This ZIRAKI pillow is more portable than most car pillows, which means you can reasonably use it for the other chairs in your life. That is, if you’re willing to take it out of your car.

The Premium Pick: Anyshock Neck and Back Car Pillow

If you want to get extra comfy-cozy while fixing your posture, then you should check out the Anyshock neck and back car pillow. It’s made from breathable memory cotton, and it adds extra support for your back, shoulders, neck, and head.

These Anyshock pillows come with adjustable straps and have machine washable covers.

For Leather Seats: Aukee Leather Lumbar Pillow

Typical memory foam cushions can clash with leather seats. So, if you’re trying to keep your car looking as cool as possible, consider picking up an Aukee leather lumbar pillow. It’s an attractive leather-lined pillow with memory foam innards, and it’ll give you the back support you need without taking away the cool factor from your leather car seats

The Aukee pillow doesn’t have any straps. This means it’s less dorky than other pillows, but also that it might move around when you get out of your car. Also, the Aukee pillow’s leather cover is removable, but it’s made of leather and shouldn’t need to be cleaned too often.

For Sweaty Backs: MAXXPRIME Mesh Lumbar Cushion (2 Pack)

Some people experience a sweaty back while driving. It’s nothing to be ashamed of—it’s probably just the climate, or maybe it’s the car seats. Either way, memory foam pillows aren’t very “breathable,” so they’re not great for people who sweat while driving.

If you suffer from sweaty back, consider buying a mesh lumbar cushion. It’ll air out your back a lot better than a memory foam cushion, and it’ll still provide the back support you need. MAXXPRIME’s mesh back cushions are a great option, as they’re affordable and adjustable.