The Best Back and Lumbar Pillows for Your Car

An illustration showing how comfortable a driver looks with a lumbar pillow. — jehsomwang/Shutterstock

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

The Dreamer back pillow for cars. — Dreamer

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 Best Overall