5 Best Car Seat Cushions For Short Drivers [Raises Height]

Driving can be a real struggle if you’re short, so finding the best seat cushion for raising your height can make life in the car a lot more fun (not to mention, safer).

Cars are designed for average height drivers, and only comfortably accommodate height ranges within a few inches of that average. If you’re around 5 feet tall (plus or minus a few inches), that means you probably have difficulty seeing over the steering wheel, which is clearly a safety concern.

Shorter people also deal with more glare from the sun since it isn’t easily blocked by the sun visor. Combined, that’s a dangerous combination.

However, there’s more to a cushion than just a few inches of lifting power. We’ve researched, tested, and reviewed the various cushions, booster seats, and pads out there, and filtered out the best car seat cushions for a short driver’s needs.

Before we dive into the specifics of each, let’s take a look at our top 5 selections for the best car seat cushion for short drivers.

Read on to learn more about our top pick, along with other top car seat cushion options.

The Best Seat Cushions To Raise Height 

The Liffis Seat Cushion is our best overall pick because it offers the ultimate combination of everything a shorter driver needs out of a cushion.

Of course, it’s essential that our best cushion provide a solid height increase. The Liffis provides a very solid boost with it’s 4 inch height. Since it’s made of memory foam it will “give” a little bit, reducing that height a bit more. While it’s not the biggest height increase you can get from our list, it should work for most.

So why choose this as your best if it doesn’t provide the biggest height increase?

What gives this cushion the edge for us was its quality. It gets high marks across all of our other criteria below.

Materials

Don’t be concerned about the packaging this cushion comes in. It will be shrink wrapped and need a few hours to take it’s proper shape. Overall, this is a good looking seat cushion made of a mesh-style removable cover, and a two layered memory foam cushion. On the bottom of the cushion, you’ll see some grippy material that helps to keep the cushion in place.

Support & Ergonomics

I was impressed by the multi-layered memory foam design of this cushion. First, it includes a base layer of higher density, firmer foam that that provides the proper foundation so the seat won’t squish too much (a big problem for some cushions). On top, it has a more supple layer of memory foam that nicely shapes to your body and provides a soft, but not too soft, feel.

Durability

I’ll be honest here, this isn’t the most durable option on our list. If that’s a priority, you should probably look at our next pick. However, for a seat cushion (which by design, is supposed to be SOFT!) it gets perfectly acceptable grades for it’s durability and should last a long time under normal use conditions.

Ease of Cleaning

This one was super easy to clean. Simply unzip the nice-looking gray and black mesh cover, pop it in the washer, and it’s looking good as new!

When you’re looking for the best car seat cushion for short drivers, getting the biggest height boost you can is priority number one.

If that’s you, and you aren’t as concerned with features like memory foam, this cushion is a good choice for you.

Not only does it give you a 4.7 inch boost, but its cotton-based filling doesn’t “give” as much as memory foam, keeping you up high.

Materials

As discussed, this cushion is not made of the most luxurious materials you can find. It’s stuffed with two types of cotton, and includes a removable cover. What I do like about this cushion’s materials is that they didn’t tend to heat up as much from extended sitting as some memory foam options. If overheating is a concern of yours, this could be a good option for you too.

It comes in multiple color options, as well as a separate model that includes a seat strap for securing it to your car seat or office chair. If stability is important to you, it may be worth paying a few bucks more for the strap.

Support & Ergonomics

This cushion provides plenty of support, but it’s not designed to treat any specific orthopedic or back issues you might be dealing with. Think of it is a height booster first, and a seat cushion second. That said, it has a grooved design that’s common in traditional seat cushions and I found it to be comfortable enough for extended times sitting.

One thing to be aware of before buying is the width of this cushion. At only 15.7 inches wide, it’s possible that this won’t be wide enough for some people.

Durability

What it lacks in luxurious fabrics, this cushion makes up for in durability. Its cotton filling won’t squish or compress like some foam based options, and the cover is durable enough to wipe clean if you happen to spill anything on it.

Ease of Cleaning

Speaking of spills, as we mentioned earlier, the cover can also be removed and washed if you’d like. Easy peasy!

This VivaLife cushion is 3 inches thick and a great option for people who need a boost, but not 4 inches like our prior picks.

It has a handle to allow it to be easily transported into another car or carried into the office for other chairs. When you want to use it in a car, it is easily strapped in place with a simple buckle and held still by its nonslip coating.

Materials

It is composed of a gel top layer for strength and support where it counts most, followed by memory foam and a nonslip coating on the bottom. The gel top allows it to disperse heat as well as provide firm support.

The memory foam layer allows it to disperse weight effectively without developing any hard spots. The bottom layer is a rubberized nonslip coating.

Support & Ergonomics

The rear of the cushion is elevated to compensate for the curvature on car seats. This seat cushion also features a cutout for your tailbone to relieve pressure on your coccyx and sacrum.  The advanced support and ergonomic features on this seat cushion are an excellent choice for those with spinal issues.

Durability

Memory foam may not be too durable, but the gel layer on top will allow it to retain good strength. The whole cushion is covered by a protective cover. Though it may not be the most durable cushion we cover, it certainly is pretty good.

Ease of Cleaning

This seat cushion’s padding is not machine washable, but it does have a removable cover that is washable. This should be enough for everyday cleaning, but the high-density memory foam can be vacuumed and wiped down if more is needed.

This Fortem cushion and lumbar support is an incredible 2-for-1 type value. It’s also great for short drivers, offering a 3-inch height boost.

Why else should put this seat on your short list?

Seat cushions that boost a driver’s height often put the driver in an awkward position in the seat. This position can cause back pain due to a lack of proper support for the back. The lumbar support cushion on the Fortem Seat Cushion provides the missing back support, making for a comfortable ride.

This seat cushion and the included lumbar back cushion not only make for a strong one-two punch when it comes to comfort, but they are also really practical for a short driver.

Not only do you get the added boost from the seat cushion, but the back support brings you a few inches forward in your seat too, helping shorter drivers more easily reach the pedals.

Materials

The Fortem Seat Cushion & Lumbar Support is made from 100% memory foam. The memory foam not only adapts to the shape of your body but helps distribute your weight as well. It also has a ventilated mesh cover and a nonslip rubber bottom. This rubber bottom, along with the adjustable straps, helps keep the seat secure.

Support & Ergonomics

The seat cushion helps relieve pressure on your coccyx, while the lumbar support cushion helps support your lower back. Together, these cushions make driving a lot more comfortable. This is essential for shorter drivers that spend extended periods of time driving.

Durability

The memory foam is durable and holds its shape well. The cover is made from a polyester-style material and also holds up well.

Ease of Cleaning

The seat cover is machine washable, making it easy to keep this seat cushion clean. Also, if necessary, the rest of the seat can be wiped off.

The CYLEN seat cushion will raise you 3.1”, and it’s a really solid choice if you like memory foam but don’t need the extra inch that the Liffis cushion provides.

It’s also made of memory foam infused with bamboo charcoal. This is both to help with heat distribution and scent. Often, a new car starts with a chemical odor that can be unhealthy to inhale, and a car seat can restrict some of the ventilation your car needs.

However, this seat is designed to allow maximum ventilation and prevent a nasty buildup of body odor.

Materials

Like we said before, the seat is made out of bamboo charcoal-infused memory foam. This allows it to distribute weight effectively for a very comfortable seat. Unlike many memory foam cushions, it is pretty firm at first, but this helps it remain strong.

The cover has a mesh top that improves airflow so that it will release heat effectively. The bamboo charcoal helps with this and effectively absorbs and conducts heat away from your body for release.

Support & Ergonomics

The seat is firm, but it does an excellent job of distributing weight for comfort. Most people find after using it a while, it is much softer than it initially seemed.

That said, the ergonomics are pretty good as well. Like the other options on our three best, it has a cutout for the tailbone to provide pressure relief. You will find long car rides are much more comfortable.

Durability

This seat’s firmness gives it much more resistance to sag and breaking than most memory foam cushions. This seat will continue to provide support for years of use.

Ease of Cleaning

Like the others on this list, the cushion is not machine washable, but the cover is. The cushion itself is good at preventing odor buildup and can be wiped off.

What Makes a Seat Cushion Good for Short Drivers?

We considered several criteria when we were looking for the best seat cushion for shorter people.

These included materials, support & ergonomics, durability, ease of cleaning, and, most importantly, determining the best one for short drivers dimensions. Let’s talk about what each of these criteria means and why they are important.

Height

A seat is not really good for short drivers if it is not capable of raising the user’s height. Therefore, one of our primary factors to consider was the thickness and height boost of the car seat cushion.

Materials

Materials come in many varieties, including memory foam, gel memory foam, polyester fill, cotton fill, and polyurethane. Whatever the cushion is made from, it needs to be capable of supporting your weight comfortably with enough give to be soft. It will need to spring back without sagging over time and disperse heat so as not to get too hot on long drives.

The material your cushion is made from will be a significant amount of what determines the other criteria we judge it on. However, this will also be determined by how well the material is used, so it is not the only criteria we judge on though important.

Support & Ergonomics

If you are looking for a seat cushion to support your height, you need a cushion with the strength to support you. This requires it to be strong enough, but it also needs to be soft enough, at least where it counts.

Since you will be sitting on this for a while, you need something that will be ergonomic. A poor seating position can cause back and neck pain and many cushions can make it worse than your original car seat.

So, we judge our choices on what will give you the most comfortable boost in support and the best ergonomics.

Durability

An amazingly comfortable seat cushion is pretty useless if it doesn’t last. So, any decision has to include durability as a factor.

You will be putting the seat cushion through a lot of abuse, sliding in and out of the car, as well as bouncing on rough roads. So, this has got to be a pretty tough cushion. Therefore, we will be judging cushions on their durability as well.

Ease of Cleaning

It can get messy on the road. Things spill, crumbs fall, and if kids are in the car, it will only get worse. Regardless, even if you keep things neat, you will eventually want to give your cushion a thorough cleaning.

Unfortunately, a lot of cushions aren’t machine washable and are similarly hard to wipe off. This can make cleaning difficult, so we will consider how easy the cushions we recommend are to clean.

Price

This is self-explanatory, but the price is a consideration when choosing the best seat cushion. Some options on the market can cost nearly $100, so we will definitely consider the best price features.

Our Final Verdict

If you have problems with visibility while driving, you need to act quickly to stay safe. For most of us, replacing a car is simply not an option. However, getting a cushion to raise your height is easy and solves this problem fast. Any one of these cushions will increase your height comfortably and provide a great value to your daily life.

Additionally, Looking for the best car seat cushions that provide protection to your car’s original seat cover? Consider opting for ones that come with a waterproof and hammock cover for added durability and convenience.