Purple Seat Cushion Review

Pros

• Excellent longevity and materials hold their shape over time
• Comfortable for extended use
• Doesn’t get hot
• Relieves pressure

Cons

• A little pricey for the more advanced cushion styles

4-Year Seat Test

The Purple seat cushion first arrived at our doorstep in March 2016. This cushion sits in my personal office chair where it has been used nearly every day since.

That’s over 4 years and 7 months or over 1700 days.

The cushion we tested was the original Royal seat cushion and really not much has changed between 2016 and 2020 with this particular cushion style.

How has it held up?

While the cushion itself is a little dirty and dusty, the functionality characteristics are all still present.

The cushion is just as responsive, cool, springy, and supportive today as it was when it was brand new.

Most days I don’t even think about it. It’s just sort of there in the background adding extra comfort and pressure relief to my chair.

What’s new on the 2020 Purple cushion?

Our cushion design is slightly different than the one currently offered. The current one seems to have the same interior purple material, however, the exterior cover is definitely different.

The new cover has a different fabric finish and a different handle. But notably the purple material is the same.

Would I buy another Purple seat cushion?

The Purple seat cushion is probably not something I would have purchased (we received it as a free sample for testing), but now that I have it it’s hard to imagine my chair without it.

The Lineup

The new lineup of Purple seat cushions is more exhaustive than it was the first day it launched, but the concept and hyperelastic polymer remain the same.

Purple’s collection of portable seat cushions include:

The Cover

All of the Purple cushions have a similar style of removable cover. It is black with a zippered closure.

Here’s a top view of the Royal cushion that we started testing several years ago.

And here is a close up of the zipper detail and fabric texture. While the exact design of each cover may vary between each cusion, the materials are consistent.

All of the removable covers are designed for comfort, breathability, and maximum airflow between the polymer and the outside of the cushion.

What’s on the bottom?

The bottom of the cushion has a bit of a grippy feel to it, which helps keep the cushion in place.

What is the cushion made of?

All of the purple cushions are made of a 3D printed hyperelastic polymer in its classic purple form.

The material has a bit of a jiggle like Jello, but is still able to provide support and pressure relief.

It’s an open-cell structure that allows air to flow between the openings.

RELATED: Read our Oak Hollow Aloria ergonomic chair review

Is it comfortable?

Overall, the Purple seat cushion is extremely comfortable in my opinion. Unlike traditional foam (solid core or shredded), the hyperelastic polymer hasn’t lost any of its shape or bounce over the course of our 4+ year test.

It has a decent amount of give for good pressure relief and the open-cell structure keeps the cushion itself breathable for however long you’re sitting.

Can you wash the Purple seat cushion?

Yes. The cover is machine washable and the Purple cushion itself can be rinsed off with water and sat out to dry.

How do you wash the cover? According to Purple:

Simply remove the cover and machine wash on a gentle cycle, then dry on low heat or hang to air dry

Is it portable?

Yes. All Purple seat cushions are pretty portable although some may be more portable than others.

For example, the Foldaway seat cushion can literally fold in half, making it a nice option to slide into your backpack or luggage for a trip.

It leaves denser support along the core areas and sparser connections between your leg gap where support isn’t as critical.

To that end, I would also add that any Purple seat cushion that is less than 1.5″ thick is pretty portable. This list would include:

1. Portable Seat Cushion: 1″ thick
2. Foldaway Seat Cushion: 1.2″ thick
3. Simply Seat Cushion: 1.25″ thick

Which Purple cushions have handles?

In addition to being foldable, and thinner, there are also a number of cushions that have carrying handles.

Purple seat cushions with handles include:

• Double Seat Cushion
• Royal Seat Cushion
• Simply Seat Cushion
• Portable Seat Cushion
• Foldaway Seat Cushion (listed above)

Spoiler—this basically includes all of the cushions except for the Ultimate Seat Cushion and Back Cushion.

But even without handles, all of the Purple seat cushions are easy to move around as needed. I would consider these to be highly portable.

Other Special Perks

All Purple seat cushions come with:

• 1-year warranty
• Free shipping from Purple.com
• 30-day return policy
• Free returns

Should You Buy the Purple Seat Cushion?

I would recommend the Purple if you’re looking for a seat cushion that is:

• Ultra-Breathable: The hyperelastic-polymer used in the Purple cushion is highly responsive and incredibly breathable.
• Washable: The removable cover makes it easy to wash the Purple cushion. Even the polymer cushion itself can be rinsed off and cleaned.
• Portable: There are many different options with this seat, but all of the Purple cushions are pretty lightweight and portable if you plan to pack it away or bring it with you.

For all-day use or heavy gaming, I would recommend the:

These two cushions are the thickest and largest cushions in the Purple lineup. The thicker support means more pressure relief where you need it.

For shorter time periods or for specific tasks, I would recommend the:

These cushions are a bit thinner than the Ultimate or Double listed above, but they are still quite nice

For on-the-go, I would recommend the:

Both of these cushions are on the thinner side, which means more lightweight, but still have a sufficient amount of support.

They have carrying handles and a smaller overall size making them good for sporting events, waiting areas, or other relatively quick events.

Click here to learn more about the Purple Seat Cushions or buy one for yourself.