Best Swivel Car Seat Cushion for the Elderly
We recently took a little road trip with our grandparents and although both are fully able and physically in great shape we noticed they get in the car differently to myself and my partner and we all get in to the car differently to our dog.
They would sit down with the car door open with their bodies facing out and then swivel around one leg at a time, they’re in their 80’s now and it got us thinking, this should be easier. Low and behold whilst scanning Amazon UK we found swivel car seat cushions and we just had to get a couple of them, it would not only make getting in and out of a car easier for them but could be a laugh for us younger folk, although we do have a few creeks ourselve’s now.
We have reviewed four of what looked like the best car swivel cushions we could find and given them a good sitting on and test. We wanted to know what was good about them, did they swivel well and where they comfortable, you can find out more in our comparison and individual reviews of each.
If you have a relative who is older and you pick up regularly, a car seat swivel will do them a world of wonders when helping them to get in and out of your car. But they aren’t limited to older people and the elderly. When I was in my mid 20’s I was very active, very fit, cycling, running, swimming, playing football and one day I injured my left knee, I had tore my medial ligaments and it put my whole life on pause. One of the things I couldn’t do was drive because getting in and out was a real pain, literally. Because of the way we get in and out it put awkward pressure on my knee in such a way that I couldn’t get in or out. With a car seat swivel, this may have made things much better and I may have still been able to drive with this aid.
A few things to remember when looking at purchasing a car swivel cushion is what is your car seat material made of? We mention this as a couple of them had poor anti-slip bottom mats and worked best of PVC and leather seats. Another vital point and probably the most important is that of your car seat width. Please measure your car seats width to make sure you are getting the right swivel cushion. If your seat is too small then the swivel function will fail to work because it will curve the bottom of your cushion. You are after a flat surface to place the swivel seat pad on so that it can rotate from the middle 360degrees, without any hindrance. Also, if your seats are curved or are bucket seats, you may have to look eslewhere. Remember to check all seats though as if you are driving your relatives or parents about, they could get in to the back seat more easily with one of these are they are usually flatter, you have the full width of the back seats so any should fit and will thus work better.
The Best Car Swivel Seat is the Obbomed
If you are after a comfortable and great swivel seat cushion for your car then take a look at the Obbomed. It should fit most cars, more than the others because its diameter is slightly smaller than the others, but obviously may be too small for you.
It is not the thickest either but this problem is cured by its memory foam material that is used as its main feature. You can also remove it’s cover to wash and it has a choice of colours to choose from incase you wanted to match your car seats interior.
The most important factor is the swivel, it grips well on to most car seat fabrics and because of this, you can position it before you get in to the car and when you take a seat, you know it will be in the right position for you. Once on, you can swivel well in to the right direction and place yourself correctly in to the car without any real hassle and with ease.
The Cheapest Swivel Car Seat Cushion is the Hardcastle
The 2nd best, and it’s a close 2nd is the Hardcastle swivel seat. It is really cheap at under £10 in the UK which is really good if you need something simple and that swivels well.
It doesn’t grip the best on to the cars fabric seats but is great for PVC and leather seat types. But if you can hold it in place as you sit then this should be a perfect choice for you. You won’t break the bank and you can even take off the top cover and wash it if need be, which will keep it clean and smelling great if it was to be used by different members of the family.
We have also reviewed the Posture Swivel and the Deluxe Cushion Swivel Seat. They are both a mid range priced swivel seat, if you are after a larger cushion then these could be for you, but make sure to check the width of your car seats to see which swivel seat fits your car. They both have a more soft outer compared to the Hardcastle and ObboMed but the Deluxe Swivel doesn’t use memory foam so isn’t as comfortable and wouldn’t suit longer journeys. For short journeys or to use just to get you in and out of a car or vehicle for shorter journeys they will do their job.
Best Swivel Car Seat Cushions
Review of ObboMed Portable Car Swivel Seat Cushion
This is a review of the ObboMed a portable car swivel seat cushion.
The ObboMed SS-27XX Swivel Car Seat Cushion has a non slip plastic base which alllows it to stay firmly in position whether your car interior is fabric, leather or suede. On the top of the plastic base is a 2 and half cm thick foam pad and this is covered by a velour cushion cover.
To use the cushion, place onto your car seat, sit down on it and the cushion will help you turn from sitting towards the outside of the car to facing towards the windscreen. The cushion is firm, not wobbly and you don’t feel as though it is going to slip out of place. This cushion would really help someone with bad ache or injury and general difficulty in moving their lower body. The cushion can swivel round up to 360 degrees and there are a number of different colour options if you want it to match your car interior.
There really not that much too it in terms of putting it together or how to use. It comes simply wrapped in plastic and boxed as it is ready to place in your car. Over time you’ll find you will want to clean the cushion and for any the occasion if anything split on to the cushion it really helps that you can remove the cushion cover and pop it in the washing machine.
The ObboMed SS-27XX Swivel Seat Car Cushion is 38 cm in circumference, this is smaller than the others so if you would class yourself a “large” I would look at a cushion with a larger diameter. However some cushions are quite thick meaning it is difficult to sit on the cushion while touching feet to the floor I had no problem doing this with this particular cushion as it is neither the thickest.
Pros
- Portable easy to transport
- Light
- Removable and washable cover
- Made of fire retardant material
- Helpful for those with back, hip and tail bone injuries
- Easy 360 degree movement
- Can hold up to 130kg
- Works on most chairs
- Choice of colour options
Cons
- Only 3.5 cm thick
- Depending on your size the cushion may be too small
- Small diameter
Verdict
This is a small swivel car cushion that is comfortable, easy to use, clean and sturdy in position. Does it’s job well at getting you in and out of your car and swivelling with ease. It’s just not as thick as others but for shorter journeys this shouldn’t be a problem.
ObboMed SS-2730 360°Rotation Auto Swivel Donut Seat Cushion with a Washable Cover,...
Review of Hardcastle Car Swivel Cushion
This is a review of the Hardcastle Car Swivel Cushion, the cheapest out of the four car seat swivels we have reviewed and the most simplistic looking, we see how it is for access in to your car.
The Hardcastle Car Swivel Cushion comes packed in a standard cardboard box and from that moment it is easy to use. Simply remove all the packaging and place into the car. These swivel cushions really help to reduce the pressure and weight of the knees when getting in and out of the car.
The actual padded cushion itself is made from memory foam. This is really helpful as the material makes it more comfortable over time for the person using it. Memory foam is great as once it takes your shape your buttocks will sit in the shape it creates and take the pressure of the sit bones and will enhance your actual car seats.
The cushion cover that goes over the top is made from a robust polyester material. It can be easily removed and washed if needed and being black and simplistic in colour and style it should suit most cars. Once it is underneath you and you’re sitting on it though, that shouldn’t matter as it will be out of your view.
The cushion is a decent size with a circumferance of 39 cm and 3.5 cm thick. The cushion swivel works on a ball bearing basis making it very easy to swivel into the right seating position. To the base of the cushion has a plastic non slip base however I found this is not as rigid as I feel it should be depending on the material. It seems to work better on leather or PVC car seats than fabric car seats as it moves around more on this type of material.
Pros
- Helps reduce strain on back, hips and knees
- Easy to remove and washable cover
- Non-slip base
- Provide ease of getting in and out of the car
- Memory foam moulds to shape over time
- Uses a ball bearing which reduces friction
Cons
- Not the most grippy
Verdict
The Hardcastle car swivel cushion works great for the driver of the car with its memory foam cushion, is a good size and easily washable but I would use on harder material upholstery.
Hardcastle Rotating Car Seat Swivel Cushion Mobility Aid - Black
Review of Posture Cushion Car Swivel Cushion
This is a review of the Posture Cushion Car Swivel Cushion which is made of memory foam and offers a 360degree swivel rotation to help you get in and out of your car. We give it a quick whirl to see how it is.
The Posture Cushion car swivel cushion is designed to fit on your car seat to help getting in and out of the car. To the base of the cushion is a rubber anti slip mat, on top of this is a memory foam cushion and then topped with a washable cushion cover.
This is a very comfortable memory foam cushion, it is the largest we have tried at 40 cm diameter by a 4cm thick cushion. I have to say I sat happily on this without feeling it was too small, so I would say it would easily sit most passengers and drivers. Its only downside being a little on the larger size is that it may not fit your car seat. In my partners car the seats are quite narrow and this mean’t that with the curvature of the seat it prevented the cushion to swivel. In such cases the cushion could only be used in the car on the back seat.
The combination of the large circumference with the memory foam means it generally will only work well for a regular passenger who sits on the back seat or for a driver who has fairly large front seats.
The soft velour cushion cover provides extra comfort and ease of keeping the cushion fresh and clean.
Pros
- Memory foam cushion to retain user mould
- Anti sleep rubber base
- Washable removable cushion cover
- Large and comfortable
- Good quality way helpful aid into get in and out of car
Cons
- Potentially too large for some car seats and will then not swivel
Verdict
This is a large very comfortable swivel cushion, will suit a variety of user sizes but however is limited to larger car seats for it to work effectively because of its diameter, we like how its made of memory foam and will work for longer journeys and most importantly help you get in and out of your car easily.
Posture Cushion 360 Rotating Memory Foam Swivel Cushion - Ideal for Car...
Review of Deluxe Swivel Car Seat Cushion
This is a review of the Deluxe Car Swivel Cushion, a fluffy white car swivel which looks super comfortable, we find out if it is.
The Deluxe Swivel Car cushion I feel it looks more comfortable to sit on than it actually is. It’s made of foam and coated with a soft fleece material on top, it is appealing on the eye and has many other nice features.
Easy to put in place and use, you do need to be aware that it needs to be used on a flat seat and that if the seat is curved or you use a bucket seat the swivel will not work. Also if the seat goes downwards towards the back of the seat it has the ability to slide and again the swivel will not work. This is partly due to not having a solid rubber base which means it is possible it will slide down your seat if you are moving around on it.
The Deluxe Car Swivel Cushion works OK for occasional use and the right seating to be able to provide easier movement of getting in and out of your vehicle. However the cushion has only a thin amount of foam and although there is a fleece outer coating after just half an hour of sitting on it I had to remove it as I felt it was actually making sitting down a little uncomfortable. Personally I would recommend purchasing a little bit of memory foam to additionally go under the cushion cover to help make it more comfortable.
Pros
- Great for getting in and out the car
- Suitable for most car seats when they are relatively flat and not rounded
- Available for Next Day Delivery via Amazon Prime
Cons
- Not the most comfortable
Verdict
The Deluxe Car Seat Swivel Cushion is a cheap and cheerful cushion for short journeys and very occasional use, you may find you need to make adjustments to it or around it to make it work for you.
This swivel seat is not made for extra comfort, of which it doesn’t really provide any, but for the sole use of getting in and out of your car by sitting down first on your seat then swiveling around to get your legs in and out it works well.