What is a lumbar pillow?

Lumbar pillows are considered a type of orthopedic pillow, as they’re not the size of traditional bed pillows. They aren’t traditionally used for decorative purposes, but more people are starting to incorporate this useful pillow into their décor. A lumbar pillow is typically a small rectangle pillow sized 14” x 22”, although you can find additional sizes or even unique shapes. These pillows are shaped to fill that space between your back and a chair, whether sitting at a desk or driving a car.

During a recent trip, I discovered first-hand the versatility of a lumbar pillow. On the way out the door, I grabbed a small pillow just in case (I’m a mom, so I grab lots of “in case” stuff) and was surprised by all the ways we used it.

Hours into the drive, I used it for its intended purposes – putting behind my lower back to be more comfortable. Later, while I wasn’t driving, I decided to do some writing and it turned out to be a great lap desk to prop my notebook on. When dinnertime rolled around, and we rolled through the drive-thru, it made for a personal TV-tray type of table. The kids borrowed it at one point to set on the seat between them and enjoyed a card game (without all the cards sliding away). And late in the day, I used it for a more traditional purpose; I propped it against the window to enjoy a little nap.

I’m sure there’s dozens more ways we could’ve used this pillow (on the road as well as at home). Of course, we probably could’ve done many of the things with another type of pillow, but my little plush rectangle was just the right size. Now that I’ve seen the versatility of a lumbar pillow, it makes me wonder what I could do with other household objects…