11 Best Meditation Chairs for Back Support and Zen Relief
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We all know we should be meditating more: stress-relief, reduced anxiety, lower blood pressure, and peace of mind seem more important than ever amidst such a chaotic modern world. This ancient tradition has been picked up by yogis, celebrities, athletes, and even top business executives. Without a doubt, meditation can improve your life on a mental, physical, and spiritual level.
But the biggest challenge for new meditators is overcoming the mental and physical discomfort of just sitting with themselves and being rather than doing. Although the mental side of the equation only comes with practice, there are a few helpful tools for feeling meeting your physical needs to sit comfortably: namely, yoga and meditation chairs.
For thousands of years, ancient meditators used yoga to loosen the body and prepare for long periods of sitting. But modern day hectic schedules and sedentary work can make back pain a much bigger challenge than ever before.
If you want to meditate more but back pain is stopping you, you may want to try a meditation chair with back support or a meditation bench to help get your mind off your spine and focus on your breath.
Here are the top 11 meditation chairs with back support to help you find your inner zen without distracting back spasms or spinal pain.
Quick Picks: 11 Best Meditation Chairs and Benches
Best Overall: Friends of Meditation Extra Large Relaxing Meditation Chair with Back SupportBest Foldable Meditation Chair: bonVIVO III Portable Floor Chair with Back SupportBest Eco-Friendly Meditation Chair: Mindful & Modern Large Meditation Chair Adjustable BackrestMost Aesthetically Pleasing: Gaiam Elevation Meditation Chair Most Versatile Meditation Cushion: Meditation Floor Cushion Pillow for Back SupportBest Kneeling Meditation Chair: Gaiam Ergonomic Kneeling ChairBest Traditional Meditation Cushion: Florensi Tibetan Meditation Cushion Floor Pillow Best Meditation Bench: BLUECONY Meditation Bench, Portable with BagBest Outdoor Meditation Chair: Mindful & Modern Small Meditation Chair Best Budget Meditation Chair: Giantex Adjustable Multi-angle Padded Floor ChairBest Budget Meditation Bench: Monk & Llama Kneeling Meditation Bench with Foldable Legs and CushionWhat is a Meditation Chair?
Meditation chairs are ergonomic benches or floor chairs designed to provide comfort and back support for a deeper meditative experience. They can help you hold a meditation pose and focus on your breath for longer periods of time without pain.
The ergonomic design of these seats makes focusing your mind much easier than sitting on a hard floor or a regular chair. Some meditation chairs are specifically designed for the cross-legged (partial lotus position), while others are for meditating in a sitting or kneeling position.
Regardless of the meditation position, a quality chair should help you maintain good posture and a straight spine for a long period of time. A meditation chair can also be called a meditation bench, meditation floor chair, or meditation seat.
Benefits of a Meditation Chair
Sitting up straight for an extended period of time is no simple feat. The truth is that our modern sedentary lifestyles have weakened our core muscles and slouched our backs more than ever before in human history. Meditation chairs with back support can make meditating so much more accessible to the average person (even if they don’t have any yoga experience).
If you want to experience all the benefits of meditation without risking more postural issues, a meditation chair could be the secret to catalyzing your new ritual. The benefits include:
Improved spinal alignmentCushions your tailbones, knees, and anklesHelps you sit up straight for optimal pranayama breathingReduced numbness in legs and kneesReduced pressure on jointsSupport for your back during long periods of sittingTop 11 Meditation Chairs
Bad posture can be distracting during your meditation practice and detrimental to your overall health. And frankly, meditating without back support is just plain painful.
Most meditation chairs and meditation benches are designed to keep your spine as straight as possible to optimize blood circulation, deep breathing, and lumbar support.
But not all chairs are created equal. Here’s the best meditation chairs on the market for different uses:
Best Overall:
Friends of Meditation Extra Large Meditation and Yoga Chair w Backrest and Meditation Block -...
Without a doubt, Friends of Meditation makes the most comfortable meditation chair on the market. Designed by meditation guru Dhyan Unmesh, this meditation chair is exactly what they use in India at the Osho International Meditation Resort. It is specifically designed for long periods of sitting cross legged with your spine straight.
Available in black or maroon, the chair is extra large and cozy. It is foldable and offers the best back support we’ve found thanks to a dense foam seat cushion (“zafu” cushion) and adjustable contoured back rest. The seat is 24″ x 22″ with 4″ thick foam.
Best Foldable Meditation Chair:
bonVIVO III Portable Floor Chair with Back Support - Adults & Kids Floor Seat for Meditation and...
If you want a meditation chair that is easy to clean, modern looking, and super portable: the bonVIVO III is the chair for you. It provides proper support without taking up a bunch of space or distracting from your home decor.
This versatile folding chair features a comfy floor cushion with back support and an easy-to-clean cover. It provides good support for everything from meditating to reading to gaming. The upholstery filling and foam padding are super easy on the tailbone, and the back provides a nice reclining comfort. It is also lightweight and perfectly portable to easily stash in a closet when you’re done meditating.
We love that the bonVIVO III provides all the comfort of a regular chair while still sitting on the floor for a grounded meditation practice. The dimensions are 22″ x 18.5″ x 20″ and it’s available in blue or beige.
Best Eco-Friendly Meditation Chair:
Mindful & Modern Large Meditation Chair | Adjustable Folding Backrest | Padded Floor Seat for...
This eco-friendly meditation floor chair is cushioned with all-natural buckwheat hulls and lined in a durable, washable pillow cover that is safe to use outside. The added support of this double-cushioned chair with back support is crazy comfortable. It promotes good posture and complete comfort, plus you can adjust the angle to lounge backward while reading a book or sit up straight during pranayama breathing exercises.
The chair is foldable and includes a yoga seat cushion that can be used separately on the go. We love the environmentally-conscious materials and decorative minimalist design.
This Gaiam rattan meditation chair with back support is one of the best meditation chairs on the market. It was developed through years of research to help you sit upright and comfortably for any amount of time. The curved seat shape supports your lumbar spine and legs, relieving weight on the spine while preventing your legs from falling asleep.
The eco-friendly bohemian bamboo and rattan structure looks beautiful in any meditation room or studio. The 100% cotton covers are filled with a completely natural filling made from tropical kapok trees. We especially love the light back support and unique leg support at the bottom of the chair.
The dimensions are 29″ x 25″ x 22″. The seat cushion hits about 12″ off the ground and is 19″ deep for a cross-legged or kneeling position.
Most Versatile Meditation Cushion:
Meditation Cushion Floor Cushion - Yoga Pillow For Back Support - Buckwheat Zafu Meditation Cushion...
If you love cork yoga mats, you will definitely want to add this cork based yoga cushion to your collection. Monk & Llama created an incredibly unique travel-friendly floor cushion that is filled with buckwheat for incredible comfort in any position (kneeling, cross-legged, or regular sitting).
We love that this cushion is 100% eco-friendly: the cushion is made from organic hemp and buckwheat hulls, while the base is 100% cork. The pillow cradles your lumbar spine and naturally adjusts to your position. It feels cool to the touch and prevents sliding or slipping. The ergonomic design also prevents extra weight on your knees.
Best Kneeling Meditation Chair:
Meditation Cushion Floor Cushion - Yoga Pillow For Back Support - Buckwheat Zafu Meditation Cushion...
Gaiam is one of the most trusted yoga brands in the industry and they have recently expanded into the office space as well. This kneeling meditation chair is multi-functional for use as a desk chair or prayer bench. It has an adjustable height base and padded cushions to help align your spine and improve circulation.
Thanks to the angle and knee support, this super ergonomic meditation seat helps improve spinal health and core strength over time. We love the easy-lock castor wheels for moving around your studio or workspace.
Best Traditional Meditation Cushion:
Florensi Meditation Cushion - Comfortable Floor Pillow - Traditional Tibetan Meditation Pillow with...
If you want to keep with the old-time yogic traditions, this buckwheat-filled bolster most closely mimics the cushions used by Tibetan yogis. It has a beautiful velvet cover that feels soft to the touch and is easy to clean. T
his “zafu” style pillow relieves lower back pain and prevents numbness in your hands and feet. It takes a lot of stress off your joints so you can sit with a clearer mind.
The meditation pillow is 16″ wide and 5″ tall. The filling is 100% natural buckwheat with a layer of foam padding for extra comfort. We love that this cushion also doubles as a yoga bolster. Plus, it’s super affordable and easy to stash.
Best Meditation Bench:
BLUECONY Meditation Bench IKUKO Original, Portable Version with Bag, Wooden Kneeling Ergonomic Seiza...
If you have tight hips or want to meditate without sitting cross-legged, this bench can help with spinal alignment, muscle relaxation, and more expansive breathing.
Kneeling (Seiza) is another traditional meditation position, however, it can be hard on the knees without any support. This bench optimizes the bend in your legs to prevent knee pain. It also angles the pelvis downward to automatically straighten the spine.
It is made handmade in Canada with wild cherry wood that is beautiful and easy to clean. It can be easily dismantled and folded into the included 100% organic cotton travel bag. The bench is 16″ wide, 8″ in diameter, and 6″ tall.
Best Outdoor Meditation Chair:
Mindful & Modern Small Meditation Chair | Adjustable w/Folding Backrest | Padded Floor Seat for...
By far the best meditation chair for yogis on the move, this travel-friendly backrest is lightweight and easy to transport. The comfy design improves spinal health and can be fully adjustable (90° angle movement) for a restorative meditation experience. It is durable, water-resistant, and even suitable for meditating outdoors.
We love how this floor chair leaves you feeling supported and aligned while sitting cross legged on the ground. It has a moderate back support that you can lean into. Thanks to its perfectly flat-folding position, it’s also the most portable meditation chair we’ve found.
Best Budget Meditation Chair:
Giantex Adjustable Mesh Floor Sofa Chair, 6-Position Multiangle Padded Floor Chair, Cushioned Back...
At under $50, this 6-way adjustable meditation chair is a bargain. It has a nice breathable mesh fabric, dense sponge filling, zipper-removable cover, and 6 reclining angle positions. As a floor chair, it doesn’t have much use for kneeling, but it’s great for cross-legged meditating. The frame is made of solid steel and can support up to 280 pounds.
We also love that it folds perfectly flat. You can slip it under your bed or in the back of your car to use anywhere. The chair is 22″ x 17″ x 20″.
Best Budget Meditation Bench:
Monk & Llama Meditation Bench - Foldable & Sturdy Bamboo Prayer Bench Meditation Seat - Kneeler...
This budget bench offers all the spinal benefits of a kneeling meditation bench plus the tailbone comfort of a cushioned meditation chair. It weighs just 3.8 pounds and is made of a bamboo base with foam cushion.
The angled position takes strain off your knee joints and keeps your pelvis perfectly aligned beneath a straight spine to help fix slouchy posture. It is foldable, portable, and durable.
Meditation Chair vs. Meditation Bench: Which is Best for You?
If you’re having trouble choosing between a meditation chair or bench, take into account your preferred meditation position and any specific body pains you may have. Both styles can improve your practice, but the best meditation chair is going to be different for everyone.
Choose a meditation chair if you:
Prefer sitting cross-leggedDeal with joint painNeed extra back supportPrefer to lean on a back restNeed lumbar supportBy far, the most cozy and comfortable meditation chair is the Friends of Meditation Extra Large Relaxing Meditation Chair with Back Support that is used in meditation temples in India!
Choose a meditation bench if you:
Prefer to kneel while meditatingStruggle with knee painHave tight hip flexorsDon’t like sitting cross-leggedDon’t need a backrestWant more core strengthWant to support long-lasting spinal healthOur favorite bench is the BLUECONY Meditation Bench, Portable with Bag.
Whichever you choose, meditation chairs and benches are sure to improve your practice by taking your focus off your back so you can ascend into higher levels of consciousness and peacefulness.
Namaste!
FAQs
Are meditation chairs worth it?
If you experience back pain during meditating, a meditation chair or bench can make this mind-nourishing practice so much more enjoyable. Meditation seats provide spinal alignment, back cushion, and joint pain relief for staying seated during long meditations. The best meditation chair features adjustable back rest, a pelvic tilt (for spinal alignment), and enough cushion to comfortably support your tailbone and lumbar spine. Plus, they can dual function as lounge chairs or even a back-friendly office chair.
Can you meditate on a kneeling chair?
A kneeling meditation chair or bench is perfect for meditating in a joint-friendly position. The ergonomic tilted design of a kneeling meditation chair optimizes your pelvic tilt to keep your spine perfectly aligned while you focus on your zen. The angle of a properly designed meditation chair can even improve core strength while kneeling and prevent your legs from falling asleep.
