REVIEW – Technical support for lounging – that’s what this modern lifestyle has come down to. Today’s gadget is a pillow that makes it easier for you to lie down on the job – the Prone Cushion. It’s soft, yet firm, and allows you to relax while giving you great support. Ready? Let’s take a closer look!
What is it?
The Prone Cushion is a wedge-shaped upholstered cushion designed to support your body while lying on your stomach.
What’s in the box?
- Just the Prone Cushion
Design and features
The Prone Cushion is an upholstered unit covered in a suede-like fabric. It weighs about 6.5 pounds and measures 12.5″-11″ wide x 9″-4″ high x 25-ish” long. (There are tapers involved.) The top half is a softer foam under the covering material. The lower half is less flexible, but firm and more definitive in the dimension. It’s not closed-cell foam like a camping pad, but it’s much firmer than the top layer. Overall, the feel of the cushion is soft and supportive. There are no hard or disagreeable places anywhere.
On the base, there are two hinged pieces contained within a hollowed-out space. These can be swung into place individually to increase the basic angle of the Cushion. They are also covered in the same fabric. They are held in place and activated via a hook-and-loop connected webbed piece. All of the covers can be removed through zippered access holes. The zipper pulls are tapered and enamel coated in the same color as the fabric. The nylon teeth of the zippers are covered as well. The stitching is impeccable.
The top is at about a 16º slant. (The two boosters can make it 20º and 24º.) The top is sculpted with a chin rest at the top. The idea is that you’d lay down with the narrow end of the wedge close to your waist, your chin resting on the peak, and your arms to either side.
Setup
There’s no real setup for the Prone Cushion. There are three levels of adjustment, described above. Find your joy.
Performance
If you’ve looked at any of my previous reviews that show me demoing a product, you’ll know I’m no string bean. I have a pretty big belly, and thus never sleep on my stomach. I tried the Prone Cushion and needed the highest level of boost before I felt any support in my shoulders that didn’t also compromise the movement of my diaphragm. But it still wasn’t what I’d call comfortable. I finally got a yoga block and boosted the angle up to about 32º. I still had to use my knees a bit in order to breathe, but my upper torso was more relaxed on the Cushion, and I could see how this would be a fun way to read or watch a video.
The Prone Cushion does what it says on one level – it’s comfortable to lie on to read or watch something on a tablet. But the first thing all the women I showed it to asked was “What about my breasts?” And there’s my experience as a person of girth, detailed above.
Years ago, I went to a chiropractor who had a similar setup for massage (on a table), and there were inserts (that looked remarkably like the height boosters on the current product!) that could be removed for pregnant folks or people with larger bellies or people with various sized breasts. If you put all the pieces in, it felt like the Prone Cushion. But it felt great with a little scoop out where my belly hit so that my diaphragm wasn’t as compressed. And that helped my back a lot.
What I like
- Quality construction and materials.
- Very adjustable
- Somewhat comfortable, but not for long sessions
What I’d change
- Make considerations for folks with – um – less svelte figures.
Final thoughts
When we were babies, we could lay in any position and be happy and sleep. As we aged, we found positions we liked and those that weren’t as comfortable. As adults, well, some of us are never comfortable! I remember reading the Sunday Funnies prone, propped up on my elbows so long that I’d get colored ink on my elbows. The Prone Cushion may be able to help you find that place of relaxation again – if you’re the correct body type.
Price: $189.00 (usually $209.00)
Where to buy: Company Website (save $20 with the code: GADGETEER )
Source: The sample of this product was provided by ProneCushion.
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I’m 5’7, 250lbs and I got this prone cushion and a wedge pillow on my bed. Weirdly, it feels way more comfortable on the prone cushion when I lay on my stomach and on my back. I thought wedge pillow can do the same. But, I don’t know why, it just doesn’t.