Around noon, the shop phone rang. A lady asked what time we were open. Her husband had a fall some time ago. Since then, sitting in his favourite armchair has not felt right. The chair is soft, he sinks into it, and there is nothing firm under him. His doctor had suggested he try a donut cushion.
"Can he come down and try one first?" she asked.
Of course. That is exactly why we have a showroom.
A 5-minute walk, a half-eaten bowl of noodles
They said around 2 to 3pm. At 1:50 I slipped out for a late lunch. Halfway through a bowl of Taiwanese beef noodles, my phone rang again. "I'm outside your shop, but nobody is here."
I asked the kitchen to pack my noodles and walked back. Less than five minutes later I saw him: an uncle with white hair, sitting patiently on the bench outside the door, looking towards the stairs. I asked about his wife. "She's looking for a parking lot, coming soon," he said.
The shop was not at its tidiest. A new stock shipment had arrived the night before and boxes were still everywhere. But the cushions were out, and that is what mattered.
First, a hard wooden chair
I started him on a plain wooden chair with our 2-in-1 Lumbar Support & Donut Seat Cushion Set. He sat, leaned back, and said, "Oh, this is comfortable." While he was still testing it, his wife and son came up the stairs and joined him.
Then I swapped in the 45cm Grey Donut Cushion. He shifted a little and nodded. The hole was in the right place, sitting just where his tailbone was, so he was not pressing down on it.
Then the real question: "Will it work on my armchair?"
This is the part online photos can't answer. He does not sit on a wooden chair at home. He sits in his armchair, most of the day.
So I moved a few boxes and pulled out the recliner we keep in the shop. We put the 45cm donut cushion on it and he sat back down.
This time he didn't just test it and stand up. He settled in. He stayed there. You could see he was enjoying it.
That matches what other customers have told us. Several use this donut cushion on the sofa or armchair they sit in to watch TV. The ones who used to feel stiff and sore standing up after a long sit tell us it has made those long sits much more comfortable.
Why a soft chair can be the problem
A deep, soft armchair feels cosy for the first ten minutes. But when you sink in, your hips drop below your knees, your lower back rounds, and more of your body weight presses down on one small area: the tailbone (coccyx) and the bones you sit on. Hour after hour, that pressure point is what turns into stiffness, a sore tailbone and an aching lower back when you finally stand up. Getting up out of a deep, soft seat also takes more effort, which matters for anyone who has had a fall.
What a donut cushion actually does
- Pressure-point relief at the tailbone. The centre hole means the tailbone is not pressing straight down on the seat. Your weight is carried by the thighs and buttocks around it instead. This is the reason doctors and physiotherapists often suggest a donut cushion after a fall, after surgery, or for people with tailbone pain.
- A firmer, more even base. High-density memory foam spreads your weight more evenly than a soft sofa, so you don't sink and slouch.
- A slightly higher seat. Sitting a little higher keeps your hips level with or above your knees. It is a better sitting position for the lower back, and it makes standing up easier.
- Add lumbar support for the back. The 2-in-1 set adds a backrest that fills the gap behind your lower back and supports its natural curve, so you are less likely to slump forward on a long sit.
Prevention: don't wait for the pain
Most people only look for a cushion after the pain starts. But the pressure and slouching build up every day, in the chair you sit in most: the TV armchair, the office chair, the car seat. For seniors, and for anyone who sits for hours, good support is a simple daily habit that helps prevent stiffness and discomfort from building up, and keeps sitting and standing easier.
The 45cm size suits a wide armchair or sofa seat better than a small cushion, which can slide around. (Not sure which size you need? Read our guide: Thick or Thin Donut Cushion? How to Choose the Right Size, Hole and Height.)
One cushion first, for the chair that matters most
While he was relaxing in the recliner, his wife sat down on the lumbar set on the wooden chair and went quiet for a while, thinking. In the end they decided to start with one thing: the 45cm donut cushion, for his armchair at home. He would use it first, and they would come back for the lumbar set later.
I think that is a very sensible way to do it. Start with the chair you sit in the most, feel the difference for yourself, then decide what else you need.
Before they left, the uncle asked a fair question. "If I use it for 30 days, can I still change it?"
I explained honestly. Our 30-day 1-to-1 exchange is for factory defects: a broken zip, a hole in the cover, a fault in the foam. After someone sits on a cushion for weeks, it takes on their body heat and shape. We can't sell it to the next person, so we can't take it back for a change of mind. That is why we ask everyone to come and sit on it first. He agreed straight away.
"We know you now"
When I offered to email the receipt, they waved it away. "No need. We know you now, and we know the shop. We'll come back."
I told them there was no rush for anything else. The most important thing is that he sits comfortably and feels supported. Use it, see how it feels, and come back and tell me.
Then he asked, "You run all this by yourself?" Yes, for now, just me. "You also do the computer?" Yes, I have to, otherwise the shop can't run. He laughed and nodded.
For me, that is what a small local shop is for. Not just selling a cushion, but letting you sit on it, on the kind of chair you really use, until you are sure.
Want to try before you buy?
Come and sit on our cushions, pillows and senior exercisers at our showroom:
261 Waterloo Street, #02-02, Waterloo Centre (near Bugis)
Fridays and Saturdays, 10am to 7pm. Please WhatsApp us 30 minutes to an hour before you come, so someone is there to show you.
If you sit mostly on a sofa or armchair at home, tell us. We'll bring out the recliner so you can test it the way you'll really use it.
This is one customer's experience in our showroom. It is not medical advice. If you have had a fall or have ongoing back or tailbone pain, please follow your doctor's or physiotherapist's advice.