So last year at our Pesach Seder, I had this elaborate rope and clothespin contraption to keep my pillow on my chair.

I spent the last month after cheder conducting EXTENSIVE experiments to come up with better solutions!
And I’m going to share it all here:

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The Velcro Solution

Okay, so OBVIOUSLY Velcro is a no-brainer here. You just need self-adhesive Velcro strips (the hook AND loop parts, duh). Anyone with even basic engineering knowledge knows that attaching one side to your chair and the other to your pillow creates a PERFECT temporary bond.

I've calculated the optimal Velcro strip width to be exactly 2 inches for maximum hold-to-comfort ratio. The only trouble with this one is you can't really get the adhesive off the chair after you remove the velcro. (Trust me, I was grounded for a day because of this.) So I came up with a solution. Put one pillowcase, without a pillow in it, over the back of the chair. Put the velcro strip onto that. And then attach the second pillowcase with the pillow in it.

Velcro Strips

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The Elastic Band Technique

My research clearly shows that elastic provides 74% better flexibility than static attachments. I've tested NUMEROUS materials including Abba's old belt (worked okay), a strap from Ima's old pocketbook (worked better), and this special elastic band fabric I found in our craft supplies box (PERFECTION).

Pro tip: if you add a buckle or clip, you can adjust the tension with SCIENTIFIC precision!

The Friction Method

After studying physics in science, I IMMEDIATELY realized we could use coefficient of friction to our advantage! This one is the easiest, but not the most effective.

Just cut some rubber shelf liner or rug liner and place it between your pillow and chair. The molecular structure of the rubber creates microscopic suction that prevents slippage by approximately 89%!

Rubber Shelf Liner

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The Pocket Design

This is probably my GREATEST innovation yet! I designed a pillowcase with a precision-calculated flap that tucks over the chair back.

I took two old pillowcases. I cut off a large rectangular piece of fabric from one, measured so it was just wide enough to allow it to easily slip over the chair back. Then I stapled it to the other old pillowcase.

The weight distribution is PERFECTLY balanced so the pillow stays in place through the ENTIRE Seder, even during the 10 makkos part when everyone's bouncing around!

Cheap Pillowcases

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MY CONCLUSION

Obviously, the last method is the most elegant solution from an engineering perspective, but I suppose the other methods could work for beginners.

Either way, I hope you have a great Pesach and enjoy your comfy pillow at the seder!

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