SitCorrect: Pregnancy Seating

I’ve linked to a new study posted by Varier earlier this week regarding the benefits of kneeling chairs for women during the latter stages of their pregnancies.  Check it out!

varier gravity chair

This isn’t a new item, but it’s been awhile since I’ve mentioned our friends at Varier. Whenever people call up asking for a kneeling chair, it’s inevitably their classic Variable Balans (or Wing Chair) that I suggest. But they also have a very special model that’s more than just a kneeling chair: the Gravity Balans.

We have one of these in our showroom right now (it looks exactly like the model in the video!), and at a very good price. This beautiful chair draws comments from everyone — impressive to behold, it also tilts forward and backwards into four distinct positions, even a kneeling chair! And don’t be afraid to take your feet off the ground, because the floating sensation is very relaxing.

inquiring spines want to know

Many people call in and ask what the hallmark signs of an ergonomic product are, why some are more expensive than others, and which products are best suited for particular injuries.  While we cannot make medical recommendations, we do point out the fact that spinal/lower back support is the reason most people opt for ergonomic seats.  Prominent lumbar support, coupled with contoured seating, allows sitters to properly place their feet flat on the ground and sit with correct posture.

(All Seating 50160 Therapod Therapist High Back Chair)

A fantastic and highly-accessible article detailing the specifics of ergonomic seating can be found on Spine-Health, an informational website chock full o’ wellness, back, neck, and pain resources.  Take a quick read, and you’ll feel better equipped browsing through our selection of ergnomic office chairs and specialty seating options.

A New Way to Kneel

Happy New Year!

I return to the blog bringing an awesome new addition to one of our favorite chairs. The Jobri Deluxe kneeling chair has always been one of our top sellers, combining good design with an unbeatable price. It’s the same, now, but with one significant tweak — a comfy, cushioned back rest!

Kneeling chairs are ideal for strengthening core muscle groups and promoting good posture and balance. Some people, however, have felt strained by the lack of back support — for those people, this new addition is a great solution! This new backrest gives just enough gentle guidance and support to help you maintain good posture and position, even if you’re new to kneeling chairs.

So for this New Year, resolve to eliminate your bad work habits and back pain once and for all with a kneeling chair from Jobri.

(Also available with memory foam!)

Gravity Chair

Introducing the Gravity Chair from Varier… Or more like Miracle Chair if you ask me. The weird and wonderful design of this chair means you can lie back and relax — with no support behind you! Is it witchcraft? No, it’s just the mind-boggling, impeccable Scandinavian design that brought you the Variable Balans and the Thatsit.

This amazing chair is more than just a recliner, though. It can be used in four different positions, including one upright for table or desk work. It’s also made from sustainable woods, and if you order now from SeatingZone, you can get it for $1,000 off the list price!

What a perfect, decadent Christmas present.

That’s It!

Check this out! From the people who brought you the very popular Balans kneeling chair comes a new design to keep you limber and pain-free at work or home. The Varier Thatsit takes their brilliantly minimalist rocking-kneeling-chair design and gives it a few new tweaks: fully adjustable knee pads and a comfy, supportive back rest!

But really, it’s so much more than that. The Thatsit takes one of the best office seating solutions around, then adds extra comfort features to make it perfect for reading and relaxing as well as working! The adjustable leg supports allow it to adapt perfectly to any user, regardless of height, and the adjustable-height back rest works to support your arms and spine, and to maintain good posture to prevent future pain and weariness. Or… turn the whole thing around to sit on it backwards! It’s just as comfortable, and studies show that changing your position and posture during the day is the key to a healthy, pain-free back and legs.

Plus the rocking wooden runners work to distribute your body-weight evenly and engage your sense of balance — which helps you to breath freely and concentrate for longer periods of time.

Varier is of course also known for its environmentally-friendly materials and methods, so this is one gift (for yourself or others) that you can really feel good about.

Kneeling Chair Tips

Yesterday I brought up the question of whether kneeling chairs are truly comfortable. Today I thought we could delve a little more deeply into the issue.

Some people love kneeling chairs, and some people just hate them. But don’t just leave it all up to chance: if you’re thinking of buying a kneeling chair, here are some tips to help you get the best possible experience.

• Don’t sit on your knees!  Even though it’s called a kneeling chair, you really should have most of your weight on the seat, not the kneepad.  If you find your knees or shins aching, try sitting farther back on the seat.
• Take it easy!  A kneeling chair won’t completely replace your regular chair right away.  Start by using it no more than an hour a day,  and gradually work up to longer periods.  Otherwise, you may cause yourself some discomfort.
• Try it out!  If at all possible, borrow a friend’s or coworker’s kneeling chair before purchasing one online, to find out whether it feels right for your body.
• How tall are you?  Most kneeling chairs are really only comfortable for people under 5’8″…  otherwise you might find your legs in an awkward position.
• If you are taller than 5’8″, consider the Balans kneeling chair, which was specially designed for taller users.

That’s it!  Hopefully these guidelines will help you make the best out of your kneeling chair.

Are Kneeling Chairs Comfortable?

Are kneeling chairs comfortable? This is one of the most common questions we get here at SeatingZone, and the answer is… there is no simple answer.

Kneeling chairs are great for some people. I’ve heard all kinds of testimonials from people who switched to an ergonomic kneeling chair from an ordinary office chair, and never looked back. They feel stronger, have better posture, and get less back, neck, and hip pain throughout the day.

Other people receive their chair in the mail and can’t seem to make it work at all — their legs feel awkward, their shins hurt, their back gets tired… it’s just not the right chair for them.

So is it just a crap shoot? Is it completely impossible to tell whether a kneeling chair is right for you? No, not completely. Tomorrow, I’ll go over some of the tricks and tips to help you figure out whether you’d benefit from this style of seating, and how to make the best of the chair once you’ve got it.

For more on kneeling chairs, see Kneeling Chair Tips.

The Future of Ergonomics

My coworker here sent me another review of Peter Opsvik’s new book, “Rethinking Sitting“.  Definitely worth a read if you’re interested in the study of ergonomics or just want to figure out what will be the best and most comfortable chair for your needs.  I particularly liked this passage:

Opsvik’s approach to ergonomics is somewhat unorthodox. Rather than favoring any particular sitting positions, he says they are all good. He tries to design chairs that incorporate as many of them as possible because, he said, “Every sitting position is wrong after five minutes.”

Opsvik does differ from American ergonomists in his focus on mobility over adjustment and his use of the feet, which he says are the “ignored extremities in ergonomics.”

“If you let your feet and legs control the movement of a chair, instead of doing it by moving your torso,” he went onto explain, “you will move more easily and you will be more comfortable.”

It’s true that American ergonomists are always trying to create the ideal chair for people to sit at perfect right angles with ramrod straight posture.  That may work well for some people, but personally I find I can’t sit in one posture all day long without going a little mad.  I love any chair that allows me to move around and fit my legs in many different positions.  I find I usually change positions in my chair about once every fifteen minutes.  How about you?

Rethinking Sitting

Big news in chair design: Norway’s original ergonomic genius has a book out. Rethinking Sitting, by Peter Opsvik, is sure to become a must-read for anyone interested in the future of office seating.

Peter Opsvik forever changed the world of chairs when he challenged the idea that the best tool for sitting consisted of four legs, a seat, and a back rest. That simple, minimalist design had been doing the job since ancient times, but was it really serving the body? Opsvik concluded no — the human body yearns to move and stretch and interact with its environment, not sit eternally perched on a hard shelf.

This revolutionary idea eventually gave birth to such brilliant seating concepts as the Balans kneeling chair and the Capisco saddle chair, both of which are designed to provide ergonomic support and freedom of movement.

See the intriguing book review at Core77 for more about this new bible of chair design.