When you think “office chair,” what do you picture? Probably the traditional black leather chair, with a high back, arm rests and rolling wheels on the base – am I right?
Those chairs are definitely what comes to mind for most people, because they’ve been around for a long time and a vast majority of offices still use them today. But office chairs have evolved quite a bit over the past decades, and now include all different types in various shapes and sizes. There are ball chairs and rocking chairs, leaning chairs and active chairs. Chairs that are specially designed with ergonomics in mind, and chairs that are fully customizable when it comes to fabric and colour.
Today on the blog we’re talking about one such type of chair, a newer type on the market that you may or may not be familiar with: the kneeling chair. The great thing about kneeling chairs is that they’re actually suitable for the office, home, classroom and more. Wherever you’re looking to integrate a bit more movement into your day, this chair is an ideal solution.
Let’s dive in!
What is It?
So you may be asking yourself, what exactly is a kneeling chair? Well, it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s a chair that is designed in such a way that you aren’t fully sitting on your backside when using it, but instead are sitting with a combination of leaning on your backside and kneeling on your knees, as you can see in the picture below. Your weight is more evenly distributed and you can balance with ease while working.
Most kneeling chairs also have a rocking component to their design. The base is built in a curved shape to allow for extra movement while you sit.
What are the Benefits?
There are tons of benefits to using a kneeling chair as opposed to a traditional office chair. First, as I already mentioned, because of the way you’re sitting in a kneeling chair your weight is more evenly distributed. This means that there is less pressure on your spine, improving back health and promoting better posture.
These chairs also encourage greater movement. Because of the rocking base, you’ll be more inclined to make micro-movements throughout your day, which may not sound like much but will definitely add up to big results in the end. Many kneeling chairs also allow you to sit in them in a variety of positions based on their unique design; this means you’ll also be more prone to naturally switching positions throughout your day, which again in turn will integrate further movement.
When you use them regularly, kneeling chairs will also help to strengthen your core. When you’re sitting in the upright position that a kneeling chair automatically puts you in, your core muscles are engaged and your back is strong
All in all, there’s not much that’s not to love!
Types of Kneeling Chairs
Active Goods offers a variety of kneeling chairs depending on your needs and preferences, all coming from our Varier line. Varier is an excellent brand with elegant designs to suit your lifestyle, and we love partnering with them to bring more movement into your everyday life. Here’s some of our favourite kneeling chairs from the Varier line that we offer:
Gravity Balans
The Gravity Balans is truly perfect for a home office. It offers a significant amount of versatility because of its unique design, allowing you to sit in different positions depending on what you’re using it for. In other words, you can sit forward and use it as a kneeling chair when you want to work or read, or you can lean back and relax into complete weightlessness for the best nap of your life! Now that’s what I call an office chair ;)
In all seriousness, the Gravity Balans kneeling chair is a high-quality piece of furniture that you will cherish for years. Its chic design and delicate lines will measure up in any atmosphere, whether it’s casual or refined. You can even custom order a special fabric type or colour depending on your design preferences so that it will specifically fit with your décor.
Variable Balans
If you’re new to the experience of kneeling chairs, the Variable Balans is an excellent starting place to begin with. This chair is the original kneeling chair design, with minimalistic features that still offer maximum benefits. It has comfortable padding so your knees and backside won’t get sore after prolonged use, and still has that beautiful rounded base that will let you rock throughout your work day.
Because of its simplistic design, this chair is also relatively small compared to the others listed here, which means it can fit into any space you need it to. With more customizable this chair is a fit for any design.
Thatsit Balans
The Thatsit Balans chair is somewhere in between the two models described above and is the proverbial Goldie Locks chair – if you thought the Gravity was too big and the Variable was too small, this one is just right.
Regardless of its size and shape, it still has all of the ergonomic features that you know and love. It still sports an angled seat to help tilt your pelvis forward, thus releasing tension from your spine and promoting better posture over time. The Thatsit also offers a variety of adjustability to suit your needs – the shin rest angle can tilt up or down, the shin rests themselves can be adjusted for height, and the back rest is also height adjustable and can be brought closer to or farther from the seat as necessary. In other words, this kneeling chair can accommodate any user.
And that’s kneeling chairs in a nutshell! Armed with this new information, you can pick the kneeling chair that’s best for you and start engaging in active seating today. Kneel, rock and work, and feel the difference!