We may overlook chairs most of the time, but the fact is that they’re an extremely essential piece of furniture. We spend most of our day on chairs, whether while working in our office or sitting and enjoying a meal. And if they’re any slouchy heads like me here, you always find yourself slinking off into some goofy position! As comfy as these eccentric positions maybe, they’re dreadful for our vertebrae! They can have severe long-term effects on our back, and hence maintaining a straight and proper posture is critical. Thankfully, furniture designers have been coming up with ergonomic chair designs that are a boon to our backs, they encourage a healthy posture, and support us in maintaining one! It’s time to be mindful even in the selection of our chairs.
The Soul Seat helps you sit in a neutral posture that is effortless and comfortable. The springs on the elevated perch tilt the pelvis forward, open the hips and help align the spine. You can sit in several positions if crossing legs isn’t comfortable for you, the chair enables you to switch between multiple positions frequently keeping your body engaged and blood flowing. For some, this may also alleviate neck and back pain! The height of both levels can be adjusted to suit your workspace setup. I know there were many comments from our Instagram audience about it missing a backrest and while I don’t think it causes harm if you sit without one (people meditate and work in this very posture for hours in Asian countries), I do think having an option of a detachable backrest can help those who are just starting to work on their posture ease into it. It is about having that choice which opens up many more people to use the Soul Seat, however, there are countless reviews that mention it being comfortable as it is so it is a great design but it does come down to personal preference.
The unique chair design with patented Omni-Kinetic Suspension Technology for micro-body movement in multiple directions prevents fatigue during long hours of sitting. Keeping in mind the extended working hours Elea chair has a contoured design to support natural spine alignment and lumbar positioning which all goes well for long-term health benefits. The chair also boasts adjustable tension and balanced support which most of the office chairs simply don’t have. Other than that a lot of thought has been put into the designing of every single little detail of this chair which will leave nothing to complaining. Winner of the IDSA Award, the team says “The seat pan is suspended with steel rods that allow the seat—and you—to freely move while ensuring proper balance and stability. By introducing micromovement into the workday, the Elea Office Chair encourages improved circulation, heart health, muscle, and joint flexibility, and mental alertness. From an executive office to open workspaces, Elea keeps you in flow while you work.”
The Zero Gravity Balans chair was designed to be a blend of relaxation and productivity. It is the vision of what a modern chair should be – multifunctional and aesthetically pleasing. What sets this chair apart is that it has no mechanical adjustment parts, it is made to be so ergonomic that your body movements dictate its positions. You can choose to adjust it at four different angles which gives you room to be flexible with your posture and the chair to mold itself according to the space it is set in. You can sit in whatever position that is comfortable to you from kneeling to the fully reclined – one works for Netflix party and one for working from home. The Zero Gravity Balans chair’s unique form makes sure that no matter how you are seated, your body is constantly close to its balancing point, allowing the slightest shift of weight to bring you from one position to the next. Now only if the gym equipment worked like that too!
Fitwork’s design sort of embodies a no-excuse mentality to being fit. Whether it’s the excuse of ‘being too busy, or of ‘not wanting to go all the way to the gym’, Fitwork combats it by bringing the gym not just to your house, but to your workspace. Designed as a product to let you work and work out at the same time, this crazy hybrid of a desk-chair and treadmill keeps your legs active while you work. Whether you’re sitting in front of a laptop or standing in front of one, it’s the sedentary lifestyle that Fitwork tackles. The setup (which is sure to grab a few eyeballs) comes with an office chair attached to a treadmill underneath, and an elliptical in front. Coupled with an elevating desk, the Fitwork allows you to keep the lower half of your body active while you work, giving you cardio as well as keeping your spine engaged, whether you’re sitting or standing while working. While you’re sitting, your legs naturally rest on the Fitwork’s elliptical, allowing you to pedal away while typing out emails or attending zoom calls without really anyone knowing what a fitness buff you are. Swivel the chair back and boost your desk upwards and you’ve got yourself a standing workout workspace. Activate the treadmill and you can walk while working… or as I call it, walking the walk while talking the talk.
CoreChair, an ergonomic active sitting chair, fortunately, meets you where you are, offering a kinesiology-backed solution for comfortable and healthy sitting. CEO of CoreChair, Patrick Harrison says the foundation of a healthy spine is the pelvis and ability to move freely. CoreChair boasts its benefits through movement. Inspired by the stability ball, CoreChair encourages free movement in all directions within 14 degrees and incorporates a pelvic cushion that stabilizes and hugs the top, posterior side of the pelvis. I know when my posture seems lazy, I’ll line it up with my seat’s backrest, knocking my pelvic bone off-center in the process. In order to avoid uncomfortable seated adjustments like mine, CoreChair’s pelvic cushions are made from memory foam to provide constant postural support no matter how often you move around.
In South-Eastern countries, it is more common for people to sit cross-legged on the floor than to sit on chairs. Not only is this an integral part of their culture, but it is supposed to be quite good for the posture too! Drawing inspiration from the tradition of his country, Iranian designer Arsalan Ghadimi created the Lunule Chair. Featuring a wooden frame with leather-lined cushions, the chair incorporates the tradition of sitting cross-legged. Its circular form provides the perfect structure to place the lower half of our bodies onto, with sufficient space for our knees and legs as well! The doughnut-like seat evenly distributes the force exerted upon our body when we sit, enabling us to maintain a solid posture. A backrest with a soft foam cushion can be attached to the Lunule Chair, paired up with the already ergonomic form of the chair, this provides further support to our caudal vertebrae and waist.
BeYou is a “transforming chair that adapts to you,” which means that whatever seated position is calling your name, BeYou will adjust accordingly. The spirit of this chair and what makes it so special is that it isn’t fixed by any means, it was designed to be ever-changing to meet your growing needs. The convertible chair is cushioned with soft and durable fabric that wraps itself over a double layer of foam for a bouncy and form-fitting seat rest. Oak veneer coats the exterior parts of BeYou so that the chair not only conforms to your body but also your room and office, or wherever you choose to position your BeYou chair. The quick-release hinges that switch the chair’s positions and presentation are user-friendly in that they operate through simple, intuitive mechanical movements. The hinges work to reveal over ten different positions into which BeYou can transform. Auto-lock wheels keep BeYou mobile on the floor and were built to withstand constant movement and heavyweight loads, allowing for swift turns and motion on either carpet or hard surfaces.
The Beel Chair’s unique biodynamic aesthetic literally takes inspiration from the part of your body that rests against it… the spine! Mimicking the shape of two vertebral bones, connected together by a spinal column, the Beel chair offers comfortable sitting and healthy posture, while being flexible, thanks to the backrest’s design. Designed by Selami Gündüzeri, the Beel is reminiscent of the design aesthetic championed by German design stalwart Luigi Colani, who passed away at 91 today. Always one to shun the use of straight lines because everything about our world is dominated by curves, right from its shape to its orbit, to every creature within it, Colani was a strong proponent of embracing nature’s curves and of practicing organic design not just for visual fulfillment, but for ultimate ergonomic comfort too. Selami’s Beel chair is perhaps a perfect example of that philosophy.
From the makers of this core-building chair comes another iteration of the design with a new, sleeker look. Like the original, its symmetrical seat means you can sit in one of two ways: straddled as if you were on horseback OR in a traditional chair position. The new version, however, features a minimalistic blend of bentwood framing and a soft felt seat. Its shape forces you to balance – so whether you’re at the dinner table or your desk, you’ll be working on your core whether you realize it or not.
Meditation isn’t something to be rushed and holding your body in the correct position for an extensive period of time isn’t at all easy. However, UNDO might just solve this. Designed to hold the user’s body in an ergonomic position, they are able to sit close to the ground for a prolonged period of time, without any discomfort. And UNDO rocks, literally! The cushion, which has been engineered with multiple layers of foam compresses as the user sits down, gently rocking them forward to align their hips and back. The form of the cushion has been carefully considered in order to avoid the ‘hippie’ aesthetic that is often associated with meditation. With the help of its playful shape and natural color palette, UNDO will look no more out of place than any other item of furniture in the room.