I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: sitting is the new smoking. We are living in a world where sitting, inactive, all day long in a chair, can kill your back, neck, spine, pelvis, knees, hips, shoulders and feet. But you need to work at your computer! While a sit/stand desk is an option, you can still find yourself sitting far too long.
So… you need a chair that can minimize the negative effects of sitting..
Luckily…. I found one for you! In the past I have recommended the Gaiam Ball Chair. I’ve been using the ball chair for years, but I like this one better and have swapped it out at my own work station.
Introducing the ErgoErgo Active Sitting Chair:
I love this chair for a few posture specific reasons. First, the backless design forces you to sit up straight and not lean back to get lazy. I also enjoy being able to spread my knees wide and feel unlimited to move my body in the lateral range of motion (no arms rests in the way!).
When you sit on it, you will find the chair tilts forward a bit. This places the pelvis into an optimal position versus in the rounded (posterior) position which I find to be dreaded for the lower back.
When I used to sit on the ball chair, I found myself crossing my legs inappropriately and hunching over. On the ErgoErgo, this is not possible! The “active” part of the sitting won’t allow you to sit for too long in an incorrect position.
Now let’s talk more about the “active sitting” part of this amazing chair. The goal of this is to create movement in our day. This product does this and makes it fun and interesting. You can rotate your pelvis in circles, side to side, back and forth. AND do it while keeping your hands on the keyboard the whole time. It felt amazing on for my spine. I found myself sitting in better posture for hours on end because I didn’t have to sit STILL.
To get a good idea on how the chair works, check out my youtube channel here. I’ve demonstrated how this chair moves.
Now, to the one CON of this product: the height. Unfortunately, unlike the ball chair where you can blow up the ball, the ErgoErgo chair cannot be adjusted for height. This doesn’t matter for me since I have a sit/stand desk and therefore can adjust my desk to the height that I need. But for the average consumer who has a fixed desk height you will want to make sure you can sit on this chair and still have your screen at eye height and you elbows flexed at 90 degrees for proper hand/keyboard alignment.
The ErgoErgo website claims that the chair shrinks a little when you sit on it; It therefore adjusts to average “chair” heights and can accommodate sitters from height 5’0” to 6’4”. To be honest, I find it hard to believe that this chair, without the normal ability to move it up and down, can fit this huge range comfortably. However I do believe that if you fall in the 5’5” to 6’0” range you should be able to make it feel comfortable.
Like with any new desk product, you’re gonna want to ease into the use of it since you don’t want to shock your body and make it sore!
There is a kid version? You bet I will be ordering one for my kid, and wishing we could install one into every classroom in America. Why do some kids have a hard time sitting still in class? Largely because their little brains and bodies were not meant to! This chair gives them the freedom to move and counteract the effects that sitting and technology are having on their little postures.
I am in love with this product and can’t wait to hear what you think. You can order it here and I hope it gives you the freedom to get more activity and postural alignment into your sitting day.
PS. What does your current chair look like? Feel free to send me a picture of you in your chair for my analysis! Especially if it’s fun and unique like the ErgoErgo…
When sleeping on your back it is always important to keep your head and neck in alignment with the rest of your spine. Typically a thinner pillow is the best choice for this position, but as you shift to your side to alleviate the weight, you may begin to feel it in your lower back and will need a slightly higher loft of a pillow.