Varier Variable Balans, Original Kneeling Chair, Ergonomic Office Chair, 10-Year Limited Warranty, Designed by Peter Opsvik Black/Natur
$349.00
From the brand
The ONLY original kneeling chair designed by Peter Opsvik in 1979, an instantly recognizable design icon
It is lightweight and can easily be moved around. Variable is intended for use with standard height desks
Its curved runners allow for gentle rocking motions, making it more ergonomic and comfortable than traditional office chairs
Now includes FREE soft tape ($50 value) for floor protection! Avoid scratches on hard floors
Protect it for longer with our extended warranty. Receive a 10-year guarantee against fabrication faults on wooden and polypropylene parts, and a 5-year guarantee against fabrication faults on mechanical parts
10-year Limited Warranty
gg –
Great ergo choice
So glad I gambled, it was easy to put together, all lined up, tightened everything after assembly and no squeaks! comfy as I can put my tripod/writer between my legs and right in my lap to relieve some shoulder tension as I’m working and the rocking is going to be a nice distraction when I don’t get breaks every hour
Amber S. –
Good for Back Pain, Promotes Movement
Everyone knows that all day sitting is horrible for the body. I have been using my new varier balans chair for about a week now. I put it together myself very quickly and easily. Remember to save the little allen wrench and place it in the storage pouch on the underside of the chair. They say after two weeks you should tighten the bolts once more and then whenever you need to thereafter. This chair has been an adjustment for my body. I got it due to horrible back pain from sitting in a traditional office chair doing computer work.In the varier chair you can rock back and forth which I do quite a bit now, especially to music. This promotes constant movement/healthy fidgeting. I also change position with my shins on the pads and prop my foot up on the shin pad (this also opens the hip flexor)…basically there are many combinations of how you can sit in this chair and the whole point is to not maintain the same position for hours which is much better for your body. My shins tend to get a bit sore if I leave them on the shin pads for longer periods but I think it’s just getting used to the chair still.My back no longer aches at the end of the work day which is a problem solved. Be sure not to slouch or hunch over in the chair. The curvature of the seat pad does not promote this but you can hunch if you really want to. If a person is super tall or shorter I’m not sure how this chair will fit….for reference I’m nearly 5’6 and it seems fine for me and easy to get in and out of. I read online that you can also turn the chair backwards and sit on it that way so the combos are pretty vast in how to use it. I highly recommend regular rocking back and forth to do a bit of spine ‘massage’ and flexion. Bottom line – if you’re unsure, try it…worst case you give it a few weeks and return if it’s not the right fit for your body.
Carol –
Superior Quality Product to other kneeling chairs
A direct comparison to:https://www.amazon.com/Luxton-Home-Ergonomic-Posture-Padding/dp/B089K5ZVVR/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=G0MO0PLC229H&keywords=kneeling+chair&qid=1665684855&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI1Ljg0IiwicXNhIjoiNS42NSIsInFzcCI6IjUuMTMifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=kneeling+chair%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-1-spons&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.f5122f16-c3e8-4386-bf32-63e904010ad0&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExTVlOSU1CVUhKVVdKJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDI2MzcwNkc2OVgxQzhNWk9VJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyNzk4MjlUU0oxVFRVQjVZOFYmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVlExpensive chair (this chair – $350ish)Cheap chair ($140ish)I bought this and the $140 kneeling chair at the same time and made a direct comparison. Here are my findings.Wood:The expensive chair has thicker wood. The cheaper chair’s wood is the same width, but about 2/3 the height thickness, suggesting it would support less weight or wear out more quickly.Padding:Expensive chair has thinner, but denser padding. Cheap chair has almost excessively thick padding that quickly flattens out as soon as you sit on it. My main concern is that the padding on the cheap chair will go completely flat after a year or so. Only time will tell.Fabric:Material on both chairs seems to be reasonable quality and not likely to rip or pop seams any time soon, but the fabric on the more expensive chair is rougher and a bit abrasive on bare skin after sitting for a while.Support bars:The expensive chair has a single support bar in the back but is surprisingly sturdy. I thought the knee supports would be very wobbly but are actually sturdier than the cheap chair with the additional cross bars. I am very disappointed in the placement of the cross bars on the cheap chair because I sometimes pinch my toes under them as I rock. It seems like a no-brainer to avoid them, but when you are sitting in it all day working from home, it happens more often than you’d think. Additionally, the cross bars create more contact points with the floor which could cause problems on hard wood.Assembly:I encountered the same issue on either chair which is easily resolved. Don’t tighten all the screws before you put the main seat on. Leave some wobble so you can set it on the pegs and guide the screws in more easily, otherwise it will be difficult. I had no other assembly issues. Most complaints about assembly are probably written by mechanically incompetent people. You really don’t even need instructions to put these chairs together.Rocking Motion:The more expensive chair seems to have a wider and smoother rocking range. The cheaper chair tends to lean you forward a bit more keeping your center of gravity forward with more pressure on the knee supports. I hate to say it, but this single factor is what wins for me on the cheap chair since it is better for my back. The only way for people to really know what will be best for them is to try them.Other features:The angle of the seat and knee supports on the more expensive chair feel about perfect, whereas the cheaper chair’s seat feels angled forward a bit too much putting extra pressure on your tailbone area. I suppose the angle adjustment would feel different from person to person though.The more expensive chair comes with adhesive felt strips to put under it for use on wood floors, where the cheap chair comes with nothing. While using the cheap chair, I rolled over a small pebble (something hard) which pressed and lodged itself into the chair’s wood. Every time I rocked on it until I discovered and removed the pebble, I scratched and damaged my wood floor.On either chair you should tighten the screws periodically as they tend to come loose with use, but the cheap chair’s screws seemed to come loose more quickly with the same use.The more expensive chair has a place to add an optional backrest (for $150 more), but the cheap chair does not.Neither chair has height adjustability, but either are adequate height for use at a normal height work desk. Some of the non-rocking chairs I have had are too tall when using wheels.Overall impressions:The expensive chair is superior in material quality and overall function in every way to the cheaper chair. The only question is, is that quality worth the additional $200+?
leah –
Saved my back
I work from home and upgraded to this chair a couple years ago. Use it daily and this has saved my back! It was super easy to assemble just a couple parts and has help up perfectly. Beautiful color matches my office and I could t be happier with it. After looking at the super expensive furniture stores I thought Iâd try this and itâs exceeded my expectations.
Rebecca –
I was nervous about trying a kneeling chair, but now I’m a convert
I like being able to rock a bit to adjust the angle of my back/hips. My back definitely feels better after a day of “sitting” on the kneeling chair than in a regular desk chair.I found that in the beginning, my shins felt a bit sore on long stretches but you can put one or even both feet down in the middle to take a break. Also, if I use it for a long time my quads sometimes need a stretch. Still, I keep the kneeling chair and a desk chair in my office but usually use the kneeling chair (like 90%).Downside, your cat can’t sit on your lap while you work. 😉
JLH –
Very rickety and wobbly. Very disappointed. May return it.
I have years of experience with IKEA-type furniture like this. The kneeling chair was not easy to put together. Attaching the seat was very difficult. The process drove one wooden peg on each side into the cushion so they are not connecting the seat to the legs. I have tightened the bolts to my utmost strength but the chair wobbles badly. It feels very rickety. To the company: Is there any solution for this problem? If not I must return the chair immediately. I am VERY disappointed. Thank you. UPDATE: Disassembling the piece for return I found that the Allen wrench had stripped the heads of the bolts. I’m sad to say that this is not a quality piece.
Andy M –
After much research I decided to opt for the original Varier Balens. I have suffered from lower back pain for some time and became lazy and slouchy spending lots of time behind computers badly designed and fitted office chairs. Bad posture was significantly contributing to ongoing discomfort and exacerbating the condition. The Varier Balens is very easy to transition to and puts my back into a great upright and natural position. The quality of the maple wood rails and cushion pads allows great flexibility whereas cheap copies are fixed more rigid not allowing core movement and core muscle engagement. Absolutely love it.
J. Darke –
Bought for our employee who was having back troubled and it seems to help prevent the issue reoccurring. Tried it myself for a day and found it a bit much personally – too much pressure on my shins, but clearly works well for some people.
Greg –
Perfect support chair for what I needed kind of expensive but you get what you pay for, excellent quality
Theo –
I use it when I have back pain. Helps a lot. Definitely worthy if you suffer from some types of back pain.
Cliente Amazon –
Sedia ottima!La sto utilizzando da anni ormai e non ho più avuto dolori lombari causati dalla cattiva postura durante lo studio. La sedia è molto semplice e i materiali sono di prima qualità . La sedia si monta nel giro di 10 minuti e non richiedi particolari abilità , all’interno è già presente la chiave esagonale per il montaggio. Il prezzo è elevato ma ne vale la pena, il legno non perde elasticità durante il tempo e anche i cuscini per la seduta e le ginocchia sono ancora in perfette condizioni. All’inizio il modo di sedersi può lasciare un po’ perplessi ma dopo essersi abituati ci si può rimanere per ore senza stancarsi.In conclusione, prodotto più che consigliato!