Varier Variable Balans, Original Kneeling Chair, Ergonomic Office Chair, 10-Year Limited Warranty, Designed by Peter Opsvik Black/Natur

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

I have been using a high end office chair. I was continuing to have low back pain and muscle spasms, especially when standing up after sitting for an hour. My chiropractor told me to get a standing desk. I decided to try this kneeling chair. I have been using it daily for a week. My low back pain and the muscle spasm is gone. I have no back muscle tightness. And I have been surprised at the comfort of the chair.I adapted to the leg position quickly.What I did notice at the beginning was some muscle tightness and fatigue in my mid back, between my shoulder blades. I think this has been simply from a new position. That has significantly decreased over the week.I find the cushions/padding comfortable. Easy to sit and kneel on for hours.Easy assembly. It is sturdy. I'm 6 feet 2 inches and weigh 192 lbs.It is very lite to pick up and move.Sometimes I do rock on it. I like that feature.The height is perfect for me. Fits easy with my desk.I'm happy I bought it.

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+?

This chair has been a game-changer for me. Due to a childhood hip condition and a plethora of lifelong injuries, my ability to meditate is severely limited by physical pain. This has been true, alas, for decades.I have used the BLUECONY Meditation Bench for about a year now, and that has definitely helped, as it puts the spine in a natural position. I duly recommend it to those who are otherwise capable. But even with such a well-designed bench, when I sat for anything beyond, say, 25 minutes, it became a meditation on pain. I must admit, there are many things one can learn from this...up to a point.Nonetheless, the Varier Variable Balans has made my injuries largely irrelevant. I can finally sit comfortably for much longer than I ever could previously. I feel like the shackles have come off and I can finally deepen my practice. For this, I am truly grateful.This kneeling chair is not adjustable. I happen to be pretty much exactly average for an American male in height and weight. So it fits me perfectly. I don't know how it will go for others. I have been sitting in it for 30-40 minutes at a time, so I don't know how it serves as an office chair and longer sit times. But this is a beautifully designed chair and though expensive, is more than worth trying if all else has failed.I hope it works just as well for you as it has for me.

Beautiful wood, and fabric is soft. It was easy to put together, although I needed a rubber mallet to insert the wood dowels. It is tricky to align the seat and knee pads, as they rest on somewhat of a curve. It was very doable for a 68 year old woman with arthritic hands! I love this chair for meditating - easy to get into, super comfortable for long periods, and you can adjust your position from time to time without losing focus. I would really recommend this chair for meditation.

The assembly of my purchased kneeling chair would have been easy enough if the kneeling cushion they included in the packet was the right fit with the wood frame. However, the holes in the back of cushion were at least 2 inches off to where they needed to fit with the matching pegs in the wood frame. Not something you could work around unless you wanted to drill your own set of holes. Quality control issue.