What should I sit on?

January 23, 2015 4:25 PM

I need new seating, that isn't a chair, for my desk. I'm thinking maybe a fancy kind of stool, but need recommendations. Snowflakes inside.

I live in a tiny apartment and so there's very little seating space at my desk. It's okay, as long as I'm sitting on something relatively small. Office chairs are not small. I'd been sitting on a yoga ball, but it popped after several years of faithful service.

The seating space in front of the desk is only 2 feet (60 cm) deep. Behind that is my bed, which is about 30″ (75 cm) tall. So while there's plenty of space for my upper body to move around — I'm not penned in by a wall — that's not much room to manoeuvre in. Even the yoga ball was kind of a tight fit.

I'm considering getting a fancy stool for sitting in. I've seen things like this or this, but have no idea how they actually work in practice. I've also heard conflicting reports as to whether saddle stools are comfortable for extended use. (I'm a guy, if that matters.)

So: I'm looking for anecdotes and recommendations about office stools. And are there other kinds of seating I should be looking at? Are there small office chars that could fit in my space?

And although lots of people love them, I'm not interested in switching to a standing desk.

Thanks!

posted by Banknote of the year to Home & Garden (11 answers total)

Granted I've never used one long term like for a workday (like maybe 2-3 hours at a time max) but I've always liked kneeling chairs. When I don't want to kneel anymore I just switch my legs around to a perching position.
posted by phunniemee at 4:30 PM on January 23, 2015

What you want is the Balans Variable kneeling chair. Helps your posture! Lisa Simpson uses one!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 4:56 PM on January 23, 2015

I was just coming in to recommend a kneeling chair.
posted by BoscosMom at 5:02 PM on January 23, 2015

I used a kneeling chair for years and switched to a stool. I personally prefer the stool for a variety of reasons, but really it comes down to personal preference.

Here are some cool stools with a slight forward tilt which aids in good posture, but whether they are available to you or not depends on where you live.

The Wave Seat

The mobis leaning stool

The Tilt Seat

I happen to own the Tilt Seat. It's very simple construction- not sexy. Just basic slabs of wood that easily come apart so that you can travel with it. It comes either plain or with a cushion on the seat. I use a fancier stool at home, but when I travel in my car I bring the tilt seat so that I always have a good seat to work with.
posted by manderin at 5:12 PM on January 23, 2015

What's your budget?
posted by cotton dress sock at 5:12 PM on January 23, 2015

I've never used the specific stools you linked to, but have used the similar Swopper and liked it quite a bit. It's got all the fun bouncy-ness of sitting on a yoga ball, but you can also easily swivel in place and adjust the height. I can't sit on one for very long (because of lack of strength, not because the stool is uncomfortable), but if you can do a yoga ball, you could do one of those.
posted by duien at 5:17 PM on January 23, 2015

Can you post a picture of your room? It might be a good idea to ditch the desk altogether and get a husband for the bed and a laptop tray.
posted by oceanjesse at 6:07 PM on January 23, 2015

What's your budget?

Right now, a few hundred dollars. So some of the recommendations are outside my price range. But that's okay — keep ’em coming! I may end up doing something cheap until I can afford something nice.
posted by Banknote of the year at 6:07 PM on January 23, 2015

These are surprisingly comfortable to use for hours at a time. (I'm not recommending that specific brand; it's just an example of the kind of "back chair" I used to use.)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:32 PM on January 23, 2015

I would get a kneeling chair because I find them super comfortable. I can't sit straight comfortably on a stool. But if you like stools, it's probably cheaper and easier to find one you like than to find a kneeling chair.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 9:20 PM on January 23, 2015

Given that you're space constrained, how about a storage ottoman?
posted by bac at 10:21 PM on January 23, 2015