Tell me about using a kneeling chair all day
October 16, 2024 1:37 PM Subscribe
Do you (or did you) use a kneeling chair several hours a day for work? What's good and bad about it for you? What changes (technical or habitual) did you have to make for it to be a workable solution?
I may take a job that has me working from home indefinitely (sigh). This means I'll need to set up an office situation in my living room again (sigh). I have been thinking of getting a kneeling chair in part because I hate big old ugly ergo chairs taking up room in my single-bedroom apartment, and in part because maybe it's a better option, ergonomically, for a guy with an historically villainous lower back?
What's been your experience with a kneeling chair as your primary or sole desk chair?
I may take a job that has me working from home indefinitely (sigh). This means I'll need to set up an office situation in my living room again (sigh). I have been thinking of getting a kneeling chair in part because I hate big old ugly ergo chairs taking up room in my single-bedroom apartment, and in part because maybe it's a better option, ergonomically, for a guy with an historically villainous lower back?
What's been your experience with a kneeling chair as your primary or sole desk chair?
I have one and a couple of key points:
1. They’re often referred to as kneeling chairs but you shouldn’t be putting your weight through your knees (unless you’re like leaning forward across the desk to grab something). Doing that will just give you knee problems instead of back problems. So make sure to try some out in person and satisfy yourself that you can stay in position without putting loads of weight through your knees.
2. The best of all worlds is actually to not stay in any one position all day long. Ideally you’d have a regular office chair and a “kneeling” chair and switch between them through the day (and maybe throw in some standing too).
I got mine cheap on marketplace because it’s the kind of thing loads of people buy, then swiftly get rid of. It’s like this with a bit of a rocking motion built in, which can be nice for the lower back - I wouldn’t now want to switch to one with no rocker. But does take up a lot of space.
posted by penguin pie at 1:58 PM on October 16 [1 favorite]
1. They’re often referred to as kneeling chairs but you shouldn’t be putting your weight through your knees (unless you’re like leaning forward across the desk to grab something). Doing that will just give you knee problems instead of back problems. So make sure to try some out in person and satisfy yourself that you can stay in position without putting loads of weight through your knees.
2. The best of all worlds is actually to not stay in any one position all day long. Ideally you’d have a regular office chair and a “kneeling” chair and switch between them through the day (and maybe throw in some standing too).
I got mine cheap on marketplace because it’s the kind of thing loads of people buy, then swiftly get rid of. It’s like this with a bit of a rocking motion built in, which can be nice for the lower back - I wouldn’t now want to switch to one with no rocker. But does take up a lot of space.
posted by penguin pie at 1:58 PM on October 16 [1 favorite]
I used the cheapest (or close to it) kneeling chair off Amazon for ~4 years straight in the office before switching to work from home. Aside from it being hilariously squeaky (presumably due to its cheapness) it was great. A kneeling chair can be perfectly fine without being fancy.
posted by phunniemee at 2:00 PM on October 16
posted by phunniemee at 2:00 PM on October 16
Oh - and you might also want to think about whether the model you choose lets you sit in a variety of positions. The one I linked to has a bar that goes right the way across left/right for your knees to lightly rest on. It means you can also wriggle round a fair bit - maybe sit cross-legged on it, or in a kind of crouch with your feet on the bar instead of knees, or one knee and one foot.
Some designs just have two separate small pads, one for each knee, and I think they’d be much less versatile.
posted by penguin pie at 2:01 PM on October 16
Some designs just have two separate small pads, one for each knee, and I think they’d be much less versatile.
posted by penguin pie at 2:01 PM on October 16
Been using mine at home for over twenty years now, several hours a day. Bought it at Office Max for like $60 (but now I think they're difficult to find in those big-box stores). Made in Canada, perhaps that's why mine has lasted so long? My father adapted to them even before me, but his wore out quickly, I think because other family members refused to sit in them correctly.
Get the metal kind; in our experience the wooden ones aren't as sturdy. I haven't needed to make any changes to make mine work (but it's so old now, replacing its upholstery is way overdue; however, just throwing a towel over it is easier than dealing.) The last one I bought for my father, before he passed away, was flimsy - I had to augment its needlessly shock-absorbed 'scissors' mechanism with a short length of two-by-four in order to keep its height steady.
posted by Rash at 3:15 PM on October 16
Get the metal kind; in our experience the wooden ones aren't as sturdy. I haven't needed to make any changes to make mine work (but it's so old now, replacing its upholstery is way overdue; however, just throwing a towel over it is easier than dealing.) The last one I bought for my father, before he passed away, was flimsy - I had to augment its needlessly shock-absorbed 'scissors' mechanism with a short length of two-by-four in order to keep its height steady.
posted by Rash at 3:15 PM on October 16
The one I linked to has a bar that goes right the way across left/right for your knees to lightly rest on.
With this style you can also sit kinda half-way, using only one knee, right in the middle; I often perch on mine like this when I have to do some brief task on the computer, only taking a minute or so.
I have nothing but praise for these chairs, don't understand why they aren't more popular. Can't imagine using one without wheels, however.
posted by Rash at 3:28 PM on October 16
With this style you can also sit kinda half-way, using only one knee, right in the middle; I often perch on mine like this when I have to do some brief task on the computer, only taking a minute or so.
I have nothing but praise for these chairs, don't understand why they aren't more popular. Can't imagine using one without wheels, however.
posted by Rash at 3:28 PM on October 16
My mother got one to help with her lower back pain when I was younger, but as it was in front of our only computer I regularly used it for many hours at a stretch. It was good, but it was also easy to misuse and hurt your back in spite of yourself.
Having grown into back problems of my own I won't sit in anything but an Aeron.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 4:13 PM on October 16
Having grown into back problems of my own I won't sit in anything but an Aeron.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 4:13 PM on October 16
Oh my god I could not sit on it right. Ended up always perching on the top with my feet on the knee cushion and in a massive forward slump.
posted by lokta at 4:27 PM on October 16 [1 favorite]
posted by lokta at 4:27 PM on October 16 [1 favorite]
That's how my sister 'used' (and eventually broke) my father's knee-chairs. Clearly, an adjustable design is a necessity.
posted by Rash at 5:51 PM on October 16
posted by Rash at 5:51 PM on October 16
I got one and had a lot of trouble not putting too much weight on my knees and not slouching over. I also kept really really wanting to unbend my legs, and wound up sitting in all kinds of less ergonomic positions to accommodate that.
For smallish footprint and possibly better ergonomics, other options are saddle chairs (Håg's Capisco might be the most elegant one) or an ergonomic stool like the Swopper (or a stability ball chair). Or just a regular flat chair/stool/bench that you perch on the edge of. Some people use a flat chair with a balance disc on top.
With all these options, which try to have you sit upright instead of sinking back against your seat, you might have to work up to sitting in them for extended periods of time and whether they'll help your back is unfortunately a fairly individual question. I've never been able to get to the point of sitting in one all day, but that may be due to other physical issues.
posted by trig at 6:11 PM on October 16
For smallish footprint and possibly better ergonomics, other options are saddle chairs (Håg's Capisco might be the most elegant one) or an ergonomic stool like the Swopper (or a stability ball chair). Or just a regular flat chair/stool/bench that you perch on the edge of. Some people use a flat chair with a balance disc on top.
With all these options, which try to have you sit upright instead of sinking back against your seat, you might have to work up to sitting in them for extended periods of time and whether they'll help your back is unfortunately a fairly individual question. I've never been able to get to the point of sitting in one all day, but that may be due to other physical issues.
posted by trig at 6:11 PM on October 16
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posted by kensington314 at 1:40 PM on October 16