Kneeling chair
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A kneeling chair is a type of chair for sitting in a position with the thighs dropped to an angle of about 60 to 70 degrees from vertical (as opposed to 90 degrees when sitting in a normal chair), with some of the body's weight supported by the shins.
Despite the name, the posture of a person in a kneeling chair is not the same as kneeling on the ground. It is sometimes assumed that the knees bear most of the body's weight when sitting in a kneeling chair, but this is incorrect – the shins bear some weight for stability, reducing the weight borne by the upper thighs and buttocks, but the body is still sitting, not kneeling. During actual kneeling, most of the weight rests on the knees with feet providing balance against tipping backwards.
The kneeling chair is known by several names:
- YogaChair (a trademark)
- Balans chair (a trademark)
- Various versions of "balance chair", "knee chair" or Scandinavian/Swedish/Norwegian chair
- Kneelsit chair (a trademark) - incorporates an adjustable backrest for lumbar support and mounts the seat and kneeler on swivel bearings for movement
Mass produced kneeling chairs are readily available; the best are adjustable with high-density padding instead of cheaper types of foam.
[edit] External links
- Working in a Sitting Position - Alternative Chairs - Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety
- The Original HAG Balans chair by Peter Opsvik - Opsvik's office version of the Balans chair.
- The Original Variable Balans by Peter Opsvik - The original kneeling chair continues to be produced today under the name Variér, (formerly Stokke) and is again available in the US and Canada as of spring 2008.
