Kneeling Chairs for an Improved Posture

Kneeling chairs were first designed in 1979 and since then, they have become a popular alternative to the standard sitting chair where the user's knees are at 90 degrees to vertical. With a kneeling chair however, the knees are 60-80 degrees from vertical which is said to offer a posture more similar to that of standing straight. Many people, when spending their working day sitting in a standard chair day in day out for weeks on end can suffer from lower back pain and in these situations, using a kneeling stool or chair can often be of great benefit.

The normal position of ones spine when standing up straight is that the spine at the base of the back arcs inwards towards the body. However when sitting in a normal chair, this portion of the spine has a tendency to arc outwards which can result in discomfort in the lower back region. A kneeling chair maintains the natural arc of the lower back giving its user an improved posture. This can help to ease discomfort if lower back problems are already present, or minimise the likelihood of lower back problems developing.

Since the initial design of the kneel chair in the late 1970's, a variety of posture chairs have been introduced on to the market. The original Balans chair featured a pair of rockers allowing users to slightly adjust their sitting angle, whereas later designs features casters more in keeping with a standard office chair. Back rests and arm rests were also fitted to some designs, but possibly the most popular design today is the foldable kneeling chair. This is much more compact than the original Balans chair, can easily be carried from room to room, or taken to ones place of work if necessary. The folding version is also much more affordable than the larger versions and as a result, has possibly become the best selling of all kneeling chairs available.

The addition of a gas lift mechanism made the kneel chair even more versatile and taller versions, called a kneeling stool were being used in some modern and swanky wine bars in major British cities throughout the 1990's. Wherever they can be found, they command interest and intrigue, quickly followed by the realisation of just how comfortable a kneel char can be to sit on. Even today, more than thirty years after the initial product launch, kneeling chairs are still considered as modern and forward thinking as they ever were.