The Best Kneeling Chairs
Kneeling chairs are designed to help reduce back, hip, and neck pain for the knowledge worker who must sit at a desk.
Kneeling chairs help facilitate upright posture that align one’s lower back, upper back, shoulders, and neck. By helping support these body parts, kneeling chairs are associated with enhanced ergonomics. These chairs encourage sitting upright and help users achieve modest forward tilts.
This stands in contrast to chairs with backs which may facilitate slouching. Kneeling chairs are a useful sitting alternative for people with lower lumbar, sciatic and hip problems.
When sitting in a kneeling chair you place your weight on your bottom when seated. Your feet are on the floor and your legs can either bend gently backwards or remain upright, depending on the height and angularity of the chair.
Kneeling chairs place the weight of your body over your lower body and force posture that reduces strain on one’s back. Weight is distributed evenly and enables one to focus on work and not to feel their back while sitting at a desk.
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The Jarrett Height Adjustable Kneeling Chair with Dual Wheel is sleek and black, has an adjustable knee height, and comes with a pneumatic gas lift seat for quick and easy adjustments. When buying a kneeling chair, you are likely inclined to use this type of product to support your lumbar. Ergonomic benefits are important and this chair forces you to sit up right (and now slouch).
This chair also protects your knees as it includes extra soft cushions for your behind and kneecaps where they interact with the chair. The chair feels great on one’s hips as well as the angle of the chair reduces weight on the lower back. The fabric and metal are easy to clean which means that this chair will not cause you extra stress – your seat will always be ready for use.
Because the frame is metal, this kneeling chair is slightly heavier than others we have reviewed, coming in at 17.5 pounds. In terms of day to day work, this extra poundage will not impact you negatively. If anything, it will have a slightly stronger touch of durability and make you feel rooted when sitting in the chair.
For a significant portion of the workforce, sitting at a desk is the rule. Sitting in a regular chair for long periods of time can be uncomfortable, so it’s smart to check out some different seating choices that can lead to better health outcomes for your back and hips. Your workday will be more fun with an ergonomic kneeling office chair that inspires you to sit with better posture.
The Bookham Height Adjustable Kneeling Chair performs its job incredibly well. It has a metal frame which is our preferred material of choice because metral chairs can last decades. The seat material is upholstered which we also love because of its breathability and how it feels on the skin. If you are sitting on this chair in shorts, for example, it won’t cause you to itch.
The chair weighs nearly 30 pounds, which makes it a lot lighter than traditional chairs but heavier than most other kneeling chair options. The base finish is great and the seat finish is black. These darker color hues will complement any home office.
One very important thing you must know about this chair is its weight capacity, which comes in at 200 pounds. If you weigh more than this, please evaluate other chairs. This chair does require assembly but comes with a default 2 year product and commercial warranty.
With this Office Star ergonomic knee chair create a more unique seating arrangement in your work from home office. A manual height adjustment feature makes it easy to find the right configuration to suit your desk, while the dual-wheel carpet casters allow you to wheel this chair from your desk into the conference room or boardroom. Plush memory foam cushions add additional support to your knees and lower body. The armless, backless design encourages a more active seating experience which keeps you focused on the work of the day. This Office Star ergonomic knee chair brings a sophisticated look to your workspace, boasting soft fabric upholstery and rich espresso accents.
If you are looking for a sleek, easy to assemble, and minimalist kneeling chair, the Barth Height Adjustable Kneeling Chair with Dual Wheel will meet your expectations.
This chair offers many benefits: it’s affordable and doesn’t come with unnecessary fancy add-ons. Its sleep metral frame is durable. It has a weight of 16 pounds so you can easily pick it up and move it room to room. Or, you can feel well settled sitting in it without sliding. The 4 wheels and 2.5 inch seat thickness will enhance your comfort and range of motion while using it.
This chair is great for a sit/stand desk that can be lowered closer to the floor or for people who have back pain and need extra help sitting upright. The forcing function of this type of chair is that it enhances posture: without the back that most other chairs have, the user is forced to sit up right.
This chair requires assembly.
The Master Massage kneeling chair us a great option for an ergonomic chair for working from home. A manual height adjustment function makes it simple to find the best configuration to suit your seat, whereas the dual-wheel carpet casters allow you to wheel this chair from your desk into the conference room. The frame of the chair is made of high quality wood and steel, but it can be adjusted to suit most people of different ages. With the exclusive high-quality materials, the pads on the chair are ultra-comfortable and it won’t be a hassle if you decide to stay for hours. There are front and back wheels so the chair is easier to get around. If you don’t use it, you can fold the chair, and save storage space.
Ranked #1 Best Kneeling Chair 2019 by Beyond the Office Door and many others, the Varier Variable Balans Original Kneeling Chair is perfect for a home office. Sitting on a kneeling chair at Variable Balans offers a brand new sitting experience. This kneeling chair is suitable for both children and adults.
Variable’s unique design and functionality makes it an icon that is instantly recognizable. The sophisticated kneeling design gently tilts your pelvis forward, which encourages a natural upright posture. With strong core muscles and minimal pressure on your spinal discs, your back and shoulders relax. Place your weight firmly on the forward sloping seat of the kneeling chair, and one or both of your lower legs on, in front of, between, or beside the shin pads to vary your sitting position.
Variable Balans offers an iconic embodiment of Scandinavian simplicity. Designed as an open construction free of mechanical adjustment parts, the chair is lightweight and can be moved around easily while requiring minimal cleaning effort, making it a stylish companion that meets the demands of a modern lifestyle for a modern home office.
The DRAGONN Ergonomic Kneeling Chair provides superb protection for your back. This ergonomic kneeling chair with back support is equipped with a three-inch mesh dense cushion. It includes four casters (wheels) and you can shift easily – just like your old office chair. The sturdy X design is made to be supportive and holds up to 250 lbs.
With a strong black metal base built to last, sleek three inch foam cushion to keep you comfortable all day, and 4 castor rolling wheels with brakes to keep you moving freely, you will love the Deft Desk kneeling chair new kneeling chair. The heavy duty and sturdy construction chair also supports up to 250lb, yet blending nicely into your work from home office. The Defy Desk kneeling chair has multiple height adjustable positions to make sure that you find your correct sitting position and remain comfortable all day.
The Wolfson Height Adjustable Kneeling Chair is a delightful product. It is elegant, adjustable, and highly functional. Unlike many kneeling chairs, it can be adjusted and is not “set in stone”. This gives you – the user – enhanced flexibility for ergonomic support.
Secondly, the chair is stunning to look at. If you care about design aesthetics (fabric upholstery, wood frames, dual wheel casters), then this chair will make you smile. It just looks terrific. But how a chair looks is only part of the story. It needs to fit without your lifestyle and help you do home office work. And the chair performs very well in this dimension as well.
Because its height is adjustable and the fabric is easy to clean, this chair empowers you to focus on work and being in a clean and comfortable environment. The natural wood frame is durable and strong. The chair is also fire retardant and TAA compliant – so you can use it knowing that it’s environmentally safe.
This chair requires assembly.
Buyers Guide
Do kneeling chairs help lower back pain?
Kneeling chairs are considered the best chair for lower back pain for the following reasons:
- When sitting on this type of chair, you support your upper body with both your buttocks and lower legs. This increases the surface area in contact with the chair. And through this posture, stress is reduced on your back – the lower back in particular.
- These chairs improve blood circulation to your lower limbs, an area that is typically adversely affected in cases of lower back discomfort.
- An open-angled posture while sitting greatly reduces the pressure on your lumbar spine, thighs and buttocks as compared to sitting on conventional chairs where all the pressure is placed on your lower spine.
What are the downsides of kneeling chairs?
Some of the most common issues with kneeling chairs are:
- It takes a while to get used to the new sitting posture, which can be uncomfortable at first. Your body may need time to adapt to the chair especially if you have never used a kneeling chair before.
- It is not as easy as entering a standard sitting position, so kneeling chairs can be more challenging to use for those with intense knee pain.
- If you have a height adjustable desk and use it often for sitting, you might want to think twice about a kneeling chair as they tend to be lower to the ground.
- Since your knees are used in kneeling chairs, sitting on a kneeling chair for prolonged periods of time can affect your knees and their comfort. You should stretch your muscles every hour or two in order to relieve potential knee pain from a kneeling chair.
Choosing an alternative ergonomic chair if kneeling chairs aren’t right for you
Even before transitioning to working from home, you likely spent a lot of time at a desk. Sitting for long periods of time can take acute tolls on the body.
A kneeling chair is a product that is designed to help mitigate these tolls while also leaving you comfortable enough to work. The ergonomic benefits of kneeling chairs are profound as they force good posture upon you while removing stress from your lower back and hips.
Why Ergonomic Chairs are Important
Inactivity and looking at screens all day can lead our bodies to develop discomforts, including common aches and pains.
Specifically, we can develop tightness in our muscles, muscle spasms, tension headaches, stiffness in our joints, muscle atrophy (when your muscles become smaller from not using them – use it or lose it!), and even detrimental changes in the alignment of our bones, especially our spine.
Our bodies are adaptable and responsive to our environment and habits. Therefore, they change based on the position(s) and activities we do most of the time. A 19th century anatomist and surgeon, Julius Wolff, described this phenomenon according to the how our bones respond to the physical stresses that are placed on them.
So how do we combat potentially detrimental changes in our body caused by working at a computer all day? There are two effective ways to do this that will safeguard your musculoskeletal health. 1) Increase your activity level throughout the day. 2) Make sure that your sitting position is ergonomically sound and conducive to optimal muscular and bone alignment.
In this article, I am going to elaborate more on the latter protective measure. More specifically, I am going to help you choose a chair that will help to promote better sitting posture. I will also include features that reduce some of the stresses placed on your body from prolonged sitting.
Choosing the Best Ergonomic Office Chair
Each body and anatomical structure slightly differs. However, there is research to support what optimal spinal alignment should look like (see image below). This is where your vertebrae (the bones that make up your spine) are most congruent and the surrounding musculature (in your neck, shoulders, back, and hips) are in a position that corresponds with the least amount of tension or strain.
When choosing an office chair, you want to find one that promotes an optimal spinal alignment. This ensures that you’re not contributing to detrimental changes in your muscles and vertebrae that can occur from chronically poor sitting posture. Aside from kneeling chairs, here are a few more great ergonomic chairs that work hard to keep your back comfortable and your posture upright. All of these will provide you with excellent bodily support throughout the day.
Other Chairs That Offer Ergonomic Benefits
1. Duramont Ergonomic Adjustable Office Chair with Lumbar Support and Rollerblade Wheels
There are a few key features that make this chair ergonomically optimal. These are the headrest, the lumbar support, the tilt feature, the adjustable height, and the wheels. I always recommend getting a desk chair with a headrest. However, it is only beneficial if you use it. It helps prevent your bones and muscles from assuming a forward head posture. This places excess stress on the muscles and bones in the neck. You must keep the back of your head in contact with the head rest throughout your day to avoid this.
Essentially, it can serve as a tactile cue to maintain optimal sitting posture. The adjustable lumbar support and tilt feature can be used to help you achieve the ideal amount of curvature in your lower back. And, it helps to mitigate pressure on the spinal discs. The adjustable height feature will allow you to customize the chair to your unique body dimensions. Thus, you won’t have to stray from optimal alignment to see your screen, type, or perform any other work tasks.
Lastly, the wheels will allow you to turn the chair rather than twist your spine. This is important if you’re regularly having to reach for papers, files, print, or scan in areas outside of your immediate work station. Repetitive twisting can lead to excess pressure on your spine or overuse injuries of the muscles that help you twist. This is especially true if it’s always in the same direction. Therefore, using the chair’s wheels rather than repetitively twisting your spine can prevent or relieve pain.
2. Hbada Ergonomic Office Recliner Chair
This chair features a lot of the same ergonomic characteristics as the Duramont chair at a lower price point. It includes a greater tilt/recline capacity with an extendable leg rest for when you’re fully reclined (155 degrees).
As I mentioned, reclining allows you to mitigate some of the pressure on your spinal discs.
The closer you get to a laying down position, the less pressure on your discs – so the increased reclining capacity this chair offers allows you to achieve a more beneficial position in terms of spinal disc pressure.
Even if you’re not planning on working from a fully reclined position for the majority of your day, it is still beneficial to periodically recline yourself fully to change your positioning, reset your posture, and relieve some stress on your low back. Remember that our bodies adapt to the positions that we spend most of our time in. So the more we can change our position throughout the day, the less likely our bodies will start to make reactive structural changes that can lead to pain or injury.
3. Homall Office Chair PU Leather Ergonomic Adjustable
The Homall chair offers all of the important features to help ensure ideal sitting posture. This chair is great for those who know that they can’t take regular standing or activity breaks throughout the day. It is guaranteed to offer more support and comfort due to the increased cushioning through the seat and backrest.
If you notice that you feel soreness in your buttocks or the back of your legs from prolonged sitting, this chair may help relieve that pain from the increased padding in the seat cushion and the foam material used inside the leather covering.
5. Teeter Sit-Stand Desk – Adjustable Height Ergonomic Workstation
Similar to a kneeling chair, this workstation seating mechanism requires constant postural awareness and muscular activation. However, it still provides ergonomic features such as seat height and angle adjustability. And it has the option to tuck away the seat altogether to work while standing. Alternating between sitting and standing throughout the work day would inherently increase the variety of your positioning and posture, and up your activity level.
Another benefit that this option offers is that you can adjust and fix the distance of the seat from the desk, which would allow you to choose a distance where you’re not inclined to hunch forward or assume a forward head posture.
While having a mobile desk chair that has wheels prevents the strain caused by repetitive twisting, if you’re work activities don’t entail a lot of twisting then being able to fix your seat at a distance that promotes optimal posture is a useful feature. Again, if you already own a desk chair with back support and a headrest, this would be a great additional investment so that you can switch between the two seating options and promote better musculoskeletal health.
Ergonomic Desk Setup Infographic
I made this handy infographic to help you put together a more ergonomic workstation that minimizes the stress on your body.
I hope this article will help you choose the best desk chair for your personal and professional needs to help you improve your posture and your quality of life.
Fred splits his corporate time between the office and his WFH office. He believes that a few days of working remotely is a great way to boost productivity and employee happiness. Fred started WFH Adviser in order to share insights and products with people who are beginning their WFH journey.
