Ball Chair

The ultimate Ball Chair is at http://www.ballchair.com

>>What if somebody is interested in the famous ball chair by Aarnio? I guess there should be a link leading to that ball chair too so i put one here: http://regencyshop.com/p80/Ball-Chair/product_info.html<<

I just bought a BallChair - it is a huge plastic inflated ball that some people use for exercising. You can also sit on it. People with back problems often sit on these balls because you tend to sit upright on a ball, lest you fall over. Anyway, I have to say - I love it! I've only used it for a day, but so far, a big thumbs up. And it looks so funny - just a huge yellow ball beside your desk - so zen! You can buy one at http://www.RelaxTheBack.com - US$30 - $40. --JoshuaKerievsky

I didn't see one in their current catalog (1/2001)...perhaps the G Ball, http://www.gmpfitness.com/html/gballs/ballchair.htm, is the item you're describing? -- JeffreyMiller

Please keep giving status reports. I'm going to have to get furniture for my apartment and this BallChair might work out nicely. I'm really more of a sloucher though... --JasonYip

Sure thing Jason. I too slouch with the best of them, but I aspire to sit up straight!

Status Report - Three Days of Use

I still love the BallChair after three days of using it. I have noticed that it has lost a little bit of air and it was more comfortable when it was fully inflated. So my next purchase is a good air pump. That'll bring the total price of this chair to around US$70 -- still much cheaper than the US$500 chair I bought five years ago because I was tired of sitting on uncomfortable chairs. --JoshuaKerievsky

Why worry whether the pump is good? Even the cheapest will work, and won't break if used carefully.

Good question - and now that I've lived on this ball chair for a few months, I can say that yes, indeed, you need a good pump, because the darn thing loses air the more you sit on it. I bought a cheap hand-pump, but it takes waaaay to long to inflate the ball. So now I'm gonna get a good electric air pump. In any event, I still love the BallChair.

Do these exercise ball things come in different sizes? Or do you just adjust the seat height using air pressure (i.e., changes the amount you depress the chair when sitting on it)? --JasonYip

Yes, they come in different sizes and you can inflate them to different sizes. If you fill one with a lot of air, you'll sit higher on it. I find that I'm more comfortable when the ball is fully inflated so that it is actually firm to the touch. One thing I didn't realize when I got the ball was just how much air I could put in it -- I underinflated the first time and wasn't comfortable. So I called the company that sells it and they said "go to town with the air" -- meaning, don't be afraid to fill it with a lot of air - the material is strong and the ball will just expand. So I re-inflated the ball and it when I was finished, it was much larger, firmer and more comfortable to sit on. --jk

Be aware that visitors may see your ball as something to bounce or throw, in a way they wouldn't with a normal chair. Things may get broken, and noses flattened.

Another product similar to this but more comprehensive is the Sit-A-Round (http://www.sit-a-round.com). It uses the same concept, but sits on a height-adjustable base with self-locking wheels.

When I say the title of this page, I thought it meant a chair with a ball-and-chain attached, to keep FullTimeExempt programmers at work for the requisite 70 hours.... (of course, such a contraption would also need a means to keep said programmers seated in the chair)

CategoryErgonomics