Chairs to Take Your Home Office to the Next Level | Home + Garden | southsoundmag.com

Just as Goldilocks learned during her foray into the home of the three bears, not every seat is a winner.

The array of office chairs available on the market is as diverse as the rear ends that rest upon them. Some sitters prefer an aesthetically pleasing seat, while others put superior lumbar support above all else. And then there are the fidgeters — the can’t-sit-still, have-to-move-and-shift bouncers, rockers, and contortionists for whom a standard desk chair just won’t do. It is for those office dwellers that alternative seating was designed. Whether buying for one’s own home office or purchasing as a reasonable accommodation for an employee, there’s likely to be a seat here that will be “just right.”

Pipersong Meditation Chair Plus

A TikTok sensation for the past year, this meditation chair from Pipersong allows users to sit, squat, kneel, and even strike a “crisscross applesauce” pose. Adored by meditators and yoga lovers and adopted by work-fromhome employees, the seat’s 360-degree swivel footstool is what gives users the freedom to change positions easily and often.

pipersong.com | $399

Newtral Freedom-X

The tagline for this new seat is “one chair, limitless possibilities,” and honestly, we get it. What at first blush just looks like a standard office chair with a wide seat and high armrests is actually a highly convertible piece of furniture. The armrests fold down, allowing the user to sit in a wide variety of positions, make room for their pets, or even lay down for a quick siesta on their break. There’s also a laptop tray (with cupholders) built into the seat back. The company just wrapped up a Kickstarter campaign and will begin selling online later this year.

newtralchair.store | TBD

Move by Varier

Users at sit/stand desks need seating that will work for any height. Cue this sleek sit/stand stool dreamed up in the 1980s by Norwegian designer Per Øie. It features an ergonomic foam seat to promote improved posture, a high-pressure gas lift mechanism for smooth transitions from sit to stand, and a durable base that will stand up to the most aggressive rockers and leaners.

varierchairs.com | $399

The Moon Pod

The days of aging Gen Xers and millennials playing Nintendo in a beanbag chair on the floor are a distant memory — it used to be easy to climb out of one of those things, right? But The Moon Pod is an adultfriendly reinvention of the torture device from our youth primed for the home office. “A soft stretch sleeve holds thousands of high-density beads that conform to every inch of your body,” reads the product description likening the experience to “floating in space.” Add on a crescent backrest and a lunar lift footrest ($139 each) for added comfort.

moonpod.co | $399

Variable Balans Kneeling Chair

Speaking of Norwegian-born seating, the kneeling chair is the pinnacle of alternative seating for many and was first created by industrial designer Peter Opsvik in 1979. It since has been recognized as one of the “50 furniture designs that changed the world.” The open design of these chairs allows the user to not just kneel (and rock) but also assume a variety of sitting postures while relieving pressure on the lower back.

varierchairs.com | $349

Gaiam Classic Balance Ball Chair

A favorite among fitness-minded employees, this core-strengthening balance ball chair by yoga-tool designer Gaiam also benefits the fidgeter. The chair features a small backrest; rolling caster wheels; and, of course, a durable balance ball that allows the sitter to bounce, lean, and rock while also promoting improved posture and spinal alignment.

gaiam.com | $70