
Saddle chair - lelf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddle_chair
======
rendaw
I've been using a Salli chair for 3-4 years. I can't say anything about actual
effectiveness, but can give some anecdotes.

* It doesn't force you into a straight-back posture, but it makes it as easy as slouching. If you stop concentrating you don't fall into a poor posture.

* There's really only one way to sit on the chair, with your sit-bones taking most of the pressure. In a normal office chair I can switch between a set of different slouches to move the pressure between points, but not with this chair. I bought a height adjustable desk to compensate and switch between sitting and standing several times a day.

* It takes a fair amount of strength. I don't remember if it took me time to build muscle initially, and on a day to day basis I don't notice any tiredness or anything, but when I'm sick it is _really_ hard to sit on this chair - I feel like I'm going to pass out (maybe not to that extent, but it's quite noticable).

* I bought the first one for $800, but AFAICT they've come down to $300ish this year maybe due to competition. They're sturdy and really nicely built, but in the end it's just a stool with some curves.

* May or not be related, but I found my back getting really stiff because it is literally straight all day - sleeping, standing up, sitting on the Salli chair, etc, which worries me a bit.

* You sit at a much higher level than with normal chairs, so you'll need a higher desk to accommodate.

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pareidolia
You make it sound so complicated. Are you overweight? When I got my first
Salli Twin due to sciatica I was sitting 14 hours a day on it in the first
week.

Also, the expensive models are made in Finland while the $300 models are made
in China for the outside-EU market.

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chrisweekly
Sitting on anything 14h/day is a recipe for disaster!

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dmortin
The same goes for standing if one has a standing desk, and for any other
position.

You should vary your position regularly (every hour, for example). The
simplest solution for this is a desk where the height can be changed easily
(maybe with a motor), so one can sit for a while, then stand for a while, and
so on.

~~~
WalterSear
The simplest solution is a chair made for a standing desk.

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jeremy_wiebe
I’ve done that but I never liked the lack of options for foot position. You
either have your feet tucked back on the foot pegs or they’re hanging. Neither
were optimal for me (maybe partly because I’m tall and having my feet on the
pegs felt like i was “tuck g up”.

~~~
WalterSear
I know what you mean, having had to use those chairs myself, but a less than
ideal chair is a less than ideal chair.

I only had to use the 'bad' chair because the good ones - with a proper foot
rest - had been snagged.

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crazygringo
Anyone interested in sitting posture and chair design should read "The Chair:
Rethinking Culture, Body, and Design" by Galen Cranz.

It's a fascinating analysis of how chairs impact posture and the related
biomechanics. It shows why oft-touted "lumbar support" does more harm than
good, how attitudes to chairs and posture are affected by cultural
expectations, and why there is no perfect chair, but with recommendations for
how different chairs manage different tradeoffs -- she ultimately most highly
recommends high stools which allow the body to maintain a 135° angle with full
foot support -- which the saddle chair accomplishes.

[1] [https://www.amazon.com/Chair-Rethinking-Culture-Body-
Design/...](https://www.amazon.com/Chair-Rethinking-Culture-Body-
Design/dp/0393319555)

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stevesearer
The Capsico chair is another non-standard design where you can straddle the
chair and lean you chest against the ‘back’.
[http://www.haginc.com/products/hag-
capisco/](http://www.haginc.com/products/hag-capisco/)

~~~
dhimes
It would be great if the website had a picture of someone actually using the
chair. The way it's oriented with the desk makes it look like you lean your
back against the "backrest."

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frou_dh
I'm not convinced by this concept at all!
[https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0200/1582/products/HAG_Cap...](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0200/1582/products/HAG_Capisco_8106_2_e72c1b18-9582-4521-b1e3-a0b65516862b_grande.jpg?v=1479857222)

~~~
dhimes
Oh dear. That has "meme" written all over it!

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amenghra
I used to love
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kneeling_chair](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kneeling_chair)
as a kid.

~~~
lph
What ever happened to those things? Seems like they were everywhere in the
80's and then they all disappeared.

~~~
foreigner
You can still get them. I'm sitting in one right now.

~~~
module0000
I'm impulsive, I blame you for the future amazon purchase. Used to visit my
dad's office as a young child and always loved his kneeling chair. Nostalgia
here I come!

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ivanb
I use one alternating between a Salli and an Ikea Markus. The greatest benefit
to me is in greatly improved blood flow in legs and pelvis area. The second
benefit is in providing natural temperature control in an area that counts.
The third benefit is in making my core muscles work.

You still can slouch in the saddle especially if you don't have an elbow
support or if your table is not tall enough. If your arms are not in a
symmetrical position during the day, e.g. if you are a frequent mouse user,
spine would tend to curve to the side of the hand that is further from the
center. This can result in scoliosis.

Would I recommend one? Yes, if you have blood flow problems.

I noticed that if I'm doing exercises I can seat on whatever comfortably save
for the bloodflow issue.

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athenot
I've been using a saddle chair for about 7 years. I got it when I built my
standup desk and wanted to alternate between standing and sitting, so I got a
bar-height saddle chair (a little less common but it's made). That way whether
I was standing or sitting, my eyes were at the same level w.r.t. to the
screen.

That worked great in a setting where I was going and coming to my desk
frequently and having to show stuff to others (beats making people bend down
to watch a screen). Since then, that desk has moved to my home office and a
few months ago, I adapted it to a sitting position but for a desk height that
sits midway between a regular sitting desk and a standup desk. I still enjoy
it for all-day work.

However, at the risk of stating the obvious, NO CHAIR is suitable for 8 hours
sitting down. Regardless of your setup, getting up and taking breaks is
necessary. Go for a little walk: both your back and your mind will thank you.
Even better: do some stretching exercises during breaks—a goal I aspire to but
haven't yet trained myself to do on a consistent basis.

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jypepin
The article doesn't mention if this is actually good for ergonomics. Can
anyone comment on this?

~~~
diamondo25
"Adapting to a saddle chair takes time and requires a new kind of attitude
towards sitting. The most common reason for using a saddle chair is that the
users feel it is healthier for the back and legs than a standard chair. An
intervention study on schoolchildren[1] found that initially saddle chairs
were liked better, but the difference leveled off over time."

Though

"A divided seat reduces pressure on the perineum and lowers the temperature in
the genital area. A divided seat is thought to be healthier, especially for
men, than a solid seat."

~~~
PeterisP
Claims "that the users feel it is healthier" don't really answer that
question; self-reported feelings are misleading and many posture problems,
damage/deformations to spine and long-term pain is caused by people slumping
in positions that feel comfy to them.

 _Is_ it healthier, is there any evidence for that?

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dsfyu404ed
Honest question: If these are so great then why didn't they take off at some
point in the past few thousand years? If they were at least equal to
conventional chairs you'd think they would have since they obviously require
less material to make.

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jfim
Probably because planar things are easier and cheaper to make with limited
machinery, instead of sculpting a shape out of a large block of material.

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donatj
My wife is a hair stylist and they have these around salons for stylists
who've injured their leg or otherwise can't stand while doing haircuts.

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whistlerbrk
At home I use the Hag Capisco, it helps but it is no panacea

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YeGoblynQueenne
Humans aren't built to sit all day. This is much better [1]

________________

[https://xkcd.com/1329/](https://xkcd.com/1329/)

~~~
dmortin
There is the treadmill desk:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jcd5XV4VL8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jcd5XV4VL8)

