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With the ergonomic chairs above ranging from £150 to over £1,500, you’d be forgiven for wondering if there’s a cheaper way to improve your sitting posture. Wobble cushions, sometimes called balance discs, are partially inflated so that the air inside them moves around as you shift your weight. Constant small rebalancing motions keep your core muscles engaged, improving your posture and relieving back pain.
Usually made of tough PVC, they vary in price and appearance. The most affordable wobble cushion we’ve tried is by Core Balance (£13.59, also available at Amazon). It has sensory-input nodules on the top which are thought to help children with attention deficit conditions. They encourage you to keep making small, slight adjustments. At 33cm, the Core Balance is a little narrower than most bottoms which encourages movement around the core, but you may find that when you stand up there’s a tingly feeling between your buttocks that not everyone will appreciate.
Slightly more polite is Sissel’s Sitfit (£24.99 from BackInAction, also available at Amazon), the same size but without the nodules. Instead it has wavy ridges, also thought to be helpful in cases of ADHD. It comes with an exercise poster: you can stand on wobble cushions to add core-strengthening instability to any workout.
At the top end is the Pil & Ped from Denmark’s VLUV (£69 at BackInAction). It’s wider and covered in machine-washable upholstery fabric, which comes in various colours to match your office chair. This is the one to choose if you don’t want everyone asking you what you’re sitting on as they swing past your desk.
When using a wobble cushion, remember to have your feet directly under your hips and your shoulders directly above them. Bring your keyboard close to your midriff and have your monitor at eye level to get the most benefit out of this cheap but effective posture aid.
What is an ergonomic office chair?
An ergonomic office chair is one that supports the entire body and promotes good posture. Unless they’re custom made, ergonomic chairs should be highly adjustable. The aim is to achieve a posture where shoulders, spine and hips all sit over each other with no discomfort.
How do you choose an office chair?
Ergonomic consultant Lee Jones defines an ergonomic office chair as one that suits your individual body. The best way to guarantee this is to buy a chair with a high level of adjustability. Look for adjustable seat height, a tilt feature, adjustable armrests and an adjustable neck rest, if there is one.
The perfect ergonomic office chair will have your head to pelvis in a straight line, with your legs at a right angle and flat on the ground. Easier said than done.
Are ergonomic office chairs better than normal chairs?
Using a regular chair from your kitchen can put pressure on vertebrae and disks. Their shapes often also encourage slumping – where your spine isn’t aligned with your neck and pelvis. Sitting like this for at least eight hours a day can cause serious back pain. Ergonomic office chairs are designed to take pressure off your joints and muscles.
