Classic

I’ve wanted a balance ball chair ever since I read a few articles praising them on Lifehacker. I already owned a cheap balance-ball, but had no base or way to really stabilize the ball. After reading endless reviews and going through the questions/answers here on Amazon, I finally decided to bite the bullet and order the Gaiam Balance Ball Chair. In the box is one chair frame (disassembled), one 52cm balance ball (deflated), a hand pump (borderline useless) and a nice, well-illustrated booklet containing exercises/stretches to use with the chair. The chair itself is a cinch to assemble – the casters simply press into the base, then the back support clicks into the base and is held in place with 2 twist-in bolts. Finally, 4 small nuts hold on the wire ball support (a little wrench is provided). All in all, assembly takes under 5 minutes. The ball is a different story – the ball needs to be at room temperature before inflating. You only want to inflate the ball about 80%, then let it acclimate and stretch for about 24 hours. Gaiam provides a small hand pump, but it’s incredibly tedious an inefficient to use. I used a bicycle pump and inflated the ball to about 42 cm (about 16.5”), then left it sitting for 24 hours. Note: By 42cm, I don’t mean the circumference of the ball. I marked off 42cm from the wall, placed the ball against the wall, and inflated until the edge of the ball touched the 42cm mark on my tape measure. After acclimating, I followed Gaiam’s directions and inflated the ball fully to 52cm (about 20.5”). The ball, being fully inflated, needed some manipulating to fit into the chair frame, but nothing too difficult. Before I purchased the ball chair, my main concern about the chair was height – I am only 5’0” tall, and was afraid that the chair would leave me sitting too low. Turns out, the opposite was true – once the fully-inflated ball was in place, I was seated up very high, and my feet did not touch the floor. Gaiam’s instructions say to inflate the ball so that the thighs and shins should be at a 90° angle to the floor. If your hips are higher than your knees, deflate the ball. Conversely, if your hips are lower than your knees, you need to inflate the ball to find that ‘sweet spot’ for your height. I ended up deflating the ball until my feet were able to touch the floor – as a result, the ball was not as firm and had more ‘give’ to it, but the ball is still quite comfortable. I have to make slight adjustments to keep myself stabilized, which activates my core. I also have to sit up straighter instead of slouching or leaning forward (as us shorter people are prone to doing). The chair’s ‘back’ isn’t really meant as a support structure; per Gaiam’s instruction booklet, it’s strictly for stability during exercises. Work your way up to using a balance ball chair – I recommend ditching your office chair and going to the balance ball chair full-time. As you become more conscious of your posture and core, you’ll be utilizing muscles previously neglected. So, work your way up to the chair – I spent a few hours in the ball chair, then a few hours in my regular office chair until I felt comfortable going ‘full-time’ with the ball chair. I do not use the ball itself for any exercises, though I do perform some of the seated stretches from the included booklet. Now, my posture is so much better, my lower-back pain is near nonexistent, and I can definitely feel a difference in how my core feels. I also don’t experience the tailbone pain that I used to have after a long day of work. For under $80, you won’t find a better chair.

This chair is fantastic and perfect for my job. I have a herniated disc at L4/L5, which I've been dealing with for 3 years. I've tried everything for pain management with no long-term success, and I'm not a candidate for surgery, so I decided to buy this chair with the hopes that it would help strengthen my back during the day. I have a desk job, but do get up at least every hour to walk around a bit. It is so incredibly comfortable and stable! I make sure to not use the backrest and sit up very straight to get the most out of the ball. I waited to write this review about a month after I purchased. The first day, because it was so comfortable, I sat on it for nearly 6 hours and came home in pain! Don't get me wrong, this is NOT a bad thing - this is a good thing! This means it works - it does what it's supposed to do - strengthens your core and those muscles along your spine. If you're unsure, think no more - YOU MUST BUY THIS CHAIR!! When you put it together, the ball will make the whole chair look really low, and I was worried it would be too short for my desk, but it was the perfect height. My desk at work is tall, and our monitors are elevated even more - I would say you're probably safe to buy this for your desk, as I believe mine is higher than typical desks. My advice to others - 1. There are only two wheels with brakes on them - if you're like me, you roll around to different parts of your desk all day. You should put those wheels on the back, so you don't accidentally put the brakes down with your heels. 2. Pump that ball up as much as it will go! You want it to be really full and firm. 3. Start off sitting in the chair for 2-3 hours per day, then slowly move up in hour increments so you build up your muscles and don't end up hurting your back like I did! Example: Monday & Tuesday, sit for 2-3 hours. Wednesday & Thursday, sit for 3-4 hours. Friday and next Monday, sit for 4-5 hours, etc. You will not regret buying this chair. I'm so happy I did!

I feel like giving it 5 stars: it is exactly what I expected. But... I do NOT "love it"; my back hasn't strengthened to the point necessary: I get a back-ache after several hours on it. I think I NEED it, however; I think in time I'll have stronger back muscles from using this... and then I'll owe it a 5th star. Observations: * I didn't see any assembly instructions in the box until after I finished. Keep an eye out for the 6x8" sheet. It's pretty intuitive and undemanding, but there are facts to consider on the sheet. * What looks like a "back" isn't: it's impossibly far to the rear and flimsy for a back, but just fine for a handle to move the "chair" around. Hang a coat on the "back" and the unit will probably fall over. * That "back" is the only blight on assembly: the two screws attaching it are short enough that the back piece must be fully seated in its "socket" before the screws meet the embedded nuts. Be patient, be brutal. * I used-to place my wireless keyboard on my knees while typing. This chair encourages a more spread-legged posture for stability -- creating a tripod of separated feet and the ball -- and that means the keyboard works better on a little table. My position, legs 60 degrees apart, might be indelicate for a Lady in mixed company(!), but I'll leave it to the female species to comment on alternate positions and perspectives. * I found inflating it to be quite awkward at first, though easier after I had it 20% full. This would be a time where growing or borrowing an extra pair of hands would ease matters. * While it -looks- a bit fragile, it seems completely untroubled by my 240 lbs. I already had a Gaiam Balance Ball and would've liked to purchased the chair alone without a second ball. No go. That Gaiam Ball, alone, was tedious chair-substitute: it rolled around too much, requiring more attention and effort than this variant. With this balance chair, the ball tends to stay in place: if you lean slightly to the side, the chair remains centered and the ball doesn't try to run away. When you sit on it, the ball doesn't try to skip out from under one. It might be that at some future point the chair might reduce the exercise-benefit of the ball alone, but I find it easier to start out with the "chair". Now... just have to get those back muscles toned up...

I purchased this chair because I have lower back pain. I've had it now for about 6 months and find that at the end of the day my back feels much better. I don't use the ball for working out, I only use it as an office chair. It definitely takes a little while to get used to it. The first few days, my back was sore and I almost went back to my old chair. It was sore, but it didn't hurt. After about a week, I stopped noticing my back being sore. I'm pretty sure it is because my back had to build up the muscles to support my body. Which is exactly what I was hoping it would do. The chair doesn't allow you to lean on the back of a normal office type chair, therefore forcing you to use your back muscles. It doesn't force you to have perfect posture, but without the ability to lean on a backrest, it reminds me throughout the day to sit up right. After a couple of months, I do it naturally now. I realized how much the chair has helped with my back pain last week. One of my co-workers asked to try the chair out for a couple of days. My back hurt at the end of the day significantly more than it has in months. Pretty conclusive proof that this works for me. Be warned, you'll get a lot of funny looks when people first see it. Even the UPS guy laughed at me while delivering it. I don't care! It makes me feel better. The bottom line: Be prepared for a week or two of time to get used to it and build up the back muscles. I think afterward you'll thank yourself. ***UPDATE*** Almost 2 years now since I bought this chair and I still sit on it every day. Have not had lower back pain at the end of the day since a few weeks after I bought it. Still 5 stars for me!

I've only been using the chair for a day, but i can already say that it makes a big difference to how my back feels after sitting in it for a long time. However, I am only giving three stars because the ball is not 52cm, but instead much smaller. I am able to work with the smaller chair based on my desk set up, but if I had a standard desk, this chair would be much too small.

I bought this because I wanted a ball chair that had a back support. The frame on which the ball sits is sturdy and well built. The bar across the front which prevents the ball from popping out is genius. That being said,the ball that comes with the frame is complete and total garbage. It feels like it is made out of a rubberized vinyl and it wore a hole in less than 2 months. I replaced it with a ball that feels similar to the giant play balls one used to see for sale in the big cages at places like Walmart. That ball has worked wonderfully for over 6 months now without a single issue. I wish their was a way to just purchase this frame without the ball. I love the frame. I don't understand why anyone would even sell that ball. Complete crap. If you buy this understand you will be getting a phenomenal base with a ball you will have to replace way sooner than you should for the cost.

Ordered this on Jan 6th 2017, probably got it on jan 9th or so and today May 25th 2017 it broke. The end of the metal bar that keeps the ball in place broke off. Holding the broken off threaded piece in my hand - this feels like the cheapest quality steel possible. My wife asked if it was really metal or some other pressure formed solid coated to look like steel. I have handled a lot of threaded bolts and nuts and this is the lightest "chuck" of a bolt I have ever seen. I have only ever sat on the chair. I have never tried to do any of the exercises that use the chair that are included in the instructions. The ball is properly inflated. While I will attempt to get a replacement part - I have no idea if this will be possible and if so is this a part that is going to need to be replaced every 5 months. Assuming I cannot get a replacement part for free, this will have cost more than $10 a month to use for only about 10 hours a week. Before it broke, I liked it ok, I was using it as a desk chair. Not a great desk chair but better than I though it might be. Perhaps if they used real "old fashioned" steel in the metal bar it would last longer than 5 months. This ends up being an expensive way to get an exercise ball, because it won't work as a chair for long. Yesterday I received the replacement metal bar (yes, it took essentially 3 months). The new bar does seem to be made of steel, it is substantially heavier and hopefully will actually last. The packing list shows 3 items shipped, but all I got was the metal bar - no nuts to hold it on. Packing slip Lists: 95-1198 Kit Comp: Circular Metal Piece BB Chair 1 ordered 1 shipped 95-1198BOLT Kit Comp: Circular Metal Piece Security Bo 2 ordered 2 shipped I went to the hardware store and got the necessary nuts to hold the bar on. But it does seem a little strange that a company that initially sent out a product that based upon all of the reviews of the metal bars breaking, knew was defective, while replacing the defective part would not send the nuts necessary to hold the bar on. They seem to be trying and not to have their act together. I did raise my review to 3 stars (from 2), but I would not see Gaiam on a product and purchase it thinking the quality was any good. Updated. 11/9/17 Tonight the ball started to deflate. Sitting on the chair at my desk I heard a hissing noise. At first I thought it was coming from the computer, no the hiss got louder and I figured out the ball was deflating. Nothing punctured the ball - it is just poor quality. Lowering review to 1 star. Gaiam quality control is very poor if the chair I got is at all representative.

Excelente

I love this chair but takes some getting used to. Not the most comfortable for sitting for long periods but I guess that must be the point to get up and walk around and not sit for too long.

Tengo una semana usando la silla en mi home office, si bien no son 8 horas al día al menos si son 4 y la verdad es la silla más comoda que he sentido en casa. Hace algun tiempo intente usar solo una pelota para sentarme y no me era tan comodo porque era difícil mantener la estabilidad. En esta silla tengo los beneficios de forzar tener una buena postura y a la vez no tengo problema con la estabilidad. Me encanta

仕事中は、ずっとこの椅子です。足腰が痛くなくとても良い感じです。他の椅子に座れません。

Es súper cómoda si tienes dolor de coxis, sin embargo como el respaldo es muy bajo, no me mantiene la espalda recta. Combino el uso de esta silla con la tradicional y mi coxis dejó de doler

RECIBÍ UN BALÓN MÁS PEQUEÑO QUE EL QUE MUESTRAN LAS FOTOS DEL ANUNCIO. ASÍ QUE NO SIRVE PARA LA SILLA