VARIER FURNITURE Thatsit Balans Chair

I've had this chair for about a month now, and I would not go back to using a regular office chair. I debated long and hard about whether it would be worth the extra money to buy this chair over the Varier Balans. Not having tried out the Balans, I can't really say if it is worth the extra, but I do find the padded back-rest with the arm rests quite useful. The back rest is adjustable forward to back, and is nice support when I am listening on a conference call and want to stretch a little. The padded section of the back rest is also adjustable vertically. The knee rests swivel so you can adjust the angle of your shin, and the knee pads can be adjusted higher or lower.Putting this chair together was pretty exasperating. While it is well constructed, and everything fits as it should, trying to solo the assembly is not for the faint of heart or weak of spirit. There are times when you will find yourself face down on the floor trying to eyeball the location for the screw, while simultaneously balancing the backrest on your big toe, and discovering that you need a third hand to actually hold the pieces tightly together. It's just you and an allen key taking on the best in Norwegian engineering.My first impression on using the chair was that suddenly my back and butt were getting a bit of a rest while my shins and legs did a bit more work. After using it for a month, I find that I adjust to several different positions throughout the work day, and it adjusts nicely to let me closer to the keyboard, or lean backwards for stretching. On a few occasions for a little variety I have turned the chair around and used the backward seating position, with my chest leaning on the back rest.All in all a great chair. I like the way it looks, and compared to most office chairs it has very clean lines. It is lightweight and easy to move. The price tag is pretty ridiculous, but I'm looking at it as a long term investment in my back health. Varier warrantees the mechanical pieces for 5 years, and the wood for 7 years. If I use this chair for 7 years, I'm looking at it costing about 50 cents a day.Update: One year later and I'm still delighted with this chair. I use this chair every day, most days for 7-8 hours, and it still looks like new.

I just spent 90 minutes putting this chair together by myself. The directions are terrible!! They should reach out to IKEA's design engineers for some illustration help. You really need two people to put this chair together since it's a little like origami and some of the pieces fit together very tightly. One of the screws under the seat does not screw in because the piece it connects to is buried too far into the seat; I need to contact the manufacturer about sending me a longer screw.Have only used the chair for an hour though I've used their cheaper balans chair. This one fits me a lot better because I'm so short and the knee pads are adjustable on this one. I really like the backrest since I like rocking back and forth. So far I like the chair but find the padding on the seat isn't as cushy as I'd like it to be. I can forsee having to add a pad on top. I wish the seat was height adjustable since most standard desks are a bit too tall for me.Since I'm WFH, I'll give it a good 2-3 weeks try before deciding whether to keep it; I expect I will but we'll see how it feels after eight hours chained to the desk. It is insanely priced for what you get but there aren't any good alternatives out there with this much potential to adjust a kneeling chair.

I just had lumbar fusion and have just started working again from home. This chair makes it possible for me to sit more comfortably than I can in my original office chair. You really can feel a difference. My shins do feel pressure over time, but there are so many ways to sit in this chair with correct posture, I just shift positions to relieve my shins.

Thought I'd leave a review as I really wish I'd been able to find some reviews when I bought it...I've been using this chair for over 6 months now in the office, after chronic neck and back problems. It doesn't look good. It's also probably the most over-priced lump of plywood and a few screws you'll ever buy. But... you've got to give it to them - it really is a great chair. I no longer feel stiff and uncomfortable by the end of the day, and my posture has improved. I won't pretend it's solved all my problems, but my general spine health is significantly better than it was when I brought the chair, and the chair has definitely been a part of that. Unlike other kneeling chairs, it doesn't put too much pressure on your shins, which was a problem for me with other chairs. I've had no problems with this on the Varier. The adjustable backrest is great, as it allows you to easily change the balance of the chair, and sit more upright or further back as required.If you're using it as an office chair, one of the downsides is that it isn't the easiest thing to get in and out of when you've got a desk in front of you, but unless you're particularly immobile, you're not going to get trapped.All in all, yes, the price tag is ridiculous, and the aesthetics are pretty shocking - but if you have to sit on a chair every day and have spine problems then it may well be worth the cost - which I suppose what their pricing strategy is based on. I wouldn't go back to any other chair.