Review-Gaiam Balance Ball Chair
Price (at time of review): $105.00
Colour options available (at time of review): Black, Blue, Cool Grey, Fuschia, Purple
Includes:
– 1 Classic yoga ball (52cm) that can be taken out of the chair base and used separately for exercises.
– 4 Easy-glide caster wheels (2 lockable)
– 1 Adjustable metal support bar
– 1 Air pump
– 1 Desk chair exercise guide for activating your sit in the home or office
I know what you’re probably thinking: “What does this chair have to do with knitting?” Well, I sit a lot when I knit and I wanted to be as comfortable as I could be while doing it. And, I needed an office chair…one I could knit at as well. I tried just sitting on an exercise ball (which was fine) but I really wanted something I could lean back in at least once in a while to give my back a rest.
Let’s look at all the components:
Yoga Ball: They suggest this ball can be taken out of the chair base and used separately for exercises. I mean, sure at first you can but after sitting in the chair day in and day out the ball sinks into the “chair” part and becomes misshapened. After about a year of use I had to replace my ball entirely bc it started to deflate and no amount of pumping it up again stopped the issue (although to be fair it could have something to do with my mom’s cat, Bubba, as he likes to sneak into places he doesn’t belong and scratch things he shouldn’t touch. If you don’t have a Bubba your yoga ball may last longer than a year, just sayin).
Caster wheels: The caster wheels were easy to put in and work well. I like that 2 of them are lockable but I also like that I can unlock and roll around when necessary – or just for fun bc hey rolly chairs are fun.
Adjustable metal support bar: I might be misunderstanding something here, but I’m not sure how this bar is exactly adjustable. I mean you put it in place and it holds the ball where the ball should be. The only way I can think of to adjust it is to remove it entirely. And, if that’s what they mean, they should call it removable instead of adjustable. In any case I was worried about the bar pushing up against the back of my legs or just being uncomfortable in general but I don’t really notice it there. Once in a while I use it as a handle of sorts to pull my chair closer to my desk but other than that it’s not in the way and does it’s job of keeping the ball in place.
Air pump: I found this air pump not to be much good personally and I chose to inflate the ball that came with the chair with an air compressor. The replacement ball came with it’s own pump and that pump worked perfectly to inflate this ball. Having said that, be careful not to overinflate the ball. It has to fit onto the chair and have some “wiggle room” to fit correctly. You may have to play around with it to get it to fit and to be comfortable for you.
Desk chair exercise guide: I looked at this guide briefly and then threw it away. If I want exercises I will just look online for videos.
Recommended User Height and Weight: 5′ to 5’11” tall and fits most standard-height desks. I found it to be too short for me (I am 5’ 6”) so I purchased the compatible leg extenders sold separately. They were easy to install and made all the difference for me. Again, you will have to decide what is comfortable for you.
Final thoughts: All in all I like this chair a lot, especially for the price. I find most office chairs anywhere near this price range are really not comfortable. I do wish this chair had armrests (even removeable ones would be cool) and I wish the back had padding. Again, for this price point I couldn’t find anything that I liked better.
Whether you find yourself sitting on a yoga ball or not, have a great day and remember
No matter what happens…. just Stick To The Knitting 
