We literally sit for up to half of our lives. Be in the office, in the classroom or just at home behind the computer desk, we spend an incredible chunk of our time sitting.
Of course, we do expect our spine to hold up our upper body weight all this time, and if we can help it, that will go a long way down the line.
What we usually do is look for the most ergonomic chairs for office with nice padding and good looks.
I mean, who doesn’t want to care for their back and look awesome at the same time? Recently the ball chairs like LuxFit ball chair started a revolution of how to sit actively.
What does sitting actively even mean? Well, with most chairs we sit on our behinds and count on our spine to do all the rest and we don’t even realize how that might put too much stress on our back. The balance ball chairs were designed for two main reasons:
- Help take the stress away from our back.
- Train core muscles (and look beautiful in the mirror).
- BONUS reason: Keep you awake during work hours (always active).
Balance ball chairs (you might even know them as yoga ball chair or fitness ball chair) come in a variety of models – from the standard Gaiam chairs to LuxFit premium ball chairs – but the basics are usually the same: you have a yoga ball and a base to put in on.
We have compiled the biggest list – 19 ball chairs in total – to give you some idea of what kind of ball chairs exist and ultimately which one is the best for you personally.
When picking the best ball chair to think about what kind of backrest (if any) you prefer and check if the air pump for yoga ball comes included (usually it does but it’s always better to check):
Top 19 Balance Ball Chair Reviews
What Is A Ball Chair?
Quite simple, a standard ball chair is pretty much like your ordinary ergonomic chair with one major difference: instead of a standard seat, you have a yoga ball. This completely changes how your body (especially the back) behaves when sitting.
The basic framework of a ball chair is simple:
Yoga Ball + Base
Of course, there are several additions you can have with a ball chair. For example, one of the most common ones is a back support. In fact, if you look at the list of the balance ball chair above, you can see that the majority of balance ball chairs come with a backrest.
Here is how you decide if you need a ball chair with backrest or not:
- Do you want ball chair for exercise and core muscles toning? Say ‘no’ to the backrest.
- Need a ball chair to improve posture and prevent back pain? Get a chair with backrest.
Some of the yoga ball chairs have ample back support, and some like Safco Zenergy chair has legs like a real chair.
On the other hand, if you are a tall person, you might want to think about getting a ball chair with adjustable height. Like everything else, these chairs are most appropriate for people with a standard height. If you need you are a tall person, you have two options:
- A chair with a bigger ball (we’ll cover them in the next chapter)
- A chair with adjustable height
For example, if you’re above 6’4″, a standard-sized ball chair for balance is not a good idea. Does that mean that you don’t have an option to work on your posture and core muscles while sitting? Not at all – just go for an adjustable height ball chair like Isokinetics custom-fit chair (you can adjust both the base of the chair and, together with that, the back support).
Why And How To Use The Yoga Ball Chairs?
You sit on it.
This is pretty much it for standard use. However, once you sit on one of these exercise chairs, you’ll see that you’re not only sitting. The core muscles and the low back muscles immediately tone up because you naturally start to balance yourself on the chair.
Everybody who has ever sat on a yoga ball (some people call it ‘swiss ball’), you know it’s not just sitting. You have to actively seek balance in order not to fall off.
Having to keep such balance for 8h in the office is too much work for pretty much everybody. That’s why these exercise chairs by Gaiam and Isokinetics have a ball chair base which supports the yoga ball. The base actually helps you hold the ball in place. In the end, the balancing on a yoga ball is not that intensive because the ball chair base helps to keep it stable a bit.
We usually buy a balance chair for two reasons:
- For Better Posture.
- For Exercise (Toning Core And Back Muscles).
Of course, these things are not mutually exclusive. Every chair with a yoga ball helps you improve your posture while at the same time tone your core and back muscles. However, ball chairs differ in how intensive they are.
The more intensive they are, the most your work your muscles. The less intensive the chairs are, the easier is to sit on it; you can sit on them longer and work on your posture longer.
The best way how to check how intensive a chair is is to sit on it. However, because most of the ball chairs today are bought online, it’s helpful to use these key features of the ball chair to determine how much energy you’ll have to put in.
The most intensive chairs are the ones without the backrest. No back support, legs or armrests ball chair is the most useful if you want to build and tone core and back muscles.
But, if you really want to focus on the work in the office while at the same time get a good posture, use a ball chair with backrest. Ample back support will relax your muscles a bit but not too much. After a week of sitting on a chair, you pretty feel the difference between a normal office chair and a ball chair.
What Size Yoga Ball Should I Get For Your Chair?
If everybody would be 6 feet, we wouldn’t have problems with chair designs. However, the reality is that we’re not all of the same height and we really need to look into what height of the chair we get. You definitely don’t want to sit on a too small or too big a chair.
Here is a quick recommendation about what size yoga ball should you use if you’re of particular height:
The exercise chairs have a base that adds some height as well. For example, the most popular Gaiam balance ball chair has a 52-centimeter ball which is best for users 5′ to 5’11” tall. A great thing about the standard size yoga balls is that they fit most standard-height desks in the office.
Another great example of a popular chair is Isokinetics chair which also comes with a 52-centimeter ball. You usually get a yoga ball pump with every purchase but do follow the instructions on how to fill it up.
Here is an example of Isokinetics ball chair – you have to fill it only to about 80% on the 1st day and finally to 100% the 2nd day. This prevents the yoga ball from being damaged in the first place:
What kind of yoga ball chair to get if you’re taller than 5’11”?
For tall people, the standard is to buy additional leg extenders that will give up to 2 inches to the chair. However, this will only work if you’re not taller than 6’1”.
Fortunately, there are some (albeit few) balance ball chairs for tall people, like Isokinetics “Tall Boy”, but even this one will only work if you’re from 5’2″ to 6’1″. In short, it’s really hard to find a ball chair for tall people – leg extenders and “Tall Boy” are two options but even these two are not very useful for a very tall person.
Where To Use The Ergonomic Ball Chairs?
You can use them instead of the normal chairs pretty much anywhere.
The most popular (and chic) use is in the office. You can go with the standard ball chairs for office by Gaiam or Isokinetics (most famous brands), but personally, I really prefer the look of the Safco Zenergy chair.
Office Sitting
It’s important to have a good-looking ball chair for the office. This is the most edge and envy-worthy ball chair:
Mind you, this is a high-end chair and it does cost twice as much as an ordinary Gaiam balance chair – Gaiam is about $70 and Sapco Zenergy is about $140 but it really looks amazing and it has brilliant reviews on Amazon. Here is a Zenergy ball chair review by Ella:
When picking a balance chair for office be careful about the size. Most of the chairs neatly fit the office desk but not all; avoid smaller and taller ball chairs and go for adjustable height ones. At least with those, you can bump it up or down an inch to fit the office desk.
Of course, exercise chairs are perfect for home office. The most popular chairs for your home office are by Gaiam or Isokinetics but you can tap into all range of chair – just look at the list above and pick the ones you like the most.
Students And Young Professionals
Another great group are the students. Students have to study for long periods of time (med students and law students will know exactly what is meant by that) and they usually sit on ordinary chairs. One great step ahead would be ergonomic chairs, a real leap, however, is the balance ball chairs for students.
We learn how to sit when we are students. If we learn to sit with a curved back (because the material we’re studying is long and boring and difficult and so on), there are good changes we’ll continue to have that bad style of sitting in the professional life as well. However, if a student starts using a ball chair, it reinforces his or her spine as well as the culture of sitting neatly upright. That isn’t useful only for spine and the low back muscles, it also gives a young professional confidence when sitting on a ball chair at an office desk.
Different Kinds Of Chairs With A Yoga Ball
As you’ve seen, there are a variety of chairs where you can sit on a yoga ball and we’ll cover them all in the 19 balance ball chair reviews.
The minimalistic ones are perfect for sports enthusiasts. If a ball chair is without back support, arms, or even legs, you know you’ll have to work your work muscles to sit in that chair.
On the other hand, the more frame you add to an exercise chair, the less of an exercise chair it becomes. However, if you need a ball chair for the office, it is welcoming to have some sort of support like back support or armrests. Why?
Well, because you want to focus on your office work more than on toning your core muscles. The best ball chairs for office are usually the standard ones with back support and large wheels (the bigger the wheels the better, if you want to move around the office from the desk to the printer without having to stand up).
Ball Chair Reviews Of Individual Chairs
The 19 ball chair list is ordered by the popularity. If you know a thing or two about the balance chairs with a yoga ball, you know probably know of the two biggest brands that make them: Gaiam and Isokinetics.
We’ll start with the most popular ball chairs and go down the line; we’ll see both classic ball chairs, those with adjustable height and even the ones with armrest and back support that look like ordinary chairs.
#1 Gaiam Balance Ball Chair Review – By Far The Most Popular Beginners Choice
Of all the ball chairs in the list, Gaiam ball chair deserves as a special place at the very top of the list. This is the original and classic balance chair that made the exercise chairs so popular.
By now, it gathered more than 3500 reviews on Amazon and it is the single best selling balance ball chair of all time, far outpacing the #2 Isokinetics chair.
In fact, the Gaiam ball chair is what most people who are buying they 1st balance chair choose and it’s not difficult to see why. It is the industry standard for all ball chairs and very fun to use:
What is so outstanding about Gaiam chair that pretty much everybody goes for it? Well, it has everything you would expect in a standard exercise chair and pretty much everything is standard (other balance chairs always try to come as close to these features as possible):
- 52-centimeter yoga ball (standard issue)
- Appropriate for 5′ to 5’11” height
- Fits pretty much every office desk
- 4 large wheels to move around (2 are lockable so you can fix the chair to the location)
- Big backrest for low-back support
- 9 colors to choose from (here is an example of Fuchsia color)
They even give you two BONUSES:
- FREE air pump
- FREE exercise guide (you can use the ball chair for exercise, obviously)
Some people choose it in order to work their core muscles, other for the health benefits. A Gaiam ball chair can be worth a try for chronic back pains – the balance your body is continually seeking when sitting on the Gaiam chair engages muscles of lower back and makes you automatically work to keep your spine straight and protected.
Here is a review by Micah, a 39-year-old office worker (click to enlarge):
On the other hand, when choosing a Gaiam classic chair, some people have complained about the durability of the chair because some parts are made out of metal but mostly it’s out of hard plastic. It also takes a bit of effect to assemble the ball chair but overall the positive reviews far outweigh the negative.
Of course, if you’re a tall person and would obviously need a yoga chair for tall people, you can add 2 inches with leg extenders. They’re about $10 but do only add 2 inches to the height of the ball chair. Unfortunately, people who are about 6’1” will struggle to find a chair that is big enough for them in general.
The price of Gaiam exercise chair is pretty much the industry standard for these chairs – somewhere between $70 and $80. In fact, most of the balance ball chairs are under $100, and you can check the latest Gaiam ball chair and buy it here:
#2 Isokinetics Balance Chair Review – Easiest To Move Around The Office
Isokinetics ball chair is in many ways similar to the original Gaiam chair (#1 pick). It comes with a 52-centimeter yoga ball and is thus perfect for a person that is 5′ to 5’11”. The ball chair framework is out of hard plastic with an addition of a metal half-ring that hold the yoga ball balanced.
It’s one of the most popular choices because of the bigger wheels. This makes it a perfect ball chair for dynamic offices – the ones where you move around with your chair a lot. Can you see the bigger wheels of Isokinetics chair from the photo?
If you look at the chair on the left, you can see that the metal ring prevent the yoga ball from running away. As far as the backrest, if you look Gaiam chair vs. Isokinetics chair, you can see that they are pretty much the same – both made out of hard plastic.
The great difference, however, is the wheels. The Isokinetics chair has the bigger 60 mm (2.5 inches) wheels that improve the mobility of the chair. In short, together with the improved posture, you can be more active while sitting on the chair.
If you have a printer in your office that is close to you, you can simply roll it with Isokinetics wheels. There is not another exercise ball chair that would have wheels above 2.5 inches.
Of course, 2 of the wheels are lockable in order for the chair to be steady behind a desk.
How high is the Isokinetics seat? Your usual office chair is about 17” or 18” high. If a 150-pound person sits on the Isokinetics balance chair, the height from the floor is 19” when the yoga ball is fully inflated. Of course, the lighter you are, the higher you’ll sit. The great thing about sitting on a yoga ball is that you can reduce the height by leaving the air out any time you wish. If you’re used to 17” chair, just leave enough air out of the yoga ball and you’re ready to go.
The drawbacks are pretty much the same as with the #1 Gaiam chair: it’s not appropriate for tall people and if you’re sitting on it in short on the hottest day of July, you might sweat on the swiss ball and it gets a bit sticky.
Isokinetics vs. Gaiam chair price is comparable with Isokinetics a bit more extensive (few dollars in total) but it shouldn’t cost most than $80. Here you can check the price:
#3 Safco Zenergy Ball Chair Review – Most Elegant Ball Chair For Office
Most of the ball chairs do look a bit silly. Admittedly, they are great for your back and to strengthen the core, but they’re not as elegant as some other Herman Miller ergonomic chairs (that cost more than $500).
For everybody who likes to look fashionable and chic, here is the Safco Zenergy ball chair. Of course, when you see it, you notice there is a difference between a standard ball chair and Zenergy chair but, hey, that chair fashion. Now get a load of this: the Zenergy chair was designed by none other than Thomas Walser, the famous interior design artist.
They are two models of Safco Zenergy chair, the 1st with 100% polyester mesh fabric covering and the 2nd with fancy vinyl cover:
Not only is this the most beautiful balance ball chair, but it is also very well constructed. The majority of exercise chairs are made out of hard plastic; however, the Zenergy chair uses pure steel legs – this is miles better than anything any other such chair can offer.
The reviews of Zenergy chair by Safco are also brilliant. Here is one:
With the stylish design, the Zenergy is definitely the right ball chair for the office. If you want your coworkers to be especially jealous, go for the fancy looking vinyl cover one. That one is a looker!
Without the backrest, this chair was designed to be engaging for core muscles and a strong back. If you want that slim waist for the summer and don’t want to do cardio all the time, this is exactly the chair that can bridge the gap here.
The stylish ball chairs are also the most expensive, though. You’re looking at prices of about $100 for a polyester version and up to $150 for vinyl ball chair. However, this is the top of the top high-end chair and if want to impress somebody in your office, this is definitely a chair that will make you a center of attention.
#4 LuxFit Premium Chair Review – Highest Rated Ball Chair
If you look at LuxFit Premium vs. Isokinetics chair (#2), there is little difference. However, if you look at the reviews of LuxFit Premium chair, you can see that it has a higher score than Isokinetics chair. In fact, the LuxFit Premium is the highest rated ball chair on the whole list.
The size of the yoga ball is standard 52-centimeters. This simply means that you have to be anywhere from 5′ to 5’11” to sit on it. As with every other chair, if you are a 6 feet tall guy, you shouldn’t get the LuxFit Premium chair.
It was designed by health experts to improve rehabilitation time (usually for back problems). Here is how it looks like:
The back support takes a lot of tensions away from the core and lower-back muscles and it helps to keep the spine straight. Of course, you won’t get a 6-pack with the LuxFit Premium yoga chair but it is a good idea if you want to improve your posture or work on chronic back pains.
The yoga ball is tightly held by a metal ring. This is a good choice because some ball chairs are a bit wobbly because the yoga ball is just not stable enough on itself. The base is made out of hard plastic and similar as with the Isokinetic chair, the LuxFit ball chair has the big 2.5 inch wheels. This makes moving around the office a lot easier.
Some of the reviews, however, point out that the yoga ball is not as great as it could be. Of course, this is also not a balance ball chair for tall people.
As we’ve pointed out, the Isokinetics chair is about $80. However, the LuxFit chair is pretty much of the same design and quality and if you go for a standard black version, it should be below $70.
#5 Gaiam Backless Balance Ball Chair Review – 1st Backless Chair For Active People
In the world of ball chairs, Gaiam is the No. 1 brand. They are the ones that introduced the #1 Gaiam classic chair and, based on the #1 design, they created a ball chair without a backrest.
It seems like a small difference – just take a backrest away and you have a completely another ball chair? Well, it might be easy but there is a major difference of sitting on a Gaiam ball chair with vs. without a backrest.
Backrest makes sitting easier for the core muscles. In effect, the backless chair by Gaiam is that much more intensive and you have to actively use your core strength muscles to balance on it. This is pretty much the best way how to get 6-pack while working in the office:
With the standard Gaiam chair, some people complain about the yoga ball being wobbly. Gaiam has improved on the original design with the introduction of the two metal rings that keep the ball stable from both sides.
The one who keeps the ball completely stable while sitting on this chair is you. This means that your sides, core, and low-back will hurt a bit from the beginning – it’s pretty much the same feeling you have after doing 100 crunches. However, after a while (a week or so) you’ll see how your core is becoming more and more toned.
The backless ball chair is perfect to tone muscles and burns calories while working in the office. If you’re spending 2h in the gym after 8h of idle sitting, you know you’re missing out. Those 8h of sitting while working in the office or studying can quickly add up.
While keeping balance, a human body performs numerous little correction and employs several muscles that are usually not trained while at the gym.
You can check how 8h per day of sitting on a calorie-burning ball chair can tone your muscles and increase your strength for less than $60.
#6 Isokinetics Adjustable Height Ball Chair Review – Best Option For Tall People
If you’re 6 feet or anything beyond that, it’s actually really hard to find a balance ball chair that will fit you. Most of the ball chairs are designed for 5′ to 5’11” guys. Well, in the US about 15% of men measure more than 6 feet. Is there any change at all for a tall person to get a ball chair?
One option are the leg extensions we mentioned with the standard Gaiam and Isokinetics chairs. The other are the adjustable height chairs – and the best adjustable height chair is by Isokinetics. There a whole rainbow of them:
Does that mean that Kobe Bryant can sit on one of these? Of course not, he’s 6’7”. In fact, anybody above 6’4” will have difficulties finding a chair, a ball chair or an ordinary one, that would fit them perfectly.
The adjustable height chair by Isokinetics gives you some ability to make the chair taller or bigger. It has 4 height settings for the back support and if you’re tall, the highest setting might just do.
The base is also adjustable – you can lift it up a bit or drop it a bit in order to find that sweet spot that fits you perfectly.
What is more, the yoga ball is not the standard 52-centimeter but a larger 55-centimeter one. That’s a good 1 inch of difference right of the bat. On the other hand, if you’re shorter than 5′, you can also go for an adjustable height ball chair (go for the lowest setting) but Isokinetics ball is not the best option given it has bigger than standard yoga ball.
The major difference between adjustable chairs and standard ball chairs is that adjustable ones usually have a stronger metal framework. This is a material of higher quality but what the yoga ball is not as stable as with the hard plastic framework. Basically, you have to work a bit harder to find your balance on the chair.
The price of an adjustable height chair by Isokinetics is pretty much in range with the classic Isokinetics and Gaiam chairs, about $80.
#7 Gaiam Adjustable Custom-Fit Chair Review – Adjustable Height Chair By Gaiam
Similar to Isokinetics, Gaiam as the #1 brand in ball chairs has also done a great job developing an adjustable height ball chair. The very fact that a person can custom-fit a ball chair makes the chair that much more suitable for building a healthy core and improve posture.
As individuals, we’re all different but the standard ball chairs are all made pretty much for a standard person. It doesn’t take into account that someone needs to strengthen their core or help with a lumbar spine rehabilitation. However, with the Gaiam custom-fit chair, you can move the ball chair base up or down and follow that movement with adjusting the back support:
You can see from the photo that the back support is at it’s lowest position. If you want to support low-back near your kidney area, this would be a great starting positing for the backrest. If you want more support higher up the spine, you can easily pull the back support higher, make it ‘click’, and have support there. FitSeats lists it as one of the 5 best balance ball chairs.
A big difference when comparison Gaiam vs. Isokinetics adjustable ball chair is that Isokinetics has those big wheels that make it easier to move the chair around. Nonetheless, more people trust Gaiam as a brand and this is why the Gaiam adjustable chair is the best-selling adjustable ball chair.
As far as the price is concerned, there is no difference between Gaiam and Isokinetics. Both chairs with yoga balls and adjustable backrest height are around $80:
#8 Sivan Balance Ball Chair Review – The Cheapest Standard Ball Chair
Always when you compare different ball chairs, you pretty much have to take into account that Gaiam and Isokinetics are industry leaders. However, companies like Sivan or Sierra Comfort made chairs that are pretty much as great as Gaiam’s chair but are a bit cheaper.
For example, if you look at the Sivan ball chair below and compare it with standard Gaiam ball chair, you can see that they have pretty much the same design:
You can see the same large backrest of the Sivan ball chair than with Gaiam, as well as the hard plastic construction of the frame and standard-sized yoga ball. Even the metal ring that keeps the yoga ball in place is there.
In addition to the improved posture and keeping your spine safe, a great thing about the balance chairs is that you won’t fall asleep during work hours. Many of ergonomic chairs are very cozy and it’s really easy to snuggle in it, especially if what you’re doing in the office is boring.
When you fall asleep in a chair, you take a bit different position (everybody has one, you know what’s your sleeping-in-chair position) which is usually harmful to the spine. The ball chair solves this problem by keeping your mind and body always alert. How?
Well, if you fall asleep, you fall off the ball chair. It’s really that simple. You have to be awake and gather your focus to sit in a Sivan ball chair.
When comparing the price of Gaiam vs. Sivan chair, you can see that there is usually a $10 difference. In short, if you buy Sivan, you save $10 compared to buying a Gaiam chair:
#9 Vivora Luno – Self-Standing Sitting Ball Chair Review
Number 9 on our list of best ball chairs is pretty special. Most of these balance chairs consist of a yoga ball and a base; however, Vivora Luno is a ball chair without a framework or base. Is then just the medicine ball?
Not at all. It is a self-standing ball that you can sit on. The specially design outer cover of the yoga ball works like a base – because it is not as smooth as the surface of a yoga ball, it prevents the ball from rolling around.
The Vivora Luno sitting ball chair is specially designed to activate back and core muscles to its fullest:
Not surprisingly, Vivora Luno sitting ball is one of the best-rated ball chairs. If you’re looking for a balance ball chair for pregnant women, this is one should definitely be your #1 choice.
The self-sitting ball is intended to use as an exercise ball. Think yoga or physio balance morning routine. If you’re using yoga ball for yoga, well, you might find that this self-sitting ball is a better choice. Why?
Well, yoga ball is smooth and becomes slippery if you sweat on it (if you’re doing high-intensity yoga, you’re probably had this problem). The Vivora Luno does prevent the yoga ball from becoming slippery by absorbing the sweat. That, however, means that you’ll have to wash the sitting ball cover from time to time.
Setting up this ball chair is a bit tricky: you have to put the deflated yoga ball in the Vivora Luno cover and then inflate it (you get a pump adapter with the purchase of the sitting ball).
There are different colors available; the basic ones will cost you about $50 while more exotic color sitting balls can cost up to $75.
#10 Sivan Adjustable Balance Chair Review – Multilevel Height Settings
Sivan has, like Gaiam and Isokinetics, developed an adjustable ball chair, but with a little difference. Usually, with these adjustable chairs, you get 4 height settings. However, Sivan went a step forward and made a ball chair with multiple adjustable height settings.
If you look at the back frame of the Sivan ball chair, you can see how adjusting height works:
There is another difference if you look at Gaiam vs Sivan or Isokinetics vs Sivan adjustable chair. Both Gaiam and Isokinetics have a narrow back support. Sivan, on the other hand, has a bigger and broader back support. That’s why this chair enables you to relax more and focus on your work while still keeping your spine straight and helping you with potential back problems.
The wheels and the framework are standard, made out of hard plastics, and you have a metal ring holding the medicine ball in place.
What size is the yoga ball in the ball chair? It’s an inch bigger than a standard 52-centimeter one. In order to be more appropriate for a tall person, Sivan uses a 55-centimeter swiss ball.
The price of Sivan adjustable height ball chair is pretty much comparable with the same chairs by Gaiam and Isokinetics – about $70 to $80.
#11 Sivan Ball Chair With Armrests Review – Best Armrests Ball Chair
The ball chairs with armrests and office-style chair legs are the next step in the evolution of these balance chairs. Here the Sivan in the best producer and its exercise chair with armrests does look like a normal office chair.
If you have a normal office chair, even if you’re sitting on it right now, you probably don’t have your core or low-back muscles engaged. The ball chairs with armrests help you keep the general look of an office chair, with an added bonus: you can work on your posture and toning your stomach muscles while sitting all thanks to the yoga ball you sit on:
If you’re sitting behind the office table, people probably won’t notice any difference as far as the chair is concerned. However, they’ll probably see you sitting straighter, having a better posture and commanding confidence and authority. This is just an added advantage; the main purpose of balance chairs is to correct posture and help you improve your spine’s overall health.
When in the office setting, people do have to stand up from time to time, just to reduce the stiffness of sitting and improve circulation. With the Sivan ball chair, you can do both of these things by just sitting – sitting actively. Your body has to look for balance continually when sitting on a yoga ball and the small muscles that control the balance are working all the time.
In order to help you to sit on you, you have a big back support and the armrests; making this ball chair quite unique. On the other hand, this is not a chair for a tall person. If you’re 6 feet or taller, you should look into adjustable ball chairs. Some of them even have leg extenders which add 2 inches to the height of the chair.
Luckily, the addition of armrests to an exercise chair don’t increase the price that much. If you’re looking to buy a ball chair for under $100, you’ll find the Sivan ball chair with armrests quite affordable:
#12 Ivation Exercise Ball Chair Review – BONUS: Latex Resistance Band
The Ivation ball chair is meant especially for ball chair exercises. Its design is very similar to classic balance chairs by Gaiam and Isokinetics with a standard 52-centimeter ball and hard plastics framework. What you won’t find is the metal ring to stabilize the yoga ball on the chair. Why?
Because this is a true exercise chair. It’s your job to keep the ball stable on the chair while doing the exercises:
The great thing about this ball chair deal is that you get a latex resistance band with it. This gives you a new range of ball chair exercises like lifts, kicks, and marching. You can read more about exercises you can do with a ball chair at LIVESTRONG. Of course, you can get creative about it as well and develop your own exercise and schedule a ball chair exercise routine.
Even with the added resistance band, you won’t pay more than $80 for the Ivation exercise chair:
#13 Fit-Chair 40090 With Base Review – Special Exercise Chair
Talking about an exercise chair without a backrest! Fit Chair by Dynaflex is designed for sports enthusiasts and everyone who likes to move while working on the chair.
The Fit Chair is designed as simple as possible – just a medicine or yoga ball and a 4-wheel base. This makes for quite an active sitting:
How many calories can you lose sitting in this ball chair? According to the producer, you can burn extra 35 calories (kcal) every day. These calories can add up to 1000 calories a month. If you sit on it regularly and for longer periods of time, you can lose weight and tone your muscles.
Of course, you can burn a lot more calories if you do yoga-like exercises on it. You can do half an hour in the even or even between coffee breaks. This will not only start the circulation and tone your muscles, it can make you more focused on the work you’re doing because your body is not asleep.
You can look alive in the Fit Chair but it does cost more than ball chairs by Gaiam and Isokinetics. In fact, this is one of the few chairs that can cost more than $100:
#14 Sierra Comfort Ball Chair Review – Another Classic Chair With A Yoga Ball
Here is another classic exercise chair with a yoga ball. Unlike Gaiam and Isokinetics original chairs, the Sierra Comfort chair one comes without the metal ring that holds the ball in place. That’s why you’ll have to use more muscles in your core area to hold the ball in balance while sitting.
The trick is to learn how to keep the body active while still being enough focus to do office work. The big backrest will help enough for you not to lose focus on the work but in the meantime, you’re core and low-back muscles will have to work overtime to keep you on the Sierra Comfort ball chair:
Is this ball chair for short or tall people? Well, the recommended height is 5’2” to 6’2” but given that it has the standard-size ball, this ball chair is better suited for a short person. If you’re 6 feet or above, you would do better to buy a Gaiam classic chair (#1 pick) with the extended legs – those add 2 inches to the height of the ball chair.
Like every other chair for exercise, the Sierra Comfort has a 300-pound weight limit. If you feel that the yoga ball is not holding up, you should think about buying a new yoga ball in order to find that perfect balance.
Buying the Sierra Comfort chair will set you back about $80, which is pretty much what balance ball chair by Gaiam and Isokinetics cost:
#15 1UP Fit-Chair Balance Ball Chair – One Of Best Rated Classic Chairs
The 1UP Fit Chair is nothing new on the market – we have seen almost identical chairs from Gaiam before – but it does have a really outstanding rating. With an overall 4.7/5 score, the 1UP Fit Chair might become the next best selling ball chair.
Why? Well, it’s very versatile. You can use this ball chair at home or take it with you to the office. It’s easy to setup and compatible with the height of almost all office desks:
Being of simple design and with a low price tag, the most appropriate place to use the 1UP chair is in a home office. You have the wheels to move around and even if you have a table in your home office installed already, the 1UP is fit in neatly.
The motivation is specially important when working from home and if you want a chair that will boost your motivation, the ball chair is definitely a smart choice. It wakes up your body and keep it awake. How?
You have to tighten your back and core muscles all the time in order not to fall off it. When you learn how to control your balance, it will be easier to balance and focus your mind. A great thing is that it keeps you continually engaged – your body is working, that’s why your mind should work as well.
This is one of the most affordable balance chairs available for less than $70:
#16 j/fit Ergonomic Ball Chair Review – The Best Budget Ball Chair
This is the last classic ball chair on the list and we’ve seen that pretty much all of them cost more than $70. j/fit ball chair, however, is the one with the most affordable price. If you’re looking for an exercise chair below $60, this is the right address.
The j/fit chair provides the support for your spine and makes you work your core muscles when sitting. Imagine how many calories do you burn sitting on this one every day:
According to GearFire, you can burn more than 350 calories per day while sitting on a ball chair. In comparison, that’s how much calories you burn while running for 30 minutes. Of course, you sit on the chair and work your muscles for 10h, but hey if you’re both sitting and losing fat, it’s well worth it!
While losing all those calories, you’re working on improving your posture. You can’t sit in a balance ball chair and have your spine curved – you’re body will automatically tell you this is not the correct position for your spine. The effect? Your body will easily find balance with a straight spine and this is exactly what it’ll do, thus improving your posture.
The muscles around the spine are strong but if we really think they’ll last for 10h per day for 10 years or more, we’re very wrong. In order to prevent spine injury, working muscles around the spine is pretty much the best bet and the best way how to do it every day is using a balance ball chair.
And you can get the j/fit ball chair for less than $60:
#17 CanDo Metal Ball Chair Review – Good Idea But Not That Popular
Sometimes when sitting on a ball chair, you want to put your arms somewhere. Armrests would be great but the classic chairs don’t really have them. However, there are a few ball chairs with armrests and CanDo chair is one of them.
The metal framework is an upgrade from hard plastic most of balance chairs are made out of and it does look better:
Ball chairs with armrests are more appropriate for lectures and classrooms where you don’t have a table in front of you. We naturally put our hands on the table when working at the table and armrests do seem a bit redundant in those situations.
When we are listening to something, we suddenly become aware that we have hands and don’t know where to put them. Thus armrests on a ball chair seem like a good idea but unfortunately, the reviews of the CanDo ball chair don’t really agree.
This is also one of the most expensive ball chairs under $100:
#18 Gaiam Balance Stool – Finally A Ball Chair For Tall People
We tried to find a ball chair for a tall person, but since the yoga balls are pretty much the same size (and none of them are really big), there were very limited choices. This is why Gaiam, the #1 brand in ball chairs, went out and designed a balanced stool.
Now, it is not a ball, it is a stool. Sitting on a stool is a completely different experience to sitting on a ball chair with a nice armrest. As you can see below, the Gaiam balance stool does look like a true bar stool and it comes in 23” and 33” heights (for tall people):
The thing you sit on is called ‘half-dome inflatable cushion’. Its made out of the material that yoga balls are made out of and you have to use an air pump (included) to inflate it.
The height of the Gaiam stool is adjustable and if you buy the taller version, it can go all the way up to 33 inches. It also has the neat metal ring around the base so you feel like you’re actually on a bar stool. However, the Gaiam stool does move thanks to the wheels at the base.
A thing about this stool is that you can use it for an hour or two but it’s not comfortable enough to sit on it for longer periods of time. Another thing is the price: the stool is the most expensive chair on the list, setting you about $150 back. Check for yourself:
#19 Deluxe Fitness Ball Chair Review – Another Chair With Armrests
Ball chairs usually come without armrests but some of them like Deluxe Fitness chair by AEROMATS prefer to attach the armrests. It does help to keep balance but usually, we’re working behind a desk and place our hands on the desk.
Of course, if you’re in a situation where you don’t know where to put your arms, the Deluxe Fitness chair might be helpful (but honestly there are not many such situations).
As you can see the Deluxe Fitness chair is pretty basic ball chair with armrests:
The armrests, in general, make this more of an office chair that helps you improve a posture than an exercise chair. Exercise chairs can’t really afford to have armrests because it inhibits movement and there are several ball chair exercises you simply don’t have a space to do if the armrests are in the way.
BestViva, nonetheless, does list this ball chair as one of the top 10 best chairs for balance.
The price of the chairs with armrests are also higher than the classic ones, the Deluxe Fitness chair, for example, costs about $100:
Back To You
If you the 20th chair to add to the 19 ball chair list, you’re more than welcome to tell us about the chair in the comments below.
On the other hand, if you have used a balance chair before, you can share your experience, and the pros and cons of using the particular ball chair.