Hi,
The Gokhale's method has been a great improvement. Luckily, I hadn't renewed my very old chair yet, so it's a wonderful opportunity to do it now, with my new knowledge.
After spending so much time looking for models, I found a few ones that may be compatible. Those are available in Spain and maybe in some other countries along Europe.
I will post one in each comment. I am learning yet but here I will write my own analysis so I may save time to anybody trying to help me as well. I may be wrong or missing key points thought.
Model 1:
From: https://www.lasilladeclaudia.es/tienda/sillas-giratorias/sillas-escritorio/silla-giratoria-trabajo-work/
Find pictures below.
Good things:
- No arms; it does have weels; and the backrest is higher than 40 cm so it'll allow a good back stretch
- The backrest has room for your behind to get behind you; and room to allow the shoulders to be back. It can be fixed in your preferred position, so that it won't move.
- You can adjust the height of the chair, and also the height, depth and tilt of the backrest.
- The seat itself has a forward slope in the front that will ease the stacksitting.
Bad things:
- The seat itself is slightly higher in the sides than in the middle, so it may push the legs into internal rotation.
- The chair doesn't have any cushions, the seat and backrest are made with polyurethane, so they may feel hard. It's easier to clean on the other hand.
So what's your opinion? Do you think it's a good chair? The two disadvantages could be solved out with a cushion, maybe. I also have the Stretchsit® Cushion so it may further improve the chair as well.
3 years 1 week ago
01/05/2021 - 10:58am
Model 2:
From: https://amzn.to/2MxTTVz
Find pictures below.
Good things:
- No arms; it does have weels; and the backrest is higher than 40 cm so it'll allow a good back stretch
- The backrest can be fixed in your preferred position, so that it won't move.
- You can adjust the height of the chair, and also the height, depth and tilt of the backrest.
- The seat itself has a forward slope in the front that will ease the stacksitting.
Not sure/bad things:
- I'm not sure if the backrest allows to have the shoulders back or if it'll get in the way. I think it should be OK, but I don't really know.
- The backrest has some room for your behind to get behind you, but I'm not sure if it's enough.
- The seat itself seem to have a very sligh scope downwards (except in the front, where it's forward), which might make you have a tendency to tuck the pelvisEDIT: After watching more pictures, I realized it's pretty parallel to the ground, so it'd be OKWhat do you think? Good enough? Better or worse than model 1?
Thanks!
6 days 11 hours ago
06/12/2012 - 12:49pm
Realizing that they aren't putting my responses just after each comment. That last comment was for Model 1.
Model 2--much the same issues as model one, plus no room for your behind behind.
Abeja Hummel
Gokhale Method Teacher
3 years 1 week ago
01/05/2021 - 10:58am
Model 3:
From: https://www.ikea.com/es/es/p/orfjall-silla-giratoria-blanco-vissle-gris-oscuro-s39303039/
This one is from Ikea so it's widely available in Europe.
It seems to be quite right overall, and it even has a upper bar that allows to install a Stretchsit® Cushion very easily...
But... the backrest is too low, so you can't stretch your back properly. What a pity!
Because of that reason, I've already discarded this chair.
6 days 11 hours ago
06/12/2012 - 12:49pm
MODEL 3 Actually think this one is the best so far. The backrest doesn't need to be very high, as we're trying to stretch our lower back. Imagine hooking your shoulder blades over the backrest.
Abeja Hummel
Gokhale Method Instructor
3 years 1 week ago
01/05/2021 - 10:58am
Model 4:
From: https://amzn.to/3rYdY7B
This one has a lot of things right. So I won't repeat myself, and will just write the differences:
- It is foldable, but you sacrifice wheels, and you can't adjust the height to stand correctly in relation to your desk (with a correct angle between your arms and the table).
- The forward scope in the front of the seat, which is good as it eases stacksitting, is rare to be found in foldable chairs. A good thing!
- Nevertheless, the rest of the seat has a downward scope, which may create a tendency to tuck the pelvis. This seems to be common in foldable chairs.
- More expensive than most foldable chairs, but made with wood, and with cushions in the backrest and seat. You can extract the cushion cover to wash it.
I would like to have wheels, and being able to regulate the height is a must, because I doubt it will perfectly match my desk... So I discard it, except to be used in the garden (protected from dust) or maybe in the living room.
6 days 11 hours ago
06/12/2012 - 12:49pm
MODEL 4--for a folding chair, it's pretty good. I'd use it, if it is the right height.
Abeja Hummel
Gokhale Method Instructor
6 days 11 hours ago
06/12/2012 - 12:49pm
Not perfect but pretty good. The sides of the back slope in and could roll your shoulders in, or at minimum not allow you to do a full shoulder roll. Also, the seat buckets, in addition to rising up on the side, which will encourage tucking as well as internal rotation.
--Abeja Hummel
Gokhale Method Teacher
3 years 1 week ago
01/05/2021 - 10:58am
Hello Abeja,
Thank you very much for your insight on this; it's so useful and valuable in order to make a good decision. Actually I had read your answers in the rest of this forum and learnt a lot!
Based on your insight, I'll buy either the model 1 or the model 3 (https://www.ikea.com/es/es/p/orfjall-silla-giratoria-blanco-vissle-gris-oscuro-s39303039/).
I like model 1, but can't test it to check if those two features really are a problem for my constitution. Maybe a cushion on the seat, and a Stretchsit® Cushion on the backrest will solve them. Or maybe in the lowest position the backrest, measuring 43 cm, shouldn't prevent a correct shoulder roll if you measure more than ~1.75 cm.
But I can't really know beforehand. So I'll probably get model 3, which as another advantage is half the price.
However, the height of the backrest in model 3 reaches only 35 cm (I measured it not counting the height of the bar over the backrest). So do you think it is enought for a good stretch, then?
So, I took the rule and 35 cm seem to be enought to reach the lower part of my thoracic spine. I'll place the Stretchsit® Cushion as high as possible.
If I've your confirmation that it does indeed seem enough for a good stretchsitting, I'll get this model. If so, I don't think I'll find something much better unless I had the resources to import the Gokhale's chair.
Thanks!
6 days 11 hours ago
06/12/2012 - 12:49pm
Hi Hector,
Yes, 35 cm will be high enough, especially because you can always use the bar that is a little higher. Adding a stretchsit cushion is great, but you may find that you can even stretchsit and use the bar itself to give you a little traction. I do that sort of thing all the time when I am away from my personal chair. It's like a game I play while out and about--can I find a way to stretchsit on this? (I also look for things to hang on, but sometimes that looks really weird).
Let me know how it goes,
Abeja
1 year 11 months ago
05/28/2021 - 5:40am
Hi Hectoro,
Can you gives an update what chaie you ended up buying, and your toughts on it?
3 months 4 weeks ago
08/09/2023 - 12:46am
Have you bought any?
1 month 2 days ago
01/03/2024 - 1:03am
would also like to know. cant buy the pain free chair becaseu the don't ship out of the US/Canda :(