Do Customers Like Gaiam Balance Ball Chairs? Find Out Here in Their Reviews

Is your low back pain hampering your productivity? Do you wish for some respite from this discomfort? If you do, there’s hope for you in Gaiam Balance Ball Chairs as it effectively strengthens your core muscles while improving spinal alignment.

Overview

The Gaiam Balance Ball Chair uses the same rubber balance ball used in your workout routine. The base of the chair is 20 inches across and has 2 locking back casters and 2 regular front casters. Its height is 2.5ft tall and can comfortably seat anyone of height 5ft to 5 ft. 11 inches. Though the chair only weighs 13 pounds, it can effectively carry a weight of 300 pounds.

At first, the ball may seem to be a bit small for the chair. However after a day or two of its initial inflation, you find the ball ‘relaxing’. Once your ball is assembled and you have inflated the Balance Ball, recheck its size the next day. If required, add some additional air and check it once more the next day. Give the Balance Ball a day or two to ‘stretch’ to its final size wherein it will fit snugly into its base.

The Gaiam Balance Ball Chair comes with a removable 52-centimeter Balance Ball, an adjustable support bar, an air pump, easy-glide casters and a 16-page desktop exercise guide to help you with its assembly and to help you get started at using your chair. The Balance Ball comes in two colors, Wasabi and Ocean to choose from and can be used for working out too.

Pros

The Gaiam Balance Ball Chair effectively alleviates the aching back, legs and arm syndrome associated with working at a desk for long hours. You need to give the chair a few days to get used to, especially if you have been used to sitting at regular office chairs for a long time.

Get ready for some back pain for a few days, some shoulder pain if you have always had an armrest and some neck pain if your old chair had a headrest. This is all normal, as your core muscles need some time to strengthen and support your back.

The pain disappears with practice while you gain a better posture as you learn to keep your chest open and hold your head up. Moreover, as you develop a habit of constant-centering of yourself on the ball, you are reminded not to bend your shoulders or to slouch while you work at your desk.

Cons

While the Gaiam Balance Ball Chair comes with a back support, it’s better to not lean on it for too long as you may end up hurting your lower back. In fact, as you can’t lean on its back like in a normal office chair, you are forced to use your back muscles for support. So you are not actually forced into a perfect posture; it’s just that as you can’t lean on a backrest, you are reminded to sit up right throughout the day. With time, you no longer need any reminder, as you do it naturally.

Some people may find the rolling wheels of the chair a disadvantage as it trips them over while getting up and standing. This disadvantage can be overcome by spreading your feet and using, and strengthening your leg muscles to stand upright.

If required, you may have to raise your table height by a few inches and perhaps buy an adjustable keyword and mouse extension tray to work comfortably at your table. This is because the chair has one complaint, the lack of any height adjustment. But don’t reduce the ball’s height by reducing its air as the ball has to be as firm as possible all the time to work at strengthening your spine and core muscles.

Don’t worry if you get funny looks when people see you sitting on the chair. They will be at a loss as with time, the back pain relief you experience makes all the stares worth it! With a list price at $79.98, the Gaiam Balance Ball Chair is an investment worth making.

The help it gives you in building a healthier back, the relief it provides to your low back pain and its overall well-being all indicate that the chair is worth buying. However it’s a bit difficult gifting this as it cannot be gift-wrapped so its packaging is visible on delivery.