The 4 Best Exercise Ball Chairs – 2017 Reviews and Top Picks
Most of us nowadays spend the majority of our time sitting behind a desk, whether we work in an office or studying for an exam. If you are tired of sitting on your plain desk chair every day, it might be time to switch it with an exercise ball chair.
There are hundreds of different brands and types of ball chairs in the market right now and finding the best exercise ball chair for you might be a little difficult.
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Our Top Picks
Below is a list of our top four favorites to help you choose the right one for you.
- Sivan Health and Fitness Balance Fit Chair This ball chair looks like a normal office chair. It features lockable wheels which provide you options of greater movement and stability. Its ball is easy to inflate and adjusting the height of the chair is a breeze.
- Isokinetics Inc. Back Exercise Ball Office Chair If you are blessed with a tall physique, then this might be the one for you. Its frame has a built-in extra two inches which provide more support than adding 2-inch height extenders.
- Safco Products 4750CI Zenergy Ball Chair If you want a little challenge, you might want to consider the Safco Products 4750CI Zenergy Ball Chair. It has no back rest which compels you to support your own back and gives you greater freedom of movement. It also features a discreet and spunky design – it does not look like a ball chair at all!
- LuxFit Premium Fitness Exercise Ball Chairs The LuxFit Premium offers a wide range of benefits for its price. If you like to move around when you work, this ball chair might be the one for you. Its larger-than-average wheels provide a smoother glide and its thick ball allows you to bounce on it with no worries of deflating it accidentally.
Reviews Of The Best Exercise Ball Chairs
This is great for people who want to try using a ball chair but are not ready to fully commit since this just looks like your usual office chair. It has four wheels, two of which are lockable, which allows you to move around easily while also giving you the option to secure it if you want to be stationary.
The back rest is not adjustable but the easy air refill feature allows you to fine-tune the height of the ball. It may also wobble sometimes since the back rest is not entirely solid, which can be uncomfortable sometimes. Lastly, it’s effortless to assemble and comes with a free pump.
Things We Liked
- Low-cost
- Lockable wheels
- Easy assembly
Things We Didn’t Like
- Back rest is not adjustable and may wobble sometimes
Its frame is higher by two inches than standard ball chairs which is very handy for tall people. This also means that it provides more lumbar support compared with height extenders.
The ball is made from a special PVC material which makes it durable. If punctured, the ball does not burst but will only slowly deflate.
It comes with a free pump and a measuring tape to help you adjust how much it needs to be inflated. The back rest can be adjusted but it is not very sturdy and like the previous product, it may also shake sometimes.
Things We Liked
- Taller frame
- Thick ball
- Free measuring tape
Things We Didn’t Like
- Wobbly back rest
The easy-to-clean vinyl fabric cover makes this ball chair low-maintenance. It has a mesh material which prevents it from being scratched or punctured easily. It also has an easy-to-assemble design and features a fun and sleek look. It does not appear like an exercise ball chair at all.
It does not take up much space compared with the other ball chairs and will fit in well with any teen bedroom or dorm room. It has no wheels but its steel leg support is coated with a special powder finish which provides a little glide when you move around.
However, if you like to recline your back from time to time, this may not be the best choice for you because it has no back rest.
Things We Liked
- Great design
- Heavy-duty seat material
- Easy to assemble
Things We Didn’t Like
- No wheels and back rest
- Expensive
Unlike other ball chair manuals which can be vague, LuxFit Premium provides easy-to-follow instructions which makes assembling stress-free. It also comes with a free pump.
Its ball may arrive smaller than advertised (happened to us) but you can always pump more air to adjust it. We also noticed that its ball is thicker which makes it durable and comfortable at the same time.
The back rest is also adjustable and does not wobble unlike the other products. Another feature we like are its slightly larger wheels. It creates a more even glide when you move.
Among the four we reviewed, it’s the only product with a two-year warranty.
Things We Liked
- Affordable
- Large wheels
- Thick ball
- Sturdy and adjustable back rest
- Two-year warranty
Things We Didn’t Like
- Smaller ball
- Bland design
How Exercise Ball Chairs Work
When you sit on your usual office chair, there is not much room for movement and your body tends to slouch. This makes you tire easily, increases your risk of back injuries, and gain weight without you noticing it.
An exercise ball chair, however, constantly realigns your body to maintain its balance. The constant movement enables you to exercise your muscles even while you are working.
The ball’s instability forces your body to improve your posture, thus strengthening your abdominal and back muscles. It also boosts your resistance against injuries caused by sitting in the same position for long periods of time.
Who Can Benefit From Exercise Ball Chairs
Exercise ball chairs are best for people who spend hours sitting like office workers and students. It is also recommended for people who are fidgety.
Studies also show that exercise ball chairs are very suitable for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy in 2003 found out that students with ADHD who used exercise ball chairs had improved behavior and were able to write more clearly.
Another study in 2007 by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester observed that allowing children to move while sitting made them more attentive by burning off excessive energy by letting them bounce on a ball.
Advantages Of Exercise Ball Chairs
Aside from strengthening your core muscles, a study done at the Indiana Ergonomics Laboratory at Indiana University found out that using an exercise ball chair can also affect the leg muscles.
This is because when a person sitting on an exercise ball chair reaches for something, their leg muscles, including the shins and hamstrings, work in coordination to help maintain their balance while reaching.
Sitting on an exercise ball chair also burns extra calories. In a research by the State University of New York Buffalo, they calculated that sitting on an exercise ball chair burns 4.1 times more calories per hour compared to sitting in a typical office chair.
This translates to more than 160 extra calories burned for a week and 640 additional calories burned each month. If 3,500 calories can burn one pound of fat, this means that an average person could burn two pounds of fat per year just by sitting on an exercise ball chair!
What To Look For When Buying An Exercise Ball Chair
There are so many brands and models that you might get confused when it comes to choosing the best exercise ball chair for you. Here are some important considerations you need to know before buying one:
- Weight capacity Most exercise ball chairs have a weight limit of 300 lbs. so you might want to make sure that your weight is within that range. If not, you can always replace the default ball with a larger and stronger one.
- Back Rest Everyone has a different sitting height and comfort level. If you want to have a back rest, choose one with an adjustable setting. Some exercise ball chairs offer higher-than-average frames to accommodate tall customers. If you want a little challenge, there are also exercise ball chairs with no back rests to force you to change positions often and straighten your posture.
Conclusion
While there may not be much difference among the features of the four exercise ball chairs reviewed here, the LuxFit Premium Fitness Exercise Ball Chair emerges as the best exercise ball chair. It has the most bang for your buck, even if it looks a little too simple and provides none of the special features of the other ball chairs, which we think are unnecessary.
Its thicker ball is very durable and its large wheels provide smoother movement. The back rest is also adjustable and does not wobble. Its ball might arrive a little small but you could just pump more air into it. We also loved the price and it comes with the longest warranty.
