My ergonomic desk chair by Stokke – $20 for a $475 chair

When I got my Ergotron ergonomic standing- or sitting- computer work station, I also got a pilates ball office chair. I did not like it much. I immediately lost the inflater, so it started to sink-squish, of course. In any case, I still did not like *sitting.* A few weeks ago while prowling the basement of an estate sale, I saw this Stokke office stool. It is really really solid. It goes up and down easily. It cost me $20. Hey, the green upholstery is even a decent match for my office walls, which are painted Avocado from Sherwin-Williams’ Suburban Modern palette.

According to my online research, Stokke — which is/was a Norwegian company — does not seem to be making office chairs anymore. But, Varier’s Move chair — which is marketed as an ergonomic chair — appears very similar. It’s sold today for $475, so it looks like I got a very good deal, indeed, on my vintage Stokke chair. Moreover: I like my Stokke a lot. I have it levered up pretty high, so I can either sit all proper like, with my feet on the ground… sort of lean against it… or sit high, cross-legged, kind of balancing on the high stool. *worker’s comp claim in the making, I am sure*. Anyway, is it more ergonomic? I *think* so — probably especially when I use it with my feet firmly planted. My back seems to like the whole situation much better than when I was in a plain old office chair (even a high quality one) with a plain old desktop computer workstation.

In my research, I could not find even one Stokke stool like mine. But, I did see examples of the Stokke Balans desk chair, which seems to be credited to designer Peter Opsvik. Of course, I remember these. Do they really work? Wouldn’t they just give you knee trouble, instead of back trouble? Above: A Balans chair currently for sale by Historic Modern, whose Star Trek Enterprise light and other treasures I featured the other day.

The pilates ball chair is headed to the Goodwill. You win some. You lose some.