Gaiam Classic Balance Ball Chair – Ergonomic Stability Chair for Desk & Office | Yoga Ball Seat with Base, Air Pump, & Exercise Guide | Improves Posture & Core Strength (300 lb Capacity)

It took some adjusting to get the right amount of air (be sure to follow directions and deflate 50%, 2nd inflation after 24hrs allowed the ball to stretch and become the height I needed). I also at first put the back support on backwards (most reviews did as well) but once everything was done correctly my lower back is relieved! I have minor scoliosis in my lower back and combine that with adhd, I could never get comfortable or sit still. I initially got this to help avoid “office chair bottom” and to do mini exercises while working, but now my spine is happier too. It’s the perfect height to sit properly at my desk (I’m 5’4), still need to use a foot stool but my main concern before buying was that the height would be too short, but it’s perfect! Only complaint is the wheels could be a little better, I might get larger ones that roll smoother but they do the job for now. I will never go back to a regular office chair.

This chair was easy to assemble looks gorgeous and feels great I can't go wrong I got a good price on Amazon and I'm getting another one I think it's a great gift idea. Take care world...

Easy to assemble. Very comfortable to use

I just love my yoga ball chair and it fits perfectly in the space that I need it for! Also, I love that the fact that the ball pops out easily so I can use it individually for workouts. I can tell it’s helping my posture and the pump that comes with it is easy to use and it’s nice to have around anytime I want to add extra air to it.

I’ve wanted a balance ball chair ever since I read a few articles praising them on Lifehacker. I already owned a cheap balance-ball, but had no base or way to really stabilize the ball. After reading endless reviews and going through the questions/answers here on Amazon, I finally decided to bite the bullet and order the Gaiam Balance Ball Chair.In the box is one chair frame (disassembled), one 52cm balance ball (deflated), a hand pump (borderline useless) and a nice, well-illustrated booklet containing exercises/stretches to use with the chair.The chair itself is a cinch to assemble – the casters simply press into the base, then the back support clicks into the base and is held in place with 2 twist-in bolts. Finally, 4 small nuts hold on the wire ball support (a little wrench is provided). All in all, assembly takes under 5 minutes.The ball is a different story – the ball needs to be at room temperature before inflating. You only want to inflate the ball about 80%, then let it acclimate and stretch for about 24 hours. Gaiam provides a small hand pump, but it’s incredibly tedious an inefficient to use. I used a bicycle pump and inflated the ball to about 42 cm (about 16.5”), then left it sitting for 24 hours.Note: By 42cm, I don’t mean the circumference of the ball. I marked off 42cm from the wall, placed the ball against the wall, and inflated until the edge of the ball touched the 42cm mark on my tape measure. After acclimating, I followed Gaiam’s directions and inflated the ball fully to 52cm (about 20.5”). The ball, being fully inflated, needed some manipulating to fit into the chair frame, but nothing too difficult.Before I purchased the ball chair, my main concern about the chair was height – I am only 5’0” tall, and was afraid that the chair would leave me sitting too low. Turns out, the opposite was true – once the fully-inflated ball was in place, I was seated up very high, and my feet did not touch the floor. Gaiam’s instructions say to inflate the ball so that the thighs and shins should be at a 90° angle to the floor. If your hips are higher than your knees, deflate the ball. Conversely, if your hips are lower than your knees, you need to inflate the ball to find that ‘sweet spot’ for your height.I ended up deflating the ball until my feet were able to touch the floor – as a result, the ball was not as firm and had more ‘give’ to it, but the ball is still quite comfortable. I have to make slight adjustments to keep myself stabilized, which activates my core. I also have to sit up straighter instead of slouching or leaning forward (as us shorter people are prone to doing). The chair’s ‘back’ isn’t really meant as a support structure; per Gaiam’s instruction booklet, it’s strictly for stability during exercises.Work your way up to using a balance ball chair – I recommend ditching your office chair and going to the balance ball chair full-time. As you become more conscious of your posture and core, you’ll be utilizing muscles previously neglected. So, work your way up to the chair – I spent a few hours in the ball chair, then a few hours in my regular office chair until I felt comfortable going ‘full-time’ with the ball chair. I do not use the ball itself for any exercises, though I do perform some of the seated stretches from the included booklet.Now, my posture is so much better, my lower-back pain is near nonexistent, and I can definitely feel a difference in how my core feels. I also don’t experience the tailbone pain that I used to have after a long day of work.For under $80, you won’t find a better chair.

Ordered this on Jan 6th 2017, probably got it on jan 9th or so and today May 25th 2017 it broke. The end of the metal bar that keeps the ball in place broke off. Holding the broken off threaded piece in my hand - this feels like the cheapest quality steel possible. My wife asked if it was really metal or some other pressure formed solid coated to look like steel. I have handled a lot of threaded bolts and nuts and this is the lightest "chuck" of a bolt I have ever seen. I have only ever sat on the chair. I have never tried to do any of the exercises that use the chair that are included in the instructions. The ball is properly inflated. While I will attempt to get a replacement part - I have no idea if this will be possible and if so is this a part that is going to need to be replaced every 5 months. Assuming I cannot get a replacement part for free, this will have cost more than $10 a month to use for only about 10 hours a week. Before it broke, I liked it ok, I was using it as a desk chair. Not a great desk chair but better than I though it might be. Perhaps if they used real "old fashioned" steel in the metal bar it would last longer than 5 months. This ends up being an expensive way to get an exercise ball, because it won't work as a chair for long.Yesterday I received the replacement metal bar (yes, it took essentially 3 months). The new bar does seem to be made of steel, it is substantially heavier and hopefully will actually last. The packing list shows 3 items shipped, but all I got was the metal bar - no nuts to hold it on.Packing slip Lists:95-1198 Kit Comp: Circular Metal Piece BB Chair 1 ordered 1 shipped95-1198BOLT Kit Comp: Circular Metal Piece Security Bo 2 ordered 2 shippedI went to the hardware store and got the necessary nuts to hold the bar on. But it does seem a little strange that a company that initially sent out a product that based upon all of the reviews of the metal bars breaking, knew was defective, while replacing the defective part would not send the nuts necessary to hold the bar on. They seem to be trying and not to have their act together. I did raise my review to 3 stars (from 2), but I would not see Gaiam on a product and purchase it thinking the quality was any good.Updated. 11/9/17 Tonight the ball started to deflate. Sitting on the chair at my desk I heard a hissing noise. At first I thought it was coming from the computer, no the hiss got louder and I figured out the ball was deflating. Nothing punctured the ball - it is just poor quality. Lowering review to 1 star. Gaiam quality control is very poor if the chair I got is at all representative.