Anyone who sits for long periods of time will know it's not the way the human body was designed to spend most of its day. Standing desks have emerged as a popular way to reduce back pain and improve general health while working at a desk, but the Sprang Chair approaches the problem in a different way; by encouraging "active sitting."
The Sprang Chair is the brainchild of Darren Mark, who was experiencing severe back pain from using a standard office chair. Thinking he could come up with something better, the Sprang Chair was born. Having used the prototype for two years, Mark is convinced it has helped him, and that it could help others too, so has turned to crowdfunding to help get bums on seats.
Mark claims that active sitting (aka dynamic sitting) – where the seat is designed to encourage the sitter to move – and by extension The Sprang Chair, can ease back pain, improve posture and spine health, strengthen core muscles, stimulate circulation, burn calories, and increase focus. All of which is music to the ears of anyone parked behind a desk all day.
There are two main elements to The Sprang Chair. The first is a contoured seat cushion positioned on top of a cloth-covered exercise ball. This is held in place by four bungee cords, one for each corner. This can be adjusted in a few different ways, but the upshot is an increased degree of movement. Thus, active sitting becomes standard. The other main element is a cushioned back support attached to a two-piece riser. This provides lumbar support to take the strain off your lower back. Again, it can be adjusted in several different ways to make it just right for the individual user.
The Sprang Chair is made from furniture-grade birch wood, and is available in black, graphite (gray), fiesta (red), and grass (green). It caters to anyone measuring between 4'9" (1.45 meters) and 6'7" (2.04 meters), with a weight limit of 300 lbs (136 kgs).
The Sprang Chair obviously isn't the first proposed solution to this problem, as there has been a drive to improve the lot of office workers in recent years. Exercise balls, standing desks, and treadmill desks (such as the Elliptical Machine Office Desk) have all been designed to help, but these solutions aren't for everyone. The Sprang Chair claims to combine the best elements of the exercise ball and ergonomic office chairs. And all at a reasonable price.
The Sprang Chair is being offered as a reward for pledging $350 to the Kickstarter campaign, although you can get one minus the back for $249, or pay $100 for the official plans to build your own licensed version. Delivery is penciled in for November 2016, assuming everything goes as planned.
Source: Sprangchair.com