Kneeling chair

A kneeling chair is a type of chair for sitting in a position with the thighs dropped to an angle of about 60 to 70 degrees from vertical (as opposed to 90 degrees when sitting in a normal chair), with some of the body's weight supported by the shin. The original kneeling chair was the Balans chair, which was developed in 1979 by Hans Christian Mengshoel and designer Peter Opsvik.

The intended purpose of a kneeling chair is to reduce lower back strain by promoting proper spinal alignment. People with coccyx or tailbone pain resulting from significant numbers of hours in a sitting position (e.g., office desk jobs) are common candidates for such chairs. However, it is not proven that kneeling chairs are an optimal solution, and many alternative chair styles should be considered.

A proper kneeling chair creates the open body angle by lowering the angle of the lower body, keeping the spine in alignment and the sitter properly positioned to task. In a proper kneeling chair, some of the weight bears on the shins, not the knees, but the primary function of the shin rests (knee rests)...
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