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.

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.

Shorter than expected

Assembly very easy set up and I'm not one to follow instructions set this up in about 30 minutes i get so much activity through my shift I work from home and don’t get a lot of time at the gym so this is a way for me to stay active during the day .

UPDATE: Having sat on this ball every day for about 4 weeks now, here are my updated thoughts:1) I don't miss sitting in an office chair. I'm keeping correct posture consistently and am now challenging myself to sit in correct posture in non-ball chairs. I don't miss the lack of arm rests either.2) My back soreness went away after a few days.3) I have to re-inflate the ball about once a week, as it loses about 2-3 inches of air each week. (I have my monitor angled up and notice my height go down in relation to the angle after about a week).4) The nuts on one side of the horizontal metal ball bar that secures it to the base of the chair unscrew themselves. They have fallen off three times and I am now leaving them off since the other side is still securing the bar in.5) I'm contemplating buying another one for my home to use at the dinner table or general lounging.ORIGINAL POSTING/FIRST IMPRESSIONS:Let me preface by stating I have really revved up my efforts to eat better and be more physically fit over the past 3 years. I know the importance of posture but LOVE to slouch. I am male, mid-thirties, 6'4", 200 lbs, reasonably fit, eat very well compared to SAD eaters, and consistently go to the gym 2-3 times per week. I work a sedentary job in HR and do not know why it's taken me this long to buy a product like this. It was delivered last night and I took it to the office and set it up this morning. Here are my first impressions after sitting on it all day. (Note the preposition use: you may sit IN a chair but you definitely sit ON this ball.)1) Setup: very easy. Took less than 10 minutes including unpacking. No tools required, though a mini wrench is included. Everything was snap in or screw on. A hand pump was included with the ball and it took about 2 minutes to inflate. I purchased the Leg Extenders to adjust for my height and was glad I did. It takes the recommended height to 6'1'' but I sit at a relatively low desk anyway.2) Function: I am sitting about the same height as my office chair. I kind of miss not having arm rests but I've been told by other ball chair users that I will get used to this and never want them again. I don't understand the importance of the back rest. If you sit upright like I've been doing all day, your back won't touch the back rest. You can lean back at the expense of bad posture - the rest will push against your lower to mid back. It is removable though and I'm contemplating removing it already, like other reviewers have suggested.3) Posture: Sitting on this balance ball encourages better posture. It feels more correct to sit upright than to slouch. I can slouch still by slumping my chest and shoulders but it feels wrong on it, like I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing.4) Feel: I don't doubt that I will be sore for a few days. I feel some soreness developing in my back due to sitting correctly and my shoulders due to having to hold my arms up off a rest all day. But just like with working out, soreness is your body's way of developing more muscle mass as it repairs strained and torn muscle groups. I feel confident that I will be way better off going forward.All in all, sitting still isn't the best thing you can do for your body. Our bodies were designed to move around, squat, jump, run, etc. But if you're in a job that requires sitting, wouldn't you want to do everything you can to make sure you're at least sitting in the healthiest way possible? I know I sure would.

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.