QOR360 Active Chair : FirstLook/FirstUse
The spine "stacks" naturally and properly...this is not hokum!!!
We have been sitting in Aeron chairs at the RainyDayMagazine office for close to 20 years. Even though they have gone through some repairs and upgrades, Aeron has always been the standard by which all other office chairs are judged.
Well, there is a new challenger in town: the QOR360 active chair.
Eliot: “‘Active’ sitting? I prefer ‘active’ napping.”
We learned about “active sitting” from our friend Aaron Cass, who has been designing those chairs for a while. He told us about QOR360, said they have been getting a lot of good press, and urged us to take a look.
Because we like the principle behind active sitting, and want to support new ventures, we decided to check out QOR360 and their newfangled chairs.
Ariel Unpacking
The chair arrived via FedEx a week after we placed the order.
We were surprised and impressed at the small size of the box and actually double-checked with the FedEx guy to make sure there wasn’t a second box on the truck. Someone clearly took the time to create an efficiently arranged package for shipping. Nice!
What’s in the box:
Ariel Assembly
QOR claims it takes about 90 seconds to put the Ariel together. We timed it, and they were probably right, but we had to stop for photos 🙂
Steps…no tools required:
- Insert the 5 feet into base;
- Insert seat post into base;
- Place seat onto post.
Assembly complete!
Ariel FirstSit
What’s our first impression? Immediate back relief, even when compared to the Aeron. The spine “stacks” naturally and properly when balancing on the seat. The seat moves when the pelvis shifts, but the spine stays aligned…pretty amazing.
This is not hokum!!!
NOT a stool, but an active chair!!! Instant back alignment without effort.
Active sitting does require some getting used to. QOR’s recommendation is to sit for 30 minutes at a time until one is used to the chair. We did that for the first few hours (getting up after 30 minutes, do something else, then sit for another 30).
The seat’s platform moves as one’s body shifts, something that does not happen with non-active chairs. The body’s core is engaged while sitting on the Ariel—hence the “active” part—but is not muscularly stressed during that time. Sitting still or moving on the Ariel are both very comfortable.
Following QOR’s 30-rest-30 protocol, the back felt fine after an afternoon of sitting on the Ariel. It is not for sitting for 3 hrs straight right out of the box, but the recommendation for healthy sitting is NOT to do that regardless, right?
What’s Next
We’ll switch between using the Ariel and the Aeron for the next month and report back on our impressions regarding active sitting in general and the Ariel in particular.
QOR360 says customers have 60 days to decide if they want to keep it. We really want that answer to be “YES!!!”, but we’ll let our backs decide 🙂
Oh yeah, about the wheels…
The shifting platform of an active chair is obviously the key over other chairs. However, we can imaging the chair sliding out under our butts if we were too, um, active. On the other hand, having wheels on the chair would let us move around easier when necessary.
So while we got the wheels to go with the Ariel, we have not yet installed them. QOR recommends getting used to the chair first, then add the wheels.
Links to items mentioned:
Nice article, want more! What is the verdict on the Ariel? Did you keep it? How is the seat for long term sitting? Probably moving from a height adjustable kneeling chair to this one, so “sitting” desk only. Your thoughts….
We have been using it daily and can now sit comfortably on the Ariel for extended periods (90+ minutes). What is nice is we also do tend to get up and walk around more often then before.
It has definitely changed our perception of “comfort” with extended sitting in the typical “office” chair…Aeron included. The Ariel is now the one we use. The Aeron is for when we want to put our feet up on the table to watch TV 🙂
The Ariel is the one we sit in when we want to do work 🙂