The Muvman chair permanently angles forward about four degrees. Sounds strange, right? What if I told you it’s also kind of wobbly?
Save Yourself From Sitting
We all know by now that sitting is killing us. Depending on what you read, sitting is doing everything from rotting your muscles to super-gluing your fascia to scheduling your imminent death for this coming Tuesday. But according to some movement experts, standing all day is no better. In fact, standing may be the new sitting. So, what are you supposed to do?
The short answer is you shouldn’t be doing any one thing all day long. You need to have variety in your movements and postures. Having a standing desk allows us to avoid sitting, but unless you have a fancy motorized one, it doesn’t allow you to sit back down when you want (or should). You need a chair for that.
“The tilt keeps me from putting my entire weight on the seat, so my legs remain engaged and this position reminds me to sit tall. In addition, the loose movement of the chair keeps me from totally relaxing.”
So, what if your chair wasn’t a regular chair and it didn’t allow you to sit in a death-inducing manner? This is where the Muvman comes in. The joint between the strut and the base of the Muvman is not fixed. It wobbles.
According to the manufacturer, Swopper, the movement of the chair allows for benefits like improved back pain, posture, circulation, and core activation. Sounds a bit like what we were told about sitting on plyo balls, right? And let me tell you, I can slouch like a champ on a plyo ball.
But I don’t slouch on my Muvman. No lie. The tilt keeps me from putting my entire weight on the seat, so my legs remain engaged and this position reminds me to sit tall. In addition, the loose movement of the chair keeps me from totally relaxing. You have to stay a little bit present to your posture or you’re going to tip further than you meant.
A couple photos of the Muvman in my home office
How the Muvman Works
The Muvman only moves forward and backward. Other models of Swopper chairs also move side to side. But I chose the Muvman because it can be used with both sitting and standing desks (although it might be a little tall for some desks even at the lowest setting, so make sure to do all your measuring if you’re considering buying one).
The Muvman height adjusts between 20-33”. It’s also available in a “tall” version, which adjusts from 23.5-36”. Adjusting the height is easy. You grip the seat, as you would to pick up any chair, and you’ll discover your fingers are each pressing on a button plate. You grip those plates tighter and the seat will move up or down with just a bit of force.
“The minimalist design also allows the chair to be quickly tucked away. I often push mine under my standing desk and forget it’s there until my feet get tired.”
The seat itself is small, but that’s in line with the idea of the chair. You’re not going to be planting your entire weight on it. The seats come in vinyl or a variety of microfiber colors. You can also choose between a grey or black base. The model I was sent to test has a blue seat and grey base and the look of it is really appealing (plus it matches my trackball).
Muvman color options
At the back of the seat is a handle that works well for easily moving the chair. While the chair is sturdy, it is not too heavy. According to the Swopper site, it weighs fourteen pounds. The minimalist design also allows the chair to be quickly tucked away. I often push mine under my standing desk and forget it’s there until my feet get tired.
Price Point
Obviously the price of this chair is an issue. Many people I know won’t even fork out for the standing desk to begin with. Instead, they concoct piles of apple boxes and books or hack their Ikea furniture to make do. So you might think you can find an easier way to not stand all day.
And that might be true. But I also knew a lot of people who spent a small fortune back in the day on the Herman Miller Aeron and never regretted it for a moment. So it’s all about priorities. You might be wondering right now if you can duct tape a pillow to a bamboo stick and jam it in a landmine. Or you might just check out the Muvman.
The Muvman is available for $599.00 at Swopper.com.
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