Office Solution Pro

Your answer to all questions office related

Best Ergonomic Stool of 2023: Complete Reviews with Comparisons

best ergonomic stool

Once you decide to replace your regular chair with the best ergonomic stool, you are on the right track to living a more active lifestyle.

You may have tried a long line of ergonomic office chairs, but it remains challenging to increase work productivity.

Many office workers who are regularly sedentary for several hours end up having undesirable health consequences.

If you want to practice active sitting while you work, the easiest way is to use an ergonomic stool. Read about our top five options and check out our buyer’s guide.

At Office Solution Pro, we are passionate about Ergonomics! Our readers support the page. If you click on a link, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. We hope you love the products we recommend as much as we do!

Best Ergonomic Stool Reviews

1. Aeris Swopper Ergonomic Stool

Aeris designs products that enable us to stay active while sitting down, even for extended durations.

If you’re looking for active seating furniture to replace your typical desk chairs, the Aeris Swopper is the chair of choice.

It is one of the best office stools, ideal for continuous sitting and focus.

Product Highlights

The Aeris Swopper features a distinctive design that boasts ergonomic adjustability to discourage bad posture.

Nevertheless, it remains a classic among the most popular ergonomic stools globally.

It is a high-end office chair that caters to a wide range of body types because of its multiple customization options.

While this stool has a fixed seat depth diameter of 21.65 inches, it allows a maximum user weight of 264.5 pounds.

  • Backrest and Casters

If you decide to get the Swopper, Aeris gives you the freedom to choose whether to get a backrest and a set of casters.

The backrest attaches to the round, powder-coated aluminum base.

On the other hand, Aeris Swopper casters come in two types: hard-floor casters and soft-floor casters.

  • Multiple Colors and Material Types

You can choose from a wide range of different-colored seat fabrics and base colors for a more personal touch.

Of course, Aeris has gone the extra mile of designing the product using a wide range of fabrics.

You can choose from leather, artificial leather, wool blends, microfiber cloth, mesh fabric, or felt.

  • Variable Spring Strut Types

The Aeris Swopper has four spring-strut options: Standard, High, Low, and Light.

Taller people will enjoy the high spring strut, while shorter people can benefit from choosing the low option.

The light spring strut is for you if you are a lightweight person within a weight range of 77 to 110 pounds.

This stool does not have an adjustable seat height, so be sure to choose the correct spring strut type.

What We Like

The most notable feature of the Swopper is the genuine Aeris 3D technology.

This technology enables the comfortable seat to be a well-balanced wobble stool and move in three dimensions: forward and backward, sideways, and vertically.

This swopping or swinging simulates the natural compression of a user’s spine when running or walking.

What We Don’t Like

Even with all this high-end chair can offer, it also has a drawback. It is one of many expensive chairs close to the 1,000-dollar price point.

We also don’t like that all Aeris products have a limited lifetime warranty.

Corresponding fees apply if you find defective materials and bring them for repairs after three years.

Pros:

  • Solid aluminum base functions as a built-in foot ring
  • Enables active movements while sitting
  • Promotes back muscle training
  • One of the most durable chairs you can find
  • Burns calories while sitting
  • Keeps ligaments and joints fit
  • Has a foam seat cushion for added comfort

Cons:

  • A bit on the heavy side
  • One of our more expensive options

2. Herman Miller Aeron Work Stool

When looking for a luxurious chair, you can’t get anything wrong with a name as resounding as Herman Miller.

The award-winning Herman Miller brand boasts a large team of ergonomic experts who ensure product reliability and excellence.

With over eight million units sold, the Aeron is Herman Miller’s most recognized and admired ergonomic office chair.

It comes in two variations: the Aeron Chair and the Aeron Stool. We’re here to look at the stool variant, which has a curvy design similar to the chair.

Product Highlights

The Aeron Stool has a standard seat depth and width, measuring 17 inches deep and 20.25 inches wide.

It has a built-in foot ring, and you can choose from a counter or bar height variant.

The adjustable seat height range is 4.5 inches for the counter height variant and 6.25 inches for the bar height variant.

  • Multiple Customization Options

Its frame and base materials come in three variations: graphite, mineral, and onyx.

Herman Miller even gives you three back support options: Adjustable Lumbar Support, Adjustable Posturefit SL, and Zonal Basic Back Support.

Other customization options include the tilt mechanism, armrests, arm pads, and casters.

Tilt mechanism options include basic tilt, tilt limiter, and a tilt limiter and seat angle combo.

The armrests could either be stationary arms, height-adjustable arms, or fully adjustable armrests.

As for the arm pads, each could use the same standard material as the backrest frame or have some leather padding.

Finally, the casters are either for hard floors and carpet roll-away resistant with Quiet Roll Technology or basic standard for carpeted floors.

  • Premium Ergonomics

If you’re looking for a high-quality chair with additional lumbar support features, you’ll be happy to know that the Aeron Work Stool includes a backrest.

It is an excellent chair that boasts advanced adjustments for varying postures, activities, and a wide range of body types.

You can set it up with the best ergonomic adjustments if you get the Adjustable Posturefit SL and fully adjustable armrests.

  • Eco-friendly Design

The Aeron boasts multiple awards for environmentally preferable office furniture.

It uses recycled materials while considering minimal environmental impact and improved indoor conditions.

What We Like

The Aeron Stool boasts a 12-year warranty period.

When purchasing from Herman Miller, you can expect unsurpassed quality from design to manufacturing and delivery to customer service.

This excellent 12-year warranty covers all moving parts, including pneumatic cylinders, casters, tilts, adjustable armrests, and even electrical components.

What We Don’t Like

Since the Aeron uses breathable and comfortable mesh fabrics, we’re not bothered that it does away without foam cushions.

However, cleaning the mesh fabric after months of use can be tricky.

On another note, this stool’s plethora of features makes it the priciest among our top five options.

Pros:

  • Allows natural sitting with superior back support
  • Perfectly balances ergonomics and comfort
  • Advanced adjustment features
  • Durable material
  • Mesh fabric keeps you cool and comfortable
  • Height-adjustable footrest

Cons:

  • Most expensive option on the list
  • Putting too much weight on armrests pushes them down

3. Vari Essential Active Stool

Vari is an innovation company that helps organizations unlock their employees’ and workspace’s full potential.

This company handles the office furniture purchasing process with speed, flexibility, and simplicity.

It offers various furniture collections, including the Vari Essential Collection, which features plenty of office furniture choices.

One of the noteworthy pieces under this collection is the Vari Essential Active Stool.

Product Highlights

The Vari Essential Active Stool is a slim and lightweight wobble stool. A wobble stool moves with you as you tilt in and out. Wobble stools can help you by promoting active sitting.

This office stool comes fully assembled with a round memory foam seat cushion, a round base, and a Vari Air-Lift Piston shaft.

The stool has a seat depth diameter of 13 inches, and the base is slightly wider at 14 inches. It is a compact chair with a 250-pound weight capacity.

  • Tilting Capacity

This chair is the perfect wobble stool for standing desks because it can tilt to a maximum of 18 degrees in all directions.

This feature functions well with the 360-degree rotation of the comfortable seat.

In addition, it allows an adjustable seat height between 22 and 32 inches, allowing for use with varying standing desks.

  • Value for Money

Compared to our first two options, the Vari Essential Active Stool is a budget office chair that doesn’t offer much in the extraneous features department.

Nevertheless, it has the quality of a durable furniture piece, giving you the best value for its affordable price.

  • Compact and Lightweight

Since it only occupies a minimal footprint, this stool is an excellent option for those who work in tight office spaces.

It gives you more room to move and encourages you to stay active while working at a desk. Moreover, since it is lightweight, it is effortless to move.

What We Like

The waterfall chair edges along the seat circumference reduce the sitting pressure on the back of your legs, ensuring all-day comfort.

Instead, the tilt design engages your core and leg muscles while seated.

Its design makes it a perfect sit-stand stool for those who want to remain active while working in an office setting.

What We Don’t Like

The Essential Active Stool doesn’t have much to offer in the customization department.

It is only available in an entirely black finish and lacks the lumbar support features available in some alternatives.

Pros:

  • Encourages active sitting
  • Engages leg and core muscles
  • Value for money option
  • Simple, minimalist design
  • Comfortable, one of the cushier seat options
  • Fully assembled upon delivery

Cons:

  • No adjustable footrest
  • No lumbar support
  • Lacks features for customization
  • Short warranty provision

4. Mount-It! Ergonomic Sit-Stand Stool

If you’re looking for a stool that has an angled design, we recommend the Mount-It! Sit-Stand Stool.

Like the previous budget pick, the Mount-It! is an affordable and excellent choice for active sitting.

This sit-stand stool is a practical office chair for high-traffic workspaces because it is also one of the most compact picks.

Product Highlights

The Mount-It! has a seat depth of 16 inches and is 15 inches wide. It occupies a small floor area and can handle user weights of up to 248 pounds.

  • Height Adjustable and Tiltable Seat

The seat height adjusts between 22 and 28.7 inches using a built-in handle under the seat. It tilts in all directions, even with its shaft angled slightly toward the front.

  • Durable High-Density Foam

The seat is a premium upholstered cushion, making perched sitting more comfortable.

What We Like

Unlike the Vari Essential, the Mount-It has a seat that tapers upward to the rear, essentially increasing lower back support for perched sitting.

Also, this added support includes one handle on either side, making active sitting and furniture relocation more manageable.

What We Don’t Like

The Mount-It! chair’s disadvantage is the assembly required when you get the package. Like the Vari Essential, it is also only available in black.

Pros:

  • Has an improved lower back support
  • Easy to carry and move around
  • Unique angled design
  • Comes with a 10-year warranty period

Cons:

  • The firm foam seat needs more padding
  • Requires assembly
  • No custom feature offerings

5. Minewill Ergonomic Saddle Stool

Another type of stool worth a second look is the simple yet highly functional Minewill Ergonomic Saddle Stool.

It carries the name because sitting on it feels like sitting on horseback.

This ergonomic saddle chair is the chair of choice for people who keep moving across floors to accomplish active tasks.

It is an excellent chair for many professions, including dentistry, sculpting, painting, and others that require maximum mobility and reach.

Product Highlights

This active sitting stool’s seat depth is enough to accommodate a maximum weight capacity of 300 pounds.

It has a faux leather-covered seat cushion in three variations: brown, black, and matte black.

Of all the competing budget-priced chairs on this list, this one is the most affordable.

  • Casters and 360-Degree Rotation

To allow extreme mobility and reach, this stool has a wheelbase and a seat that rotates clockwise and anticlockwise.

  • Up and Down Adjustment

You will find a built-in handle for the pneumatic height adjustment feature, enabling you to shift between seat heights within 19 and 25 inches.

What We Like

With the correct sitting posture, this ergonomic saddle chair aligns your head, neck, shoulders, hips, and ankles for improved muscle engagement and circulation.

As long as you maintain proper posture, the saddle chair can help relieve pain in all these parts.

What We Don’t Like

We don’t like the low maximum seat height of 25 inches, as it limits access to taller tables and standing desks.

Pros:

  • Relieves back and hip pain
  • No noises and scratches from the casters
  • Height adjustable to relieve leg pressure
  • Solid design
  • Oil-and-stain-resistant upholstery

Cons:

  • May be too low for some applications
  • No lumbar support

Buyer’s Guide

While a stool sounds simple, technology has paved the way for the highly innovative design of advantageous furniture pieces.

With all the market has to offer today, you might want to consider a few factors when choosing your work stool.

Stool Style

Stools and similar desk chairs differ entirely from regular office and gaming chairs.

While gaming chairs tend to allow a more laid-back and relaxed sitting position, stools enable users to move more freely, especially around standing desks.

Nevertheless, stools come in different forms, allowing you to use them for various purposes.

  • Task Chair

The task chair is the most complicated stool style. It allows optimum adjustability for a user to tackle varying tasks conveniently.

  • Wobble Chair

As the name suggests, a wobble chair wobbles in all directions and swivels to a 360-degree rotation to enable active seating.

The seat tilts in several directions to let users do a wide range of motion tasks, including repetitive standing and sitting.

  • Sit-Stand Stool

A sit-stand stool enables you to rest your different muscles periodically by shifting your weight from standing to sitting and vice versa.

  • Ball Chair

The ball chair is a stool that mimics the instability of an exercise ball.

This type of stool requires users to activate and engage their trunk muscles to improve their posture, decrease discomfort, and boost core strength.

  • Other Styles

Other stool styles include multiple-legged options and pedestal types.

While the ball chair typically has multiple legs, you’ll find some models that stand as single-legged pedestals.

All of the task chairs and wobble chairs presented above are of the pedestal type.

Sizing

Ergonomic stools come in variable size ranges depending on a product’s features.

Remember that comfort can only be attainable if you pick the right size options for your particular body type.

A compact chair with the proper ergonomics may not have the right seat pan size and chair edges to support your legs and buttocks.

Alternatively, stool size ranges also vary depending on the included attachments.

A chair with a lumbar support pillow can be much bulkier than a typical wobble chair.

Mechanisms and Adjustability

Not all ergonomic stools have a mechanism for adjustments. However, those that do can drastically improve comfort and ergonomics.

It is up to you to look for basic adjustability features, such as a built-in handle for pneumatic height adjustments and adjustable lumbar support.

Other mechanisms allow backrest angle and tilting tension adjustments, backrest height changes, and footrest and seat height adjustments.

That said, a highly configurable chair costs much more than cheaper chairs, so align your personal preference with your budget.

Comfort and Ergonomics

The best chair and stool manufacturers will take advantage of expert advice from furniture design professionals.

Those that make adjustable chairs will employ skillful mechanical engineers to design the perfect mechanisms for ergonomic adjustments.

All ergonomic seating should enable users to practice correct posture to maintain physical health and well-being.

As you can imagine, an ergonomic chair could be highly configurable, but it doesn’t always equate to comfort.

If you get the wrong stool size, you might end up sitting with poor posture.

Remember that a comfortable chair allows you to put your feet flat on the floor while following your body’s contours for proper posture.

Price

The furniture industry holds products falling under a vast price range.

If you don’t want to spend too much on expensive chairs, there are competing budget-priced chairs that have similar features.

However, many budget chairs tend to lack the uniqueness, versatility, and durability of pricier options.

Ergonomic Stool FAQs

1. What makes a stool ergonomic?

Ergonomic design refers to efficiency and comfort in a working environment. A cheap chair without any ergonomics can inhibit safe movements while sitting down.

Since most stools are compact picks, you might wonder what part of a stool can be ergonomic.

At the very least, look for proper padding and sloping edges.

2. Are ergonomic stools good for you?

Like any chair with ergonomic features, ergonomic stools improve comfort and productivity.

With foam seats and sloping edges, ergonomic stools offer better circulation in your legs while sitting.

3. Is an ergonomic stool better than a chair?

Regular office chairs with armrests and backrests tend to limit movement in the workspace.

They occupy a wider footprint and hinder the fidgeting many office workers require to improve focus.

However, many stools only have a built-in handle for adjustable height, whereas regular office chairs have more adjustable lumbar support features.

Since most stools do not have a backrest, they seldom offer a space for attaching a lumbar support pillow.

The good thing about an ergonomic stool is that its design caters to office workers who want to practice active sitting.

4. What are the benefits of a wobble chair?

When sitting on a wobble stool with your feet flat on the floor, you open yourself up to a wide range of benefits.

These benefits include spinal core stability, spinal disc rehydration, and increased blood circulation.

Kids with attention problems can also benefit from wobble stools.

5. Why are saddle chairs good for your back?

Ergonomic saddle chair sitting relieves pains felt on the back, hips, neck, and arms.

Which Stool Has the Best Ergonomics?

If you had to ask, our favorite chair that can easily stand out as the best ergonomic stool is the Aeris Swopper.

It may fall on the higher tier of the price range, but it definitely has lots to offer in the ergonomics department.

Moreover, it is the only option that enables consumers to give their new stool a more personal touch.

Related Posts