Saddle chairs

    Product type

    You've probably heard of saddle chairs and ergonomic chairs, but what does that really mean? And which chair should you choose? 

    Is Dynamostol chair saddle chair?

    Both yes and no! Many of the principles behind our ergonomic work chairs are based on the 'horseback rider posture'.

    • You are balanced when you sit
    • You sit in an upright position
    • Your thighs point downwards
    • There is an open angle in your hips and thighs.

    What differentiates a 'Dynamostol saddle chair' from other saddle chairs is the active sitting posture. 

    Traditional saddle chairs are shaped like a horse's saddle. You initially sit comfortably, but unfortunately the posture you end up adopting forces your legs apart at an unnaturally wide angle. This strains your hips in an unnatural outward rotation, which in the long run can be harmful and cause unpleasant pain in the hip joints. A saddle is basically designed for a horseback, where the rider is in motion - on a saddle chair there is no natural movement, which would help to tighten up the legs, abdomen, back and shoulders. This is exactly what we at Dynamostol want to put a stop to. That's why we design ergonomic chairs that are good for the back as they encourage you to adopt an active sitting posture. 

    The seat shapes around our bottoms, as you will notice when you sit on the chair. A 'traditional saddle chair' is shaped like a saddle, which you straddle like you would on a horse. This sitting posture forces your hips to rotate outwards, giving you an unnatural curve in your back. This position is neither good for your hips nor your back - unless you are sitting on a horse, where the horse creates a natural, active movement and you follow these movements, strengthening your muscles at the same time.

    The benefit of an active sitting posture

    A Dynamostol chair encourages you to sit actively; the small seat is shaped to support your pelvis, while allowing you to move your legs freely. This gives you a wonderful sense of freedom on your chair, knowing that by moving your legs, you increase your blood circulation and strengthen your muscles. You sit in a more upright position, which means you are completely in balance. And you don't need to sit at an unnaturally high height either, nor do you need to overstretch the back, because the seat's shape supports the natural S-curve in your spine. On a Dynamostol chair, you can move your WHOLE back.

    When your sitting posture is balanced, you don't strain your body, and even though the chair is small and handy, you will never feel unstable or like the chair is about to tip. The wheels help you move around effortlessly and without straining your hips, unlike on a chair where you are not in a balanced sitting posture.

    Having a balanced sitting posture makes you relax your neck and shoulders more. Most people know what it feels like to work with your shoulders right up by your ears. This is not something you would really experience when sitting on an active chair.

    The active sitting posture you get from sitting on a Dynamostol chair also strengthens your back and boosts your circulation while you sit better and more comfortably.

    A Dynamostol chair doesn't have a backrest because when you sit in a balanced position, you remove the need to 'relieve' your back and relax. Your increased circulation sends energy to your brain, and you will have a long and focused working day without pain, fatigue or feeling off your game - in short Dynamostol chairs are the world's best work chairs.

    The cons of a traditional saddle chair (horse saddle)

    Many people mistakenly believe that it's important to sit as high as possible and to overstretch the back to provoke an extreme lumbar stretch. But an extreme lumbar position will fix your lower back into place, so instead of gaining strength and greater freedom of movement, all that happens is that your lower back can't move. This isn't a big issue on a horse, as the horse's movements train the micro muscles along the spine. But on a chair, this is a big problem as you will experience pain and discomfort in the longer term due to your sitting posture.

    Another problem is that you lock your lower back into a fixed position. This means that your back, which is usually a long moving 'snake', doesn't get a chance to move the bottom third. This leads to the top two thirds of your back compensating, particularly the neck, which is subjected to an unnecessary amount of strain.

    Many people who sit on a 'horse saddle chair" find that the extreme angle the legs are forced into affect their hips, so that the chair initially feels comfortable, but that the pressure on the hips leads to pain over time.

    Saddle chairs are not recommended if you are pregnant or have just given birth.

    A designed saddle chair with handle

    Dynamostol's founder, Claus Lundsgaard, designed the Dynamostol Classic, which has been on the market for more than 35 years. A functional and ergonomic work chair based on a design philosophy that builds on the horseback rider posture. It is important to note, however, that the seat is designed based on human anatomy, not a saddle. 

    The Dynamostol InCharge was designed by the world-famous furniture designer Nanna Ditzel in 1998. An aesthetic and functional gem that benefits many people all over the world every day. Just like the Classic chair, it is based on the 'horseback rider posture'.

    Nanna Ditzel refined the look of the chair with a metal grip handle, which encircles the seat. The grip handle is intended to help you position the chair when you want to sit on it or move it around. It's easy to grab the handle and pull the chair to where you want to sit on it.

    Dynamostol ReForm is a re-design of our Classic chair. In 2014, we started working with Anders. P. Jensen, who was tasked with designing a new chair based on the design principles of the Classic. The result was the ReForm chair. And we're very proud of it. The function is the same, but the aesthetics are more attractive.

    We are delighted and proud to say that our chairs have helped many, many people achieve a better and more active working day.

    The benefits of a Dynamostol chair

    Activity
    The smart thing about our chair is that it meets so many needs. Above all, this is an active chair that allows you to move freely, strengthen your muscles and boost your circulation.

    So there's no point talking about the PERFECT knee and hip angle - because the PERFECT bit about it is that you've got a fantastic chair, which is super flexible and which works perfectly in clinics, hospitals, laboratories and with sit/stand desks.

    When you sit on the chair, you can feel your pelvis fall into place in the seat. As the seat is pelvis-shaped, you'll notice that it's easier to straighten your back than on a conventional chair. Initially, you may be more aware of the chair's shape at the front, but you'll soon forget about it.

    The small hump at the front prevents you from sliding off the chair, even though you sit higher up than on a conventional chair. You need an open angle in your hip joints when you sit on the chair, and you should still be able to reach the ground.

    It is worth changing the height of the chair throughout the day.

    Cleaning and hygiene

    The minimalist design makes the chair easy to clean. All surfaces are either chrome or aluminium, and tolerate all types of cleaning agents. The cover is artificial leather, which withstands standard cleaning agents suitable for cleaning textiles.

    Flexibility

    The seat's special design makes sitting on the chair easy. The practical grip handle makes it easy for you to position the seat, and also works perfectly as a handle when you want to move the chair.

    As the chair doesn't take up much room, you won't find yourself bumping into cabinets, couches or colleagues as you move around, helped by the extra smooth-running wheels.