It’s not your regular office chair. In fact. It looks weird enough to be used in an office. The Capisco chair somehow resembles a dental chair or something that you would use for drafting if you’re an architect. Let’s see if it’s something that can benefit you in the office setting.
About the brand
HAG is a Swedish brand with its products manufactured in Poland. These Scandinavian designed ergonomic chairs are all about integrating dynamic movement into your daily work. So most of the brand’s chairs have a perky and unique design. It also focuses on active sitting so expect these chairs to push you a bit in that direction
Capisco Chair by HÅG Review – Comfort or not?
Backrest and seat
Since the chair is inspired by how a horse rider sits on a saddle, you’ll be assuming a position similar to a horse ride. Your hips are higher than the knees, the spine is upright and the chest is open. This certain position pushes your body to be upright. If you are used to active sitting or engaging your core while seated, you will find the chair comfortable enough.
But you still have to move or change positions. You won’t be able to sit in one position without hurting your back after a whole day’s work. Because this chair will really push you to be in an upright position, you have to move constantly.
The chair encourages you to move a lot and change positions. The backseat has a weird wide T shape. While the seat is a counter saddle seat. Both are cushioned. But I find the backseat a little too thin for my liking. So it’s not a plush comfort. Rather, it’s leaning towards firm support.
The backrest also features an open design. I love that you can stretch a lot while you’re seated. There are a lot of open spaces where you can rotate your trunk to the sides or even twist a bit.
You can sit in the chair in a variety of ways. It can be the conventional sitting position, perched forward, sideways, or you can even sit in a reverse position. This is the first of its kind to allow users to sit with their chest resting against the backseat. It’s similar to how you would sit on an exercise machine when you’re working your shoulder blades.
I find this particular sitting position the most comfortable when you’re using this chair. It supports the shoulders and chest well. But I was not able to keep my back upright after several hours. I felt numbing and slight tension on my back after three hours.
The overall comfort is very firm. If you fit into the chair it can offer nice lumbar support. it can sit perfectly against the lower part of your back and you can adjust the lumbar support firmness.
But if it’s not an exact fit, you’ll find that the chair offers very minimal back and lumbar support. Rather, it has more support for your shoulders and chest.
Aesthetics and warranty
The Capisco has a rather interesting look. It was inspired by how a rider sits on a horse saddle. You can call this the horse rider poster and it pushes your body to sit upright.
This is not how your regular office chair looks like. So it can be a perky and interesting addition to your office. It also comes in several pastel colors. And it can also be a focal point in your home office. This unique looking chair can also be a conversation starter too.
The brand tossed in a generous warranty of 10 years on the core components. That will give you more confidence in the product. And the design has been around since 1984. And no changes have been made and the chair was not altered. So the weird and quirky design is working for the chair.
Customization and adjustability
In terms of customizable options, the chair offers a few. You can choose from different colors and you may opt for one with a footrest ring. You can also purchase the chair just with the saddle seat and without the backrest. And you can even upgrade to one with a headrest. So it gives you a pretty range of options for customization.
But for adjustability, this chair is not going to indulge you. It has very few adjustable features when compared to other ergonomic office chairs. You can adjust the seat height and the firmness of the lumbar support. It also has a decent recline. But that’s about it, everything else is stationary. So you have to work around the chair and not the other way around.
Armrests
The armrests are designed in a way that it never gets close to the desk. It’s integrated into the backrest. So it’s not your usual armrests where you can rest your forearms and wrist. The armrest is kind of short and can only support your elbows. Perhaps, the best use of the armrests is when you’re leaning back and resting your elbows on it.
Comparison the versions – Capisco vs Capisco Puls
These two chairs can pass off as identical twins. The Capisco Puls is a more affordable and lightweight version of the Capisco chair. It’s suited for sitting for short periods of time. It still has a saddle seat, but the backseat is thinner and has sharper edges.
It’s ideal for meetings or when you just have to sit for a few hours. I love how it supports dynamic movement while in a meeting. Hence, encouraging interaction with your coworkers.
You can also experience the same liberty and freedom of movement as you felt with the Capisco chair. Just don’t use it for more than 4 hours.
My only gripe is that the cushion is really thin. It’s like a thin layer of upholstery. In this case, an upgrade to a more padded foam is necessary. Even if you are into active sitting, you’ll still find the basic cushion too thin.
But even with the thicker padding, you still won’t find the chair comfortable for sitting on for long periods of time. The Capisco Puls is really designed to be sat on for just a few hours.
Also, the Capisco Puls is more suited for active sitting than used with a regular desk. It looks similar to the Back App stool. Both have the same saddle seat, the latter just lacks a backseat and has a more cushioned padding.
Summary
- It’s not advisable to lean forward while working on your computer while seated. But the Capisco chair allows you to lean forward to your heart’s content and still feel supported. The chair provides great support for the chest and shoulders in a reverse sitting position. So this is perhaps the best way to use the chair.
- If you’re not going to move or change positions, better to look for another chair. Capisco can be comfortable if you can keep an upright position. So if you tend to slouch, this chair won’t do you any good.
- There is minimal back support. Instead, the chair instead offers more shoulder and chest support.
- If you have restless legs syndrome, you have to get this office chair.
- Movement is king when it comes to the Capisco chair. If you’re not going to move or change sitting positions, there is no use in getting this chair.
- It’s a great choice if you want to try active sitting. You can sit in a half squat position or perch forward to engage your core more while seated.
- It’s perfect for a sit-stand desk. With a lot of options for active sitting, it’s a great complement to a standing desk.
- It has a smaller footprint so it fits in a relatively small office.
- This chair is not suitable for bigger and taller users. You will find the saddle seat too small. And even if the chair has height adjustments, it can’t go high enough for users taller than 6 feet.
Who is it for
The design of the chair is anything but an ordinary ergonomic chair. And it encourages a lot of movement on the upper body. It’s perfect for those who are fidgety and move a lot in his chair. It’s also a great pick if you want to venture into active sitting. Or if you’re using a standing desk, this is a great option.
And who it isn’t for? If you tend to slouch a lot, this chair won’t give you back support. It lacks lumbar and back support for individuals who have a lazy core. If I am going to correlate it to a workout season, this isn’t a beginner’s workout. Hence, active individuals will find this chair fun to sit on.
Capisco chair alternatives
Here are several office chairs that look and feel similar to the Capisco chair.
- Nightingale Surgeon
Compared to the Capisco, the Nightingale Surgeon has a flatter and more cushioned seat. But it does have the same style of the backseat.
The basic Nightingale Surgeon chair already has a built-in footrest. And you have to pay an additional fee if you want a Capisco chair with a footrest.
- Bambach saddle seat
The Bambach features the same saddle seat, but it has more of a traditional cushioned backseat. So it can also keep your hips upright in a racehorse sitting position. And it also encourages active seating. But compared to the Capisco, you can use this chair for a longer period of time without changing your sitting position that much.
- Cramer Ever stool
It’s a big and tall alternative. If you’re looking for a sit-stand chair but do not seem to fit into the Capisco chair, the Cramer Ever stool is a perfect alternative.
- Cobu stool by Steelcase
The Cobu stool looks the least like the Capisco chair. But what makes it similar is that the seat is designed to follow your every movement. And like the saddle chair, it encourages dynamic movement and allows you to move freely while seated. Though this stool only has one adjustment level so it can cater to a few users.
Final say
The Capisco is not for the lazy sitter. The chair is designed for movement and it’s a sit-stand chair. So if you don’t want to move, better look for another chair. But if you’re into active sitting and want to engage your core a little bit more, you’ll find this chair very fun to sit on.
