Article Jan 23

Is the sit ball an ergonomic alternative to the office stool?

In a check, we show which seating furniture is best for staying active and working safely all day in the office or home office.

In the 2000s, the pezziball arrived in German offices and for a long time seemed to be an all-round solution for the lack of movement at work, including back pain. In the meantime, only a few people still work with a sitting ball under their butt and most balls are gathering dust in storage rooms. Unjustly? How does it really look on the basis of facts? Compared to an office stool, such as the Aeris Swopper, is the seat stool perhaps a good alternative after all?

Here we take a close look at both seating options and show you the advantages and disadvantages:

Check No. 1: Individual setting options

Here the Pezziball has clear disadvantages compared to the swivel stool Aeris Swopp er . Although the seat ball is available in various sizes (approx. 45 to 95 cm in diameter), you cannot adjust its height individually and thus cannot optimally adapt it to your desk or body size.

The tension and thus the swing depth for a good sitting feeling cannot be adjusted "just quickly".

With the office stool Aeris Swopper, on the other hand, you can roughly adjust the chair to your needs in the first step thanks to the four different spring leg variants:

Standard spring leg (for body weights between 50 and 120 kg), Low (for desks lower than 65 cm), High (for heights over 185 cm) and Light (for people weighing up to 50 kg and heights up to 165 cm).

In addition, the individual seat height is then infinitely adjustable with a flick of the wrist. In this way, you can achieve an optimal angle between hip and knee in no time at all.

Furthermore, the spring tension, i.e. the vertical swing up and down, can be individually adjusted to your body weight. And you can also adjust the lateral mobility of the work stool to suit your personal preferences.

The Aeris Swopper is thus clearly superior to an exercise ball.

Check No. 2: Security

In terms of safety, the pezzi ball has to accept the biggest point deduction compared to the office stool. This is because most sitting balls are unstable and can easily roll away.

One second of inattentive sitting is enough to lose your balance and fall off the ball. Some manufacturers now offer a sewn-in floor ring to prevent the ball from rolling away, but this restricts mobility.

Another safety risk: You should make absolutely sure that the beanbag ball is made of a high-quality material to prevent it from bursting unintentionally. If possible, the seat ball should be made of an anti-burst system (usually manufactured with the composite material Crylon) or be labeled burst resistant or burst proof.

With the work stool Aeris Swopper, you don't have to worry about safety. The office stool is TÜV and GS tested and, despite its great mobility, is extremely tilt-resistant and stable.

The foot ring is available with castors or without castors (glides). In the version with backrest, castors and spring leg type Low (Swopper Work), the Aeris Swopper complies with the office chair standard DIN EN 1335.

Check No. 3: Design

In addition to the usual, mostly single-colored PVC seat balls, there are also gymnastic balls with covers made of various materials such as felt fabric, imitation leather, etc.. And also the colors range from classic to modern.

Disadvantage: the inflated gymnastic balls do not look very elegant, take up a lot of space and are significantly bulkier than an office stool.

The Aeris Swopper is unmistakable among office stools with its design - the distinctive foot ring and the unconventionally convex-shaped seat. A unique piece and a classic.

You can customize the ergonomic work stool from over 50 cover and color options. And if you like, you can simply hide the stool under your desk at the end of the day.

Check No. 4: Environmental friendliness

This is where the Aeris Swopper clearly scores. Many exercise balls are made of PVC, which is harmful to the environment and health, and have to be disposed of as hazardous waste after a relatively short service life.

The Aeris Swopper, on the other hand, is manufactured by hand in Germany and therefore has an extremely long service life. If something does not work, you can easily replace individual parts and have it repaired.

Check No. 5: Price

Here, the sitting ball is in front, even if the prices vary depending on size, brand and quality. Cheap pezzi balls you can get from about 10 euros. The middle price range is between 50 and 80 euros. The higher quality brand models cost between 100 and 400 euros.

There are many reasons for the higher price level of the Aeris Swopper (from RRP 629 euros). The innovative work stool has a unique 3D movement technology, it is made of high-quality materials and manufactured in Germany (see also Check No. 4).

This ensures high quality and a long service life. In addition, the Aeris Swopper retains a high resale value for years and you have a three-year warranty. But in return you also get a high-end product.

Check No. 6: Mobility and ergonomic requirements

There's no doubt that you'll be much more active sitting on a high-quality Pezzi ball than on a conventional office stool. That's because to prevent rolling away on the ball, you have to focus on a straight sitting posture and perform constant balancing movements.

Through the many small posture modifications you train the deep-seated muscles, especially in the lower back. At the same time, metabolism and circulation are stimulated.

However, the Pezziball is neither permitted nor suitable for permanent use in the office. Not allowed for safety reasons. Not suitable because of missing adjustment possibilities (see check no. 1-2). You can rather use the sitting ball for sports exercises in between or after work.

The office stool Aeris Swopper, on the other hand, offers you maximum freedom of movement - but user-oriented and suitable for office use. The work stool was designed so that you can use it all day in the office or home office without any problems.

How does it work? Thanks to the Aeris 3D technology, you can move with the work stool in all 3 directions: forwards and backwards, to the left and right and - unique to Aeris - also in the third dimension, namely up and down.

The effective up and down movement, called vertical swinging or "swooping," like walking or running, nourishes and relieves pressure on the intervertebral discs, keeping them fresh and elastic. This prevents and can relieve back pain.

Your muscles are strengthened so they can perform their proper function and keep your back straight. You do not need a backrest as an "artificial support". This is rather counterproductive for the muscle activity.

The lateral flexibility through the joint close to the floor also trains your muscles. All together it stimulates your circulation and metabolism and strengthens your back. You'll feel more alert and fit overall. And since muscle work also costs energy, you even burn extra calories on the side.

So you can easily sit on the Aeris Swopper all day without getting back pain or tension. The stool makes more than twice as much movement possible as a normal office chair. And is therefore ideal for long concentrated work in the office or home office.

Conclusion:

The bottom line is that a sitting ball cannot replace an office stool like the Aeris Swopper or is not a real alternative to a work stool. Despite the different ball sizes, it cannot be optimally adapted to the body and offers too high a risk of falling.

You can use it as a temporary seat. However, it is mainly a piece of training and sports equipment that can be used in short sessions to strengthen the muscles of the back and abdomen.

To stay active all day long while sitting - and to do so effortlessly - you should invest in a high-quality, individually adjustable office stool such as the Aeris Swopper. This will give you a completely new attitude towards life with less fatigue and more energy and quality of life. It's worth it!