Vari CoreChair office chair review
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The Vari CoreChair really surprised me. I thought it would be sort of a flash chair for me, a gadget that I loved for exactly a week and then completely forgot about, and almost did, but I see the potential.
In fact, if it weren’t for my bad knees combined with my tall height, I think this would be the perfect chair for me during the work day. But a few things keep this chair in “good” condition, not “excellent.” But each of them can be fixed with simple adjustments.
The entire USP of the CoreChair lies in its unstable connection between the seat and the post. It’s just loose enough to force you to engage your body while seated, which can be hit or miss for users, but for those who already move while seated, perhaps bouncing a leg or moving around, or feeling the need to get up and pace around, it may be precisely what you need.
This won’t be the best office chair for most people – it’s certainly a niche product. But for me, as a rather active individual, this chair, in concept, is precisely what I want. I can’t seem to get the height to work for me, but again this could be fixed quite easily.
Vari CoreChair: Price and availability
The CoreChair sells for $499 on Vari’s official website. With this, you get free standard shipping within the contiguous United States and a 3-year warranty, including full product replacement as per Vari’s policy.
It’s worth noting that this chair is currently only available in black, but I doubt the lack of color options will deter buyers.
Vari CoreChair: unboxing and first impressions
This is probably the simplest chair I’ve ever built, aside from the few I’ve received that are pre-built. It took about 3 minutes, two screws and no worries.
From the start, I thought it was a strange chair; it had a very aggressive tailbone cushion, very low back, as you would expect from a task chair designed for concentrated work, not remaining supported for long hours.
That said, after sitting on it for the first time, I was very impressed with how comfortable the cushion was and how lifelike everything was, considering how simple it was.
However, my first thought was right: this chair should be stool height, not chair height, but we’ll get to that later.
Vari CoreChair: quality design and construction
After months of occasional use of this chair, I remain convinced that it is one of the most comfortable cushions in a chair. It’s firm but supportive and breathes even on the hottest days. I also like that the spokes on the legs are wider, making it easier to place my feet on them.
The folder section here is a bit confusing, and to be honest, I don’t know why it exists. It seems unnecessary, like it needs to be bigger or removed entirely. And actually, I say that as a positive. The chair is sturdy enough on its own that it’s better to turn it into a stool than to use it as a chair.
If it were a stool, I could stretch my legs a little more, use the footrests on the spokes a little more, and improve my balance while using it as well. The chair is so close to being great; I just wish there was a little change.
Vari CoreChair: in use
I work in a specific workspace three days a week, and this chair stayed in that workspace for the entirety of my testing. I’ve used it for all day sessions, over 8 hours at a time. All the while, I feel like I can now say that this chair doesn’t so much give me a core workout as a focused, engaged core workout.
For someone like me, very active and hypermobile, I feel like I’m constantly tapping my foot or bouncing my leg. A chair like this that helps me stay engaged without feeling like I have to type or move. I noticed that using this chair helped me focus on what I was working on, making hours feel like mere minutes.
After several weeks of using this chair, I have a few notes that I would like to be able to edit. First of all, I don’t think the lumbar part is necessary, although I understand why they added it. Second, it might be my height, but I’d like this chair to be stool height. If it were a little bigger, I think I could use it for a few more days at a time, or even a few more hours at a time. Right now, after a few hours, I’m getting a little restless with knee pain, but I love having the basic activation.
I think, in its current form, the best use of this chair is between two- to four-hour work sessions in which you need to write, focus, edit a proposal, crush emails, or something else that you need hyper-fixation on. This chair might help you lock in and knock him out. For some, it’s precisely what they need to do their best work.
However, if you suffer from lower back pain or another condition, I recommend avoiding this chair, as it will not provide the natural support that most ergonomic chairs do and will instead require you to support yourself by adding a layer of instability. If you suffer from severe lower back pain, the Steelcase Leap remains the gold standard in this area.
Vari CoreChair: Final Verdict
The Vari CoreChair is a solid option for the right person and something others should avoid. It’s not a chair for everyone, but a niche option that could be a secret weapon for productivity.
As noted, there are a few areas I’d like to adjust to make this an even better chair, but for now, I see myself keeping this chair rotating for those times when I need to lock into it. It’s a great rotation between sitting, standing at a standing desk, and sitting in the CoreChair, although I know not everyone has the opportunity to benefit from such a work environment.
Simply put, if you are experiencing lower back or knee pain, this will definitely not be the chair for you. If you prefer a passive sitting position (where the chair does the work for you) rather than an active one (where you control how you sit and the support you get), again, the CoreChair won’t check these boxes.
But if you’re the type of person who’s on the move, constantly moving, or has a bit of a hyperactive mentality, this chair can unlock levels of productivity you never thought possible.
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