The $899 "Flimsy" Chair: Deconstructing the Varier ThatSit and the Active Sitting Conflict

For the desk-bound professional suffering from chronic back pain, the $899 Varier ThatSit Balans chair represents a profound hope… and a significant risk. Its 3.2-star rating is a map of this paradox: 5-star reviews call it “priceless” and “incredible” for eliminating pain, while 1 and 2-star reviews call it “flimsy,” “disappointed,” and report that it “broke 3 days in.”

This is not a simple case of “good” vs. “bad” quality. This is a fundamental conflict between a radical ergonomic philosophy and the physical execution of that philosophy in laminated wood.

To deconstruct this $899 “flimsy” chair, we must first deconstruct the “active sitting” philosophy it is built upon.

1. The Design Philosophy: “The Next Posture is the Best”

This chair, designed by Peter Opsvik, is an “evolution of the iconic Variable” kneeling chair from 1979. Its design is a direct rejection of the traditional “static” office chair.

• The “Static” Problem: A normal chair locks your hips at 90 degrees, causing your pelvis to tilt backward and your lower back to “slouch,” putting pressure on your spine.
• The “Active” Solution: Opsvik’s philosophy is that “the best posture is always the next one.” The chair is designed to encourage constant motion, not restrict it.

This is achieved with two primary mechanisms. First, the forward-sloping seat opens the hip angle, which allows the pelvis to tilt forward, letting the spine effortlessly stack into its natural, healthy “S” curve. As one user noted, “I am able to sit comfortably in the perfect posture the entire time.”

Second, the curved wooden runners create a dynamic base. They allow the user to “gently rock back and forth,” which “resolves the problem of my body being unable to stay in the same position.” This constant, subtle movement engages the core muscles and prevents the stagnation and stiffness that come from being locked in a static cast.

2. The “ThatSit” Evolution: Adjustability as a Feature

The ThatSit model is an $899 evolution of the simpler Variable chair. It adds two key features that address the “one-size-fits-all” problem of the original.

1. The Backrest:
The ThatSit adds a “concave backrest.” This is not intended for all-day lumbar support. It is a “variation” tool. It “invites you to lean both in and back,” allowing the user to seamlessly transition from an “active” forward-leaning task posture to a “rest” posture, shifting weight off the shin pads.

2. The Adjustable Kneepad:
This is the most critical upgrade. A 5-star reviewer who previously owned the non-adjustable Variable noted that “the adjustability of the knee rest really change[s] the game.” This feature allows users of different heights and leg lengths to find the “sweet spot,” which is critical for comfort.

3. The Core Conflict: Engineering “Flex” vs. “Flimsy” Reality

This brings us to the 3.2-star rating and the “crazy price.” Why are users reporting that an $899 chair, designed in Norway, feels “flimsy” or, worse, “snapped”?

The answer lies in the core material: laminated beech plywood.

The chair is “made from top quality beech ply wood… where several veneer layers are combined and glued… Through the application of combined heat and pressure, the layers are given their characteristic shape.”

This is a deliberate engineering choice. The goal is to create wooden parts that are “flexible and strong, ensuring a sitting experience that is never static.” The flex of the wood is part of the “active” suspension system. It is designed to bend and rebound with your body’s “intuitive motions.”

The Paradox: * To a user accustomed to a rigid, 50-pound steel office chair, this engineered “flex” can be misinterpreted as “flimsy.” * However, the 2-star review from a 165lb user whose “lumbar piece snapped” is a critical data point. It suggests that this reliance on wood-as-suspension creates a potential failure point that a steel-framed chair would not have.

The $899 price tag, therefore, is not for brute-force “durability” in the traditional sense. It is for the philosophy and the complex “iterative molding process” required to make wood flexible. The low 3.2-star rating suggests that for many users, the “flimsy” feel and risk of breakage do not justify the “crazy price,” even if the ergonomic theory is sound.

Conclusion: A High-Risk, High-Reward Ergonomic Tool

The Varier ThatSit Balans is not a chair for everyone. It is a specialized, investment-grade piece of ergonomic equipment that demands the user “rethink sitting.”

For those who successfully adapt to its “active” philosophy, it is a “10 stars out of five” tool that eliminates back pain. But for those who receive a defective unit or cannot reconcile the “flexing” wood with the $899 price, it is a “disappointment.”

It remains a case study in a high-concept design, where an “artful” and “classic” form, built on the “unconventional” philosophy of Peter Opsvik, clashes with the real-world user expectations of durability at a premium price.