Disclosure: This post is sponsored by CoreChair. I only work with brands I know and trust. All opinions are my own.
How much time do you spend sitting at a desk? I’m at mine pretty much all the time but earlier this year I started to realize I was guilty of two really bad sitting habits:
1 – I always wanted to sit cross-legged or have one foot tucked under me
2 – I would slouch, or hunch my shoulders forward curving my back towards my keyboard
These bad habits were affecting me when I was away from my desk too – my posture was terrible, I was having more back and knee pain and the muscles around my hips were always sore (I’m pretty sure this was from being cross-legged all the time but I have no proof to back up this claim).
Last year was a reality check for me – working 100% from home and working extra long hours growing my interior design business, meant I was spending way more time than usual at my desk. It was becoming increasingly obvious that my desk chair was not doing me any favours and it was time to get serious about office ergonomics.
How I Found CoreChair
In January 2020, I went to a business conference trade show where CoreChair was exhibiting. I remember sitting in one of the chairs at their booth and being shocked at how different it was from the desk chairs I’d had in the past and impressed with how comfortable it was.
A few months later, when I realized that my desk chair really needed to be replaced, I started doing research and the CoreChair was pretty much stuck to the top of my list.
How CoreChair is Different
The CoreChair is really unlike any desk chair I’ve ever come across. The seat is everything – it is wide and moulded to provide extra comfort and relieve pressure points.
The low back is adjustable to set the depth of the chair and is always supporting my lower back. The CoreChair is designed this way to stabilize the pelvis and optimize sitting posture.
The CoreChair also has a base that allows the seat to tilt and move in all directions, encouraging active sitting. In the model that I have, the CoreChair Classic, I can adjust the resistance based on how I’m feeling that day.
The Adjustment Period
I know its sounds weird to say there was an adjustment period for a chair but, after years of sitting so poorly, my body was definitely fighting me when I started to change things up.
When I started using my new CoreChair, my legs itched to get into their regular crossed position and my back complained about being held straighter for full workdays. I respectfully ignored them.
After about 3 weeks of using my new chair, it started to feel natural. My feet were used to always being on the floor, my back pain was gone and my hips had honestly never felt better.
My new chair did highlight some other problems with my desk set up, essentially my desk is the wrong height for me! I ended up having to raise my chair so high I needed to add a footrest under my desk to make sure everything was at the right angles. I’m still trying to find the right height for my monitor – it’s still a work in progress.
My Results
So, what happened to my bad sitting habits? I’ve pretty much kicked them entirely.
Sitting cross-legged
The way the seat of the CoreChair is shaped means it’s practically impossible to tuck a foot under you or sit cross-legged. Because I spend most of my day in my office this means I’m sitting properly most of the time! I’ll admit, I am guilty of slipping when I’m sitting in other chairs (like at the dining table or on the sofa) but I’m trying to make the conscious effort to change.
The slouch
I can confidently say that I am both standing and sitting up straighter. I don’t think CoreChair alone “fixed” my bad posture, but I do think that it encourages me to sit up straight with my shoulders back – it even makes it comfortable. Combined with the stretches and exercises I’ve been doing it’s made a huge difference.
My Chair
The chair I’ve been using is the CoreChair Classic. It has an Eco-friendly, seat made from 100% recycled water bottles and the cover is black with a hint of green.
The CoreChair Classic retails for $995 CAD which has the added benefit of making it one of the few ergonomic chairs under a thousand dollars.
CoreChair also makes the Sport model which is the same chair but with faux-leather (polyurethane) upholstery ($1,195 CAD) and the Tango which has fewer features than the Classic and Sport but at a lower price point, a very affordable $595 CAD.
Have a Height Adjustable Desk?
CoreChair also makes a height-adjustable stool, the CorePerch, which is perfect if you like to switch between sitting and standing. It has a sculpted seat making it incredibly comfortable, and like the other CoreChair, the range of movement encourages active sitting and better posture.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’m incredibly happy with my CoreChair. I’m more comfortable at work, in less pain, and my typically terrible posture is improving. And while I strongly believe the look of a good desk chair should come second to the function (no amount of pretty is worth back pain) I also think the CoreChair is very attractive. I love that it’s so low profile and sleek.
Want to know what’s funny though? In addition to how great the chairs are, I was also incredibly impressed with how the CoreChairs were shipped! I am receiving and unpacking items all the time as part of my design business so I see a lot of different types of packaging.
When I opened up my CoreChair Classic there wasn’t a single piece of plastic and these days that is highly unusual! The seat and back were each wrapped in fabric bags and cardboard kept everything from moving around, which means everything went into the recycling (except for the bags, which are now holding knitting projects!