Peter Opsvik

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Peter Opsvik

Designing groundbreaking furniture since 1959 Peter Opsvik Is passionate about active sitting, and so are we.

Humans weren't designed to sit still for 8, 10, 12 hours a day and there is no one who designs furniture that allows us to move quite like this man.

He specialises in furniture that feels natural and uplifting to use...

Designer for Varier, Hag & Stokke

Products: Gravity, Variable, Move, Thatsit, Creed, Capisco, Tripp Trapp, Actulum, Multi

The balans® concept

At the very beginning of 1976 Hans Christian Mengshoel (1946) initiated a study that set out to answer how we could sit in more balanced and ergonomic ways. Through observation and research, Mengshoel found that a seat which was tilted slightly forward, encouraged a natural posture which provided greater mobility and relieved unwanted pressure while seated. The idea of shin support was introduced to keep the user from sliding off the seat while simultaneously maintaining an open hip angle. With this, Mengshoel initiated the concept of the kneeling posture in Norway and set the mark for a truly experimental time in Norwegian design history. Shortly after Peter Opsvik designed and devloped what was to become the first widely used and sold kneeling chair, the Varier Variable.

Peter Opsvik:

"One of the most common constraints on product development is that people think too conventionally.
When we dream, these kinds of checks are switched off, and thoughts, ideas and experiences mingle freely without being overridden by restrictions or conventions.
Often when I wake up early in the morning, I find that I can tap this creative capacity that is released during dreaming. I lie in bed; half awake, and think through the difficulties that need to be resolved in the course of the day. Often, I go back to sleep and let my dreams work on this reality.
The result can be a burst of creativity that often results in imaginative and unexpected connections between stored experiences. Indeed, very often the idea for new solutions is born from this seemingly unstructured dream impulse."

One of Our All Time Favourites

This is the best chair we've ever sat in, and the one many Backinaction staff use around our tables and in front of our computers.

The key to all good chairs is movement, forwards-and-backwards, side-to-side, up-and-down, the more movement the better. We call this active sitting. Once you achieve active sitting your core muscles will become stronger and you will find your posture will improve overnight, joints will be less stiff, and you will become more focused and have higher concentration levels.

Varier Actulum

Zero Gravity

This is the ultimate relaxation chair. It is extremely comfortable and gives the best possible support when reclining. The Gravity recliner meets almost every seating requirement without strain.

Leaning forward, Gravity can be used as a kneeling chair. Shift your weight slightly backwards for an upright position, placing your feet on either the floor or shin cushions for variation. To assume a reclined position, gently push away from the ground.

Varier Gravity

Unusual & a team favourite

One of the most unusual office chairs out there - this is an all time favorite for many of our team. In our own offices and showrooms this is the most commonly chosen chair.

It pairs beautifully with sit to stand desking (something all our staff have and we strongly recommend) and can help increase energy, boost productivity and reduce back pain.

This is a best seller for us so we hold many wonderful colours in stock for next day delivery. We recommend a really hard wearing fabric on this like Comfort+ or Leather as this is a chair you will have for many years. Its looks wonderful in bold colours but we suggest avoiding the really pale ones.

HAG Capisco

Perfect Poise and Balance

The Varier Variable Balans - The original and the best, without breaking the bank.

Varier Kneelers (the Variable, Thatsit and Wing) are the only kneeling chairs that our team of product testers have ever approved as suitable for a full 8hr day - and we have tested thousands of chairs over the last 30 years.
They are unique in having perfectly balanced and angled with lots of movement built in to trigger your balance reflex without putting pressure on your knees or shins, while using materials that wont break or wear out in 6 months.

The movement is so important for healthy sitting and helps you naturally stack the spine over your hips which in turn improves neck carriage and reduces shoulder tension. Plus pulse rate and breathing are elevated, driving greater circulation and extra oxygenation.

Over time you will learn to vary the position of the chair to exactly match the task... writing, reading, thinking, while the shin pads prevent the hips from sliding forwards. We have thousands of clients who use kneeling chairs for all day office work.

Varier Variable Balans

Stokke® Tripp Trapp®

Our favorite chair of all time - The children's chair that grows with the child.

Why do we love it so much? Well because its beautiful and gives perfect support at every stage of your childs development.

Tripp Trapp

Kneeling Chair with Backrest

We believe the Thatsit is the ultimate kneeling chair because it allows the most movement and offers the greatest support:

Adjustable backrest depth / angle
Great lumbar support
Adjustable backrest height
Adjustable leg supports to adjust for leg length: (5ft to 6ft4in)
Sprung, flexible shin pads to prevent shin pressure and allow extra movement
Elbow rests - to support the weight of the arms when sitting against the backrest
Suitable for a standard height desk / dining table (71-76cm)
8-10hrs sitting thanks to high quality injection-molded foam + lots of movement + back support for tired moments

Varier Thatsit

The Hag Creed

There is nothing else quite like it... The HAG Creed is based on two of our most loved originals: the H04 and H05.

These two chairs were both so wonderful we could never really choose which we liked best. Now we don't have to:
The HAG Creed is a beautiful hybrid of the two.

HAG Creed