Customer reviews from gaiam.com
Gaiam - Classic Balance Ball® Chair - Ocean
Average customer rating
4.4
(1,237 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 1,237 reviews
5 Stars
810
4 Stars
237
3 Stars
81
2 Stars
50
1 Star
59
90%of customers recommend this product.
(
1,086 out of
1,212)
Customer Reviews for Gaiam - Classic Balance Ball® Chair - Ocean
Customer Rating
5
make sure it's inflated - fits both 5'4" and 5'11"
on December 11, 2013
Posted by: concretecowgirl
from Asheville, NC, USA
Verified Purchase:No
I have owned my ball chair for 3 years now and am going to be purchasing another in a few days. I purchased my first from GAIAM and will purchase my next from them as well. I was reading the reviews bc I saw the chair had lower ratings than I expected and just want to address the themes I see. 1. YOU MUST INFLATE THE BALL AS MUCH AS DIRECTED (and I'm 5'4" for ref). It is super heavy duty and when I first inflated mine, I remember thinking that I thought it was too much stress on the ball to inflate it as much as they said, but I did it anyway and it worked really well. I have normal height desks and again, I'm 5'4" so seriously, I know this ball works for shorter peeps. My hubby is 5'11" and it works fine for him too. For whatever reasons we both end up with a nice 90 degree to our legs. He's light and I'm light so maybe that's the deal but in terms of posture and ergonomics I can't see why, if the directions are truly followed, that you would get an ill fitting chair. 2. CASTORS: we haven't had any problems with the castors (I wheel about a bunch). They are cheaper than I would have preferred - but again, I wheel around a bunch. Next chair I'll probably add fancier castors for better rolling (they do however work fine). 3. ERGONOMICS: I have back problems (old injury of multiple vertebral fractures, a broken coccyx, and 2 bulging discs). I do still have to remind myself to sit up actively, but that's because I do slouch - and this chair makes it harder but not impossible . This chair, however, has seriously reduced my back pain. You can imagine that my injuries kinda suck and so I just want to say that while the chair isn't perfect, it's darn close (and for the price, did you really think it'd be totally perfect! it's cheap! it's a great price, come on!) 4. SO THANK YOU! Thank you guys for making/ offering this chair!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting gaiam.com
Customer Rating
5
Excellent
on April 22, 2014
Posted by: Patches
from Undisclosed
Verified Purchase:No
I have seen this chair for quite some time but was hesitant about ordering this because if I did not like it.....it's just a pain to return things. While at the optometrist I noticed that their gal had one and she let me try it out and told me how much she liked it. So i thought I'd go ahead and order it. I am so happy I did. I use this chair at work. it helps me sit up straight which is great since i'm at the computer/desk 10 hours every day! I do various stretches throughout the day while at my desk and during lunch I take the ball off and do more exercises. I've noticed my lower back and overall core strength improve over the past couple of weeks. If you are hesitant like I was....don't be. this is a great investment for your overall well being. An added bonus: sometimes it makes you feel like kid again...when I get a little bored or tired of sitting....I bounce for a while. lol
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting gaiam.com
Customer Rating
5
good purchase
on October 27, 2009
Posted by: 9bl9
from Undisclosed
Verified Purchase:No
Some of the other reviews left me skeptical, but I'm very glad I went ahead and purchased this chair. There are complaints about height; I am 5'7 and it's not a problem. I am 7 months pregnant and use this chair at work. It helps me keep good posture, which in turn helps backaches after work. I teach, so i don't just sit all day, but it definitely does its job. Plus it was extremely easy to assemble and all my students (teenagers) think it's awesome.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting gaiam.com
Customer Rating
4
Not for everyone
on February 9, 2013
Posted by: lifelikereceptionist
from Undisclosed
Verified Purchase:No
I'm fortunate that my desk is lower than average, otherwise my arms and wrists would be in the red zone (stressed position) because the chair is a fixed height. This being said, I'm only 5'3 so I think for those of average height this would not be as much of an issue.. Note that only 2 of the 4 wheels lock and yes it does take some getting used to. My chair sits on carpet making it only slightly difficult to roll, it still moves, it would just be easier if I had one of those plexiglass/plastic mats under my desk, a personal issue I know just heads up. This chair does take a couple days to get properly adjusted, the rubber ball needs time to expand but the hand pump is remarkably easy to use. I'm thinking of buying one of the hand pumps for my sister because it's so much easier to use than what she's got. My first reaction when I saw the pump was 'oh great' but it was so easy I'm still gushing about it. I can tell that this is helping my posture which was the main goal, my back's a bit stiff because my posture's been a bit sloppy lately and this chair is forcing me to sit properly, it's not uncomfortable, just different and I do love it. If you get it and decide you'd rather spend thousands on an ergonomic office chair, all is not lost, keep it and use it to work out with. The biggest qualm is the shipping, don't go ground if you want it at a reasonable time. Also, FedEx brought it and the box was pretty battered, the corners had been dented and I'm just glad it was nothing fragile. :) Happy sitting fellow desk jockeys.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting gaiam.com
Customer Rating
4
Helped my sore back and shoulders!
on December 12, 2012
Posted by: Tiffanyjax
from USA
Verified Purchase:No
I bought this chair to use as my main desk chair since I started working from home. It is very comfortable and a big improvement over the chair I used at the office. It is also fun to "bounce" while I am on hold or "thinking". It seems to remind me to move around during the day instead of staying in one place. The ball is smaller than my exercise ball (which is 65 cm), so I don't remove it for exercise. I do use the book it came with to do exercises with the ball in the frame. This is a healthy chair, and much better for you than a normal desk chair. I am very happy with this purchase.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting gaiam.com
Customer Rating
5
Saved me!!!
on September 19, 2013
Posted by: r3mom
from Undisclosed
Verified Purchase:No
I was an active stay-at-home mom who found herself at a desk job 30 hours a week. Soon after, I had sciatic nerve pain that got increasingly worse to the point I had pain with every step. Over a year and a half I tried about everything when a gal offered her ball chair to try. I ordered mine the second day I used it! I have had my chair about a month and all sciatic nerve pain GONE! I've been telling everyone about my "miracle chair"!! Its given me back my life!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting gaiam.com
Customer Rating
5
Essential for the 9-5 worker
on July 19, 2010
Posted by: Cerah
from NC
Verified Purchase:No
If you are like me stuck in a chair in a cubical for almost 8 straight hours a day, you NEED this chair. Not only is it very modern in appearance, but more comfortable than it looks! Almost everyone in my office building has sat in it, and most are very surprised by it's comfort level. I will admit that my back was slightly sore for the first week i was in it - this was probably b/c i was used to slouching in my other chair day in and out. My spine feels a lot better alignment wise, my core is constantly engaged, and i no longer get the dreaded "monkey butt" from sitting for so long. I almost hate sitting in normal, hard chairs now since i cant bounce in them, haha! I hold all of my stress and tension in my upper and mid back, so this chair is great for relieving that; it comes with a booklet that tells you exercises u can do in the chair and w/ the ball out of the chair. Every desk ridden yogi needs at least one of these chairs. Easy to put together as well. Love it :)
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting gaiam.com
Customer Rating
4
Great Chair
on March 19, 2013
Posted by: YogaCO
from Denver, CO, USA
Verified Purchase:No
This is a great chair to sit in while at work and helps your posture. Just wish it had different height adjustments.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting gaiam.com