If you’ve read some of our kneeling chair resources, you’ll know how much importance we place on sitting right at your desk.

If you’re interested, my colleague Meredith Chandler (OT) writes about the importance of active sitting and also about the benefits of kneeling at your desk.

She has also made a guide listing her favorite kneeling chairs.

One of the top brands that made her list was Sleekform.

So here I take a deeper look at their Austin model, but also touch base on the Amsterdam model.

Sleekform Austin Ergonomic Kneeling Chair

We really liked the overall look of the Sleekform Austin chair. The open kneepads will help you sit upright and align your back and neck perfectly.

The sitting experience itself is something to get used to, but after a while you start feeling the benefits.

The Austin chair was made to be comfortable and versatile, although some people have found the cushion comfortable only for 3-4 hours.

Others state that a person should get up and walk around for a bit if using any chair for that long.

The dimensions

Product Dimensions:  29.1’’L x 21.7 ‘’W x 22.4’’H

Seat Size: 16’’W x 11.5’’D

Weight Capacity: 265 lbs

Chair Weight: 15.4 lbs

Shipping Weight: 17.9 lbs

Packing Dimensions: 30 ” L x 20.5″ W x 4.7″ H

Key Benefits

If you’re looking for a chair that will support your active sitting life-style, this might be a good choice for you.

You’ll be able to strengthen your core a bit, benefit by lowering the pain levels in your neck, back or thighs. The best part of all, its small footprint allows you to use it for a variety of purposes.

Encourages active sitting

The question is, why sit on a regular chair and slouch, when you can use an active chair and improve your posture? We believe it comes down to habit, we’re so obsessed to finish our daily tasks that we forget our own health.

This chair will help you take care of your spine, shoulders and thighs, while you’re still being productive and finishing tasks.

Are you suffering from sitting related pain? Give active sitting a chance.

Helps with back pain

The Sleekform chair helps maintain the natural S-shaped curve of the lumbar region, thus relieving lower back pain. With the Sleekform you get the combination of three important health benefits: correctly aligned neck, proper S curve of your spine, relaxed shoulders.

They all work together to reduce pain and discomfort that people usually feel after using a standard chair for a longer time.

Extremely versatile

The Sleekform Austin kneeling chair doesn’t take a lot of space, but it is incredibly versatile. Feel free to use it anywhere and in any context.

It will assist you in your meditation sessions, while you’re working at your PC, or gaming.

Comfortable cushion

The cushions are 4 inches thick, made of recycled foam and covered with a soft cloth. They’re not made of memory foam, but they’re remarkably comfortable.

The customers who bought the chair say they can use it without discomfort for couple of hours at a time.

Other Important Features

• The makers of Sleekform have improved their cushion to add durability to it
• The chair comes with foam padding on the bottom to protect your floors
• Sleekform’s angled seat tilts your pelvis forward keeping your core engaged while you work at your PC
• The chair is made of plywood with a light finish. If you wish to use it outside give it a heavier coat of polyurethane.
• The Austin model comes with wheels for better mobility while you sit.

Rocking motion

The rocking motion is a feature usually welcomed among customers and 0well-known for helping fidgety people maintain focus.

It also increases your blood flow, encouraging increased levels of energy while you’re working.

High weight capacity

While most kneeling chairs on the market support up to 250 lbs, the Sleekform takes it a step further by supporting up to 265 lbs of weight.

Durable design

If we agree that the devil is in the details, you’ll be happy to hear the makers of Sleekform used 20 ply Birchwood, instead of the standard 14 ply.

This little upgrade gives a lot more strength and durability to the Austin model.

Open hip angle

The open hip angle is something to get used to, but it really helps to keep your posture straight.

Also the angled seat and the pads where you place your knees give a sloping direction to your thighs, achieving the perfect curve of your lumbar spine. This really helps you relax your shoulders and aligns your neck.

Warranty

One of the things we didn’t like about the Sleekform kneeling chair is the 30 day warranty, available exclusively on Amazon. The Sleekform official website offers no warranty.

Amazon offers 90 days return policy, but if you return it after the 30th day, you pay the shipping costs.

Sleekform Amsterdam Kneeling Chair

The Amsterdam model is similar to the Austin in many ways. The main differences: the Amsterdam model comes with memory foam padding which should make it more comfortable.

It also comes without wheels, so if you wanted to change positions you’d have to get up.

This is ok for some people, but could be inconvenient for others. It’s a personal preference.

Another important thing to note: The Amsterdam model is made of metal crossbars and it should last longer than the 20 ply Birchwood featured on the Austin model.

Then again, some people prefer wood to metal.

Other Great Kneeling Chairs

Now that we had the opportunity to learn a bit more about Sleekform, let’s take a look at two more kneeling chairs that we thought are worth your attention:

DRAGONN Ergonomic Kneeling Chair

Just like the chairs before him, the DRAGONN kneeling chair will keep your posture upright.

The cushion is 3 inches thick, which is an inch less than the previous models. This model comes with wheels, but it lack the rocking motion.

Its maximum weight limit is set to 250 lbs.

Varier Variable Balans Original Kneeling Chair

At first glance, the Varier looks similar to the Sleekform design. To be quite honest this is the original design that was made back in 1979 by famous Scandinavian designer Peter Opsvik.

The first thing you’ll notice if you’re comparing the Varier Balans to the Sleekform is the height of the chairs.

The Varier sits slightly lower than the Sleekform, so if you’re a higher person you might want to go for the Sleekform.

Also the Varier costs $200 more than the Sleekform but it also comes with higher quality materials.

The only downside to this chair, it doesn’t come with any padding so it might damage your floor. We recommend using heavy felt padding strips to keep your floors safe.