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The Vari CoreChair has genuinely surprised me. I thought that this would be a flash-in-the-pan kind of chair for me, a gimmick that I loved for exactly a week and then forgot about entirely, and I almost did, but I see the potential.
In fact, if it weren’t for my bad knees combined with my tall frame, I think this would be the perfect chair for me during the workday. But a few things are keeping this chair in “good” status, not “great.” But each of them can be fixed with simple tweaks.
The CoreChair’s entire USP is its unstable connection between the seat and the post. It’s just loose enough to cause you to have to engage your core while sitting, which may be hit or miss for users, but for those who move while sitting already, perhaps bounce a leg or fidget, or feel the need to stand and pace around, this may be precisely what you need.
This won’t be the best office chair for most people – it’s certainly a niche product. But for me, as a pretty active individual, this chair, in concept, is precisely what I want. I can’t get the height to work for me, but again, that could be solved pretty easily.
Vari CoreChair: Price and availability
The CoreChair sells for $499 on the official Vari website. With that, you get free standard shipping in the contiguous US and a 3-year warranty, including complete product replacement under Vari’s policy.
It’s worth noting that this chair is currently only available in black, but I doubt the lack of color options would deter buyers.
Vari CoreChair: Unboxing and First Impressions
This was probably the easiest chair I have ever built, outside of the few I have received that are pre-built. It took about 3 minutes, two screws, and no worry at all.
Off the bat, I thought this was an odd chair; it had a very aggressive tailbone cushion, a super-low backrest as you’d expect from a task chair that’s designed for focused work, not staying supported for long hours.
Saying that, after sitting on this for the first time, I was thoroughly impressed by how comfortable the cushion was and how premium everything felt, given its simplicity.
However, I was right in my first thought: this chair should be at stool height, not chair height, but more on that later.
Vari CoreChair: Design & Build Quality
After months of using this chair off and on, I still stand by the fact that this is one of the more comfortable cushions in a seat. It’s firm yet supportive, and breathable on even the hottest days. I also love that the spokes on the legs are wider, making it easier to rest my feet on.
The backrest section here is a tad confusing, and to be honest, I’m not sure why it exists. It feels unnecessary, like it should either be larger or be removed entirely. And, I actually mean that as a positive. The chair is strong enough on its own that reworking it into a stool might be better than using it as a chair.
If this were a stool, I could stretch out my legs a bit more, use the footrests on the spokes a bit more, and aid my balance while using it, too. The chair is so close to being great; I just wish there were a bit of a change.
Vari CoreChair: In use
I work out of a specific workspace three days a week, and this chair has been in that workspace for the entirety of my testing. I’ve used it for all-day sessions, upwards of 8 hours at a time. Throughout that time, I feel like I can now say that this chair doesn’t so much give me a core workout as it does a focused, engaged core.
For someone like me, who is very active and hyper-mobile, I feel like I am constantly tapping my feet or bouncing my leg. A chair like this that helps me stay engaged without feeling like I need to tap or fidget. I noticed that using this chair helped me lock into what I was working on, making hours feel like mere minutes.
After several weeks of using this chair, I do have a few notes I wish I could change. First off, I don’t think the lumbar portion is necessary, though I see why they added it. Secondly, it could be my height, but I wish that this chair were actually up to stool height. If it were a bit taller, I think I could use this for a few more days in a row, or even a few more hours at a time. Right now, after a few hours, I get a bit fidgety due to knee pain, but I love having the core activation.
I think, in its current form, the best use for this chair is somewhere between two- and four-hour working sessions where you need to write, focus, knock out a proposal, crush some emails, or something else you need hyper-fixation on. This chair could help you lock in and knock it out. For some, that is precisely what they need to do some of their best work.
However, if you have lower back pain or another ailment I’d recommending steering clear of this chair, as it won’t provide the natural support most ergonomic chairs do and instead, force you to support yourself by adding a layer of instability. If you’re suffering serious lower back pain, the Steelcase Leap remains the gold-standard in that department.
Vari CoreChair: Final verdict
The Vari CoreChair is a strong option for the right person and something others should steer clear of. It’s not the chair for everyone, but a niche option that could be a secret weapon for productivity.
As discussed, there are a few areas I’d like to adjust to make this an even better chair, but for now, I can see myself keeping this chair in rotation for those times I need to lock in. It’s a great rotation between sitting, standing at a standing desk, and sitting in the CoreChair, though I know that not everyone has the opportunity for such a working environment.
To keep things simple, if you experience lower back or knee pain, this will definitely not be the right chair for you. If you prefer passive sitting (where the chair does the work for you) over active sitting (where you control how you sit and what support you get), again, the CoreChair isn’t going to tick those boxes.
But if you’re the kind of person who fidgets, is constantly moving, or has a bit of a hyperactive mentality, this chair may unlock productivity levels you never knew were possible.
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For more office furniture essentials, visit our guide to the best standing desks we’ve tested.