Glossary
Kneeling chair
A chair without a standard backrest that tilts the pelvis forward, splitting weight between the seat and a lower shin pad.
A kneeling chair is a seat without a conventional backrest, built with a forward-tilted seat pan and a lower pad that supports the shins, splitting body weight between the two contact points instead of resting entirely on the seat. This forward tilt opens the angle between the torso and thighs beyond the roughly 90 degrees of a standard chair.
The intended benefit is encouraging a more upright spine position by shifting the pelvis forward, which can reduce the tendency to slump compared with a standard office chair. Some designs rock slightly or have a curved base, adding small ongoing movement while seated rather than holding one fixed posture for hours.
Kneeling chairs are not a universal replacement for a standard ergonomic office chair, since they place sustained pressure on the shins and lack back support entirely, which can be uncomfortable over a full workday for some people. They tend to work best in rotation with a regular chair rather than as the only seat used all day, and getting in and out is less convenient than a standard chair with armrests.