Wobble chairs are by no means a new product but the consumer attraction to them certainly is. There are a lot of known benefits to wobble chairs, especially in children who have difficulty staying focused and paying attention during classroom activities.
Wobble chairs also promote better posture than traditional classroom chairs and are even becoming a “sort of” thing for adults. Where kids are concerned, the concept originally revolved around ADHD behavior but has quietly advanced into something more.
In this review of the best wobble chairs for kids, I will cover:
- The best wobble chair for kids (whether at school or at home)
- How wobble chairs promote better posture
- How wobble chairs help kids with ADHD
- Features to look for in a good wobble chair
The typical child is a veritable fountain of nearly unrestrained energy and it's difficult to either harness that energy and focus it within a classroom environment or, at the very least, suppress it for an extended period of time.
Despite the advances of society and education for children, the natural inclination to play and engage in some sort of action is prevalent in most children, at least up to a certain age. There remains a large degree of learning and understanding when it comes to teaching kids in a structured, peaceful environment.
Wobble chairs are certainly a move in that direction, as there is a degree of playfulness about the wobble chair that doesn’t necessarily reduce a child’s ability to pay attention to the things that their teacher is trying to teach them.
Our Best Wobble Chair for Kids
- Active Chair by Studico(Best Overall)
- Wobble Stool Standing Desk Balance Chair for Active Sitting (Best High-End)
- Storex Wiggle Stool (Best Budget-Buy)
- Kore Kids Wobble Chair
- Simplay3
How Wobble Chairs Promote Better Posture
You may assume that a wobble chair is something that’s simply designed to keep a bored kid entertained just enough to make it through a school day. However, there’s a lot more to a wobble stool than that.
Wobble chairs have no backs or any way of balancing your body. With the additional fact that the chair moves under your weight, it forces you to keep your spine straight or, at the very least, use your inner core muscles to attempt to keep your spine straight.
Don't worry; it's not an exercise machine but rather, subtle use of your muscles is required to keep the chair straight, your back straight, and your body from falling out of it. Not only is it good for your core, but it's also good for your posture, thanks to the unique design.
Read More >>Are Stools Better for Your Back?
How Wobble Chairs Help Kids with ADHD
ADHD is not an uncommon issue for kids in school, especially in their younger years. Wobble chairs were initially designed to fix this sort of thing. Although the initial ideas and designs were for an adult who wanted to move while working, they naturally gravitated towards people and children with ADHD.
Read More >> Top 5 Best Stools with Wheels (2022 Review)
It's known as “Active Sitting” or “Dynamic Sitting,” and it actively helps ADHD kids channel some of that energy into something, better enabling them to pay attention in class and to focus on getting their work done.
It's also immensely helpful in an age where childhood obesity is becoming a problem because it is essentially a slow-burn exercise machine all day long. While active sitting is—at the very minimum—a partial solution to several issues in the classroom, it has yet to be widely adopted anywhere.
Features to Look for in a Wobble Chair
For something that looks like nothing more than a stool on springs, there are some features that you want to look for in a good wobble chair. There’s more to it, or it simply wouldn’t have made it to the level of popularity that it's currently at.
- Ergonomic features
- Comfortable padding
- 360° movement
- 40° left to right and front to back movement
- Exercises
The ergonomic features are essentially built-in, as there isn’t any spine support, yet the chair forces you to keep your spine straight and use your core muscles to either move or keep yourself stationary.
Comfortable padding is a must, since sitting in a chair that’s supposed to be healthy for you has little value if you can’t stay in it for long because your bottom goes to sleep.
Read More >> Top 5 Best Ergonomic Saddle Stools for the Office (2022 Review)
Best Wobble Chair for Kids
1. Active Chair by Studico
- HELPS KIDS STAY SEATED LONGER - Wobble chairs encourage kids and teens with high energy, sensory challenges or ADD/ADHD to get their wiggles out while remaining in their seat, helping them stay seated longer and focus better.
- EASY TO ASSEMBLE ALTERNATIVE SEATING - This adjustable wiggle seat is a great alternative to traditional desk stools or classroom furniture because it's easy to assemble and ergonomic enough for kids to move themselves.
This wobble chair made the list as our best pick overall because of its soft cushioning, rubberized bottom to keep it in place, plenty of all-around movement, and overall reliability in the long term.
There are 6, bright and colorful choices, yet they maintain excellent use of your child's core muscles to move around in and keep straight. The sitting cushion is soft for long sitting periods, and the cushion seat offers an orthopedic massage effect.
It's rated as an excellent chair for ADHD and ADD children and it's adjustable to accommodate all age ranges. The lone knock is that the ribber center may come unstitched if a lot of force is applied frequently.
Pros | Cons |
|
|
2. Wobble Stool Standing Desk Balance Chair for Active Sitting
- STANDING DESK STOOL: the adjustable height Wobble Stool takes a load off your legs letting you rest and perch near standing height. It’s the best standing desk office stool
- THE BEST ACTIVE SITTING CHAIR! Rock, swivel, move & burn calories while sitting. Easy to sit on. Fast to get up from. More functional, fun and aesthetic than a balance ball office chair
While this doesn’t have the vibrant colors for kids in their early years of school, it's an outstanding wobble chair nevertheless. The adjustable height makes it compatible with all ages and heights.
It's designed to make you work your core muscles as you move around throughout the day. It also has a soft cushion and is designed to put up with just about anything your kid can throw at it.
Pros | Cons |
|
|
3. Storex Wiggle Stool
- Adjustable seat height between 12 and 18 inches
- Integrated handles for easy carrying, even for smaller children
This adjustable, colorful option is fit for the smallest kids to teenager and adult level. Its innovative adjustment feature is designed to grow with you and the addition of the carry handles gives it a degree of portability.
The non-slip bottom is rubber and angled for a greater degree of swing in any direction, without the bottom slipping out from underneath you. The segmented, stacked design can give off a good degree of noise, unfortunately.
Pros | Cons |
|
|
4. Kore Kids Wobble Chair
- IMPROVE POSTURE | The Kore Wobble Chair transforms the conventional seat into a playground for your child's imagination. Encouraging active sitting and allowing one's knees, hips and back to find comfortable and ever-changing positions
- SUPERIOR FOCUS | Continuous movement while sitting relaxes the right side of the brain, leading to better focus. Helps people that are diagnosed with all forms of ADD, ADHD, and Autism
This one is limited to the early-aged kids and won’t extend far enough for teenagers and adults. However, it's a great chair for kids as it focuses on posture and is ergonomically designed to keep them upright, even as they move.
It has a safety ring on the side that helps prevent tip-overs, but the seat is undeniably the hardest of the bunch.
Pros | Cons |
|
|
5. Simplay3
- Active sitting helps kids stay calm and focused, encourages strong core and posture muscles, and is beneficial for ADD, ADHD and Autism.
- Stool has tip-resistant base that allows kids to move continuously while focusing on schoolwork or other activities.
The Simplay 3 is designed specifically for kids between the ages of 5 and 8, so they won’t be using it past that age frame unless they are small for their age. It's very durable, however, and constructed of a single piece.
Although the seat is hard, it is curved in a way that adds more comfort. Over time, it could become uncomfortable though. It has 360° of movement with an anti-slip, rubber coating on the bottom to prevent movement and falls.
Pros | Cons |
|
|
Final Thoughts
These five wobble chairs are some of the best on the market for kids, however, don’t forget that except for the last two, these chairs are just as viable for teenagers and young adults.
Last update on 2022-12-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API