Dutch Designer Creates Innovative Classroom Stools That Encourage Healthy Posture With 4 Available Sitting Positions
It’s fair to say that we spend a fair chunk of our lives sitting, especially in a school or work setting. Sure, it’s a comfy position for spending hours upon hours doing things that require minimal movement, but in the long run, however, it isn’t the healthiest decision.
Besides desk stretches and just a flat-out regular walking routine throughout the day, one of the most popular solutions is to get a healthier chair.
So, Dutch Designer Boris Lancelot of Studio Lancelot has come out with a solution in the form of a chair design that keeps you—well, actually, kids—physically active despite their very inactive activities at the school desk.
Despite sitting being one of the most common things we do, it isn’t all that healthy in large doses
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Enter the Active Classroom series, a set of ergonomic children’s furniture designed for schools of the future. More precisely, these are stools designed in a way that seem somewhat unorthodox for stools, but in a way that encourages healthier sitting positions.
You see, the stools are deliberately made in a shape that allows for the kids to assume a number of various positions without the kids forcing comfort into the chair. This in turn allows for active movement while sitting, stimulating muscular activity, and thus minimizing any health risks that extended inactivity during sitting might pose.
So, to encourage active movement and muscular activity whilst sitting, Dutch designer Boris Lancelot decided to redesign conventional school chairs
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
There are a total of 4 models currently available, each allowing for up to 4 different sitting positions
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
At the moment, there are four models of stools available: Rom, which is a bench with a downward slope, and Archer, Scout, and Rider, different variants of an adjustable stool with differently-shaped bases for different foot positions whilst sitting.
“Each stool is designed to incorporate a minimum of four different postures, as frequent variations in alternative sitting positions increases the activity of muscles that would otherwise be left unused in conventional chairs,” said Lancelot in an interview with Dezeen.
Such movement ensures all muscle groups are stimulated during prolonged sitting in class
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
According to numerous studies, prolonged sitting can lead to a number of health problems, including weakened muscles, weight problems, poor posture and spinal deformation, heart disease, and even anxiety and depression. Moving at least a little bit every hour or so reduces these risks significantly.
You can imagine how this can become a problem really easily in today’s world of desk jobs and 10 to 16 years in school and college.
The studio is working with Dutch universities to better understand postural behaviors and how the stools can make classrooms healthier
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Studio Lancelot is collaborating with the Free University of Amsterdam and the University of Groningen to conduct research and acquire a better understanding of postural behaviors and how the Active Classroom stools can contribute to healthier classrooms.
Since the initial release of these stools, the Active Classroom furniture has been shortlisted in the workplace design project category of the Dezeen Awards of the year 2020.
Studies have shown that prolonged static sitting might lead to a number of health hazards
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Among these risks are spinal, heart, muscle, weight, and even mental problems like anxiety and depression
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Boris Lancelot, the man behind the Active Classroom series of furniture, is a freelance designer from the Netherlands and alumnus of the Design Academy Eindhoven with a BA in Man & Well-Being. In his work, he aims to combine his knowledge in physical education with body-conscious design.
Regular movement and stretching during prolonged sitting could help significantly reduce said health risks
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Here’s what the stools look like in a classroom context
Image credits: Studio Lancelot
Check out the video showcasing the Active Classroom stools in action
If you’re interested in seeing more from Studio Lancelot, you can check out its website. But before you go, why not give us your thoughts on this? Would you want your kids (or, when it’s available, yourself) to have stools like this? Let us know in the comment section below!
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Sitting without a place to rest your back seems pretty uncomfortable to me.
I like the idea, but maybe with some sort of lower back support and padding for knees and bottoms?
oooooor, you could just allow the kids some physical activity every 30 mins (or more often, depending on how old they are).
I need one of these for work at home to be fair - sitting in a normal chair all day isnt helping my legs or hips
Actually, you're better off without a back rest. It helps build back and core strength. When your back starts to get tired, you move around, change position., your back eases. If I had an office job, I'd want one of these. My health nut MIL had an office job for 30 years, sitting all day. By the time she was 45, multiple surgeries on her back, knees and hips. Also high blood pressure, a couple mini stokes and pre diabetic. A few years later, when I was the same age, I was telling all this to my Dr, first thing he said "She's an office worker, sits all day, I bet," followed by 30 minute lecture on the physical repercussions of sit down jobs. Of course, she is an extreme case
True, but building back and core strength take time. We have backless chairs at work for those who prefer them, but you can only use them for short periods of time until you have built up muscle to support yourself. You also cannot lean back and just relax for a minute. I found not having back support made me somewhat tense. Not sure how well children will adapt. I would slide clean off that long one.
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I feel like these would be good in a sort of dynamic seating setting (Like a library where you could sit in a chair, couch, beanbag, one of these, etc.) rather than a traditional classroom. I think they'd distract little kids too much!! :)
Anything has to be an improvement. Just thinking of that sadistic, body numbing school furniture makes my body ache. A major reason I hated school.
To me, these chairs also don't look comfortable. They look fine to sit on for a short period of time, but if you have to sit on a chair like this for an entire schoolday... There isn't even a backrest, and no one can sit an entire day while keeping a good posture. So I think a lot of kids will get backpain if their school chairs would be similar to these chairs
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The chairs in front of the tables make me wonder what the sitting position is when writing. Seems like Standing desks would be much better.
I am retired now but for the last 30 years of employment, I used a balance chair. The chairs where the boy has his knees tucked under him looks like the chair I had but mine was upholstered and on casters. This position remarkable makes you sit up straight and I had no back pain after I started using it. In a chair with a back, I would eventually slouch during the day and my back would hurt all night. I would think this design would be great for children and perhaps prevent future back problems as the age. The trick with these chairs is you balance your weight between your hips and your knees, making it impossible to slouch or scrunch up your shoulders. I don't think children would fall off of these any more than they do regular chairs and as for padding, the chairs they use now are not padded.
Sitting without a place to rest your back seems pretty uncomfortable to me.
I like the idea, but maybe with some sort of lower back support and padding for knees and bottoms?
oooooor, you could just allow the kids some physical activity every 30 mins (or more often, depending on how old they are).
I need one of these for work at home to be fair - sitting in a normal chair all day isnt helping my legs or hips
Actually, you're better off without a back rest. It helps build back and core strength. When your back starts to get tired, you move around, change position., your back eases. If I had an office job, I'd want one of these. My health nut MIL had an office job for 30 years, sitting all day. By the time she was 45, multiple surgeries on her back, knees and hips. Also high blood pressure, a couple mini stokes and pre diabetic. A few years later, when I was the same age, I was telling all this to my Dr, first thing he said "She's an office worker, sits all day, I bet," followed by 30 minute lecture on the physical repercussions of sit down jobs. Of course, she is an extreme case
True, but building back and core strength take time. We have backless chairs at work for those who prefer them, but you can only use them for short periods of time until you have built up muscle to support yourself. You also cannot lean back and just relax for a minute. I found not having back support made me somewhat tense. Not sure how well children will adapt. I would slide clean off that long one.
Load More Replies... I feel like these would be good in a sort of dynamic seating setting (Like a library where you could sit in a chair, couch, beanbag, one of these, etc.) rather than a traditional classroom. I think they'd distract little kids too much!! :)
Anything has to be an improvement. Just thinking of that sadistic, body numbing school furniture makes my body ache. A major reason I hated school.
To me, these chairs also don't look comfortable. They look fine to sit on for a short period of time, but if you have to sit on a chair like this for an entire schoolday... There isn't even a backrest, and no one can sit an entire day while keeping a good posture. So I think a lot of kids will get backpain if their school chairs would be similar to these chairs
Load More Replies... The chairs in front of the tables make me wonder what the sitting position is when writing. Seems like Standing desks would be much better.
I am retired now but for the last 30 years of employment, I used a balance chair. The chairs where the boy has his knees tucked under him looks like the chair I had but mine was upholstered and on casters. This position remarkable makes you sit up straight and I had no back pain after I started using it. In a chair with a back, I would eventually slouch during the day and my back would hurt all night. I would think this design would be great for children and perhaps prevent future back problems as the age. The trick with these chairs is you balance your weight between your hips and your knees, making it impossible to slouch or scrunch up your shoulders. I don't think children would fall off of these any more than they do regular chairs and as for padding, the chairs they use now are not padded.
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