I tested the Vari CoreChair and it's one of my favorites for active sitting and focused tasks, but it's not for every professional
· TechRadarTechRadar Verdict
The Vari CoreChair is unlike any other chair I have in my fleet of ergonomic offerings. It’s a unique experience that’s hard to explain until you try it. It’s one part core stabilizer, one part tailbone relief, one part chair. It’s so close to being everything I want from an “in the zone” chair. But it's definitely a niche model, a task chair better suited to to focused work rather than for staying comfortable and supported for hours at a time.
Pros
- +Easy assembly
- +Small footprint
- +Patented core engagement mechanism
- +Excellent tailbone support
- +Great base design
Cons
- -Lumbar support is very minimal
- -Limited height adjustment
- -Niche userbase - not for passive sitting
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Jump To:
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.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors