The original kneeling chair was designed by Peter Opsvik and built in Norway in 1979. The Variable Balans is the design every other kneeler is copying — and it is still in production, still Norwegian, still under the same designer attribution. This page sits alongside the broader ergonomic kneeling chair hub.
What “the original kneeling chair” actually means
Before 1979, kneeling chairs did not commercially exist. Peter Opsvik designed the Variable Balans during his time at Stokke, drawing on prior research into seated posture and the open hip angle. The chair launched in 1979 and defined the category. Every kneeling chair on the market today is a descendant — direct or indirect — of that single design.
Varier is the Norwegian brand carrying the Variable Balans forward today. The chair has not changed in its essentials: forward seat tilt, shin pads, gravity rocker, no backrest. Forty-seven years of continuous production.
The Varier products that are “the original kneeling chair”
The Variable Balans is the original. The line extends from there:
- Variable Balans — the 1979 original.
- Variable Plus — the original platform with a backrest.
- Thatsit Balans — the original platform with adjustable backrest, taller frame.
- Wing — wider seat with contoured back.
- Multi Balans — multi-position kneeler.
If “the original” is your shopping criterion, the answer is the Variable Balans.
Heritage and origin
1979. Designed by Peter Opsvik. Made in Norway. Continuous production since launch. The Variable is also represented in design-museum collections as the chair that defined the kneeling category. “The original” is not a marketing claim; it is a historical fact.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Variable still made the way it was in 1979?
The essential geometry — seat tilt, shin pads, rocker base — is unchanged. Materials and fabric options have evolved; the design has not.
Are there any chairs that pre-date the Variable as a kneeling chair?
The Variable is widely recognised as the first commercial kneeling chair. Earlier ergonomic research informed Opsvik’s design; no commercial product preceded it in the kneeling format.
What makes the original better than copies?
Geometry fidelity, build quality, design attribution, and multi-decade production lineage. Mass-market kneelers vary in how closely they match the Variable’s geometry; the original is the reference.
Is the Variable the only “original”?
Yes — the Variable Balans specifically. The other Varier kneelers (Thatsit, Wing, Multi) extend the same design language but are not “the original” themselves.
Where can I see the design history?
The Peter Opsvik chairs piece on the Varier press archive covers it. The Variable also appears in major design-museum collections internationally.
