EffyDesk BohdiStool Standing Desk Stool Review

Why get a pivoting stool for your standing desk?

As you stand at your desk for possibly hours at a stretch, it may be tempting to plunge back into your cushy chair, or at the very least, lean on your desk to take a load off your back and legs. Any ergonomist will tell you that doing any one thing at your desk – sitting, standing or walking – for too long is not recommended, but grabbing that comfy office chair tends to suck into sitting for longer than you should, with your core muscles completely disengaged. An ergonomic stool is an intermediate solution that combines partial core activation, improved leg circulation, and improved spine and joint lubrication. It also takes less floor space while being lighter and cheaper than a traditional ergonomic office chair.

Active workstation solutions are evolving so rapidly that even chairs (upheld in the office fitness industry as the hallmark of slouching inactivity) were bound to get a significant upgrade as well. Active chairs help raise energy expenditure, as shown by Mayo Clinic’s calorimeter testing, because they engage muscles in your legs and core while requiring an upright position. Any chair with a backrest invites the user to disengage those core muscles, which can lead to posture deficiencies a.k.a. “Computer hunch.”

A standing desk chair, or leaning stool, like the EffyDesk BohdiStool is great because it allows you to take a break from standing without encouraging you to sink into bad posture. 

Is the BohdiStool Good for a Treadmill Desk?

Since so many of our readers have an underdesk treadmill in addition to an adjustable-height desk, this is a question we ask every time we look at a new seating solution. To answer the question, we have to see if it meets the two primary criteria for any treadtop stool or chair.

First, it has to be safe to sit on. Lifting a seat up on top of a walking base adds 6″ to your height off the ground, so a fall from there will be that much more dangerous – stability is key. If the base of the chair is wider than the treadmill belt, you could be asking for serious injury potential if the chair slips off the treadmill. As for the EffyDesk BohdiStool, yes, it is narrow enough to fit securely on any office treadmill belt yet offers the needed stability in the base to be difficult to tip over.

Second, the base or legs of the chair cannot damage the integrity of the treadmill belt. This is a pretty expensive item to repair, involving ordering a replacement belt and taking the entire treadmill apart to install it. Treadmill belts are tough enough to withstand the user’s weight spread across an entire rubber-bottomed shoe, like the BohdiStool has. 

So, the BohdiStool meets both those needs and is perfectly appropriate to use on top of a treadmill.

Will This Active Seating Work for Everyone?

With a weight capacity of 397 lbs and a 13” diameter, the BohdiStool will accommodate virtually every behind placed upon it. The cushion on top is also pretty comfortable even after sitting for a good while. We have seen other stools like this that become irritating pretty quickly. But the nature of being a stool that requires you to engage core and leg muscles makes sure it isn’t so comfortable that you’ll sit all day long. You will remember to get up and use your treadmill every once in a while, or stand, or take a brisk walk around the building for a good stretch.

Where it particularly lacks is in the height adjustment range, which is a bit low for a stool. With a range of 19”-26”, even at max height, it feels like sitting in a chair with your knees bent almost to 90-degrees. So if you are a taller user and want to lean against the seat as it tilts, you are going to have to spread your feet out so far that it is just awkward. But if you are on the shorter side, it might be just right for you.

Nice Features of the BohdiStool

There are some extra attributes of the EffyDesk BohdiStool Standing Desk Seat that are notches on the positive side of the board. 

Like many office seats of this type, simplicity is a huge bonus. It is very easy to assemble, with basically 3 parts that come in the box that just snap together. And once it is together, there are only three “buttons” underneath the seat to make it go up and down. Fortunately, they both do the same thing, so you only have to find one of them when you want to adjust your height.

The 5-year warranty is also nice to see. Chairs can get a lot of use and abuse over time, so companies sometimes skimp on the warranties they offer. Having a decent warranty helps you know that the company believes in the quality and durability of the product to last at least that long.

But How Does It Compare to Other Stools?

Three of some of the best treadtop seating options we’ve reviewed are very similar in design to the BohdiStool, namely, the iMovR Energy, the iMovR Tempo Stool, and the Varier Move (there were some other favorites like the Focal Mobis and Birdi that are unfortunately no longer made).

First, let’s discuss the design. If you want to have the instability of a curved bottom that can tilt, the Tempo is the only one that won’t fit the bill, though it is harder to do that with the Varier Move than with the Energy or BohdiStool. The circular seat on the Energy and BohdiStool are pretty much the same as well, whereas the Varier Move is a contoured triangle and the Tempo seat pan is almost square, but can be tilted forward to the desired angle. The iMovR and Varier stools can all go over 30” high, quite a bit more than the BohdiStool.

Probably the most important thing that people will want to compare is the price. When the BohdiStool comes in at $200 CAD, it is the most affordable of the lot. The iMovR Tempo is listed at $970, and the Varier Move will cost $399. The closest is the iMovR Energy, which goes for $280.

Takeaway

The EffyDesk BohdiStool is a great active seating option, and even more so if you have an office treadmill to go with your standing desk because it is one of the few office seats that will fit on any treadmill belt without damaging it. It is comfortable to use and does engage muscles while you sit so that you won’t fully relax your core even as you take a rest from walking or standing, making it a great ergonomic addition to any workstation.

Being a Canadian brand, it is a great option for Canadian customers that want to support more domestic businesses. Just be aware that it is actually made in China. That said, it has a better warranty than many Chinese-made products in this category.

The only real downside is that it doesn’t go as high as some people may want, especially if they are taller users.

Being pretty much the least expensive option among similar seats with a decent warranty to cover it, the EffyDesk BohdiStool could be a great ergonomic choice for your workstation.

Check out all our reviews of office seating options to compare this to other choices, and particularly the treadtop seating reviews if you specifically need a seat that can be set on a treadmill belt.