HÅG Capisco

Capisco chair by Peter Opsvik beige front page

Design: 1984
Brand / Licensee: Flokk / HÅG

The goal, however, was to create a sitting device or work chair that would invite the user to assume the greatest number of sitting postures

The inspiration for the "Saddle Chair" HÅG Capisco, was a horseback rider's dynamic posture. The goal, however, was to create a sitting device or work chair that would invite the user to assume the greatest number of sitting postures. In order to achieve this, body support and freedom for movement is equally important.

In this concept the seat and backrest have cut-out spaces for arms and legs, which gives the user freedom to vary his or her posture. When you sit in a saddle, it is impossible to slide off, even if your thighs are positioned vertically. Therefore the sitter can assume any thigh angle that is desired or comfortable, all the way from standing to sitting.

To facilitate many sitting postures, it is an advantage that the chair can be used with practically any of the table heights offered by the new adjustable desks. Alternating between sitting high and sitting low during the workday provides welcome variation. When leaning forwards, we feel most comfortable sitting fairly high up, but when leaning back, it is nice to sit low and put one’s feet up. When leaning forwards we get no support from a backrest, so why not sit on the chair backwards using the back support as a chest support?

The same variation can be achieved at a constant desk and seat height, if “HÅG StepUp” is attached, by getting different heights of support level for the feet.

When the various experts in ergonomics were all promoting their one and only “correct” sitting posture, Peter Opsvik’s comments was that all of them were right. All of the recommended sitting postures were good, and he saw it as his job to design chairs that allowed as many different sitting postures as possible and to make it easier to move and change frequently between them.