The HÅG Capisco Chair: Creating A Study Area
This month, my sixteen year old daughter, Ella, has started her A’Level studies. Already, we know it’s going to be a long couple of years. Three subjects and lots of homework means that a fair amount of stress will be guaranteed. We’ve set her up with a desk in her room so she can create a proper study space but were lacking a chair that would do the job. Ella has suffered from back pain for a while (she hit her head when she was small and jarred her body which has caused intermittent issues over the years) so she needed a supportive chair to minimise it. So when Flokk asked me if we would like to try the HÅG Capisco, it was perfect timing.
So who are HÅG? They’re part of a larger Company called Flokk, a Scandinavian brand. HÅG was founded in 1943 by Hakon Granlund, producing tubular steel furniture, mostly for schools. They were based in Oslo, but as the brand grew, they moved into larger premises in Roros in 1957. The business did well, but the demand for such furniture dropped sharply in the 1960’s and the Company were facing bankruptcy until Torgeir Mjor Grimsrud took over and became CEO. Times were difficult and realising the Company had little left besides its loyal employees, he reassessed the culture and focus of the brand and created the HÅG Movement which concentrated on movement in chairs and the way that people worked.
Back in the 1970’s, design was innovational and HÅG worked with many well known Scandinavian designers to come up with ideas and suggestions for product creation. These talented designers included Vernon Panton, Svein Asbjornsen and Svein Gusrud. The HÅG Capisco was designed in 1984 by Peter Opsvik and quickly became a design classic. It was innovative because of its sculptural shape and the way it enabled you to either sit or half stand whilst working. Opsvik had been with the Company since being hired as a freelance designer in the seventies and his mantra was ‘the next position is always the best one’. For many years, this chair has been the best selling office chair for Flokk and still receives awards for its forward thinking design.
The HÅG Capisco is inspired by a horseback riders posture and encourages you to vary your position, as it enables you to sit or half stand in endless ways. It comes in various colour ways in a crepe fabric that’s made from 100% recycled polyester which gives it an irregular, stretchy finish. This year, it’s 75 years since the HÅG brand was founded so to celebrate, they have released a Limited Edition of the HÅG Capisco. Ella has been trialling this product in her bedroom and utilising it as a desk chair. With a pale turquoise seat, the base is aluminium copper plated and really lovely to both use and to look at. It’s easily adjustable and the foot plates make it super comfortable to use. You can see the mood board for the design below.
So what are the benefits of using the HÅG Capisco chair?
It’s Flexible
You can sit in any direction. Literally! Forward, sideways and backwards with your chest against the backrest. You can half stand or you can fully seat, the options are endless. The idea of an ergonomic chair is that it follows you naturally into the next seating position - being static isn’t good for our posture and it’s also not great from an exercise point of view. So being able to be flexible when we are sitting down is good for our blood circulation and is most definitely good for our health.
It’s Environmentally Positive
HÅG were one of the first companies in Norway to employ a dedicated Environmental Manager. This was in 1990 when neither the public or brands showed much interest in environmentally friendly working practices. In fact, they began using plastics such as bottle tops in the production of their chairs as far back as 1995. Nowadays, they use many types of recycled plastic in their chairs, including shampoo bottles and plastic bags. In April 2014, the HÅG Capisco won the award for Best Recycled Plastic Product in Europe which was presented to them by EPRO (European Association of Plastics Recycling and Recovery Operations).
It’s Suitable For All
It’s based on the idea of a saddle chair and it’s totally moveable - you can use it for any size of desk, or any purpose. In fact, it’s just as likely to be used as a gaming chair as it is in an office or study environment. You can lock it into position once you have found your perfect fit. It’s easy to move around if you decide you want to change standing or sitting height.
So what does Ella think? The HÅG Capisco fits perfectly in her room - it’s simple design with a turquoise seat and copper base - it blends nicely into her space and with her current furniture. It’s great for her back and posture - she’s already noticed a difference - and the flexibility of the seat means that despite the hours of studying, she can still move around and change position in comfort. And hopefully, it will make the next two years of studying a little easier for her!