Its price may make your eyes water, but the Technogym Wellness Ball Active Sitting can help perfect your posture without setting foot in a gym… 

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Technogym Wellness Ball Active Sitting

BUY IT NOW: 

$305 / £230, technogym.com 

PROS:

  • Burst-resistant material 
  • Doubles up as a chair 

CONS:

  • Expensive
  • Only one size  

Firmness: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Comfort: 5/5
OVERALL: 5/5 

There’s more than meets the eye with this exercise ball by home gym specialist Technogym. Designed primarily as an exercise ball for gym use, it can double up as a comfortable chair. It engages the muscles that would otherwise be switched off slouched on a sofa or crouching over a laptop. Its 55cm diameter is just the right size for use with home office desks, most of which are around 70cm high.

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Made from thick, textured non-slip PVC, the ball feels comfortable and stable, and won’t slide out from under you when you’re using it. It also features two different densities. The lower half is denser than the upper half, making it well balanced so it stays put, especially as you stand up. 

Technogym Wellness Ball Active Sitting features

Unusually for an exercise ball, the Technogym Wellness Ball is covered with removable multi-layered fabric. It’s a supportive, breathable material that adds further grip and cushioning, and the zip feels well made and unlikely to fray or come apart. There’s a handle for easy transportation too. 

It’s washable and antibacterial too so keeping it clean is straightforward. The ball’s thick PVC is resilient enough to be used without the cover, so you can still use it between washes.

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Our only issue with the Technogym Wellness Ball (and it’s a big issue) is that price tag. There’s no getting away from the fact that you could buy an exercise ball and a dedicated office chair for the same price.

Technogym adds value by giving you access to videos and app that unlock its potential as an exercise ball, but that eye watering outlay buys you piece of mind. The Wellness Ball Active Sitting looks ands feels indestructible and is made from premium materials so could well last a lifetime.

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If you see it as an investment to improve you posture, core strength and spinal health for years to come, that price start to look almost reasonable. There are standard and training versions of the Wellness Ball at almost half the price, though these don’t have the removable cover and are not so suitable for desk work.