iMovR Tempo Sit-Stand Stool Review

[Editors’ Note – This product is no longer available from the manufacturer. We will keep this review up for future reference and comparison.]

Review

In the world of office fitness, the best kind of configuration to work in is the sit-stand-walk workstation. This setup—which consists of an office treadmill and chair side-by-side in front of an adjustable-height desk—allows seamless transitions between sitting, standing, and walking, without interrupting a user’s workflow. Unfortunately, not everyone has the office space necessary to accommodate a true sit-stand-walk desk, which measures at least 72” wide. But no one wants to shuttle their laptop and personal items to a fixed height desk whenever they want to sit.

A common workaround for those with smaller treadmill desks has been to place a chair on top of the treadmill deck. The problem is that most chairs are not designed to fit atop a treadmill. Office chairs have too large a base to fit on top of the treadmill deck, while most smaller chairs have thin, pointy feet that can cause irreparable damage to your treadmill belt (a costly service call to replace). “Active” chairs and stools like the Back App, Focal Mobis and Mogo, Aeris Muvman, and Biofit are more acceptable seating solutions, though they still come up short when it comes to comfort and suitability for a treadmill. The TreadTop™ seats will protect your investment better, and not risk voiding the warranty on your belt.

iMovR’s new ergonomic seats are the first in the market that were specially designed for use with an office treadmill. The Tempo TreadTop seats turn any treadmill desk into a complete sit-stand-walk workstation, and are compatible with any office treadmill on the market (all that really means is that the spacing between the side rails is at least 18”, which all of them are). Two Tempo seat models are available. This review focuses on the Tempo Sit-Stand Stool™—a versatile, portable stool that enhances both your sitting and standing comfort. For even greater comfort and support in a treadtop chair, check out our review of the Tempo Treadtop Office Chair.

Easy on the Treadmill

The iMovR Tempo Sit-Stand Stool features a chrome disc base that was made for just about any office treadmill on the market. The stool’s base has a diameter of just 17 inches, and easily fits atop any treadmill deck, which usually measures between 18 – 20 inches. Even better, this aluminum base evenly distributes your weight across the treadmill belt, preventing the sort of abrasion and puncture damage that conventional chairs risk.

At 28 lbs. the Sit-Stand Stool is light enough to move to and from your treadmill with ease, yet is dense enough—properly weight-centered—to exhibit ample stability on the treadmill. The 5”-high backrest on the stool makes the stool easy to lift, so you can take it just about anywhere you want. For example, if your company uses adjustable-height meeting tables, these stools make the perfect seats for both sitting and standing meetings.

Cutting-Edge Comfort and Ergonomics

One of the coolest things we like about the iMovR Tempo Sit-Stand Stool is its polyurethane seat. Like the EcoLast anti-fatigue mats, the Stool’s seat cushion is made from a 100% polyurethane formula. The seat is specially molded with a sloped front edge and a contoured seat back to help put you in the best ergonomic seating position. Ridges along the seat promote air circulation to keep you relatively cool as you sit. Furthermore, adjustment levers underneath control the seat height and angle, guaranteeing a comfortable posture for your legs and hips.

The polyurethane construction has unique thermoelastic properties that react to your body such that as you sit, the polyurethane will begin to morph around your specific body shape, providing cushion and support in all the right places. So while it may not have any of the foam or cloth of your typical office chair, the Tempo Stool provides truly individualized comfort.

Combined with the rigid reliability of its chrome base and lifting post, the polyurethane build helps make the chair extremely resilient. The all American-made Tempo Stool has a weight rating of 275 lbs. and is backed by a lifetime warranty—something you don’t often see in a chair product.

A True Sit-Stand Seat

As the name implies, the iMovR Tempo Sit-Stand Stool is usable for both sitting and standing, thanks to its high cylinder post. Traditional leaning seats like the Mobis or the $99 Mogo are great for building up your core muscles—and they look very pretty in the office—but most people find that they’re just not very comfortable for long periods of time. They offer thin, minimal seat padding, and they force users to sit in a position that makes a three legged stool out of your body, with two of those legs being your own. This leaning posture—halfway between sitting and standing—can help relieve compressive stress in your thighs and promote more uniform blood circulation, but can cause shin splint pain over time, and can squish your toes into your shoes. Hence we prefer to use this only with an angled foot rest, but that adds cost and floor clutter, and it’s not a practical solution on top of a treadmill.

The Mobis and Mogo also court danger when used on a treadmill. Because their seat post angles force you to prop yourself up with your feet, if you happen to rest your feet on the side rails of the treadmill, they risk sliding out from under you as your body pushes the treadmill belt backwards. Taking a fall like this wouldn’t likely injure you, but trust us: the embarrassment of an awkward recovery in front of your colleagues hurts almost as bad.

The 12” x 15.5”polyurethane seat is more spacious than the Mogo, Mobis, or MuvMan, and provides greater sitting comfort throughout your day. For a more active, perched position, you can adjust the seat angle between -4 and +10 degrees, and raise its height to a maximum 34” to support you while you stand.

With the Stool’s incredible range of height adjustment and seat pan angle adjustment, switching between a sitting chair and a standing stool is a cinch. While seated, users are treated to the stool’s unique polyurethane formulation, for the right amount of comfort and support throughout the day. In the standing position, the Sit-Stand Stool acts as a leaning perch to relieve the pressure from your feet while you stand—this way, you remain much more upright while enjoying optimal ergonomics at your desk. It’s this versatility that makes it a true sit-stand stool.

Step Up Your Stool

The Sit-Stand Stool comes in a choice of black or putty (off white) seat, and there’s the further option of adding an 18” polished chrome foot ring, which is perfect if you like to sit “bar stool style” at counter height. The other thing we like about the foot ring is that it gives you an easy place to rest your feet that isn’t the motor housing of your treadmill. We found this particularly useful with shallower desks like the iMovR Omega desks with built-in SteadyType keyboard trays.

The Takeaway

The Sit-Stand Stool is one of the most versatile ergonomic seat available today. Its advanced polyurethane construction and ergonomically-contoured seat design are unlike any other chair we’ve tested, and provide impressive comfort and durability. Ironically we find it more comfortable than costlier chairs that look great and win interior design awards, but just aren’t as great to sit on. The Sit-Stand Stool boasts ample height and seat angle adjustment that makes it suitable as both a sitting chair and a perching/leaning tool. And of course, it’s specially designed to accommodate any office treadmill on the market. It’s the perfect companion for turning treadmill desks of any size into a full sit-stand-walk workstation.

Read our active ergonomic chair comparison review or the comparisons for treadtop seating to learn about how Tempo fares against other seating options, like iMovR’s most recent entrant, the Energy Stool. But if you want to look at other treadtop seating options from iMovR, they are one of our favorite manufacturers for anything meant for standing or treadmill desk workstations.

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Specifications

iMovR Tempo Sit-Stand Stool

• Height Range 26″ – 34″
• Weight 28 lbs.
• Seat Dimensions 12” x 15.5”
• Maximum User Weight 275 lbs.
• Fire Retardant CAL 117
• Carton Dimensions 28″ x 28″ x 29″

Assembly Instructions, Care and Warranty Guide

Shipping

The iMovR Tempo Sit-Stand Stool ships free anywhere in the continental US. For freight to AK, HI, PR or international, please call.

Warranty

The iMovR Tempo Sit-Stand Stool is 100% made in America, and features a LIFETIME WARRANTY.