About this deal
Amy Roberts is a certified personal trainer (NASM-CPT), a running coach (USATF Level 1), and a regionally competitive runner. But that lack of cushioning also makes it easy to fold up and stash in either a backpack or carry-on suitcase. The hatha instructor and Amy were big fans of the lightweight yet densely cushioned material, which Amy particularly enjoyed in restorative yoga practice during long-held floor poses. Let’s face it, there’s not much point going camping to a campsite if you haven’t got a chair of some sort to sit on. The rubber mesh back moves and stretches with you as you shift into it, and as the day goes on, it provides plenty of support for the S-shaped curve of your spine.
And each panelist evaluates the chairs on all of the criteria, on a scale from 0 (unacceptable) to 10 (excellent). In this case there are three poles emanating from all four feet rather than the usual two poles – this provides greater stability than cheaper alternatives. The problem is, this is also how you unlock the arm, which sends it sliding all the way back down to its lowest position.The mat emits an odor in the beginning, which was noticeable on nose-to-mat postures like Child’s Pose and on our hands after use.
They complained that it was too short, the arms were too tall, and it was generally uncomfortable to sit in for longer than a couple of hours at a time.
Added to this, there is an integrated pocket on the side of the chair for sticking a bottle of beer or a magazine. As a high-quality chair with strong lumbar support, the Sayl is a good fit for someone performing standard office work—and its plastic webbed back stays cooler than fabric cushions. Gaiam makes two nearly identical versions of its PVC travel mat, the Foldable 2mm and the On-The-Go (currently unavailable), the latter of which has integrated carrying straps. And they said that compared with seat cushions on similar chairs, the Gesture’s cushion hit the right balance of firmness and plushness; it was far better than seat cushions on budget chairs, which were almost-like-sitting-on-a-wooden-chair firm.