Frequently Asked Questions about The Soul Seat & Ikaria Products

Yes! If you do not see your country listed at checkout please send us a message with your country, city, and postal code as well as the product you are considering through our Contact page (or email hello@ikariadesign.com) and we will provide you with a shipping quote.

Please note that we are unable to estimate any duties and/or taxes that may be calculated on your end, and those fees will be your responsibility.

All prices are listed and charged in USD.

Yes! The Soul Seat’s patent was filed with the United States Patent Office in 2009 and approved in 2012.

Patent No.: US 8,297,706 B2

Yes! The Soul Seat is designed for you to adjust the height of the small cushion (perch) to your flexibility and comfort. You can then adjust the lower butterfly cushion to get the best height relative to your workspace. We recommend that you adjust the overall height so your elbows are just above the height of your work, allowing your shoulders to be relaxed and wrists slightly lower than your elbows.

Soul Seat: the lower platform is adjustable from 15" to 20" high, while the perch can be raised up to an additional 8" from the lower platform.

Soul Seat, Bamboo: the lower platform is adjustable from 14" to 24" high, while the perch can be raised up to an additional 8" from the lower platform.

Yes! The Auto-Adjust Perch is designed to swivel for added movement, but if you prefer to keep your perch stationary, you can purchase our Locking Flange accessory.

Almost! Assembly is very simple and minimal. You can view the assembly instructions for our Soul Seats below:

• Soul Seat, Manual Perch

• Soul Seat, Auto-Adjust Perch

• Soul Seat, Bamboo, Manual Perch

• Soul Seat, Bamboo, Auto-Adjust Perch

The difference between the two sizes is in the size of the lower platform (larger butterfly cushion). The standard size is 25" wide and the large is 31" wide. The legs and perch (smaller cushion where you sit) are the same for both sizes.

We often recommend going with the large if you're on the fence about which size to choose. The only downside to having the additional legroom of the large would be if your desk or workspace cannot accommodate the additional width.

No, the bamboo legs provide a solid, stationary seating experience. The larger butterfly shaped cushion is adjusted in height manually. You can choose to also have a manually adjusted perch or auto-adjust perch. The auto-adjust perch does swivel, and it can also be locked in place with our Locking Flange accessory.

The wheeled Soul Seat swivels and has a hydraulic piston to adjust the height of the larger butterfly cushion. You also have the option of manual or auto-adjust perch.

We currently offer four fabric options for our Soul Seat upholstery:

• Ultrafabrics Primera line: Primera offers classic leather styling with a soft feel. Ultrafabrics is committed to developing fabric using efficient manufacturing processes, based on conservation of raw materials, toxic-free solutions, and with minimal dependency on natural resources. Primera specifications.
  (Primera has been discontinued and will remain discounted until stock is depleted.)

• Ultrafabrics Ultraleather Pro line: Imbued with optimal durability, protection, and ease of care attributes, Ultraleather Pro maintains the Ultraleather reputation as the softest in its class and is infused with comfort and power combined. Added features include exceptional abrasion resistance, repellency of most stubborn stains like ink, denim dye, red wine, mustard, and iodine-based liquids, along with EPA-registered antimicrobial protection. Ultraleather Pro specifications.

• Pendleton Eco-Wise Wool: Pendleton Woolen Mills’ Eco-Wise 100% Wool upholstery is naturally water-resistant, completely natural, and is both biodegradable and renewable, making it a sustainable choice of fabric. It is soft, durable, naturally flame-retardant, and even Cradle to Cradle Certified by MBDC. Their goal is to manufacture wool humanely in a way that leaves the smallest possible footprint on the earth.

• Performance Velvet: Our Performance Velvet from Fabricut is just as durable as it is gorgeous. Designed for those who appreciate both style and functionality, this velvet exudes elegance and sophistication while ensuring longevity, stain resistance, and easy maintenance.

• Slipcovers: Our slipcovers are made from organic cotton canvas.

Regular cleaning: Just like carpet, wool furniture benefits from regular vacuuming. Do this with an upholstery attachment, if your vacuum has one, as this is specially designed for the types of wool fibers used in upholstery. This will pick up dust that may settle in between the fibers which, if not removed, will eventually begin to damage the fabric. Don’t use a vacuum with a rotary brush as this will damage the fabric. For fast removal of small dry spills, such as crumbs, a gentle brush can also be used.

Spot cleaning: Wool’s protective outer layer means it’s naturally stain-resistant, but it’s still best to clean up any spills as soon as possible after they happen. Like carpet, the best way to do this is by using water or an approved cleaning spray. Once the stain is removed, dry the area thoroughly, dabbing not scrubbing. Don’t let the area dry until the stain is removed otherwise it will be harder to get out.

Pilling: Some pilling is to be expected with natural wool material. The pills can be combed with a lint roller or electric fabric shaver.

Recommended Cleaning Instructions for Primera & Ultraleather Pro directly from Ultrafabrics:

• Wipe up spills as soon as they occur

• Clean with soap and water

• Sanitize using disinfectants such as (1:5) bleach/water solution

• For stubborn stains, wipe off with isopropyl alcohol as soon as possible

• Thoroughly rinse all solution residue with clean water

• Air dry

This information is not a guarantee. Please use all cleaning and disinfecting agents safely and as instructed. The use of other cleaning agents, disinfectants, conditioners or protectants is not recommended as they can degrade fabric’s performance and may void Ultrafabrics warranty.

A variety of clothing and accessories may contain dyes that could transfer to lighter colors, depending upon variations in temperature and humidity. Dye transfer is difficult to control, not always fully preventable, and may be irreversible. Fabric may not protect against intentional stains or permanent inks.

• Dust and vacuum periodically for regular maintenance.

• Blot spills immediately with a clean, dry absorbent cloth.

• For dried stains, mix soap and water to create a sudsy solution. Use a soft cloth to blot the stain with the suds, then let the fabric dry completely. If using any cleaners, test a small hidden spot first to be sure no damage is caused to the fabric.

• Once the velvet is dry, use a soft, dry brush in the direction of the pile to restore its direction and loft. This will give the velvet that brand-new, never-been-touched look. To further preserve the velvet fabric, keep it away from direct sunlight, which can cause the fabric to fade over time.

Yes, when moving around on the Soul Seat a little noise is to be expected when shifting your weight. On manual models, we recommend making sure your set screws are tightened all the way, as that can sometimes cause some extra noise. If you experience any noise that seems out of the ordinary, please email us with a video to hello@ikariadesign.com

*All Soul Seats and Bamboo Soul Seats ordered on or after January 1, 2022, do not have springs on the perch, which caused additional noise. Thanks to the feedback we received from customers, we decided to remove them from the design.

We have not yet contracted with a lab to put the Soul Seat through a formal testing regimen, so until then, we go by the rating of our suppliers. The gas cylinders we utilize are class 4 with a capacity of up to 352 pounds. Informal testing, however, has shown the Soul Seat to be able to withstand around 560 pounds.

The Soul Seat is designed to allow you to sit in various positions that align your spine naturally in a neutral position, making a backrest unnecessary. Our customers have reported that they don't miss having a backrest, but we understand the curiosity that we hear often about why there isn't a backrest. Read more about why there’s no back on the Soul Seat in our article, “Where’s the back on that chair?”

For those that have been told by medical professionals that they do need a backrest on their chair for a specific condition, the Soul Seat may not be the right chair.

Our only showroom is in Columbia, Missouri, but we would love for you to visit us! You can set up an appointment by emailing us at hello@ikariadesign.com. We are also serious about our 90-day Satisfaction Guarantee, so your purchase is risk-free. We know that it can take some time to adjust, so we want to be sure to give you ample time to see if the Soul Seat is the right seat for you.

You can wear whatever you want on a Soul Seat! We just recommend thinking about how your outfit would feel if you were to sit on the floor. Shorter, tighter skirts and dresses may be too restricting, or you may prefer to have a shawl or scarf draped over your lap to avoid flashing your coworkers. However, longer or looser-fitting skirts and dresses tend to be just fine.

The short answer is that we create high-quality products with sustainable materials on a very small scale with talented local folks who are paid a living wage.

The long answer is that we want to provide a solution to add more movement to your day and combat a sedentary lifestyle, and we want to do it in a way that is ethical. Unfortunately, ethical manufacturing costs significantly more. The cheap office furniture you see mass-produced is horrible for our environment, it is not built to last, and most of the craftspeople are not paid fairly for their work. We hope that when someone buys one of our products, they don’t need to come back for another one - unless they just want more than one!

We understand that the price has, and will be, a hindrance for some, and we may not be the best solution for everyone. However, there are many options out there for people to get the same benefits as the Soul Seat without the price tag. The benefits you get from sitting on a Soul Seat are attainable for free (like moving your workstation to the floor). We just provide one solution that brings the floor up to your desk, allowing you to make very few changes to your conventional workspace.

Many of our customers have had chiropractors, physical therapists, etc. prescribe them so that their employer can purchase the chair for them. You may also be able to be reimbursed through your HSA or insurance!

Our goal is to get people moving again, whether that be with our product or not - but we are unwilling to compromise on quality, on the impact our manufacturing has on our planet, and on paying a living wage to artisans that help us handcraft each chair. Read more about “Does Sitting Weird Have To Be So Expensive?” on our blog.

Most people who haven’t had a chance to sit on a Soul Seat assume it will be uncomfortable. But once they try it, we call it the "Soul Seat Sigh". That smile, the relaxing “ahhh” that folks express as they have their first experience on the Soul Seat. It’s a pleasant jolt of recognition when their spine finds an end to its fight with gravity. The hips, femurs, pelvis, and back get to work together effortlessly. Folks are transported to a time in their lives when sitting didn’t spark an internal battle. For some folks, they haven’t felt that way in decades.

Read more in our article “Body Conscious Design Soul Seat Review, by Galen Cranz” on our blog.

The behavior of the office worker, the amount that they change positions throughout the day, the relationship between their chair, desk, monitor, and keyboard set-up, and the work-style culture that management fosters, all contribute to a dynamic situation that enhances or hinders health at work. We see our efforts with the Soul Seat to be as flexible a component of that dynamic as we can be.

As the Soul Seat’s design has continued to develop over the years, we’ve elicited feedback and informal evaluations from physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons, osteopaths, ergonomists, bio-mechanists, and clinical psychologists (among others). Our goal with the design is for the chair to provide enough honest feedback to the sitter’s physiology that they are more likely to move to the best posture, which is always the next posture. Compared to any other seating option at work (except the floor, which our Flow Desks provide access to), the Soul Seat offers the most variety of comfortable and supported “Next Postures” while still staying focused on work.

We would welcome the opportunity to participate in formal clinical trials to augment the reports of benefits from our customers. As a small start-up, we’ve been on the lookout for someone interested in proposing a well-designed clinical trial. We encourage you to share with us any referrals you might suggest! Do you have any resources or institutions to recommend who would be willing to help bring that about? We’d love to hear from you!