HÅG Capisco Puls Gas Lift Guide: Seat Heights for the 8001, 8002, 8010 and 8020

The HÅG Capisco Puls is a different chair from the HÅG Capisco, and Flokk publishes it on a different factsheet, in different units, with different numbers. If you have read our HÅG Capisco gas lift guide and assumed the figures carry across, they do not. Not one seat height in this guide matches the equivalent figure for a Capisco.

This guide gives the published seat height of every current Capisco Puls model — the 8001, 8002, 8010 and 8020 — against every gas lift, taken from Flokk's HÅG Capisco Puls factsheet. It explains how those heights are measured, points out two things in the table that are easy to misread, and gives you a method for working out which lift to order.

The Capisco Puls is the moulded-polyurethane member of the Capisco family. It shares the saddle principle and almost none of the numbers.

The short answer

• 150 mm gas lift — the low option, and technically the standard one. It takes an 8001 down to 365 mm, the lowest seat height anywhere in the Capisco family.
• 200 mm gas lift — what Chair Dinkum supplies as standard, and the right default for an Australian desk of around 72 cm.
• 265 mm gas lift — the high option, reaching 805 mm on an 8020. This is the lift for sit-stand desks, clinical benches and perching.

If you are caught between two lifts, decide on the lowest height you need rather than the highest. A chair that will not drop far enough is unusable; a chair that will not quite reach the top of its job is merely limited.

Seat height by model and gas lift

These figures are in millimetres. That matters, because Flokk publishes the Capisco in centimetres and the Puls in millimetres, and reading one table as though it were the other is the single most common mistake made with this range.

For the rest of the Puls specification — seat and backrest dimensions, chair weights, materials, certifications and configuration options — see our HÅG Capisco models and measurements page, which carries the full published table for both ranges side by side.

Two things in that table that are easy to misread

1. The backless models share a floor with the backrest models, but not a ceiling

Read down the 200 mm column. The backless 8001 starts at 455 mm — exactly the same figure as the 8010, which has a backrest. But the 8001 stops at 620 mm while the 8010 goes on to 640 mm. The same thing happens on the 265 mm lift: both start at 540 mm, and the 8001 stops at 770 mm against the 8010's 795 mm. The 8002 and 8020 do it too, both starting at 470 mm and 555 mm respectively, then parting company at the top.

On the 150 mm lift the pattern breaks — there the models differ at both ends, 365 mm against 390 mm at the bottom.

Flokk does not explain why, and we are not going to invent a reason. The practical consequence is what matters: if you are working near the top of a range, the model you choose changes your maximum height by 20 to 25 mm. If you are working near the bottom on a 200 or 265 mm lift, it changes nothing at all. So a buyer who needs the chair to go low can pick between backless and backrest purely on how they want to sit. A buyer who needs the chair to go high cannot.

2. The lift is named for the cylinder, not for the travel you get

A 265 mm lift does not give you 265 mm of adjustment. On an 8010 it gives 540 to 795 mm, which is 255 mm. The 200 mm lift on the same chair gives 185 mm, and the 150 mm lift gives 135 mm. The number in the name identifies the gas cylinder; the usable range is always somewhat less, and it differs by model.

This is worth knowing because people occasionally add the lift number to the chair's minimum height to work out the maximum. Do not do that. Read the range from the table.

How these figures are measured — and why your tape measure may disagree

Published seat heights are measured with a load on the seat. Flokk states its condition directly on the Puls factsheet: measured with a 64 kg load. A gas cylinder compresses slightly under an occupant, so the loaded figure is the one that describes real use.

What follows:

• An unloaded chair — measured in a showroom, or at home before you sit on it — reads slightly higher than the published figure.
• A difference of a centimetre or so between the factsheet and your tape measure is normal and is not a fault.
• If you are heavier than 64 kg, your seated height settles a little lower than published. Lighter, a little higher.
• Flokk also prints the caveat plainly: these measurements are not absolute and may vary slightly from chair to chair. Upholstery thickness, castor or glide choice and floor covering each move the real number by a few millimetres.

The rule that follows from all of that: do not choose a lift on a 10 mm margin. If the height you need sits within about 20 mm of the top or bottom of a range, take the lift that leaves you room in both directions.

The 150 mm gas lift — and a note for anyone writing a tender

At the bottom of the 150 mm lift the Puls 8001 reaches 365 mm — lower than any Capisco.

The 150 mm lift gives 365 to 500 mm on the 8001, 375 to 515 mm on the 8002, 390 to 525 mm on the 8010 and 400 to 535 mm on the 8020.

That 365 mm minimum on the 8001 is the lowest seat height published anywhere in the Capisco family — 15 mm below the backless Capisco 8105's 380 mm. It is the answer for:

• Shorter users who find that even a 200 mm lift leaves their heels hanging.
• Low fixed desks — older Australian office desks, console-height and dining-height home setups below 70 cm.
• Study desks and younger users, where the chair has to come a long way down.
• Anyone who bought a Puls with a 200 mm lift and found it will not drop far enough. Swapping the cylinder solves it without replacing the chair.

Now the tender note, because this one catches specifiers out. Flokk identifies the 150 mm lift as the standard lift according to EN 1335 Class A — that is the version the European standard describes. Chair Dinkum supplies the Puls with the 200 mm lift as standard, because it is the better fit for Australian desk heights. Both statements are true, and they are about different things. If your specification cites EN 1335 Class A and you need the chair supplied in that exact configuration, say so on the order rather than assuming it, and call us on 02 9640 0642 and we will confirm it in writing.

The trade-off with the 150 mm lift is at the top: 500 to 535 mm depending on model. Perching is out of reach, and a HÅG FootRing is not part of the picture at these heights because your feet already reach the floor.

The 200 mm gas lift — the working standard

The 200 mm lift covers the conventional seated range at a standard 72 cm desk. It is what we supply unless you ask for something else.

The 200 mm lift gives 455 to 620 mm on the 8001, 470 to 635 mm on the 8002, 455 to 640 mm on the 8010 and 470 to 650 mm on the 8020.

For a fixed Australian desk of roughly 70 to 75 cm this is the correct default, and it is the lift most Puls chairs leave our warehouse with. It covers everything the Puls is conventionally used for: sitting forward with the pelvis tilted over the saddle, sitting back against the shaped backrest on an 8010 or 8020, sitting reversed with your chest against the back, and swinging a leg either side.

Choose the 200 mm lift if:

• Your desk is fixed at about 70 to 75 cm and is staying that way
• Your working seat height lands somewhere between roughly 480 and 620 mm
• You sit rather than perch, but want the chair to drop low enough for relaxed or reversed sitting too
• You want a FootRing available as an option later

Its ceiling is 620 to 650 mm depending on model. If you own a sit-stand desk or expect to, the 200 mm lift will follow it down but not up — which is the most common reason people change a cylinder after purchase.

The 265 mm gas lift — perching, benches and clinics

The 265 mm lift reaches 795 mm on an 8010 and 805 mm on an 8020 — high enough to perch at a fully raised desk.

The 265 mm lift gives 540 to 770 mm on the 8001, 555 to 785 mm on the 8002, 540 to 795 mm on the 8010 and 555 to 805 mm on the 8020.

At the top of that range the seat is high enough to perch against at a fully raised standing desk, with your weight shared between the saddle and your feet. This is the lift that lets the Puls do the thing the Capisco family was designed for: sitting low for concentrated work, raising the seat and the desk together and perching for a period, then coming back down. You are not choosing between sitting and standing. You are moving between them.

Choose the 265 mm lift if:

• You use a height-adjustable sit-stand desk, or intend to buy one
• You work at a raised bench — dental, medical, laboratory, workshop, salon, retail counter
• You use a drafting table, easel or standing-height studio bench
• You want to alternate between seated and perched positions through the day

Its limit is at the bottom, at 540 or 555 mm. If you are shorter, or you also want the chair low for reversed sitting, that minimum may already be higher than you want. That is where a footring earns its place.

Turned around, the Puls backrest becomes a chest, shoulder and arm support — which is why it turns up in dental and laboratory work.

Puls or Capisco? What the numbers actually say

People usually choose between the two on material — the Capisco is upholstered, the Puls is moulded polyurethane and wipes clean. But if height is your constraint, the numbers point somewhere specific.

• The Puls goes lower. The backless 8001 reaches 365 mm on a 150 mm lift, against 380 mm for the backless Capisco 8105. On the 200 mm lift the 8010 starts at 455 mm against the Capisco 8106's 460 mm.
• The Capisco goes higher. On the 265 mm lift the Capisco 8106 family reaches 810 mm. The Puls 8020 reaches 805 mm and the 8010 reaches 795 mm.
• On the 200 mm lift they meet at the top. Both the Puls 8010 and the Capisco 8106 stop at 640 mm.

These are differences of 5 to 15 mm, which sounds like nothing until you are the person whose bench is exactly at the wrong height. If you are working to a tight number, compare the specific model rather than the family. If you are not, choose on material and seat form and ignore this section entirely.

8010 or 8020 — the 10 to 15 mm that decides it

The 8020 is the 8010 with an upholstered cushion, and the cushion raises the seat. On the 150 mm lift the 8020 sits 10 mm higher at both ends. On the 200 mm and 265 mm lifts it sits 15 mm higher at the bottom and 10 mm higher at the top.

That is a small number with one practical consequence: if you need the chair to go as low as it possibly can, the 8010 is the model, not the 8020. If you need it to go as high as it possibly can, the 8020 wins by 10 mm. Everywhere in between, choose on whether you want the cushion — it is offered in Nexus, Sprint and Evida — and treat the height difference as noise.

Both weigh 11.1 kg, both have a 400 to 470 mm adjustable seat depth, both are 460 mm across the seat, and both have a maximum chair width of 565 mm on a 730 mm footbase. The backrest is 400 mm high on both. The one measurement that does differ is the height of the foremost support point on the backrest: 140 to 230 mm on the 8010, 130 to 220 mm on the 8020.

The backless models: 8001 and 8002

The 8001 and 8002 have no backrest. They weigh 7.0 kg against 11.1 kg for the models with a back — the backrest is most of the difference — and both have a 460 mm seat width on the same 730 mm footbase.

The 8002 is the 8001 with the cushion option, and, as with the 8010 and 8020, the cushion lifts the seat: 10 to 15 mm at the bottom of each range and 15 mm at the top.

Backless suits people who genuinely never lean back — a lot of clinical and laboratory work, and a lot of short-burst benchwork. If you are buying for a desk where someone will sit for six hours, take the backrest. The Puls backrest is not there mainly to lean against; turned around, it becomes a chest, shoulder and arm support, which is the position that makes the chair worth having for precision work.

FootRings, the StepUp, and where your feet go

Once the seat is above your comfortable floor-reach height, your feet need a surface. Without one your legs dangle and the pressure moves onto the underside of your thighs, which is exactly the problem a saddle seat exists to avoid.

Two options, and they are not the same:

• HÅG FootRing — gives one extra foot level. It is colour-matched to the gas lift, so specify the two together.
• HÅG StepUp — gives two extra foot levels, in Black or Silver. For anyone who perches for long stretches, the ability to change where your feet sit through the day is worth more than the single ring height.

Our guidance: on a 265 mm lift, treat one or the other as close to essential. On a 200 mm lift it is optional, and worth adding if you often work at the top of the range. On a 150 mm lift you should not need one.

Working out which lift you need

Two measurements and about five minutes.

Step 1 — measure your desk

Floor to the top of the work surface. For a fixed desk that is one number. For a sit-stand desk, take the lowest and the highest position you actually use, not the ones in the brochure.

Step 2 — measure your lower leg, in the shoes you wear at work

Sit on a firm chair with your feet flat and knees at roughly a right angle. Measure floor to the underside of your thigh at the back of the knee. Shoes matter: bare feet to work boots can be 40 mm.

Step 3 — find the lift whose range contains your number, with room at both ends

For conventional seated work, your seat height is close to your lower-leg measurement. A saddle seat often suits a slightly higher setting than a flat one, so add 20 to 50 mm if you like your thighs sloping down.

For perching, the seat sits roughly 250 to 300 mm below the work surface, with your legs mostly straight and carrying part of your weight.

Worked example — fixed 72 cm desk

Lower-leg measurement in shoes, 480 mm. On an 8010 that sits inside the 150 mm lift (390–525 mm) and inside the 200 mm lift (455–640 mm), and well below the 265 mm lift's 540 mm floor. Take the 200 mm lift: 480 mm is comfortably inside it with 160 mm of range left above for forward-leaning and semi-perched work at the same desk.

Worked example — sit-stand desk

Desk used at 720 mm seated and 1050 mm standing. Seated you want about 490 mm; perched at 1050 mm you want roughly 760 to 800 mm. Only the 265 mm lift reaches that, and on an 8010 it tops out at 795 mm — just inside. It will not drop to 490 mm, so either accept 540 mm as your seated height and lower the desk slightly to suit, or fit a StepUp and work from 540 mm. If those top-end figures matter to you, note that the 8020 reaches 805 mm where the 8010 reaches 795 mm.

Worked example — dental or laboratory bench at 900 mm

Working seat height around 620 to 660 mm. The 200 mm lift stops at 640 mm on an 8010 and 650 mm on an 8020, which puts you right at the limit — and since seat heights are published under load, uncomfortably close to it. Take the 265 mm lift, where 620 to 660 mm sits mid-range with adjustment either side.

Worked example — a shorter user at a low desk

A desk at 68 cm and a lower-leg measurement of 400 mm. The 200 mm lift's 455 mm floor is already too high. The 150 mm lift on an 8001 goes to 365 mm, and on an 8010 to 390 mm. This is the case the 150 mm lift exists for, and the one most guides never mention.

Where the Puls goes that most chairs cannot

Two certifications on the Puls open doors that are closed to almost every other task chair, and both come with a condition worth knowing before the order is written rather than after.

Cleanroom: ISO 14644 Class 4 and 5

Flokk has evaluated particle generation from the chair in cleanroom use, and the Capisco Puls satisfies ISO 14644 Class 4 and 5. That is the rating that qualifies a chair for laboratories, pharmaceutical production, medical device manufacture, and semiconductor and electronics work — rooms most task chairs cannot be specified into at all.

The condition is not a footnote: the cleanroom approval applies only with black antistatic vinyl. Specify a fabric, for any reason including colour, and the chair no longer carries the rating. If you are buying to a cleanroom specification, order black antistatic vinyl and nothing else, and call us before the order is written if you need the documentation for a submission.

Fire: BS 5852 Crib 5

The Capisco Puls is BS 5852 Crib 5 approved with CMHR foam — the fire standard commonly required in healthcare, aged care, marine, hospitality and some public buildings.

The procurement catch: CMHR fire-resistant foam is available on request but must be specified at the time of order, and it adds lead time. It cannot be added to a chair once it has been built. A Puls ordered on standard foam will not meet Crib 5 regardless of what the paperwork says afterwards, so raise it when the order goes in and allow for the extra lead time in your programme.

One certification difference worth checking

The Puls is tested to EN 1335 Type A (2000), ANSI/BIFMA, EN 16139 and GS. The Capisco is certified to EN 1335 (2020) Type A and Type Ax. If a tender names a particular edition of EN 1335, that is the distinction to check before you specify the range.

Materials, and what happens at the end

The Puls is 39% recycled material and 99% recyclable — the highest end-of-life figure in the Capisco family.

The Puls has a carbon footprint of 39.4 kg CO₂ equivalents and contains 39% recycled material, post-consumer and post-industrial. Against a total product weight of 11.1 kg, the material split on an 8020 is steel 39%, plastics 31%, aluminium 26%, PUR 1%, textiles 1%, various 2% and PVC 0%.

The figure worth pulling out of that list is the last one on the factsheet: the share of recyclable material is 99%. The fully upholstered Capisco 8106 is 50%. At end of life these are not the same proposition, and if a project is being assessed on circularity that difference is likely to matter more than any dimension in this guide. The Puls is designed for disassembly and contains no hazardous chemicals.

Flokk is certified by DNV-GL to ISO 14001. Documentation for the Puls includes an EPD based on a 14025 life-cycle analysis, GREENGUARD and Möbelfakta — which, for tender and green-building submissions, is usually what is actually being asked for.

Warranty, and the weight question

Flokk gives a ten-year guarantee against production defects on HÅG office chairs in normal use of up to 9 hours per day. Beyond 9 hours a day — a 24/7 control room, a multi-shift clinical setting — the term is 5 years.

The guarantee condition refers to users up to 110 kg. That is a warranty condition, not a load limit and not a specification. Flokk publishes no maximum user weight for the Capisco Puls or for the Capisco, and we will not invent one to fill the gap. If it is the deciding factor for you, ring us and we will tell you honestly whether the Puls is the right chair for the job rather than quote a number that does not exist.

All of that sits on top of your rights under the Australian Consumer Law, which cannot be excluded. Full terms for every brand we carry are on our warranty page.

Colours and configuration

Nine shell colours, including one moulded from recycled snowplough markers.

• Shell colours — Clay, Rosehip, Moss, Blueberry, Light grey, Black, White, Sand, and Recycled snowplough marker in Brown.
• Upholstery — the 8010 and 8001 take all textiles from the HÅG Standard or Extended Collection, except leather and Steelcut Trio.
• Cushion — optional on the 8020 and 8002, in Nexus, Sprint or Evida.
• Footbase — black plastic, or black, silver, white or polished aluminium. 730 mm diameter.
• Tilt — 15° backwards from a neutral position 2° to the rear.

The Capisco Puls was designed by Peter Opsvik, and the design is patent- and design-protected. It holds the iF product design award 2011, the reddot design award winner 2011, and the Award for Design Excellence from the Norwegian Design Council.

Changing the lift later

The 150, 200 and 265 mm ranges are three different gas cylinders, not three settings on one chair. Moving between them means physically swapping the cylinder for a replacement gas lift — a genuine five-minute job: lift the seat and column off the base, remove the old cylinder, fit the new one, refit the seat.

On a chair that has been in service for years the cylinder can seat itself firmly and need persuading; the HÅG Gas Lift Unblocking Tool and the HÅG Chair Disassembly Tool exist for exactly that. And remember the FootRing is colour-matched to the lift, so a change of lift colour means the ring no longer matches.

So a wrong choice is fixable, and a change of desk does not mean a change of chair. It is still a purchase and a task rather than a lever on the chair, which is why it is worth getting right at order time.

Buying a Capisco Puls in Australia

Chair Dinkum is the exclusive Australian distributor for the Flokk group, of which HÅG is one of eleven brands. In practice that means:

• Stock is held in Sydney — chairs, gas lifts, footrings, castors and glides are here, not on a boat.
• All three lifts can be tried at our Pyrmont showroom, by appointment. Fifteen minutes on the right one settles the question better than any table, this one included. Bring the shoes you wear at work and the height of your desk.
• Warranty is assessed locally — a claim is handled here, not routed offshore.
• Specification support — if you need cleanroom or Crib 5 documentation for a submission, we will get it from Flokk rather than guess at it.

Showroom: 1/209 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009. Call 02 9640 0642 with your desk height and your lower-leg measurement and we will tell you which lift to order.

Frequently asked questions

What is the seat height of the HÅG Capisco Puls 8010?

390 to 525 mm with the 150 mm gas lift, 455 to 640 mm with the 200 mm lift, and 540 to 795 mm with the 265 mm lift. These are Flokk's published figures, measured with a 64 kg load.

What is the seat height of the HÅG Capisco Puls 8020?

400 to 535 mm with the 150 mm lift, 470 to 650 mm with the 200 mm lift, and 555 to 805 mm with the 265 mm lift. The 8020 sits 10 to 15 mm higher than the 8010 at every lift because of the cushion.

What is the seat height of the backless Capisco Puls 8001 and 8002?

The 8001 is 365 to 500 mm on the 150 mm lift, 455 to 620 mm on the 200 mm lift and 540 to 770 mm on the 265 mm lift. The 8002, which takes the optional cushion, is 375 to 515 mm, 470 to 635 mm and 555 to 785 mm respectively.

Are the Capisco Puls seat heights the same as the HÅG Capisco?

No, and the units differ too. Flokk publishes the Capisco in centimetres and the Puls in millimetres, on separate factsheets. A Puls 8010 reaches 795 mm on the 265 mm lift where a Capisco 8106 reaches 810 mm.

Which Capisco Puls gas lift do I need for a standard 72 cm desk?

The 200 mm lift in almost all cases. It gives 455 to 640 mm on an 8010, which contains the seat height most people use at a 72 cm desk. Choose the 150 mm lift instead if you need the seat below 455 mm.

Which gas lift do I need for a sit-stand desk?

The 265 mm lift. It reaches 795 mm on an 8010 and 805 mm on an 8020, high enough to perch at a fully raised desk. A 200 mm lift stops at 640 to 650 mm and will not follow the desk up.

Which gas lift does Chair Dinkum supply as standard?

The 200 mm lift, because it suits Australian desk heights of around 70 to 75 cm. Note that Flokk identifies the 150 mm lift as the standard lift according to EN 1335 Class A — if your specification cites that standard, say so on the order and we will confirm the configuration in writing.

Why do the backless and backrest Puls models have the same minimum seat height?

On the 200 mm and 265 mm lifts they do: the 8001 and 8010 both start at 455 mm and 540 mm respectively, and the 8002 and 8020 both start at 470 mm and 555 mm. They differ at the top of the range, by 20 to 25 mm. On the 150 mm lift they differ at both ends. Flokk publishes the figures without explaining the pattern, so we report it as published rather than guess at a reason.

Does a 265 mm gas lift give 265 mm of adjustment?

No. The number identifies the gas cylinder, not the travel. On an 8010 the 265 mm lift gives 540 to 795 mm, which is 255 mm of range; the 200 mm lift gives 185 mm and the 150 mm lift gives 135 mm. Read the range from the table rather than adding the lift number to the minimum height.

Why does my chair measure higher than the published seat height?

Because published seat heights are measured with a load on the seat — Flokk specifies a 64 kg load on the Puls factsheet. An unloaded chair reads slightly higher, so a tape measure at home can disagree with the specification by a centimetre or so. This is normal and is not a fault.

Can I fit a footring to a Capisco Puls?

Yes. The HÅG FootRing gives one extra foot level and is colour-matched to the gas lift, so specify the two together. The HÅG StepUp, in Black or Silver, gives two extra foot levels, which suits anyone who perches for long stretches and wants to change foot position through the day.

Is the HÅG Capisco Puls cleanroom rated?

Yes. Flokk has evaluated particle generation from the chair and the Capisco Puls satisfies ISO 14644 Class 4 and 5, suiting it to laboratories, pharmaceutical production, medical device manufacture and semiconductor work. The rating applies only with black antistatic vinyl — specifying a fabric loses it. Call 02 9640 0642 if you need the documentation for a submission.

Is the Capisco Puls fire rated?

The Capisco Puls is BS 5852 Crib 5 approved with CMHR foam, the standard commonly required in healthcare, aged care, marine, hospitality and some public buildings. CMHR foam must be specified at the time of order and adds lead time. It cannot be added once the chair is built.

How much does a Capisco Puls weigh?

The backless 8001 and 8002 weigh 7.0 kg each. The 8010 and 8020, which have a backrest, weigh 11.1 kg. These are chair weights, not user weights.

Does the Capisco Puls have a maximum user weight?

Flokk publishes no maximum user weight for the Capisco Puls. The 110 kg figure that circulates is a condition of the ten-year guarantee, not a load rating. We will not quote a capacity the manufacturer does not publish — call us on 02 9640 0642 and we will talk it through.

Can I change the gas lift after buying?

Yes, by replacing the cylinder. The three ranges are three different gas lifts, not settings on one chair. The swap takes about five minutes and replacement lifts are sold separately, but it is a purchase and a task rather than an adjustment, so it is worth getting right at order time.

Shop the Capisco Puls range

• HÅG Capisco Puls 8010 — moulded polyurethane seat and backrest, wipes clean, 455 to 640 mm on the standard lift
• HÅG Capisco Puls 8020 — the 8010 with an upholstered cushion, 470 to 650 mm on the standard lift
• HÅG Capisco 8106 — the fully upholstered Capisco, if you want the fabric chair rather than the moulded one
• View all Capisco and Capisco Puls chairs
• HÅG Capisco models and measurements — the full published specification for all nine models in one table
• HÅG Capisco gas lift guide — the same decision for the upholstered Capisco, where the figures are different
• Saddle chairs in Australia — who they suit and how to specify one
• The full HÅG range, and the Flokk Australia page

Pairing a 265 mm lift with a new desk? See our sit to stand desks. Still comparing chairs? Start with task chairs.

Still working it out? Contact us or call 02 9640 0642 with your desk height and your lower-leg measurement, and we will tell you which lift to order.