Our verdict, briefly. The HÅG Capisco is built for people who work at changing heights and move around while they do it: sit-stand desk users who want to perch, people at benches and drafting tables, and anyone who sits sideways or backwards as a matter of habit. It is not the chair for someone who wants to settle back into a high, padded seat for eight hours, and some owners find the seat firm over long sessions. Choose the gas lift carefully, because it decides whether the chair works at your desk at all.
We are Flokk's exclusive Australian distributor, so we sell every Capisco we describe here. We have tried to write the review we would give you in the showroom: what the chair is, what it does well, where it falls short, and who should buy something else.
What is the HÅG Capisco?
The Capisco was designed by Peter Opsvik and made by HÅG, now part of the Norwegian Flokk group. Flokk dates the first Capisco to 1984, and the name is Italian for "I understand". Its two defining features are a saddle-shaped seat and a narrow, T-shaped backrest.
The backrest is not a conventional lumbar support. On the Capisco 8106 it is height adjustable from 44 to 50 cm and 60 cm wide, and there is no separate lumbar pad. You can lean against it between tasks, or turn the chair round, sit astride it facing the backrest and use it as a chest and forearm rest. The chair tilts backwards using HÅG's inBalance® mechanism, which Flokk describes as a "balanced, flowing tilt function", with adjustable tilt tension and a tilt lock.
How it differs from a conventional office chair
Most task chairs are shaped around a forward-facing seat and a backrest you lean against, with a height range suited to a standard desk. Many of them tilt, and people shift about on them all day. What makes the Capisco unusual is that its geometry is designed to accommodate positions a conventional seat is not shaped for. The saddle seat lets you sit facing forward with your thighs sloping down, turn sideways, or sit astride facing the backrest. The narrow, T-shaped backrest can be leaned against, or used as a chest and forearm rest when you face it. And the choice of gas lifts lets you raise the seat to perch at a higher desk, bench or drafting table.
That is a description of what the chair permits, not a claim about what those positions do for your body. Flokk designed the Capisco around movement and variation, and our explainer on the thinking behind active sitting covers that idea and the research around it. Whether the Capisco suits you depends far more on how you work than on any general theory.
Capisco 8106 or Capisco Puls?
There are two families. The 8106 is the fully upholstered original: a 50 cm wide seat pad, adjustable seat depth of 37 to 47 cm, the 44 to 50 cm adjustable backrest, and a chair weight of 12.1 kg.
The Capisco Puls has a moulded polypropylene (PP) seat and backrest with a seat cushion. On the Puls 8010 the cushion is integrated into the seat; the Puls 8020 adds an extra seat cushion for more sitting comfort. Flokk's Puls factsheet gives both a 46 cm seat, a backrest 40 cm high, seat depth of 40 to 47 cm and a chair weight of 11.1 kg, and it rates the Puls for cleanroom use (ISO 14644 Class 4 and 5) in black antistatic vinyl only.
The two families are built differently rather than being better and worse versions of one chair. The 8106 is fully upholstered, with a larger upholstered seat (a 50 cm seat pad against the Puls's 46 cm seat), more seat-depth range (37 to 47 cm against 40 to 47 cm) and a backrest that adjusts in height from 44 to 50 cm. The Puls also has back-height adjustment, with a 40 cm-high backrest. It has a moulded polypropylene (PP) seat and backrest with a seat cushion, and Flokk rates it for cleanroom use (ISO 14644 Class 4 and 5) in black antistatic vinyl. Beyond that, the choice comes down to how you work and what you prefer to sit on, and sitting in both is the most reliable test. Our Capisco 8106 vs Capisco Puls comparison sets every published figure side by side, and the Capisco range shows current prices for each model.
Gas lifts and adjustment
The gas lift is the decision that matters most. The Capisco comes with one of three cylinders, and they are separate parts rather than settings. The same 150, 200 and 265 mm cylinders are interchangeable between the Capisco 8106 and the Capisco Puls, but because the chairs are built differently, the same lift gives a different seat-height range on each. On the 8106, Flokk's 2025 factsheet gives these seat heights, measured with a 64 kg load (so an empty chair sits slightly higher):
- 150 mm lift: 40 to 54 cm
- 200 mm lift: 46 to 64 cm
- 265 mm lift: 55 to 81 cm
The Puls has its own seat-height figures on those lifts, which are on our Capisco models and measurements page. Flokk publishes seat heights, not desk heights, so the following is our guidance rather than a Flokk specification: the 200 mm lift suits most people at a conventional fixed desk, the 265 mm lift is the one for perching at a sit-stand desk, bench or drafting table, and the 150 mm lift suits shorter users at low desks. Our Capisco gas lift guide and Capisco Puls gas lift guide work through the choice desk by desk, and the Capisco buying guide covers the wider decision.
Once your feet leave the floor you need foot support. The HÅG FootRing fits the 200 mm and 265 mm lifts only. The HÅG StepUp, which adds two foot levels, is the option for a 150 mm lift.
Sit-stand desks and high work surfaces
This is where the Capisco is most clearly different. With the 265 mm lift the 8106 seat reaches 81 cm, which lets you perch at a raised sit-stand desk, a laboratory bench or a drafting table rather than choosing between sitting low and standing fully.
Practical fit matters more than the headline figure. Measure the height you actually work at, check that the lift range contains it with some room at both ends, and specify the FootRing or StepUp at the same time. If you raise and lower a sit-stand desk through the day, the lift has to cover both your sitting and perching heights. If it cannot, you will end up standing more than you intended or sitting lower than is comfortable.
What we like
- Genuinely different positions. Forward, sideways and astride all work without changing a setting, and with the right lift you can raise the seat to perch. The backrest is useful in each position.
- A very wide height range. Three lifts take the 8106 from 40 cm to 81 cm, which covers low desks, fixed desks, benches and sit-stand desks.
- Documented build and materials. Flokk's 2025 factsheet lists EN 1335 (2020) Type A and Type Ax, ANSI/BIFMA, EN 16139 and GS testing, 50% recycled material and a footprint of 32.87 kg CO₂e for the 8106. Its July 2025 environmental product declaration gives a reference service life of 15 years.
- Parts, not replacement chairs. Flokk guarantees delivery of spare parts for at least ten years from the chair's production date, and gas lifts, footrings, castors and glides are all sold separately.
Limitations, and who may not suit it
- Price. The 8106 is a premium chair, and several owners mention cost even in five-star reviews. Current prices are on the product pages.
- A firm seat. The saddle is not a soft cushion. Two owners who otherwise rated the chair four stars said it can feel firm, or short of cushioning, over long sessions. Flokk describes the Puls 8020's extra cushion as being for extra sitting comfort.
- It can feel unfamiliar. Sitting astride a saddle is different from sitting on a flat seat. Try one before you buy if you can.
- No lumbar pad or full-height padded back. The backrest is a narrow T shape and the tilt is designed around movement, so if you want to settle back into a high, padded, reclining seat, a conventional task chair may suit you better.
- The wrong gas lift undermines everything. A lift that does not reach your working height, or starts too high for your desk, means the chair will not fit the way you work. It can be changed later, but only by buying a new cylinder.
- It is not a cross-legged chair. The saddle is shaped for sitting astride, not with your legs folded under you. One owner put it plainly: she tries to cross her legs but "it doesn't last for long".
Ownership and buying considerations
Flokk's warranty covers material and manufacturing faults and defects for 10 years on HÅG chairs in normal use for up to nine hours a day, and 5 years for use beyond that. It applies, unless otherwise specified, to users up to 110 kg; that is a warranty condition, not a published weight rating. Labour, transport and normal wear are not covered. The full terms are on our warranty page, and your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply in addition.
Prices change with fabric, colour and gas lift, so we have not listed them here. Current prices are on the 8106, Puls 8010 and Puls 8020 pages. You can try the HÅG Capisco models at our Pyrmont showroom before you choose. If you are weighing the Capisco against a more conventional premium chair, our Capisco vs Aeron comparison covers that decision.
What owners say
The Capisco 8106 product page has accumulated dozens of customer reviews. The examples below are displayed by Judge.me as Verified reviews at the time of writing. We have chosen short extracts, left their wording and spelling as written, and included criticism as well as praise.
- "Costs a bit but worth it so far, I can see many years of use from this chair." (Andrew Evans, 5 stars, September 2026)
- "At first i didnt think the chair would have the height i needed for my workbench. Boy was i wrong as soon as i put it together." (Lucas, 5 stars, January 2026)
- "A perfect companion for a standing desk." (Bill Phillips, 5 stars, February 2021)
- "my only gripe with it is there's not a lot of cushion in the seat which can be uncomfortable after sitting for long periods of time." (jesse, 4 stars, October 2018)
- "it tends to feel a little too firm sitting for extended periods of time." (Suehaze Calderon, 4 stars, October 2020)
- "I think the idea that the chair allows you to sit in several different positions is a silly gimmick." (Casey B., 5 stars, July 2020)
Reviews describe individual experiences. Some owners also mention their own health; those are personal accounts, not claims we make about the chair.
Is the Capisco right for you?
Buy the Capisco if you work at changing heights, perch at a sit-stand desk or bench, or move around your chair as a matter of habit, and you are comfortable with a saddle seat, ideally having tried one. Look elsewhere if you want a soft, high-backed conventional seat to settle back into, or if you will not measure your working height before choosing a lift. If you are unsure, sit in one before you buy. Our saddle chairs guide explains the wider category.
Frequently asked questions
Is the HÅG Capisco good for standing desks?
Yes, with the right gas lift. With the 265 mm lift the 8106 seat reaches 81 cm on Flokk's figures, high enough to perch at a raised sit-stand desk. Add a FootRing or StepUp so your feet are supported, and check that the lift also reaches your sitting height if you lower the desk during the day.
Can the HÅG Capisco be used with a sit-stand workstation?
Yes, provided the gas lift covers both heights you work at. Measure your seated and perching heights before you order, and use our gas lift guides to match them to a cylinder.
How is the Capisco different from a traditional office chair?
Most task chairs are shaped for sitting facing the desk and leaning back, and many of them tilt and let you shift position. The Capisco's saddle seat, narrow T-shaped backrest and choice of gas lifts are designed to accommodate more: sitting forward, sideways, astride facing the backrest, or perched at a higher work surface. It does tilt backwards, with adjustable tension and a tilt lock, but it has no separate lumbar pad and its backrest is a narrow T shape rather than a full-height padded back.
Should I buy the Capisco 8106 or the Capisco Puls?
They are built differently. The 8106 is fully upholstered, with a larger upholstered seat, more seat-depth range and a backrest that adjusts from 44 to 50 cm in height. The Puls also has back-height adjustment, with a 40 cm-high backrest. It has a moulded polypropylene (PP) seat and backrest with a seat cushion (integrated on the 8010, with an extra seat cushion on the 8020), and Flokk rates it for cleanroom use (ISO 14644 Class 4 and 5) in black antistatic vinyl. Current prices are on each product page, and our 8106 vs Puls comparison has every published figure.
Which gas lift do I need?
As our guidance rather than a Flokk specification: 200 mm for most people at a conventional fixed desk, 265 mm for perching at a sit-stand desk, bench or drafting table, and 150 mm for shorter users at low desks. Measure your working height first.
What does "Capisco" mean?
Flokk explains that Capisco is Italian for "I understand".
Is there a cheaper alternative to the HÅG Capisco?
Within the Capisco range, the Puls 8010 and 8020 are the lower-priced family; current prices are on each product page. They use the same interchangeable 150, 200 and 265 mm gas lifts as the 8106, although the resulting seat heights differ because of the chair geometry. Beyond that, lower-priced saddle stools exist; we can only speak for the chairs we sell and the specifications their makers publish. If a conventional chair would suit you better, we can recommend one from our range.
Can you use the HÅG Capisco all day?
Some owners describe using it for long working sessions; others find the seat firm over long periods, and the saddle can feel unfamiliar at first, so try one before you buy if you can. Flokk's warranty terms are based on normal use of up to nine hours a day, with a shorter term beyond that.
