HÅG Capisco Range Australia
HÅG Capisco saddle chairs in Australia: the fully upholstered Capisco 8106, the backless Capisco 8105, and the Capisco Puls 8010 and 8020. Chair Dinkum is the exclusive Australian importer and distributor for Flokk, the group behind HÅG. Compare the range below, then use our guide to choose the right model and gas lift for your desk.
The HÅG Capisco range in Australia
The HÅG Capisco is Peter Opsvik's saddle chair, first made in 1984 around the posture of a rider on horseback. The saddle seat lets you sit facing forwards, sideways, astride or perched high, and move between those positions without thinking about it. It is still the most genuinely different office chair you can buy.
Chair Dinkum is the exclusive Australian importer and distributor for Flokk, the Norwegian group that owns HÅG, so Capisco chairs, gas lifts, parts and warranty support in Australia come through us. See our Flokk Australia page for the group and its brands.
We range four Capisco models: the fully upholstered Capisco 8106, the backless Capisco 8105, and the Capisco Puls 8010 and Puls 8020, which are built on a lighter moulded shell. You can sit in the range at our Pyrmont showroom by appointment.
Compare the Capisco models
| Model | What it is | Backrest | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capisco 8106 | The original Capisco: fully upholstered saddle seat and backrest | Upholstered, height-adjustable (440–500 mm) | Long days at a desk, and sit-stand desks | From $1,986.30 |
| Capisco 8105 | The backless Capisco: the same saddle seat on a stool | None | Perching at benches, drawing tables and standing desks | From $1,016.00 |
| Capisco Puls 8010 | Moulded plastic seat and back with a small comfort pad | Moulded plastic | Clinics, labs, hot desks and chairs that get wiped down | From $1,108.80 |
| Capisco Puls 8020 | The Puls shell with a fully upholstered seat cushion | Moulded plastic | Shared desks where you want more seat comfort | From $1,194.30 |
Prices include GST and update with the products above. Price varies with fabric and gas lift. Backrest height is Flokk's published figure for the 8106.
Which Capisco is right for you?
Capisco 8106 if you sit for long stretches. It is the full Capisco: an upholstered saddle seat with seat depth adjustment (370–470 mm) and a height-adjustable upholstered backrest that doubles as a chest support when you sit astride the chair facing backwards.
Capisco 8105 if you perch more than you sit. It is the same saddle seat with no backrest, so it suits benches, drawing tables, lab counters and raised sit-stand desks, where you lean forwards and move about rather than sit back. At 7.4 kg against the 8106's 12.1 kg, it is also easy to move between workstations. If you want something to lean against, choose the 8106.
Capisco Puls 8010 or Puls 8020 if the chair will be shared or cleaned often. The Puls has a moulded plastic seat and back that wipe down. On the 8010 the comfort pad is integrated into the seat; the 8020 adds a fully upholstered seat cushion. In black antistatic vinyl the Puls carries a cleanroom rating to ISO 14644 Class 4 and 5, which is why labs, pharmaceutical sites and dental practices specify it. Our Capisco 8106 vs Capisco Puls comparison sets every published figure side by side.
Seat heights by gas lift
The gas lift sets the seat height range, and it is the one choice you cannot adjust away later without changing the cylinder. These are Flokk's figures for the 8106 and 8105.
| Gas lift | Capisco 8106 | Capisco 8105 | Our guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 mm | 400–540 mm | 380–520 mm | Shorter users at lower desks |
| 200 mm (standard) | 460–640 mm | 440–620 mm | A conventional 72 to 75 cm desk |
| 265 mm | 550–810 mm | 530–790 mm | Sit-stand desks and perching at near-standing height |
Seat heights are from Flokk's 2025 HÅG Capisco factsheet, measured to the conditions Flokk sets out there, so a tape measure on an unloaded chair can read a little differently. The desk guidance is Chair Dinkum's, not Flokk's. The Capisco Puls has its own seat heights, so use the Capisco Puls gas lift guide for the 8010 and 8020, and the Capisco gas lift guide for more on the 8106. Not sure? Ring 02 9640 0642 with your desk height.
Who it suits
The Capisco makes most sense if you work over something rather than back from a desk. Dentists, surgeons, dental hygienists, jewellers, musicians and lab technicians tend to take to it immediately, and we have written about why in our guides on the Capisco in healthcare and the Capisco for musicians. It also suits sit-stand desk users, because the 265 mm gas lift lets you perch at standing height rather than fully standing.
It also comes up constantly with people who simply cannot sit still: who perch on the front edge, sit sideways or get up every twenty minutes. Our piece on the Capisco, movement and ADHD looks at that honestly, including what the research does and does not say, and why this is not an "ADHD chair".
Give it a fortnight
The Capisco takes some getting used to, because it asks you to move rather than settle. Most people find the first few days unusual and then do not want to go back. Flokk's warranty covers production defects for 10 years on chairs in normal use for up to nine hours a day (5 years above that), with conditions set out on our warranty page. You can try the range in Pyrmont first.
Other models in the Capisco family
Flokk makes other Capisco models that Chair Dinkum does not range in Australia, including the 8107, which is the 8106 with a headrest, and the 8126 and 8127, which have a shorter seat, rounded at the front, in place of the classic saddle seat (the 8127 also has a headrest). We do not stock or sell these models. The four models above are the Capisco range available from Chair Dinkum.
Parts and accessories
A Capisco footring is worth adding on any chair on a 200 or 265 mm gas lift, and the HÅG StepUp adds two more foot levels at standing height. If you want to change your seat height later, replacement Capisco gas lifts come in all three lengths. For hard floors there are Capisco glides, and for thick carpet, 65 mm castors. Everything else is in HÅG replacement parts.
Guides and buying advice
- HÅG Capisco 8106 vs Capisco Puls: which saddle chair, and what the price gap buys
- HÅG Capisco models and measurements: the full specification table
- HÅG Capisco buying guide: gas lifts, models, and who it is actually for
- HÅG Capisco gas lift guide: 150 mm, 200 mm or 265 mm
- HÅG Capisco Puls gas lift guide: seat heights for the 8001, 8002, 8010 and 8020
- The Capisco, movement and ADHD
- The Capisco in dentistry and healthcare
- The Capisco for musicians
- Why the Capisco suits sit-to-stand desks
- The Capisco for kids: adjustability, fit and how long it lasts
- HÅG Capisco vs Herman Miller Aeron
- Remembering Peter Opsvik, who designed the Capisco
For the wider case for the saddle position, see saddle chairs in Australia. For the rest of the brand, see the full HÅG range and the HÅG Tion task chairs.