The Humanscale Path is a task chair with no tension knob and no lumbar lever. Its patented Gravity Mechanism uses your body weight to set the recline, and its FormSense Eco Knit back shapes itself to your spine. We have it in Soft Black with or without arms, and in Moss, Terracotta and Graphite on a light grey frame, in limited clearance quantities.
The Mechanism
Sit Down and the Path Sets Itself
Most task chairs ask you to find the right tension, then the right lock, then the right lumbar height. The Path asks nothing. Its patented Gravity Mechanism engages as you sit; when you lean back it gently lifts, so your own body becomes the counterbalance, and it holds you wherever you stop.
Humanscale describes the result as virtual pivot points: the chair moves with you rather than around a fixed hinge. There is no tension dial to get wrong, which is why it suits shared desks, where every person who sits down gets a chair set up for them.
FormSense Eco Knit
A Back That Shapes Itself to You
The backrest is FormSense Eco Knit, a mesh-like 3D knit that conforms to your body. Humanscale controls each stitch individually, so the knit gives lumbar support where your back needs it without a pad or lever to position.
The yarn is 100% post-consumer recycled polyester made from plastic bottles, and the panel is knitted to its exact shape, so there is no cutting or sewing and no offcut waste.
The Designer
Designed with Todd Bracher
Humanscale developed the Path with industrial designer Todd Bracher and his studio, and launched it in 2022. The brief was a chair built from new mechanics and new materials rather than an assembly of existing parts: a mechanism driven by body weight, a back knitted to shape, and nearly 10 kg of recycled material in every chair.
The result is a softly rounded chair with very little visible hardware, which is why it looks as at home in a study as it does in an open-plan office.
Recycled Content
Nearly 10 kg of Recycled Material in Every Chair
Humanscale states that each Path contains nearly 10 kg of recycled material, including fishing nets recovered from the ocean, post-consumer plastic bottles and post-industrial material.
Humanscale lists the Path as Living Product Certified by the International Living Future Institute, Declare Red List Free, BIFMA LEVEL 3 and SCS Indoor Advantage Gold. We quote those claims as Humanscale publishes them; ask us if you need the certificates for a tender.
Configuration
Four Colours, With or Without Arms
Our clearance stock covers five configurations. Soft Black on a black frame comes with height-adjustable arms or armless. Moss, Terracotta and Graphite come on a light grey frame with dark grey trim and height-adjustable arms. The chair in this photo is in a dark blue knit we do not have in this clearance.
The arms are fixed to the backrest, so they move with you as you recline, and the Duron arm pads adjust from 180 to 260 mm high. The armless chair tucks fully under a desk, which suits sit-stand desks and hot desks. All five have the standard cylinder (395 to 530 mm seat height) and Humanscale's standard hard castors, which are made for carpet.
Why We Stock the Humanscale Path
The Path is Humanscale's idea of a chair you never have to adjust, built with nearly 10 kg of recycled material. We picked up a limited run of these five configurations and have priced them to clear.
Quantities are small and will not be replaced once sold. If you are weighing the Path against the Humanscale Liberty or another chair, call us on 02 9640 0642 and we will talk it through.
The Details
Five Things That Make It a Path
The Gravity Mechanism, the knit back, arms that travel with you, a knit made without waste and four colours.
Gravity Mechanism
Your body weight sets the recline as you sit and lean back. No tension knob, no tilt lock.
FormSense Eco Knit
A 3D knit back that conforms to your body and gives lumbar support without a pad.
Arms That Move With You
The arms are fixed to the back, so they follow you as you recline; pads adjust 180 to 260 mm high.
Knitted Without Waste
Recycled polyester yarn knitted to the panel's exact shape, so there is no cutting or sewing.
Four Colours
Soft Black on a black frame, or Moss, Terracotta and Graphite on a light grey frame.
The Numbers
- Seat height
- 395–530 mm
- Seat depth
- 414–475 mm
- Overall height
- 880–1010 mm
- Width with arms
- 620 mm
- Chair weight
- 18.6 kg arms / 16.1 kg armless
- User weight
- Up to 136 kg
- User height
- 152–193 cm
- Recycled material
- Nearly 10 kg
- Warranty
- 15 years
Figures are Humanscale's, from its Path brochure and specification sheet. User weight and height are Humanscale's stated support range (300 lb, 5 ft 0 in to 6 ft 4 in). Humanscale does not publish an overall width for the armless chair.
Humanscale Path Chair Specifications
Key Features
-Patented Gravity Mechanism: body weight sets the recline, with no tension knob, tilt lock or lumbar lever
-FormSense Eco Knit back: a 3D knit that conforms to the body for self-adjusting lumbar support
-Eco Knit yarn is 100% post-consumer recycled polyester, knitted to shape with no cutting or sewing
-Adjustable seat depth (414 to 475 mm) and seat height on the standard cylinder
-Height-adjustable arms fixed to the backrest, with Duron arm pads; or armless
-Soft Black on a black frame, or Moss, Terracotta and Graphite on a light grey frame with dark grey trim
-Standard hard castors (Humanscale's carpet castor); base matches the frame colour
-Nearly 10 kg of recycled material per chair, including recovered ocean fishing nets (Humanscale)
-Living Product Certified (ILFI), Declare Red List Free, BIFMA LEVEL 3, SCS Indoor Advantage Gold (as listed by Humanscale)
-Designed with Todd Bracher. Humanscale 15-year warranty; textiles, cushions, arm pads and castors 5 years
Dimensions
Seat Height (standard cylinder)395–530 mm
Seat Depth (adjustable)414–475 mm
Seat Width520 mm
Backrest Height525 mm
Backrest Width485 mm
Overall Height880–1010 mm
Overall Width (adjustable arms)620 mm
Armrest Height (adjustable)180–260 mm
Armrest Length235 mm
Distance Between Armrests500 mm
Base Diameter635 mm
Chair Weight18.6 kg with arms, 16.1 kg armless
User WeightUp to 136 kg (300 lb)
User Height152–193 cm
Warranty15 yr / 5 yr textiles, cushions, arm pads, castors
Dimensions and weights are from Humanscale's international Path brochure (metric figures as published). User weight, user height and the warranty split are from Humanscale's Path specification sheet and warranty terms. Seat height is for the standard cylinder supplied with these chairs.
Humanscale Path Chair FAQs
The Path's Gravity Mechanism engages when you sit. As you lean back it gently lifts, so your body weight becomes the counterbalance, and it holds you wherever you stop. A lighter or heavier person gets the support their own weight creates, without anyone touching a control. You still set the seat height, seat depth and arm height to suit you.
It is Humanscale's 3D-knitted back textile. Each stitch is controlled individually, so the knit conforms to your back and gives self-adjusting lumbar support. The yarn is 100% post-consumer recycled polyester from plastic bottles, and each panel is knitted to shape, so there are no offcuts.
The arms are fixed to the backrest, so they move with you as you recline, and the pads adjust from 180 to 260 mm high. They suit keyboard work at a fixed desk. The armless Path is 2.5 kg lighter, costs less and tucks fully under a desk, which suits sit-stand desks and hot desks. Armless is available in Soft Black only.
On the standard cylinder the seat runs from 395 to 530 mm, and the seat depth adjusts from 414 to 475 mm. Humanscale states the Path supports users from 152 to 193 cm tall and up to 136 kg (300 lb). The castors are Humanscale's standard hard castors, made for carpet; on timber, tile or polished concrete, use a chair mat.
Both set themselves to your body weight instead of using a tension knob. The Liberty has a tri-panel mesh back and an upholstered seat; the Path has a FormSense Eco Knit back and Humanscale's newer Gravity Mechanism, and carries nearly 10 kg of recycled material. Choose the Path if you want the softer knit back and the colour choice, and the Liberty if you prefer a mesh back.
Humanscale covers the Path with a 15-year warranty, with textiles, cushions, arm pads and castors covered for 5 years. Chair Dinkum is an authorised Humanscale reseller: call us on 02 9640 0642 for any claim and we will handle it with Humanscale. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law for faulty or damaged goods are separate and are not limited by it. You can see what is on the floor at our Pyrmont showroom, 1/209 Harris Street; call first so we can tell you what we have.
