Take a seat – stay in motion!
ETH Zurich investigates Mynt
Sitting is part of everyday working life – and a widely recognised risk factor for musculoskeletal disorders. However, so-called dynamic sitting can promote muscle and circulatory activity and reduce asymmetrical strain. A study by ETH Zurich has examined this relationship using the Mynt office swivel chair by Vitra.
What makes Mynt special is its core feature – the asynchronous mechanism: the seat and backrest move independently of one another. Just like cycling, climbing stairs and countless other everyday activities, the human body keeps itself in balance while sitting on Mynt, continually performing a range of smaller and larger movements. The designer Erwan Bouroullec describes the effect the chair has on its users in the following words:
What makes Mynt special is its core feature – the asynchronous mechanism: the seat and backrest move independently of one another. Just like cycling, climbing stairs and countless other everyday activities, the human body keeps itself in balance while sitting on Mynt, continually performing a range of smaller and larger movements. The designer Erwan Bouroullec describes the effect the chair has on its users in the following words:
'Because it’s unsynchronised, it responds to people’s intuitive ability to explore the chair’s options. They find a way to play with it.'
Compared with an office swivel chair featuring a classic synchronised mechanism, the results are striking: the proportion of movement is around 48% higher with Mynt, and periods of inactive sitting are significantly shorter.
These findings are remarkable because synchronised mechanisms have been regarded as the ergonomic standard for decades. They are based on the precise transfer of the body’s movement patterns into technical systems – one of the first office swivel chairs with a synchronised mechanism was Vitramat in 1976. Mynt, by contrast, decouples seat and backrest, increasing the variability of movement and opening up a new dimension of sitting dynamics – something the ETH study also confirms in its analysis of sitting postures: with Mynt, both forward-leaning sitting positions and more strongly reclined backrest angles are used more frequently, and the range of positions is greater.
These findings are remarkable because synchronised mechanisms have been regarded as the ergonomic standard for decades. They are based on the precise transfer of the body’s movement patterns into technical systems – one of the first office swivel chairs with a synchronised mechanism was Vitramat in 1976. Mynt, by contrast, decouples seat and backrest, increasing the variability of movement and opening up a new dimension of sitting dynamics – something the ETH study also confirms in its analysis of sitting postures: with Mynt, both forward-leaning sitting positions and more strongly reclined backrest angles are used more frequently, and the range of positions is greater.
The study is based on measurements in a real-life office environment over several weeks and objective sensor data. Although the long-term health effects require further investigation, the ETH study reaches a clear conclusion: “The results underline the potential of targeted ergonomic innovations to support movement while sitting, which is a central aspect of healthy working.”
With decades of development experience, inventive spirit, biomechanical knowledge and close observation of work habits, such ergonomic innovations can be achieved. Mynt is proof of that.
With decades of development experience, inventive spirit, biomechanical knowledge and close observation of work habits, such ergonomic innovations can be achieved. Mynt is proof of that.
'Instead of having just a couple of settings, you’ve got a million positions – the body is surfing on the chair.'
Publication date: 03.09.2026
Images: © Vitra
