Startup Focal Upright wants you to lean, not sit or stand at a desk, with this $600 chair-like contraption Googlers use
If you've have a standing desk, your legs may get tired and you may wish to sit. But when you sit, it's either in some sort of awkward stool, or you have to lower your standing desk so you can take a seat and hunch back over your computer screen.
A three-year-old startup, Focal Upright, thinks it's found a solution. One of its executives, Josh Kerst, told us at South by Southwest that Google is one of Focal Upright's many clients.
Focal Upright sells three products ranging from $99 to $800. Its Mobis leaner, which comes in Google colors, retails for $500-600.
There's a cheaper option that seems less stable but surprisingly isn't: the Mogo, which retails for $99. "I'm buying all of them!" one woman proclaimed as I tested out the Mogo skeptically, wiggling around to test my balance.And even though I'm a bit clumsy by nature, I never felt like I'd fall off it.The bottom of it can unhook and be turned around to reveal spikes, which make the leaner stable on grass during outdoor events like tailgates.Here are two Focal Upright people, having a normal conversation on their pricey leaners.The most expensive leaner, the Locus, retails for $700-800.Google never responded to a request for comment about the Focal Upright leaners. But if you are tempted to try one, Business Insider's Jillian D'Onfro gave it a good review here.