What Is The TikTok 'Chair Challenge'? Inside The Viral Game That Women Find Easy And Men Almost Always Fail At

The Chair Challenge is a game that has made viral appearances on the internet since at least 2009, but actually has roots that stretch as far back as the 1970s. The game, which requires one to find a chair and a nearby wall, is a test of your balance and center of gravity, with people finding a curious gender divide between those can can perform the feat, and those who can't.

Here's a recap of the "Chair Challenge," a 1970s parlor trick turned TikTok social media game.

What Is The 'Chair Challenge'?

The chair challenge is a viral game that involves a person standing heel to toe three steps away from a wall and placing a chair in front of them. The person then has to bend over at their waist until their head barely touches the wall, and lift the chair up from under themselves while remaining upright.

Where Does The 'Chair Challenge' Come From?

An early recorded instance of someone performing the chair challenge is a February 9th, 1971 episode of the CBS series All In The Family titled, "Judging Books By Covers." The episode showed men and women attempting the challenge, with women succeeding more often than not.

When Did The 'Chair Challenge' First Go Viral Online?

A May 22nd, 2009 YouTube video posted by kenbabe2O12 shows several people trying to perform a "chair trick." The post, which gathered over 33,000 views in ten years, is part of a series of YouTube videos spanning nearly a decade, showing men repeatedly failing at doing the "chair trick."

Why Are Women Better At The 'Chai Challenge'?

In 2019, UK's The Sun claimed that scientists still don't know exactly why but figure it had to do with women's typically smaller foot size and lower center of gravity.

Nevertheless, the challenge persisted, and found a new home on TikTok in the year 2019.

For the full history of the Chair Challenge, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.