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Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

200 points by petemill 10y ago

Mao_Zedang 10y ago
I used to buy a $100 chair every year because it would break, I have had my miller for almost 11 years now.
- lubos 10y ago
  That's going from one extreme to another. Neither gives you value for money. There are many brands in $300 range which sell quality ergonomic chairs built to last. $700 you save you can spend on electric height adjustable sit/stand desk.
  - 0xffff2 10y ago
    Which brands? I've tried a couple $200-300 chairs, and while they last 2-3x as long and are a bit more comfortable, I feel like their utility is still linearly related to cost.
    - lubos 10y ago
      I'm not a chair expert. All I know is that you don't have to drop $1000 on Aeron to get a great chair which will last a decade. Buro Metro is highly recommended ergonomic chair in Australia. 10 years warranty. I think I paid $250 AUD which is less than $200 USD. http://www.buroseating.com.au/product/buro-metro/ http://www.buroseating.com.au/product/buro-metro/
  - bdcravens 10y ago
    It's not hard to find a used one for $400-600, often retired from corporate use. Bought a new one for home, and have used one at office - can't really tell the difference.
- jzelinskie 10y ago
  ...and it's still in warranty because their warranties are 12 years.
  - chitran241 10y ago
    I used Aeron at work. It's decent but not worth that amount of money though.
    - zhenrydoanz 10y ago
      Can you give me some recommendation ?, i looking for a cheap office chair but ergonomic
      - jahewson 10y ago
        Here's the problem: cheap office chairs are not ergonomic. If you're not willing to pay for two-axis adjustable armrests, adjustable seat pan depth, adjustable recline, proper padding, and lumbar support, then you don't have an ergonomic chair. I'd recommend buying an expensive ergonomic chair from Craigslist or an office furniture liquidation company. You can pick up a great chair at 1/3 the retail price. You should be able to find a Steelcase Leap V2 for $200-300. Then make sure you download the user manual off the web so you know how to configure it correctly.
        tempestn 10y ago
        The other problem is that cheap chairs will often feel pretty good when you first sit in them. But because they're made with cheap, low-density foam, they quickly pancake, and lose any semblance of comfort and ergonomics they might have had. I used to do the $100 chair every year or two thing too. Then I bought a Steelcase Leap (for considerably more than $100), and while it's only been a year or so, it looks and feels as good as when I bought it. I would have loved to have found one for $200-300, but even buying new it was well worth it.
        10y ago
- Hydraulix989 10y ago
  I bought a $100 chair, and then I bought a Herman Miller Aeron. The $100 chair is much more comfortable. For one thing, the seat pan is padded cloth instead of mesh. Even my coworkers prefer it, so we outfitted the office with the $100 chairs, and nobody wants to sit on the uncomfortable $800 Aerons.
  - jayjay71 10y ago
    What's the $100 chair? I'd love a nice chair that doesn't cost $1000.
    - Hydraulix989 10y ago
      Sure thing, jayjay71, here it is (looks like they realized they could bump up the price a bit from four years ago, too): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q5XTE8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q5XTE8/ref=oh_aui_sear... It's the Hyundai of chairs: 90% of what an Aeron is design-wise, but also more comfortable. Not sure why it has four stars, it had 5 out of 5 back in 2012 when I first discovered it on Amazon, but then I think the listing got removed and then re-added, so all of the reviews went away -- to say nothing of the later explosion of fake reviewers at around 2014 or 2015 that completely destroyed the credibility of Amazon reviews. So trust me, and take the $150 gamble. :)
  - greglindahl 10y ago
    The purpose of the mesh is to prevent your ass from sweating. Perhaps you don't have that problem, but it's an issue for a lot of people. I lost weight down to a BMI of 22 and still appreciate a mesh seat.
    - SyneRyder 10y ago
      I think it's also something you don't really notice until you've used the Aeron a lot - but once you do, you'll become quite aware of it on almost any other seat. Also depends how long you're sitting in a seat at one time. My Aeron is still one of my favorite purchases (and I paid full price for mine over a decade ago, I don't regret it).
- tibbon 10y ago
  This is how I feel about chairs. I've had mine for 12 years now, and I'm almost certain it will last another 12. When I was working in a recording studio, we'd go through a $100-200 chair every year, and they were never all that comfortable.
forrestthewoods 10y ago
I've switched my recommended chair from Aeron to Steelcase Leap. The problem with Aerons is the mesh seat. Because you sit on mesh there is a hard plastic rim. The front of that rim press up into your leg on your thigh. It restricts circulations which can cause outright pain. The severity depends on your body and how you fit in the chair exactly. But it's bad enough for enough people that I recommend people avoid Aeron; with the Steelcase Leap being my current chair of choice. https://www.steelcase.com/products/office-chairs/leap/ https://www.steelcase.com/products/office-chairs/leap/
- abirkill 10y ago
  I had the same issue with the seat edge, I believe that it's referred to as a waterfall edge. The rest of the chair was great, but I found that extremely uncomfortable after a few hours. Many people don't have a problem with it, however. I also recommend Steelcase as a good alternative. I considered the Leap but eventually chose the Gesture, and am extremely satisfied.
  - hobofan 10y ago
    For me the Gesture is a "you never go back" chair. Once I got used to the adjustable armrests, every chair I used since felt like it was limiting my movement.
  - bigtones 10y ago
    I too had the same problem with the seat edge - and after a couple of hours it cut off circulation in my legs. Not something you want when you pay $1,300 for an office chair. I found the Mirra to be better.
    - aedron 10y ago
      The Mirra lets you adjust the tilt of the forward part of the seat, solving the biggest problem with the Aeron. It's basically an improved Aeron, in my opinion (I have both).
    - firasd 10y ago
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MollyHJ 10y ago
I just bought a chair from Autonomous, eager to try it out. Looks like a comfortable one. https://www.autonomous.ai/office-chair https://www.autonomous.ai/office-chair
nikcub 10y ago
I know the Aeron is extremely popular, but IMO the Embody is a better chair: http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-work-chairs/embody-chairs.html http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-wor...
- jahewson 10y ago
  It was, after all, designed to be the successor to the Aeron. I have one and it's a fantastic, if expensive chair. I'd like it if it had slightly plusher padding and a headrest but otherwise no complaints. Got rid of my Aeron because it was too hard and rigid. For anyone wanting to try one out, go to your local Design Within Reach and you can have a demo.
- pizza234 10y ago
  I think it's seriously flawed, to the point of being a ripoff (especially considering the price). Specifically, I think that the two, radical flaws, are not just due to my personal shape: 1. the lower back support is very hard; anything around the waist will push against the pelvis/lower back. It took time to get used to, even using cotton trousers, I can't imagine people wearing a belt ever feeling comfortable. 2. the upper top back is significantly concave; it pushes against the shoulders, leading to a severely bad posture, especially if you have a minimum of muscles in the back. I think they reason why I originally chose it over the Aeron was that on a short try, the back support was adapting better; turned out to be a bad decision. I don't complain about the materials (it looks like it will last for years), although I understand why some people would judge them as second class.
  - npezolano 10y ago
    I've owned the embody for a little over a year now and I haven't experienced any issues with 1 or 2. I absolutely love the chair. That said it is rather expensive and what you can do is wait for their annual summer sale which is what I did.
  - amasover 10y ago
    I've done a bit of research into your #1 and I'm convinced that Herman Miller did not design the Embody's back support with posterior pelvic tilt in mind[0]. I think this is why you see the phenomenon of individual buyers preferring Embody chairs after sitting for a bit in a showroom, using the chair for about a month, and then selling the chair or getting rid of it. Awhile back I borrowed an Embody for the weekend from a dealer and noticed that after sitting in it for an hour or two my lower back would invariably feel like hell. I tried pretty much everything I could think of, and found two things that helped: 1. Stretching and doing other exercises to change my pelvic tilt from posterior to neutral or anterior. 2. Attaching zipties from the back support to the hole in the bottom middle of the "spine" of the chair. This reduces the pressure of the back support. I ended up buying a Steelcase Leap v2 due to price, but I'm pretty sure that if I tried hard enough I could get the HM Embody to be the most comfortable chair for my body ergonomically. I think it's just unfortunate that Herman Miller seems to completely ignore this problem since it seems to affect a number of their customers. None of the Herman Miller reps or dealers I've talked to seem to really understand this issue. [0]: http://www.hermanmiller.com/research/solution-essays/the-benefits-of-pelvic-stabilization.html http://www.hermanmiller.com/research/solution-essays/the-ben... Linked is an article about how Herman Miller designed their posturefit system to try to push your hips forward. IIRC the Embody doesn't use the exact same system, but I think that they designed the Embody with similar goals. My theory is that if you have deeply engrained posterior pelvic tilt then the gentle nudging of the back support is completely ineffective at getting you to tilt your hips forward, and only digs into you and causes pain.
elcct 10y ago
Is it only me who thinks the design of this chair is aesthetically awful? It looks like it belongs to something like hospital not an office...
- Solinoid 10y ago
  No, I find them really off putting. I much prefer the look of Haworth Zody office chairs, and they offer similar adjustability. http://www.haworth.com/products/seating/desk-chairs/zody http://www.haworth.com/products/seating/desk-chairs/zody
  - neves 10y ago
    How is the Zody quality? Is it as high as Aeron and Steelcase? It looks somewhat easier to find at a decent price.
    - Solinoid 10y ago
      I've had one for about 8 years and the rubber on the armrests has started to degrade in the past 2 years, but other than that no issues to report. Replacement armrests run about 60$. That said I worked in an office that had about 200 of them, and chairs subject to heavier individuals had problems with the gas height adjuster failing. This was about 5 years ago so maybe they've sorted it out.
SloopJon 10y ago
I've had an Aeron at home for ten years or so. Both of the arms have broken off. It actually seemed like an improvement, so I never got around to a warranty replacement. Arms aside, I'm not crazy about the chair. It's not really comfortable for anything besides sitting straight up at a desk. The Steelcase chairs I've had at work are more versatile, although I've broken one of those too.
- shoover 10y ago
  I can't imagine what it would take to break a Steelcase, but I won't ask. My Leap is seven years old and other than the missing new chair smell and bit of grime on the rubber arm rests (easily cleanable) there is no discernible difference from the day I assembled it. It does take some effort to keep the kids from using it as a playground.
- justin66 10y ago
  > Both of the arms have broken off. It actually seemed like an improvement, so I never got around to a warranty replacement. So here's the thing about the arms on an Aeron chair: they're too low. If you use them for anything other than occasionally brushing against them - if you rest your arms on them while typing, for example - they'll negatively affect your posture. You might really be better off without them. I was disappointed to see that (at first glance) there's no evidence this has been addressed in the new design. I'm sure some of this has to do with the user's height, but still, it would not be hard to make the elevation of those armrests a bit more adjustable.
caminante 10y ago
For perspective, the original was a radical departure from convention. Quote from Blink by Gladwell: "In late 1993, as they prepared to launch the chair, Herman Miller put together a series of focus groups around the country. They wanted to get some ideas about pricing and marketing and make sure there was general support for the concept. They started with panels of architects and designers, and they were generally receptive. “They understood how radical the chair was,” Dowell said. “Even if they didn’t see it as a thing of beauty, they understood that it had to look the way it did.” Then they presented the chair to groups of facility managers and ergonomic experts—the kinds of people who would ultimately be responsible for making the chair a commercial success. This time the reception was downright chilly. [...] Before long, however, the chair started to attract the attention of some of the very cutting-edge elements of the design community. It won a design of the decade award from the Industrial Designers Society of America. In California and New York, in the advertising world and in Silicon Valley, it became a kind of cult object that matched the stripped-down aesthetic of the new economy. It began to appear in films and television commercials, and from there its profile built and grew and blossomed. By the end of the 1990s, sales were growing 50 to 70 percent annually, and the people at Herman Miller suddenly realized that what they had on their hands was the best-selling chair in the history of the company."
grogenaut 10y ago
Wow, this is just full of people who don't like the aeron. I agree it's expensive. I just buy used ones on craigslist for $375. I just wait till there is one. I've got 3. I've had a work aeron since 2002. Love the things they work for me. I know plenty of people they don't work for. I used several other ergonomic chairs and they pinched the nerves at the back of my knees and caused the outsides of my feet to go numb. Aeron works great for me. Now what is missing from the comments is a good summary of the differences. I read the comments to I don't have to think for myself and so I don't have to digest the article. I think of the comments as the mturk version of AI article summaries. GET ON IT PEOPLE! :)
- petemill 10y ago
  - More adjustable arm rests (they go back and forward too) - New mesh material which is apparently more supportive - New back support mechanism which is a combination of the two previous options (which you could not put together) - both the lumbar and the pelvis supports - Chair is angled 1.8 degrees further forward - Tilt mechanism causes the chair to hug your body more, with less latency - A new white-ish color option Other than that it looks the same. I'm in the middle of an assessment of both Aeron and Mirra 2, so yeah I've been in the details a bit too much this week... ...as a programmer I find it easy to make decisions based on facts, but when it's a decision based on how something feels, I lock up in panicked indecision and almost always make a choice I regret!
  - grogenaut 10y ago
    yeah I went and read... looks like it's just "upgraded" components. Never know if that means cheaper for us or actually better. looks like it's rev 2 of the ergonomic adjusters. There were a few things like the tilt adjust that did wear out when you toss your full weight back against one ratchet mechanism, it's going to get messed up. As for feel stuff I just try before I buy. Buy them on craigslist at market price, try them for several months, sell the one you don't like. Simple. Or try, sell, try sell, buy new.
    - josephpmay 10y ago
petemill 10y ago
I wonder if the new mesh material is actually the same as Mirra 2's mesh material, which was always different from the (now classic) Aeron. I've been trying both chairs out, and found some of the Mirra 2's features a lot better than the Aeron (notably it's forward tilt and it's more adjustable arm rests), but hated the softness of the seat mesh which felt like I was sitting in a hammock and put pressure in unwanted areas, causing numbness.
mixedbit 10y ago
I was considering Aeron but I've read reviews that its adjustments are not very flexible, especially taller people were complaining that is is hard for them to adjust Aeron in a way that the chair is comfortable. Aeron has larger size, but it seems to be intended for taller and thicker, not for taller and thin. I ended up buying Hag H05. It isn't as popular, but I'm very satisfied with it (Using it for about 5 years now).
- deleted 10y ago
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- thenomad 10y ago
  I didn't buy an Aeron as its back is too short for me to lean back against comfortably. So I got the next model down, the Mirra - which I've had for more than a decade and is absolutely awesome.
- tonyedgecombe 10y ago
  I'm tall and thin and found the larger model fine, the only problem I had was I couldn't find a second hand one so had to buy new.
_Codemonkeyism 10y ago
Shouldn't they have done this at the beginning of the bubble? ;-)
- m72 10y ago
  Or... They're the comfortable, ergonomic stallions of the apocalypse returning to us with the collapse of the bubble.
Freak_NL 10y ago
Ironically, a couple of articles below this one this headline shows up: > The Tech Bubble Didn’t Burst This Year. Just Wait (bloomberg.com) Do others have this strong association with the first internet tech bubble and Aeron chairs? For me there is a strong visual link between the floundering tech companies of that era and the images of the seemingly ubiquitous Aeron chair in the offices being cleared. Not to belittle the notion of good ergonomics — on the contrary, I love my Steelcase chair and hight adjustable desk — it's just that the brand seems tainted. I wonder if their market research took this into account and came up with a strategy for this association?
- coldtea 10y ago
  >it's just that the brand seems tainted. Only in the SV and startup echo-bubble. Which is some tens of thousands of people. In contrast, Herman Miller have sold million(s) of them all over the world (Wikipedia has the line "America's best-selling chair").
  - Freak_NL 10y ago
    > Only in the SV and startup echo-bubble. I'm in neither, but I guess this is just something that stuck to us in the software business in general.
    - coldtea 10y ago
      >I'm in neither Yeah, but you're the type of person who reads HN, so its informationally (is that a word?) close to both :-) The connotation also spread a little to journalists and media covering the dot-com era, but still nothing that the average Joe would be aware of.
- bdcravens 10y ago
  The chairs are popular in many other high-end seating environments, like law offices, high end hotels, etc. In Houston, there's plenty of places you can buy used ones, and occasionally you'll find them with inventory stickers on them: they are coming from big oil and the like, not startups. (Have one I bought full price at home, and a used one at the office)
SwellJoe 10y ago
I bought an Aeron from the Arthur Andersen bankruptcy auction, and kept it for about a decade until I moved into an RV and didn't have room for it. I loved it, and miss it every time I have a twinge of back pain because of sitting too long on the sofa or at the dinette. I have frequently considered getting a bigger RV just so I'd have room for a new Aeron. I'm sure there are other great chairs, but the Aeron was the first great chair I ever owned (I'd gone through a half dozen or so cheapo office chairs before getting the Aeron). In short, a chair is one of those things that it is well worth spending some money on. The nice thing about Aerons after so long on the market is how common they are on the used market now.
- robin_reala 10y ago
  I inherited an Aeron from my dad who’d bought it in the Enron bankruptcy auction. I’ve replaced the base mesh that wore through, the arm pads as the foam crumbled, and the gas lift has been replaced twice. Wouldn’t even think about buying another chair though. The availability of spare parts is key to that.
  - bdcravens 10y ago
    What about the warranty?
    - robin_reala 10y ago
      I think the warranty stopped in 2007 if I remember right.
cantrevealname 10y ago
Several people here mentioned that they hate the mesh fabric of the Aeron chairs because it tears over time, because it feels "like sitting in a hammock and putting pressure in unwanted areas causing numbness", and because the hard plastic rim under the mesh presses into your thigh. For everyone who likes the basic Herman Miller shape but not the mesh, I recommend the older Herman Miller Equa and Equa 2 chairs: https://www.google.com/search?q=herman+miller+equa+chair&source=lnms&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=herman+miller+equa+chair&sou... These pre-date the Aeron chairs, and IMO are much more comfortable. The downsides are that they are slightly less adjustable in general (e.g., on my particular model, the armrests don't go up and down) and obviously don't offer the ventilation of the mesh (which I personally don't like anyway).
- bshimmin 10y ago
  I have a Herman Miller Sayl (http://www.hermanmiller.co.uk/products/seating/performance-work-chairs/sayl-chairs.html http://www.hermanmiller.co.uk/products/seating/performance-w...), which is a bit cheaper than an Aeron and also, I think, more comfortable for those who don't like the mesh. They come in fairly cheerful colours - I have a white one with a bright orange seat. I'm not sure they're as ergonomically sound as an Aeron, but I've been very happy with mine for the last five years (I did tear one of the armrests in an office move, but they sent a replacement free of charge).
paddy_m 10y ago
I bought two Aeron chairs, $10 each at separate times. The first chair was being pushed down the street by a guy who looked borderline homeless. He was about to go into the Bowling Green subway station. I said "Are you selling that chair", he said "How much would you offer?". I offered $10, he said "great, I didn't really want to carry this all the way home". I had a pang of regret and thought I had possibly walked into some type of high design sting operation. I asked "Do you own this chair?", he replied "My office was renovating and they were throwing it out." Good enough for me. The second chair came a couple of weeks later. I was walking down Broadway by the bull, about 100 yards from the first place. One of the street vendors was sitting on an Aeron. I asked if he would sell me the chair, he said sure, $20. As I was inspecting it, a woman walked by and said "That's a nice chair, it's not a real Aeron like they have at my office, but it's a nice chair". The hydraulic cylinder was broken on this one, the chair only sat at the lowest position, when you would pick it up, the cylinder extended. I offered him $10 and he accepted. It was a genuine Aeron. I ordered a new cylinder for this chair and it is like new, the cylinder was around $90. Both of these sales happened within my first 3 months of moving downtown. I have never seen another Aeron chair for sale on that street or any other. I looked.
- CPLX 10y ago
  This sounds like a story from fuckedcompany.com. It wasn't late summer 2001 at the time was it?
  - paddy_m 10y ago
    Spring of 2012
    - jamiesonbecker 10y ago
      That site made all that chaos better somehow.
- paddy_m 10y ago
  I guess I should actually review the chair. I think the Aeron is ok, but I haven't sat in another chair that I think is notably better. I also haven't ever sat in an office chair that felt 100% right. I have short legs and a long torso. I'm 5'8" and I wear a 29" inseam pant. I do sometimes notice the front bar putting pressure on my legs. Most of the time I put my legs up on something. and have my knees slightly bent pushing me back into the chair, in this position, the front bar isn't an issue. I do like the mesh for the circulation. I recently had trouble with stiff knees after a cross country drive. I saw a massage therapist who does structural integration/bodywork. A small amount of what he said was whooo-whooo, but he was very helpful with alignment, helping my flexibility and explaining how to use my body. He told me that when I sit down I should spread my cheeks and push myself firmly back into my chair. This has helped. Because of this, I think a wheeled chair might not be the best option. I want something firmly planted on the ground. The next time I setup an office for myself I intend to have a video chat with him, with a third party holding the iPad so he can help me with alignment and suggestions. Another thing that I am interested in trying is the Esse Liberator [1], it looks comfortable and interesting to sit in alone. I'm just worried about my Mom coming over and saying "oh I like that chair where can I buy one", then I'd have to just give it as a gift. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Liberator-Sensual-Lounge-Espresso-Velvish/dp/B00VGIK7EO/ https://www.amazon.com/Liberator-Sensual-Lounge-Espresso-Vel...
flyinglizard 10y ago
I have an Aeron, like many others, but I tried their new stuff (like the Embody and Mira) and they just felt plasticky and cheap (obviously they're expensive as all HM products). The Embody, their flagship chair, is complete trash in my eyes. It's absurdly uncomfortable during long periods, to the point a friend of mine bought one and sold it few months later at 50% off because he had back aches, and another friend just brought his to the company's office where it's left deserted among the cheap conference room seating, and bought something else to use at home. It seems like HM haven't managed to top the original Aeron, and all they did since is making new stuff that's cheaper to manufacture. I suspect this new Aeron is yet another attempt at reducing manufacturing costs (replacing metals with plastics etc) but we'll see. If it's really better than the original, I'll pick one when my 12-years warranty ends in couple of years.
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uptown 10y ago
Used to have one at an old job but never liked them. I found the plastic leading-edge of the seat gouged into my legs uncomfortably. I did find one with a torn mesh seat on the street once -- repaired it and gave it to a family member. For me - I've been sitting on a Humanscale Freedom for about a decade. The company replaced the gel seat once due to wear and tear - but otherwise it's been a great seat if you're okay using something that doesn't have a million knobs and levers to customize your sitting experience.
l3m0ndr0p 10y ago
Aeron chairs, in my opinion & personal experience, suck and are not worth the amount of money they charge for them. They suck because they are uncomfortable, especially on the seat area. I prefer a good solid fabric chair with a good Firm seat and back.
idlewords 10y ago
Set aside the chair and just read this through as an amazing work of prose. "The tilt mechanism delivers an even more seamless experience of movement (and stasis)" "from intense upright focus to relaxed contemplative recline" "a health-positive, more comfortable sit."
- alpeb 10y ago
  Also have Jony Ive read it in your mind.
  - cbsmith 10y ago
    It was written in his style, so I kind of did that automatically.
npezolano 10y ago
Not sure why people don't like this chair. I've worked for a large company where everyone had Aerons and I absolutely loved the chair. I've even bought the higher end Embody from Herman Miller and I love that as well.
- coldcode 10y ago
  I worked for a giant wealthy famous company and we have two choices in chairs. Both ultra cheap and painful. Ergonomics, not.
earlyriser 10y ago
I have drunk the cool-aid about expensive chairs and cheap tables. For years I wanted to buy an Aeron for my home office but I didn't want to do it until I test one (I live in a small town, so no opportunity). Finally this year I tested an Aeron during a business trip, for 10 days. Maybe it's my own body, but it wasn't as comfortable as I thought it was going to be, I was very disappointed. The best chair I've been on was one during an EA interview (Montreal studio). I still wonder which kind of chair it was.
- mulletbum 10y ago
  I might be writing this a lot for this thread, but the embody chair is by far the best office chair I have ever sat in: http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-work-chairs/embody-chairs.html http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-wor...
  - rublev 10y ago
    This activates my 'any one of these 10 million screws might pop and fuck me' phobia to the max. Is there something that provides similar comfort but without the 'sentient' aesthetic, something simpler in design?
    - mulletbum 10y ago
      It comes with a 5 year warranty. You can go with a more industrial look, such as the Steelcase Gesture, but in reality most of what is done is just covered to look like there is less screws and such. The difference is that Embody was made to deal with pressure points, but there are not as many screws as you might think.
- mickronome 10y ago
  The Aeron doesn't fit everyone. I'm thin as a rail, and for me the front lip cuts into the back of my thighs quite uncomfortably. But it fits a collegue of mine absolutely perfectly. I think it might be a bit sensitive to weight ( or weight over area ) as well as length, which is why they come in three different sizes. But for some complexions none of the sizes might fit.
jdmoreira 10y ago
I've been looking at buying an aeron for quite a while, they are not so common in Europe. They might be more common in London but I've never seen one or sat on one. I can get them refurbished for around 350€ for the standard and 500€ for the executive model plus shipping to Sweden from either the UK or Germany. If anyone knows a better way of getting one in Europe / Sweden let me know!
eddyg 10y ago
Not sure why I don't hear more about Knoll's ergonomic chairs: http://www.knoll.com/shop/by-category/ergonomic-desk-chairs http://www.knoll.com/shop/by-category/ergonomic-desk-chairs Please comment if you've used a Knoll chair and can compare it to an Aeron or Leap.
tristor 10y ago
When I switched to working from home full-time I went through a collection of chairs and finally settled on the Herman Miller Mirra2. It's a derivative design of the Aeron, but on the Aeron I had problems with the front lip cutting off circulation in my lower legs and putting too much pressure. The adjustable front lip on the Mirra2 was a godsend and after getting it adjusted professionally to fit me, I feel like the chair cradles me. Now that I'm on the road traveling while I work, other than air conditioning on hot days the biggest thing I miss from the US is my Herman Miller Mirra2. Skip the Aeron, get a Mirra2 or an Embody. Both are amazing.
- mickronome 10y ago
  I have a very slender complexion and had exactly the same problem with my Aeron. I came to the conclusion that my 60kg/180cm was simply to little weight over to much area to make the foam lip curve enough. Do you happen to be a featherweight also ? I would love to have a mesh chair, but one that works for my complexion.
Randgalt 10y ago
How can you improve on perfection? I'm dubious. I've had mine for over 15 years and will never part with it. I had it refurbished 3 years ago and it's still great. It made a huge difference in my life. I had back problems and severe repetitive stress problems. The chair makes a huge difference for me. In particular, it allows me to have a tilting-forward position. Also, the mesh is extremely comfortable without trapping heat. It's pure genius.
sshumaker 10y ago
The cynic in me thinks they are releasing a new chair so they can recapture revenue in this market. Aeron is somewhat a victim of its own succcess - they are incredibly well-made so there is a thriving secondary market that Herman Miller doesn't capture. This could be like a drug company subtly making changes to a drug once generics show up on the market. I suppose that's better than building in planned obsolescence.
pieterhg 10y ago
Bought the Aeron this year. It cut off blood flow to my legs at the thigh area.
nsxwolf 10y ago
I've had mine for 11 years now. The lowest end model with no lumbar support and nothing but the height is adjustable. The left arm rest now has a huge crack in the vinyl which digs into my forearms sometimes but overall it's better than all the other chairs I have access to.
zwieback 10y ago
Where I work cast-off Aerons bunch up in abandoned cubicle tracts. Some people like them but others seem to move back to traditional ones. Personally, I don't like the hammock-feel very much.
thisjustinm 10y ago
I've sat in Aerons for a few years across various jobs and they were always just OK - I felt like they could have been great if I could just adjust a few more things to fit my body better. When it came time to get a "real" office chair for the home office I decided to go with the Steelcase Leap[1] and I have not regretted it. I had no idea a chair could fit me this well. Everything is adjustable and actually labeled - it's like they actually thought about how people use chairs. The biggest problem with having a chair as good as the Leap to sit in 90% of the time is the other 10% of the time where I'm somewhere with a terrible generic office chair - I can feel it in my back and legs within a few hours. Everyone is different but I really can't recommend enough at least trying out the leap. [1]https://www.steelcase.com/products/office-chairs/leap/ https://www.steelcase.com/products/office-chairs/leap/
- ajford 10y ago
  How's the Leap with heat retention? I've found that most solid backed (and seated, though less so) chairs I've used annoy me with how much they hold heat in. I find mesh backed chairs to seem more comfortable to me in that regards since they have much more airflow against my back.
  - masklinn 10y ago
    > I've found that most solid backed (and seated, though less so) chairs I've used annoy me with how much they hold heat in. Hello, fellow warm-back sitter. I've generally had the same experience and bought a mesh-backed chair for myself years ago. I was even looking at mesh seating, though the chair I was eyeing apparently doesn't hold up long term.
  - jsonau 10y ago
    Yea your assumption is right. What's worst is I have to put a tshirt on my back so my sweat won't transfer to the fabric-back.
bcrescimanno 10y ago
A question before my own story: What does everyone do as far as trying out chairs? It's crazy to me to base my buying decision on 10 minutes of sitting in a store. Are there stores out there that allow for in-home trials of these products? One of the thing that always amuses me about "best chair" recommendations is that it's an entirely personal choice. I am 6' 2" and 200lbs. Understanding even more than that about the size of a person is critical to understanding their needs in a chair. No matter how adjustable a chair is, it's simply not going to be best for everyone. At home, I own a size-C Aeron chair that I purchased in 2007. I love it and the only thing I've ever considered is upgrading to one with the highest-end back support rather than the standard lumbar cushion. At work, I sit in a Steelcase Leap. It's certainly a fine chair and I have no real problems with it. I find it very comfortable and I'm able to sit for much of the day in this chair without any issues. My gut tells me that I prefer my Aeron; that said, the more I think about it, the more I realize that I've never questioned that assumption. The one thing I know is that I do prefer the breathable material on the Aeron.
- modoc 10y ago
  I'm 6'2" and a bit heavier than you. I have never found a chair nearly as comfortable/ergonomically good for me as the C size Aeron. Their LONG warranty, longer life, and loaner chair program makes them a worthwhile investment for me. My current Aeron is ~15 years old, had one warranty repair 7 years ago to replace the cylinder and lumbar pad, and has been perfect otherwise.
  - seanp2k2 10y ago
    Yeah, that's the thing about a $150 chair from BigBoxCo vs a close-to-$1k-new chair. The expensive one will always be comfortable, but the cheap one never will. You can get parts to keep the expensive one in top condition, but the cheap one require replacement every couple of years. You can get a used nice one for about 2x the cost of a new cheapie and it'll probably last 4x as long before needing anything replaced, and it'll be more comfortable and much nicer the entire time.
- doughj3 10y ago
runnr_az 10y ago
Can I get it in True Black?
dh12345 10y ago
Shameless plug. At Autonomous, we just launched the $179 ErgoChair yesterday to compliment our SmartDesk. $179 ErgoChair by Autonomous https://www.autonomous.ai/office-chair https://www.autonomous.ai/office-chair
- Obi_Juan_Kenobi 10y ago
  Auto-play is bad. It's worse with a popup over it.
- throwanem 10y ago
  That's not much of a plug. Sure, it's cheaper. Beyond that, why do I want it?
- 64738 10y ago
  Nice looking chair.
bryanmgreen 10y ago
Can anyone tell me why chairs are so expensive though?

200 points by petemill 10y ago

Mao_Zedang 10y ago

I used to buy a $100 chair every year because it would break, I have had my miller for almost 11 years now.

lubos 10y ago
That's going from one extreme to another. Neither gives you value for money. There are many brands in $300 range which sell quality ergonomic chairs built to last. $700 you save you can spend on electric height adjustable sit/stand desk.
- 0xffff2 10y ago
  Which brands? I've tried a couple $200-300 chairs, and while they last 2-3x as long and are a bit more comfortable, I feel like their utility is still linearly related to cost.
  - lubos 10y ago
    I'm not a chair expert. All I know is that you don't have to drop $1000 on Aeron to get a great chair which will last a decade. Buro Metro is highly recommended ergonomic chair in Australia. 10 years warranty. I think I paid $250 AUD which is less than $200 USD. http://www.buroseating.com.au/product/buro-metro/ http://www.buroseating.com.au/product/buro-metro/
- bdcravens 10y ago
  It's not hard to find a used one for $400-600, often retired from corporate use. Bought a new one for home, and have used one at office - can't really tell the difference.
jzelinskie 10y ago
...and it's still in warranty because their warranties are 12 years.
- chitran241 10y ago
  I used Aeron at work. It's decent but not worth that amount of money though.
  - zhenrydoanz 10y ago
    Can you give me some recommendation ?, i looking for a cheap office chair but ergonomic
    - jahewson 10y ago
      Here's the problem: cheap office chairs are not ergonomic. If you're not willing to pay for two-axis adjustable armrests, adjustable seat pan depth, adjustable recline, proper padding, and lumbar support, then you don't have an ergonomic chair. I'd recommend buying an expensive ergonomic chair from Craigslist or an office furniture liquidation company. You can pick up a great chair at 1/3 the retail price. You should be able to find a Steelcase Leap V2 for $200-300. Then make sure you download the user manual off the web so you know how to configure it correctly.
      - tempestn 10y ago
        The other problem is that cheap chairs will often feel pretty good when you first sit in them. But because they're made with cheap, low-density foam, they quickly pancake, and lose any semblance of comfort and ergonomics they might have had. I used to do the $100 chair every year or two thing too. Then I bought a Steelcase Leap (for considerably more than $100), and while it's only been a year or so, it looks and feels as good as when I bought it. I would have loved to have found one for $200-300, but even buying new it was well worth it.
        10y ago
Hydraulix989 10y ago
I bought a $100 chair, and then I bought a Herman Miller Aeron. The $100 chair is much more comfortable. For one thing, the seat pan is padded cloth instead of mesh. Even my coworkers prefer it, so we outfitted the office with the $100 chairs, and nobody wants to sit on the uncomfortable $800 Aerons.
- jayjay71 10y ago
  What's the $100 chair? I'd love a nice chair that doesn't cost $1000.
  - Hydraulix989 10y ago
    Sure thing, jayjay71, here it is (looks like they realized they could bump up the price a bit from four years ago, too): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q5XTE8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q5XTE8/ref=oh_aui_sear... It's the Hyundai of chairs: 90% of what an Aeron is design-wise, but also more comfortable. Not sure why it has four stars, it had 5 out of 5 back in 2012 when I first discovered it on Amazon, but then I think the listing got removed and then re-added, so all of the reviews went away -- to say nothing of the later explosion of fake reviewers at around 2014 or 2015 that completely destroyed the credibility of Amazon reviews. So trust me, and take the $150 gamble. :)
- greglindahl 10y ago
  The purpose of the mesh is to prevent your ass from sweating. Perhaps you don't have that problem, but it's an issue for a lot of people. I lost weight down to a BMI of 22 and still appreciate a mesh seat.
  - SyneRyder 10y ago
    I think it's also something you don't really notice until you've used the Aeron a lot - but once you do, you'll become quite aware of it on almost any other seat. Also depends how long you're sitting in a seat at one time. My Aeron is still one of my favorite purchases (and I paid full price for mine over a decade ago, I don't regret it).
tibbon 10y ago
This is how I feel about chairs. I've had mine for 12 years now, and I'm almost certain it will last another 12. When I was working in a recording studio, we'd go through a $100-200 chair every year, and they were never all that comfortable.

forrestthewoods 10y ago

I've switched my recommended chair from Aeron to Steelcase Leap. The problem with Aerons is the mesh seat. Because you sit on mesh there is a hard plastic rim. The front of that rim press up into your leg on your thigh. It restricts circulations which can cause outright pain. The severity depends on your body and how you fit in the chair exactly. But it's bad enough for enough people that I recommend people avoid Aeron; with the Steelcase Leap being my current chair of choice. https://www.steelcase.com/products/office-chairs/leap/ https://www.steelcase.com/products/office-chairs/leap/

abirkill 10y ago
I had the same issue with the seat edge, I believe that it's referred to as a waterfall edge. The rest of the chair was great, but I found that extremely uncomfortable after a few hours. Many people don't have a problem with it, however. I also recommend Steelcase as a good alternative. I considered the Leap but eventually chose the Gesture, and am extremely satisfied.
- hobofan 10y ago
  For me the Gesture is a "you never go back" chair. Once I got used to the adjustable armrests, every chair I used since felt like it was limiting my movement.
- bigtones 10y ago
  I too had the same problem with the seat edge - and after a couple of hours it cut off circulation in my legs. Not something you want when you pay $1,300 for an office chair. I found the Mirra to be better.
  - aedron 10y ago
    The Mirra lets you adjust the tilt of the forward part of the seat, solving the biggest problem with the Aeron. It's basically an improved Aeron, in my opinion (I have both).
  - firasd 10y ago

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MollyHJ 10y ago

I just bought a chair from Autonomous, eager to try it out. Looks like a comfortable one. https://www.autonomous.ai/office-chair https://www.autonomous.ai/office-chair

nikcub 10y ago

I know the Aeron is extremely popular, but IMO the Embody is a better chair: http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-work-chairs/embody-chairs.html http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-wor...

jahewson 10y ago
It was, after all, designed to be the successor to the Aeron. I have one and it's a fantastic, if expensive chair. I'd like it if it had slightly plusher padding and a headrest but otherwise no complaints. Got rid of my Aeron because it was too hard and rigid. For anyone wanting to try one out, go to your local Design Within Reach and you can have a demo.
pizza234 10y ago
I think it's seriously flawed, to the point of being a ripoff (especially considering the price). Specifically, I think that the two, radical flaws, are not just due to my personal shape: 1. the lower back support is very hard; anything around the waist will push against the pelvis/lower back. It took time to get used to, even using cotton trousers, I can't imagine people wearing a belt ever feeling comfortable. 2. the upper top back is significantly concave; it pushes against the shoulders, leading to a severely bad posture, especially if you have a minimum of muscles in the back. I think they reason why I originally chose it over the Aeron was that on a short try, the back support was adapting better; turned out to be a bad decision. I don't complain about the materials (it looks like it will last for years), although I understand why some people would judge them as second class.
- npezolano 10y ago
  I've owned the embody for a little over a year now and I haven't experienced any issues with 1 or 2. I absolutely love the chair. That said it is rather expensive and what you can do is wait for their annual summer sale which is what I did.
- amasover 10y ago
  I've done a bit of research into your #1 and I'm convinced that Herman Miller did not design the Embody's back support with posterior pelvic tilt in mind[0]. I think this is why you see the phenomenon of individual buyers preferring Embody chairs after sitting for a bit in a showroom, using the chair for about a month, and then selling the chair or getting rid of it. Awhile back I borrowed an Embody for the weekend from a dealer and noticed that after sitting in it for an hour or two my lower back would invariably feel like hell. I tried pretty much everything I could think of, and found two things that helped: 1. Stretching and doing other exercises to change my pelvic tilt from posterior to neutral or anterior. 2. Attaching zipties from the back support to the hole in the bottom middle of the "spine" of the chair. This reduces the pressure of the back support. I ended up buying a Steelcase Leap v2 due to price, but I'm pretty sure that if I tried hard enough I could get the HM Embody to be the most comfortable chair for my body ergonomically. I think it's just unfortunate that Herman Miller seems to completely ignore this problem since it seems to affect a number of their customers. None of the Herman Miller reps or dealers I've talked to seem to really understand this issue. [0]: http://www.hermanmiller.com/research/solution-essays/the-benefits-of-pelvic-stabilization.html http://www.hermanmiller.com/research/solution-essays/the-ben... Linked is an article about how Herman Miller designed their posturefit system to try to push your hips forward. IIRC the Embody doesn't use the exact same system, but I think that they designed the Embody with similar goals. My theory is that if you have deeply engrained posterior pelvic tilt then the gentle nudging of the back support is completely ineffective at getting you to tilt your hips forward, and only digs into you and causes pain.

elcct 10y ago

Is it only me who thinks the design of this chair is aesthetically awful? It looks like it belongs to something like hospital not an office...

Solinoid 10y ago
No, I find them really off putting. I much prefer the look of Haworth Zody office chairs, and they offer similar adjustability. http://www.haworth.com/products/seating/desk-chairs/zody http://www.haworth.com/products/seating/desk-chairs/zody
- neves 10y ago
  How is the Zody quality? Is it as high as Aeron and Steelcase? It looks somewhat easier to find at a decent price.
  - Solinoid 10y ago
    I've had one for about 8 years and the rubber on the armrests has started to degrade in the past 2 years, but other than that no issues to report. Replacement armrests run about 60$. That said I worked in an office that had about 200 of them, and chairs subject to heavier individuals had problems with the gas height adjuster failing. This was about 5 years ago so maybe they've sorted it out.

SloopJon 10y ago

I've had an Aeron at home for ten years or so. Both of the arms have broken off. It actually seemed like an improvement, so I never got around to a warranty replacement. Arms aside, I'm not crazy about the chair. It's not really comfortable for anything besides sitting straight up at a desk. The Steelcase chairs I've had at work are more versatile, although I've broken one of those too.

shoover 10y ago
I can't imagine what it would take to break a Steelcase, but I won't ask. My Leap is seven years old and other than the missing new chair smell and bit of grime on the rubber arm rests (easily cleanable) there is no discernible difference from the day I assembled it. It does take some effort to keep the kids from using it as a playground.
justin66 10y ago
> Both of the arms have broken off. It actually seemed like an improvement, so I never got around to a warranty replacement. So here's the thing about the arms on an Aeron chair: they're too low. If you use them for anything other than occasionally brushing against them - if you rest your arms on them while typing, for example - they'll negatively affect your posture. You might really be better off without them. I was disappointed to see that (at first glance) there's no evidence this has been addressed in the new design. I'm sure some of this has to do with the user's height, but still, it would not be hard to make the elevation of those armrests a bit more adjustable.

caminante 10y ago

For perspective, the original was a radical departure from convention. Quote from Blink by Gladwell: "In late 1993, as they prepared to launch the chair, Herman Miller put together a series of focus groups around the country. They wanted to get some ideas about pricing and marketing and make sure there was general support for the concept. They started with panels of architects and designers, and they were generally receptive. “They understood how radical the chair was,” Dowell said. “Even if they didn’t see it as a thing of beauty, they understood that it had to look the way it did.” Then they presented the chair to groups of facility managers and ergonomic experts—the kinds of people who would ultimately be responsible for making the chair a commercial success. This time the reception was downright chilly. [...] Before long, however, the chair started to attract the attention of some of the very cutting-edge elements of the design community. It won a design of the decade award from the Industrial Designers Society of America. In California and New York, in the advertising world and in Silicon Valley, it became a kind of cult object that matched the stripped-down aesthetic of the new economy. It began to appear in films and television commercials, and from there its profile built and grew and blossomed. By the end of the 1990s, sales were growing 50 to 70 percent annually, and the people at Herman Miller suddenly realized that what they had on their hands was the best-selling chair in the history of the company."

grogenaut 10y ago

Wow, this is just full of people who don't like the aeron. I agree it's expensive. I just buy used ones on craigslist for $375. I just wait till there is one. I've got 3. I've had a work aeron since 2002. Love the things they work for me. I know plenty of people they don't work for. I used several other ergonomic chairs and they pinched the nerves at the back of my knees and caused the outsides of my feet to go numb. Aeron works great for me. Now what is missing from the comments is a good summary of the differences. I read the comments to I don't have to think for myself and so I don't have to digest the article. I think of the comments as the mturk version of AI article summaries. GET ON IT PEOPLE! :)

petemill 10y ago
- More adjustable arm rests (they go back and forward too) - New mesh material which is apparently more supportive - New back support mechanism which is a combination of the two previous options (which you could not put together) - both the lumbar and the pelvis supports - Chair is angled 1.8 degrees further forward - Tilt mechanism causes the chair to hug your body more, with less latency - A new white-ish color option Other than that it looks the same. I'm in the middle of an assessment of both Aeron and Mirra 2, so yeah I've been in the details a bit too much this week... ...as a programmer I find it easy to make decisions based on facts, but when it's a decision based on how something feels, I lock up in panicked indecision and almost always make a choice I regret!
- grogenaut 10y ago
  yeah I went and read... looks like it's just "upgraded" components. Never know if that means cheaper for us or actually better. looks like it's rev 2 of the ergonomic adjusters. There were a few things like the tilt adjust that did wear out when you toss your full weight back against one ratchet mechanism, it's going to get messed up. As for feel stuff I just try before I buy. Buy them on craigslist at market price, try them for several months, sell the one you don't like. Simple. Or try, sell, try sell, buy new.
  - josephpmay 10y ago

petemill 10y ago

I wonder if the new mesh material is actually the same as Mirra 2's mesh material, which was always different from the (now classic) Aeron. I've been trying both chairs out, and found some of the Mirra 2's features a lot better than the Aeron (notably it's forward tilt and it's more adjustable arm rests), but hated the softness of the seat mesh which felt like I was sitting in a hammock and put pressure in unwanted areas, causing numbness.

mixedbit 10y ago

I was considering Aeron but I've read reviews that its adjustments are not very flexible, especially taller people were complaining that is is hard for them to adjust Aeron in a way that the chair is comfortable. Aeron has larger size, but it seems to be intended for taller and thicker, not for taller and thin. I ended up buying Hag H05. It isn't as popular, but I'm very satisfied with it (Using it for about 5 years now).

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thenomad 10y ago
I didn't buy an Aeron as its back is too short for me to lean back against comfortably. So I got the next model down, the Mirra - which I've had for more than a decade and is absolutely awesome.
tonyedgecombe 10y ago
I'm tall and thin and found the larger model fine, the only problem I had was I couldn't find a second hand one so had to buy new.

_Codemonkeyism 10y ago

Shouldn't they have done this at the beginning of the bubble? ;-)

m72 10y ago
Or... They're the comfortable, ergonomic stallions of the apocalypse returning to us with the collapse of the bubble.

Freak_NL 10y ago

Ironically, a couple of articles below this one this headline shows up: > The Tech Bubble Didn’t Burst This Year. Just Wait (bloomberg.com) Do others have this strong association with the first internet tech bubble and Aeron chairs? For me there is a strong visual link between the floundering tech companies of that era and the images of the seemingly ubiquitous Aeron chair in the offices being cleared. Not to belittle the notion of good ergonomics — on the contrary, I love my Steelcase chair and hight adjustable desk — it's just that the brand seems tainted. I wonder if their market research took this into account and came up with a strategy for this association?

coldtea 10y ago
>it's just that the brand seems tainted. Only in the SV and startup echo-bubble. Which is some tens of thousands of people. In contrast, Herman Miller have sold million(s) of them all over the world (Wikipedia has the line "America's best-selling chair").
- Freak_NL 10y ago
  > Only in the SV and startup echo-bubble. I'm in neither, but I guess this is just something that stuck to us in the software business in general.
  - coldtea 10y ago
    >I'm in neither Yeah, but you're the type of person who reads HN, so its informationally (is that a word?) close to both :-) The connotation also spread a little to journalists and media covering the dot-com era, but still nothing that the average Joe would be aware of.
bdcravens 10y ago
The chairs are popular in many other high-end seating environments, like law offices, high end hotels, etc. In Houston, there's plenty of places you can buy used ones, and occasionally you'll find them with inventory stickers on them: they are coming from big oil and the like, not startups. (Have one I bought full price at home, and a used one at the office)

SwellJoe 10y ago

I bought an Aeron from the Arthur Andersen bankruptcy auction, and kept it for about a decade until I moved into an RV and didn't have room for it. I loved it, and miss it every time I have a twinge of back pain because of sitting too long on the sofa or at the dinette. I have frequently considered getting a bigger RV just so I'd have room for a new Aeron. I'm sure there are other great chairs, but the Aeron was the first great chair I ever owned (I'd gone through a half dozen or so cheapo office chairs before getting the Aeron). In short, a chair is one of those things that it is well worth spending some money on. The nice thing about Aerons after so long on the market is how common they are on the used market now.

robin_reala 10y ago
I inherited an Aeron from my dad who’d bought it in the Enron bankruptcy auction. I’ve replaced the base mesh that wore through, the arm pads as the foam crumbled, and the gas lift has been replaced twice. Wouldn’t even think about buying another chair though. The availability of spare parts is key to that.
- bdcravens 10y ago
  What about the warranty?
  - robin_reala 10y ago
    I think the warranty stopped in 2007 if I remember right.

cantrevealname 10y ago

Several people here mentioned that they hate the mesh fabric of the Aeron chairs because it tears over time, because it feels "like sitting in a hammock and putting pressure in unwanted areas causing numbness", and because the hard plastic rim under the mesh presses into your thigh. For everyone who likes the basic Herman Miller shape but not the mesh, I recommend the older Herman Miller Equa and Equa 2 chairs: https://www.google.com/search?q=herman+miller+equa+chair&source=lnms&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=herman+miller+equa+chair&sou... These pre-date the Aeron chairs, and IMO are much more comfortable. The downsides are that they are slightly less adjustable in general (e.g., on my particular model, the armrests don't go up and down) and obviously don't offer the ventilation of the mesh (which I personally don't like anyway).

bshimmin 10y ago
I have a Herman Miller Sayl (http://www.hermanmiller.co.uk/products/seating/performance-work-chairs/sayl-chairs.html http://www.hermanmiller.co.uk/products/seating/performance-w...), which is a bit cheaper than an Aeron and also, I think, more comfortable for those who don't like the mesh. They come in fairly cheerful colours - I have a white one with a bright orange seat. I'm not sure they're as ergonomically sound as an Aeron, but I've been very happy with mine for the last five years (I did tear one of the armrests in an office move, but they sent a replacement free of charge).

paddy_m 10y ago

I bought two Aeron chairs, $10 each at separate times. The first chair was being pushed down the street by a guy who looked borderline homeless. He was about to go into the Bowling Green subway station. I said "Are you selling that chair", he said "How much would you offer?". I offered $10, he said "great, I didn't really want to carry this all the way home". I had a pang of regret and thought I had possibly walked into some type of high design sting operation. I asked "Do you own this chair?", he replied "My office was renovating and they were throwing it out." Good enough for me. The second chair came a couple of weeks later. I was walking down Broadway by the bull, about 100 yards from the first place. One of the street vendors was sitting on an Aeron. I asked if he would sell me the chair, he said sure, $20. As I was inspecting it, a woman walked by and said "That's a nice chair, it's not a real Aeron like they have at my office, but it's a nice chair". The hydraulic cylinder was broken on this one, the chair only sat at the lowest position, when you would pick it up, the cylinder extended. I offered him $10 and he accepted. It was a genuine Aeron. I ordered a new cylinder for this chair and it is like new, the cylinder was around $90. Both of these sales happened within my first 3 months of moving downtown. I have never seen another Aeron chair for sale on that street or any other. I looked.

CPLX 10y ago
This sounds like a story from fuckedcompany.com. It wasn't late summer 2001 at the time was it?
- paddy_m 10y ago
  Spring of 2012
  - jamiesonbecker 10y ago
    That site made all that chaos better somehow.
paddy_m 10y ago
I guess I should actually review the chair. I think the Aeron is ok, but I haven't sat in another chair that I think is notably better. I also haven't ever sat in an office chair that felt 100% right. I have short legs and a long torso. I'm 5'8" and I wear a 29" inseam pant. I do sometimes notice the front bar putting pressure on my legs. Most of the time I put my legs up on something. and have my knees slightly bent pushing me back into the chair, in this position, the front bar isn't an issue. I do like the mesh for the circulation. I recently had trouble with stiff knees after a cross country drive. I saw a massage therapist who does structural integration/bodywork. A small amount of what he said was whooo-whooo, but he was very helpful with alignment, helping my flexibility and explaining how to use my body. He told me that when I sit down I should spread my cheeks and push myself firmly back into my chair. This has helped. Because of this, I think a wheeled chair might not be the best option. I want something firmly planted on the ground. The next time I setup an office for myself I intend to have a video chat with him, with a third party holding the iPad so he can help me with alignment and suggestions. Another thing that I am interested in trying is the Esse Liberator [1], it looks comfortable and interesting to sit in alone. I'm just worried about my Mom coming over and saying "oh I like that chair where can I buy one", then I'd have to just give it as a gift. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Liberator-Sensual-Lounge-Espresso-Velvish/dp/B00VGIK7EO/ https://www.amazon.com/Liberator-Sensual-Lounge-Espresso-Vel...

flyinglizard 10y ago

I have an Aeron, like many others, but I tried their new stuff (like the Embody and Mira) and they just felt plasticky and cheap (obviously they're expensive as all HM products). The Embody, their flagship chair, is complete trash in my eyes. It's absurdly uncomfortable during long periods, to the point a friend of mine bought one and sold it few months later at 50% off because he had back aches, and another friend just brought his to the company's office where it's left deserted among the cheap conference room seating, and bought something else to use at home. It seems like HM haven't managed to top the original Aeron, and all they did since is making new stuff that's cheaper to manufacture. I suspect this new Aeron is yet another attempt at reducing manufacturing costs (replacing metals with plastics etc) but we'll see. If it's really better than the original, I'll pick one when my 12-years warranty ends in couple of years.

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uptown 10y ago

Used to have one at an old job but never liked them. I found the plastic leading-edge of the seat gouged into my legs uncomfortably. I did find one with a torn mesh seat on the street once -- repaired it and gave it to a family member. For me - I've been sitting on a Humanscale Freedom for about a decade. The company replaced the gel seat once due to wear and tear - but otherwise it's been a great seat if you're okay using something that doesn't have a million knobs and levers to customize your sitting experience.

l3m0ndr0p 10y ago

Aeron chairs, in my opinion & personal experience, suck and are not worth the amount of money they charge for them. They suck because they are uncomfortable, especially on the seat area. I prefer a good solid fabric chair with a good Firm seat and back.

idlewords 10y ago

Set aside the chair and just read this through as an amazing work of prose. "The tilt mechanism delivers an even more seamless experience of movement (and stasis)" "from intense upright focus to relaxed contemplative recline" "a health-positive, more comfortable sit."

alpeb 10y ago
Also have Jony Ive read it in your mind.
- cbsmith 10y ago
  It was written in his style, so I kind of did that automatically.

npezolano 10y ago

Not sure why people don't like this chair. I've worked for a large company where everyone had Aerons and I absolutely loved the chair. I've even bought the higher end Embody from Herman Miller and I love that as well.

coldcode 10y ago
I worked for a giant wealthy famous company and we have two choices in chairs. Both ultra cheap and painful. Ergonomics, not.

earlyriser 10y ago

I have drunk the cool-aid about expensive chairs and cheap tables. For years I wanted to buy an Aeron for my home office but I didn't want to do it until I test one (I live in a small town, so no opportunity). Finally this year I tested an Aeron during a business trip, for 10 days. Maybe it's my own body, but it wasn't as comfortable as I thought it was going to be, I was very disappointed. The best chair I've been on was one during an EA interview (Montreal studio). I still wonder which kind of chair it was.

mulletbum 10y ago
I might be writing this a lot for this thread, but the embody chair is by far the best office chair I have ever sat in: http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-work-chairs/embody-chairs.html http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-wor...
- rublev 10y ago
  This activates my 'any one of these 10 million screws might pop and fuck me' phobia to the max. Is there something that provides similar comfort but without the 'sentient' aesthetic, something simpler in design?
  - mulletbum 10y ago
    It comes with a 5 year warranty. You can go with a more industrial look, such as the Steelcase Gesture, but in reality most of what is done is just covered to look like there is less screws and such. The difference is that Embody was made to deal with pressure points, but there are not as many screws as you might think.
mickronome 10y ago
The Aeron doesn't fit everyone. I'm thin as a rail, and for me the front lip cuts into the back of my thighs quite uncomfortably. But it fits a collegue of mine absolutely perfectly. I think it might be a bit sensitive to weight ( or weight over area ) as well as length, which is why they come in three different sizes. But for some complexions none of the sizes might fit.

jdmoreira 10y ago

I've been looking at buying an aeron for quite a while, they are not so common in Europe. They might be more common in London but I've never seen one or sat on one. I can get them refurbished for around 350€ for the standard and 500€ for the executive model plus shipping to Sweden from either the UK or Germany. If anyone knows a better way of getting one in Europe / Sweden let me know!

eddyg 10y ago

Not sure why I don't hear more about Knoll's ergonomic chairs: http://www.knoll.com/shop/by-category/ergonomic-desk-chairs http://www.knoll.com/shop/by-category/ergonomic-desk-chairs Please comment if you've used a Knoll chair and can compare it to an Aeron or Leap.

tristor 10y ago

When I switched to working from home full-time I went through a collection of chairs and finally settled on the Herman Miller Mirra2. It's a derivative design of the Aeron, but on the Aeron I had problems with the front lip cutting off circulation in my lower legs and putting too much pressure. The adjustable front lip on the Mirra2 was a godsend and after getting it adjusted professionally to fit me, I feel like the chair cradles me. Now that I'm on the road traveling while I work, other than air conditioning on hot days the biggest thing I miss from the US is my Herman Miller Mirra2. Skip the Aeron, get a Mirra2 or an Embody. Both are amazing.

mickronome 10y ago
I have a very slender complexion and had exactly the same problem with my Aeron. I came to the conclusion that my 60kg/180cm was simply to little weight over to much area to make the foam lip curve enough. Do you happen to be a featherweight also ? I would love to have a mesh chair, but one that works for my complexion.

Randgalt 10y ago

How can you improve on perfection? I'm dubious. I've had mine for over 15 years and will never part with it. I had it refurbished 3 years ago and it's still great. It made a huge difference in my life. I had back problems and severe repetitive stress problems. The chair makes a huge difference for me. In particular, it allows me to have a tilting-forward position. Also, the mesh is extremely comfortable without trapping heat. It's pure genius.

sshumaker 10y ago

The cynic in me thinks they are releasing a new chair so they can recapture revenue in this market. Aeron is somewhat a victim of its own succcess - they are incredibly well-made so there is a thriving secondary market that Herman Miller doesn't capture. This could be like a drug company subtly making changes to a drug once generics show up on the market. I suppose that's better than building in planned obsolescence.

pieterhg 10y ago

Bought the Aeron this year. It cut off blood flow to my legs at the thigh area.

nsxwolf 10y ago

I've had mine for 11 years now. The lowest end model with no lumbar support and nothing but the height is adjustable. The left arm rest now has a huge crack in the vinyl which digs into my forearms sometimes but overall it's better than all the other chairs I have access to.

zwieback 10y ago

Where I work cast-off Aerons bunch up in abandoned cubicle tracts. Some people like them but others seem to move back to traditional ones. Personally, I don't like the hammock-feel very much.

thisjustinm 10y ago

I've sat in Aerons for a few years across various jobs and they were always just OK - I felt like they could have been great if I could just adjust a few more things to fit my body better. When it came time to get a "real" office chair for the home office I decided to go with the Steelcase Leap[1] and I have not regretted it. I had no idea a chair could fit me this well. Everything is adjustable and actually labeled - it's like they actually thought about how people use chairs. The biggest problem with having a chair as good as the Leap to sit in 90% of the time is the other 10% of the time where I'm somewhere with a terrible generic office chair - I can feel it in my back and legs within a few hours. Everyone is different but I really can't recommend enough at least trying out the leap. [1]https://www.steelcase.com/products/office-chairs/leap/ https://www.steelcase.com/products/office-chairs/leap/

ajford 10y ago
How's the Leap with heat retention? I've found that most solid backed (and seated, though less so) chairs I've used annoy me with how much they hold heat in. I find mesh backed chairs to seem more comfortable to me in that regards since they have much more airflow against my back.
- masklinn 10y ago
  > I've found that most solid backed (and seated, though less so) chairs I've used annoy me with how much they hold heat in. Hello, fellow warm-back sitter. I've generally had the same experience and bought a mesh-backed chair for myself years ago. I was even looking at mesh seating, though the chair I was eyeing apparently doesn't hold up long term.
- jsonau 10y ago
  Yea your assumption is right. What's worst is I have to put a tshirt on my back so my sweat won't transfer to the fabric-back.

bcrescimanno 10y ago

A question before my own story: What does everyone do as far as trying out chairs? It's crazy to me to base my buying decision on 10 minutes of sitting in a store. Are there stores out there that allow for in-home trials of these products? One of the thing that always amuses me about "best chair" recommendations is that it's an entirely personal choice. I am 6' 2" and 200lbs. Understanding even more than that about the size of a person is critical to understanding their needs in a chair. No matter how adjustable a chair is, it's simply not going to be best for everyone. At home, I own a size-C Aeron chair that I purchased in 2007. I love it and the only thing I've ever considered is upgrading to one with the highest-end back support rather than the standard lumbar cushion. At work, I sit in a Steelcase Leap. It's certainly a fine chair and I have no real problems with it. I find it very comfortable and I'm able to sit for much of the day in this chair without any issues. My gut tells me that I prefer my Aeron; that said, the more I think about it, the more I realize that I've never questioned that assumption. The one thing I know is that I do prefer the breathable material on the Aeron.

modoc 10y ago
I'm 6'2" and a bit heavier than you. I have never found a chair nearly as comfortable/ergonomically good for me as the C size Aeron. Their LONG warranty, longer life, and loaner chair program makes them a worthwhile investment for me. My current Aeron is ~15 years old, had one warranty repair 7 years ago to replace the cylinder and lumbar pad, and has been perfect otherwise.
- seanp2k2 10y ago
  Yeah, that's the thing about a $150 chair from BigBoxCo vs a close-to-$1k-new chair. The expensive one will always be comfortable, but the cheap one never will. You can get parts to keep the expensive one in top condition, but the cheap one require replacement every couple of years. You can get a used nice one for about 2x the cost of a new cheapie and it'll probably last 4x as long before needing anything replaced, and it'll be more comfortable and much nicer the entire time.
doughj3 10y ago

runnr_az 10y ago

Can I get it in True Black?

dh12345 10y ago

Shameless plug. At Autonomous, we just launched the $179 ErgoChair yesterday to compliment our SmartDesk. $179 ErgoChair by Autonomous https://www.autonomous.ai/office-chair https://www.autonomous.ai/office-chair

Obi_Juan_Kenobi 10y ago
Auto-play is bad. It's worse with a popup over it.
throwanem 10y ago
That's not much of a plug. Sure, it's cheaper. Beyond that, why do I want it?
64738 10y ago
Nice looking chair.

bryanmgreen 10y ago

Can anyone tell me why chairs are so expensive though?