9 ms·

After years of crappy chairs, I finally invested in a Herman Miller Aeron at the start of lockdown. Due to lockdown restrictions I took a risk and ordered one

by tailspin2019 5y ago

After years of crappy chairs, I finally invested in a Herman Miller Aeron at the start of lockdown. Due to lockdown restrictions I took a risk and ordered one without trying it first (knowing I had the return policy to fall back on). I was immediately disappointed with the comfort when it first arrived, and almost sent it back. But I stuck with it for a few more days and found that once I'd adjusted to the chair, I now find it the most comfortable thing I've ever sat in. I've since read that it's quite common to take a few days to adjust to a chair like this, where the ergonomics are very different (better) than cheaper chairs. I used to get various aches and pains after sitting in my cheap office chairs for a few hours (even with breaks in between), now I find that there is almost no upper limit for how long I can comfortably work in this chair. So yes it's f*king expensive, but I do highly recommend it. A year on, I think it was a very good investment. BTW I highly recommend the Atlas Headrest for the Aeron - it looks 100% like a genuine original part and it really makes a big different to comfort (in my opinion). The only downside is the headrest alone costs about the same as what I used to spend on "upper-range" office chairs from Staples.

erhserhdfd 5y ago
I 100% agree with all of this. A few tips: 1. This chair comes in sizes. Make sure you are actually getting the right size for your body. 2. I was able to find several of them used on Craigslist locally with a few small minor defects such as worn armrests, gas cylinders, etc.. I was able to buy my chair used with a bad gas piston, buy a replacement for $40 on Amazon and easily install it. I was able to do all of this for a few hours of work and under $300. 3. I would recommend taking a few minutes to read the website on how to properly configure this chair. 4. Even if you have the best desk chair, if your desk, monitors and keyboards are not also ergonomically aligned, you will not be getting the majority of the benefit. 5. There are a number of great accessories for this chair. I also have an Atlas headrest that I really like.
fossuser 5y ago
I love this chair - I've tried a lot of fancy office chairs and think this one is the best. Pro tip for bay area people - company liquidation events happen all of the time and lots of companies buy these. That means you can get a like-new chair on craigslist from someone who bought a bunch of them at a liquidation sale for ~$350-400 which is a great deal. If you're worried about fakes, check for bumps behind the top back of the chair - the number of bumps is the size. Small, Medium, Large -> 1, 2, 3, bumps. I'm 6'1" and ~200lbs, I'm comfortable in a medium and a large. I got the medium via craigslist because they're more available, but have a large at work.
mips_avatar 5y ago
There's often great deals on used Aerons. The one I got on ebay for $500 was fully loaded (retail $1600) and unused as far as I could tell. And it wasn't a one off, companies will replace their office furniture and sell tons of them.
- rattray 5y ago
  Agreed. Cost was a concern for me so I spent weeks refreshing Craigslist every few hours. Snagged an Aeron in good shape for closer to $400. I have a hard time working without it; I've tried many office chairs. For anyone earning a high wage, though, I'd say a new Aeron at full price is easily worth it.
- BrissyCoder 5y ago
  I got three for $50 each when my last company moved to a bigger office. They spent millions fitting out this new swanky 3 level space but skimped on chairs. Left a couple of months later and now WFH full time in my comfy Aeron.
- m463 5y ago
  I remember checking out aerons on amazon and I swear lots of the "used" ones were actually new but "open box" or something to dodge the MSRP lock in.
mbesto 5y ago
Highly recommend buying an Aeron on craigslist. Lots of office buildings buy them (they're $1k/pop) and then just get rid of them in fire sales. You can usually get for $200~$400 used.
- etrautmann 5y ago
  I did exactly this at the start of the pandemic - like new Aeron for $400 and it's amazing.
- moneywoes 5y ago
  Any risk of fakes?
  - mbesto 5y ago
    Not really. Go check a real one in person and I think you'd see the difference pretty quickly. BUT I would check for that there aren't any issues with the mechanics of them.
cashewchoo 5y ago
Maybe I'll change my tune when I hit 30, but we had Aerons at my $lastjob and while I liked it well enough, I now work from home in what is essentially a Lazy Boy welded onto rolling wheels, and it cost rather less. I do have a sit/stand desk now too though, so whenever I feel like I've been sitting for too long I switch to standing for about 30 minutes. Maybe that helps too?
doomslice 5y ago
You're talking about this one right? https://atlasheadrest.com/products/headrest-for-remastered-aeron-chair?variant=39370744725592 https://atlasheadrest.com/products/headrest-for-remastered-a...
- TacticalCoder 5y ago
  That's for the "remastered" Aeron (kinda the Aeron "2.0"). I don't know if the headrest is compatible with the previous model so buyer beware in case you don't have/don't plan to buy the remastered.
  - throwanem 5y ago
    They are not cross-compatible, so do double-check which kind of chair you're buying for.
- tailspin2019 5y ago
  Yep that's the one.
DizzyDoo 5y ago
About the headrest: how tall are you, and does the Atlas headrest raise up to support your head proper? I'm tall and I like a headrest on my chair, but I would prefer not to have a headrest if it only came up to the top of my neck when I'm sitting up straight.
- tailspin2019 5y ago
  I'm about 6 foot tall and in my experience the headrest goes as high as I'd ever want or need it to. It's very adjustable so pretty easy to get comfortable. It's worth noting that that I have the larger sized Aeron - can't quite remember if the back is taller on those or if they're just wider...
ivraatiems 5y ago
I had a similar experience with the Aeron. I got one used a few months ago (it was still like $500 for a used Aeron in good condition), and for the first couple weeks I hated it. Now that I'm used to it, I barely notice it's there. It's much more comfy than any other office chairs I've used. I still wish conformed to my slightly-weird lower back a little better, but it isn't a big deal.
paul_manias 5y ago
I've had my Aeron for 15 years (second hand, so it's probably 20 years old by now!). It's still as good as the day I bought it. The gas lift is going strong too, but I've had to replace the front pad every 5 years as they flatten over time. Before I had the Aeron I'd replace my office chairs every 4 years or so. Not only have I saved money long term, their longevity makes them the better choice for the environment. Enjoy your chair, you'll get a lifetime of use out of it.
- blacksmith_tb 5y ago
  Yes, I got my Aeron secondhand too, about 5yr ago, and it's been great this last year. I did replace the stock wheels with rollerblade casters[1] which are made by a bunch of companies (it seemed like OfficeOasis was one of the originals, so I went with them, though it looks like some of the more recent ones use sealed bearings for the swivel along with the wheel, which might be cool). 1: https://theofficeoasis.com/products/rollerblade-office-chair-wheels https://theofficeoasis.com/products/rollerblade-office-chair...
  - geoduck14 5y ago
    Oh how cool! I never thought I could get excited about office accessories, yet here I am.
    - alfiedotwtf 5y ago
      Don't forget to read the reviews though... rollerblade wheels are good for tiles/wooden floors, and not so much for carpet (they won't spin on carpet and just be annoying).
      - blacksmith_tb 5y ago
        Yes, I am using them on hardwood floors, good point!
      - jjeaff 5y ago
        Really? I found that the larger roller blade wheels work much better than stock plastic castors on carpet.
throw0101a 5y ago
> So yes it's f*king expensive, but I do highly recommend it. A year on, I think it was a very good investment. It's worth noting that it comes with a 12 year warranty: * https://www.hermanmiller.com/customer-service/warranty-and-service/ https://www.hermanmiller.com/customer-service/warranty-and-s... So if you keep it for (at least) that long, the initial price may be high, but if you amortize it over more than a decade, the annual or monthly cost isn't as crazy. You probably spend more on buying lunch or coffee. (The arm rests may not be included IIRC, so those may have to be replaced at some point.)
- varenc 5y ago
  Any idea how the warranty works if you bought the chair slightly used from someone else? I know it was originally bought from an authorized reseller, but I'm not the original purchaser. Their warranty support page is a bit cryptic on this topic.
  - bushido 5y ago
    The warranty is based on a label at the bottom of the seat. If yours still has it you should be able to get warranty, using a serial number that's on the label. Source: previously owned a used aeron. currently have an embody. Never had to use the warranty, but looked up this info when purchasing a previously owned chair.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
webreac 5y ago
When you pay a lot of money for something, there is a psychological bias to give it qualities to justify the expense.
- stu2b50 5y ago
  That’s true for OP’s case, but many people get their taste of Aerons for free, supplied by their employer in their office. The generally ecstatic response to them is genuine.
- BrissyCoder 5y ago
  Sounds like something a non-aeron owning peasant would say to me.
  - speedgoose 5y ago
    Sounds like something a man with too much money and back pain issues would say to me.
- tailspin2019 5y ago
  I don't disagree, but even with some unconscious psychological bias, I still think I'd have had some back pain or _something_ creeping in by now after a year even if I was just fooling myself! Whereas all of my previous chairs would leave my body with some sort of noticeable fatigue after a few hours. I'd liken it to Apple gear. Yes it is arguably overpriced objectively speaking, but it is still genuinely well made (although let's not mention butterfly keyboards...)
MisterBastahrd 5y ago
I've owned one for 10 years now and it's still as solid as it was on day 1. I would routinely break XL weight and sized chairs, probably because of odd sitting positions although I'm around 260 right now and the chairs were rated for 375. This thing? Rock solid. My advice if you are looking for a chair? Buy one. You don't have to buy a new one either. One of the first thing a lot of companies do when they're flush with VC money is to upgrade the offices, and that often means name-brand chairs. There are TONS of Aerons floating around for a few hundred bucks.
sneak 5y ago
I also use Aerons exclusively. Used they are only around $600-700, and they do last a very long time. I have worn out some of the arm rests but there are replacement parts available cheaply on ebay, which is nice. The warranty is only for the original purchaser and is nontransferrable, AIUI.
TacticalCoder 5y ago
> A year on, I think it was a very good investment. Ten or eleven years on here: have I think a bit more than a year left on the 12-years warranty. Looks brand new. Nothing has moved. When it came, there was a booklet (or a PDF?) explaining how to set it up: took me 30 minutes to set it up and since then, I never had to change the settings once. It's not suitable for people used to cross their legs then and kinda sit on their legs (I had a roommate doing that). The most common complain with the Aeron is that the frame pushes too hard on the back of the thighs but I don't get it: too me it's an improperly set up chain as I'm only in contact with the (amazing) pellicle mesh. I love that chair. In the US it's very easy to find refurbished ones as good as new at a big discount. In Europe it's doable but not at easy. If that chair dies before me, I'll immediately rebuy one. EDIT: a "trick", I think explained in the official doc: the recommended setting (but you do what you want) is that the chair has to lean back if you put both your arms behind your head and then lean forward again when you extend your hand in front of you (for example reaching for your keyboard).
- tailspin2019 5y ago
  > The most common complain with the Aeron is that the frame pushes too hard on the back of the thighs Yeah I'd read that concern prior to buying it to but like you I've had zero issues with that thankfully. Not to say that it might not be genuine concern for some body shapes/sizes...
- iMage 5y ago
  Do you have any recommendations for finding refurbished Aerons? Are there any things that I should look out for when purchasing one?
  - chrizel 5y ago
    https://youtu.be/x-aeDaHIEbY https://youtu.be/x-aeDaHIEbY That’s a very popular YouTube video with tips on what to look out for when buying an used Aeron.
- shostack 5y ago
  Any idea if people with hamstring tendonitis might have issues with this?
Legion 5y ago
The killer feature of the Aeron is its ubiquity. I have bought three used Aerons, and refurbished them with replacement parts. Because Aerons are everywhere, replacement parts (both OEM and aftermarket) are incredibly easy to find. Some of these Aeron chairs are 10 years old, and I can find parts for them now. 10 years from now, I will still be able to find parts for them. Between their overall durability and the availability of replacement parts, I expect that I will be able to keep these chairs going for a very long time. And frankly, that's more valuable to me than any tiny incremental improvements some alternatives to the Aeron might be able to offer.
- frugalmail 5y ago
  Where did you find replacement parts. I was really hoping for original/Orem parts and all the distributors across two huge major metro areas haven’t responded to my inquiries at all
gnicholas 5y ago
I'm surprised all of the responses to this comment are so positive. I worked in a law firm and got an Aeron that was orphaned by a departing lawyer. I found it to be fine, but not amazingly comfortable. During COVID I bought a desk chair off Craigslist for $60 (MSRP $200, IIRC) and it's been roughly as good for me as the Aeron was. I'm glad to hear others enjoy their Aerons, but I wanted to share my experience since not everyone finds them to be so amazing.
- mixmastamyk 5y ago
  For me, the benefits of the Aeron kick in at hour 8 or so.
  - admax88q 5y ago
    I'm not sure any chair can make sitting for 8 hours healthy.
    - mixmastamyk 5y ago
      Health wasn't yet a criteria in this thread.
- nucleardog 5y ago
  Same issue at a previous office. They spent a lot of money on Herman Miller chairs to much complaining about how it was a waste of money and they’re not even comfortable. And they complainers were right insofar as I never sat down in the chair and went “damn this is comfortable”. But that was also the first time in my life by hour 5 or 6 nothing was _uncomfortable_. Body felt fine, nothing was sweaty, everything was still just… fine. I felt the same as when I sat down. And that’s pretty much been my goal for chairs since. Anything that can make the unnatural act of sitting upright in one place for a third or more of my day not _hurt_ is a good piece of equipment. I’ve tried other cheaper chairs since. Some sufficed for a while, some sufficed until I got older. Finally but the bullet and got a Mirra and everything’s been great since.
- eps 5y ago
rufus_foreman 5y ago
I got an Aeron about a year ago. I had a desk chair from Ikea before that. I guess I'm in the minority here but I don't notice a huge difference. I don't dislike it but I don't find it to be any more comfortable than the Ikea chair. I switch back and forth between them and don't really prefer one over the other. I guess the wheels are quieter on the hardwood floors, my office is above a bedroom so that is much appreciated. And the armrests on the Ikea chair are getting torn up after only a few years so hopefully the Aeron is more durable. But for $1600 or whatever it was I could invest the money and replace the Ikea chair every two years for the rest of my life.
gnfargbl 5y ago
Dissenting voice: I worked for a full decade for an employer which exclusively provided Aeron chairs. They gave me terrible back and neck problems, even after spending substantial effort selecting the correct size and setting the lumbar support correctly. It was like sitting on a trampoline for me, and I grew to hate them. Conversely I have, for the last four years, sat in a cheap IKEA MILLBERGET swivel chair. It has been excellent, and all my back issues have completely disappeared.
- omnicognate 5y ago
  Same. 15+ years of continuous Aeron use in various offices. Lockdown came, I spent £75 on an Ikea Markus and it's the best office chair I've sat in. YMMV.
  - eitland 5y ago
    Interestingly especially "Millberget" mentioned above gets extremely much better better reviews on the US site. I wonder what this means: - has IKEA been unlucky with their first reviews on the Norwegian site? (there are very few) - has a local competitor placed them? - are the US versions different? - have IKEA stuffed their US reviews? This thread seems to indicate that people do genuinely like their chairs but that is the closest I get right now. Last I went to IKEA to try one I thought they felt flimsy but maybe I should reconsider now.
    - scrollaway 5y ago
      Different average body types between Norway and the US could be responsible for a genuine discrepancy in comfort.
- zbuf 5y ago
  Yes, the reality is a chair is very personal, there's no "one size fits all" no matter how much $$ or how good the warranty, or how available the spare parts. I think perhaps it's good to temper the enthusiasm of a lot of folks online who seem to be buying Aeron sight unseen -- there's a lot of chairs out there, and people come in a lot of different shapes and sizes.
ghaff 5y ago
Aerons are designed to have individuals dial them in. My 18 year old or so Aeron finally gave up near the start of the pandemic and I really wasn't sure what to do. There were newer HM models, including the Cosm which was billed as basically a self-adjusting Aeron. However, I couldn't try anything. But it was just for me. So I just ordered another Aeron with the new back support system and I couldn't be happier. Right call. Mirra 2's are OK--we have them at least one of our company offices--but they're not Aerons. (And I prefer the web style to something like an Leap or Embody.)
burnte 5y ago
I'm tall, 6'4". I ordered an Aeron a few years ago, even ordered teh large variant. I was incredibly disappointed. Uncomfotable, short, and while very adjustable, not in some of the ways I wanted. I tried it for a month before giving up and gave it to my wife. I ahve a Titan from SecretLab, most amazing chair I've ever had. I now have three, one at my home office, one at work, and one in a box for a location I haven't decided upon yet.
- jhy 5y ago
  Those look decent, and I had a similar outcome with my Aeron back in the day. Which size Titan did you get, the L or XL? Am same height as you and am guessing the XL would be better?
  - jhy 5y ago
    [Self-reply] I ended up getting the L size and am very happy with it. The XL was only a little taller (1cm), but wider. Still getting used to it, but first impressions are that it's comfortable, helps give good posture, and the rocking & recline options are great to mix things up. It's my first gamer-style chair vs a regular office chair. The side bolsters and head rest are a great addition. I have often felt more comfortable in my car than in my office, and this is a step towards that kind of setup.
- scabbycakes 5y ago
  It sounds like I had a similar experience as you, I'm also 6'4". I had the largest Aeron and it was terrible, especially the hard plastic sides that pressed/cut into my outer thighs. The seat hurt after an hour or two without any real support under, and there was just no configuration that could be done to make any of it comfortable. I'm not really capable of not-manspreading in order to minimize the Aeron seat side lip pain so one day I brought a belt to the office to tie my legs together so I could relax ... which helped but was just as ridiculous as it sounds. So I just went and bought my own chair instead for my home office and never went back to the office again. Thanks for mentioning the Titan, it looks like my next chair!
  - 5y ago
pfooti 5y ago
Yeah, I have an Aeron chair i purchased in 2006. It is still great. It just recently started to misbehave a little when raising or lowering it (my spouse sits a bit higher in the chair) - still works, but is a little sticky. But this is the vimes boots theory of chairs (https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/72745-the-reason-that-the-rich-were-so-rich-vimes-reasoned https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/72745-the-reason-that-the-r...), and totally worth it if you can afford it.
weaksauce 5y ago
yeah after a dot com bust a long time ago I got the aeron for something like 400 bucks and it's still basically the same quality it was then still and I use it all day work at home. if you amortize it out the quality per year is great 40 bucks a year so far with no real end in sight. I was buying a somewhat cheap staples chair every year or two and they were only really comfortable for a bit and were always too hot in summer months anyway.
andy_ppp 5y ago
My biggest regret was selling a perfect Chrome Aeron chair when I went to Japan, that thing was perfect to sit in and beautiful.
noobmax 5y ago
I usually keep a leg on chair sometimes, will Aeron be good for that also?
alfiedotwtf 5y ago
+1 for the Atlas headrest. Reclining while working and NOT getting sore neck and shoulders was a game changer!
txsoftwaredev 5y ago
I bought one used off of ebay for my home office. It was pricey for a used chair but worth it. Now I want a 2nd one for my gaming PC.
m463 5y ago
I had two aerons - one at work and one at home. The one at home I had bought used for $250. It was old and I didn't use it much... until covid. Then I found it to be a little sacked out and got a new one a few months in. The previous ones were "classic aerons" and and the new one was the updated model, and I got size C. I have to say I think it's a great chair, but could be a little better. The recline limiter has only two positions and it would be nice to have a continuous adjustment, or at least more positions. The size C is probably larger than I need, but it seems more comfortable than the other one - don't know if it's the size or the brand new web material. That said - I agree. The ergonomics are excellent and I can use it for countless hours without discomfort. It would be nice to hear if others have compared say aeron vs embody.
Readywater 5y ago
Strong second on the atlas headrest. It feels like the missing piece for the aeron as a chair that can do everything — focused work, lounging back to read, etc. I bought my aeron right at the start of the pandemics (as well as a split keyboard, vertical mouse) and honestly, not sure I can go back. Some consistent wrist and forearm pains have completely gone away.

erhserhdfd 5y ago

I 100% agree with all of this. A few tips: 1. This chair comes in sizes. Make sure you are actually getting the right size for your body. 2. I was able to find several of them used on Craigslist locally with a few small minor defects such as worn armrests, gas cylinders, etc.. I was able to buy my chair used with a bad gas piston, buy a replacement for $40 on Amazon and easily install it. I was able to do all of this for a few hours of work and under $300. 3. I would recommend taking a few minutes to read the website on how to properly configure this chair. 4. Even if you have the best desk chair, if your desk, monitors and keyboards are not also ergonomically aligned, you will not be getting the majority of the benefit. 5. There are a number of great accessories for this chair. I also have an Atlas headrest that I really like.

fossuser 5y ago

I love this chair - I've tried a lot of fancy office chairs and think this one is the best. Pro tip for bay area people - company liquidation events happen all of the time and lots of companies buy these. That means you can get a like-new chair on craigslist from someone who bought a bunch of them at a liquidation sale for ~$350-400 which is a great deal. If you're worried about fakes, check for bumps behind the top back of the chair - the number of bumps is the size. Small, Medium, Large -> 1, 2, 3, bumps. I'm 6'1" and ~200lbs, I'm comfortable in a medium and a large. I got the medium via craigslist because they're more available, but have a large at work.

mips_avatar 5y ago

There's often great deals on used Aerons. The one I got on ebay for $500 was fully loaded (retail $1600) and unused as far as I could tell. And it wasn't a one off, companies will replace their office furniture and sell tons of them.

rattray 5y ago
Agreed. Cost was a concern for me so I spent weeks refreshing Craigslist every few hours. Snagged an Aeron in good shape for closer to $400. I have a hard time working without it; I've tried many office chairs. For anyone earning a high wage, though, I'd say a new Aeron at full price is easily worth it.
BrissyCoder 5y ago
I got three for $50 each when my last company moved to a bigger office. They spent millions fitting out this new swanky 3 level space but skimped on chairs. Left a couple of months later and now WFH full time in my comfy Aeron.
m463 5y ago
I remember checking out aerons on amazon and I swear lots of the "used" ones were actually new but "open box" or something to dodge the MSRP lock in.

mbesto 5y ago

Highly recommend buying an Aeron on craigslist. Lots of office buildings buy them (they're $1k/pop) and then just get rid of them in fire sales. You can usually get for $200~$400 used.

etrautmann 5y ago
I did exactly this at the start of the pandemic - like new Aeron for $400 and it's amazing.
moneywoes 5y ago
Any risk of fakes?
- mbesto 5y ago
  Not really. Go check a real one in person and I think you'd see the difference pretty quickly. BUT I would check for that there aren't any issues with the mechanics of them.

cashewchoo 5y ago

Maybe I'll change my tune when I hit 30, but we had Aerons at my $lastjob and while I liked it well enough, I now work from home in what is essentially a Lazy Boy welded onto rolling wheels, and it cost rather less. I do have a sit/stand desk now too though, so whenever I feel like I've been sitting for too long I switch to standing for about 30 minutes. Maybe that helps too?

doomslice 5y ago

You're talking about this one right? https://atlasheadrest.com/products/headrest-for-remastered-aeron-chair?variant=39370744725592 https://atlasheadrest.com/products/headrest-for-remastered-a...

TacticalCoder 5y ago
That's for the "remastered" Aeron (kinda the Aeron "2.0"). I don't know if the headrest is compatible with the previous model so buyer beware in case you don't have/don't plan to buy the remastered.
- throwanem 5y ago
  They are not cross-compatible, so do double-check which kind of chair you're buying for.
tailspin2019 5y ago
Yep that's the one.

DizzyDoo 5y ago

About the headrest: how tall are you, and does the Atlas headrest raise up to support your head proper? I'm tall and I like a headrest on my chair, but I would prefer not to have a headrest if it only came up to the top of my neck when I'm sitting up straight.

tailspin2019 5y ago
I'm about 6 foot tall and in my experience the headrest goes as high as I'd ever want or need it to. It's very adjustable so pretty easy to get comfortable. It's worth noting that that I have the larger sized Aeron - can't quite remember if the back is taller on those or if they're just wider...

ivraatiems 5y ago

I had a similar experience with the Aeron. I got one used a few months ago (it was still like $500 for a used Aeron in good condition), and for the first couple weeks I hated it. Now that I'm used to it, I barely notice it's there. It's much more comfy than any other office chairs I've used. I still wish conformed to my slightly-weird lower back a little better, but it isn't a big deal.

paul_manias 5y ago

I've had my Aeron for 15 years (second hand, so it's probably 20 years old by now!). It's still as good as the day I bought it. The gas lift is going strong too, but I've had to replace the front pad every 5 years as they flatten over time. Before I had the Aeron I'd replace my office chairs every 4 years or so. Not only have I saved money long term, their longevity makes them the better choice for the environment. Enjoy your chair, you'll get a lifetime of use out of it.

blacksmith_tb 5y ago
Yes, I got my Aeron secondhand too, about 5yr ago, and it's been great this last year. I did replace the stock wheels with rollerblade casters[1] which are made by a bunch of companies (it seemed like OfficeOasis was one of the originals, so I went with them, though it looks like some of the more recent ones use sealed bearings for the swivel along with the wheel, which might be cool). 1: https://theofficeoasis.com/products/rollerblade-office-chair-wheels https://theofficeoasis.com/products/rollerblade-office-chair...
- geoduck14 5y ago
  Oh how cool! I never thought I could get excited about office accessories, yet here I am.
  - alfiedotwtf 5y ago
    Don't forget to read the reviews though... rollerblade wheels are good for tiles/wooden floors, and not so much for carpet (they won't spin on carpet and just be annoying).
    - blacksmith_tb 5y ago
      Yes, I am using them on hardwood floors, good point!
    - jjeaff 5y ago
      Really? I found that the larger roller blade wheels work much better than stock plastic castors on carpet.

throw0101a 5y ago

> So yes it's f*king expensive, but I do highly recommend it. A year on, I think it was a very good investment. It's worth noting that it comes with a 12 year warranty: * https://www.hermanmiller.com/customer-service/warranty-and-service/ https://www.hermanmiller.com/customer-service/warranty-and-s... So if you keep it for (at least) that long, the initial price may be high, but if you amortize it over more than a decade, the annual or monthly cost isn't as crazy. You probably spend more on buying lunch or coffee. (The arm rests may not be included IIRC, so those may have to be replaced at some point.)

varenc 5y ago
Any idea how the warranty works if you bought the chair slightly used from someone else? I know it was originally bought from an authorized reseller, but I'm not the original purchaser. Their warranty support page is a bit cryptic on this topic.
- bushido 5y ago
  The warranty is based on a label at the bottom of the seat. If yours still has it you should be able to get warranty, using a serial number that's on the label. Source: previously owned a used aeron. currently have an embody. Never had to use the warranty, but looked up this info when purchasing a previously owned chair.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

webreac 5y ago

When you pay a lot of money for something, there is a psychological bias to give it qualities to justify the expense.

stu2b50 5y ago
That’s true for OP’s case, but many people get their taste of Aerons for free, supplied by their employer in their office. The generally ecstatic response to them is genuine.
BrissyCoder 5y ago
Sounds like something a non-aeron owning peasant would say to me.
- speedgoose 5y ago
  Sounds like something a man with too much money and back pain issues would say to me.
tailspin2019 5y ago
I don't disagree, but even with some unconscious psychological bias, I still think I'd have had some back pain or _something_ creeping in by now after a year even if I was just fooling myself! Whereas all of my previous chairs would leave my body with some sort of noticeable fatigue after a few hours. I'd liken it to Apple gear. Yes it is arguably overpriced objectively speaking, but it is still genuinely well made (although let's not mention butterfly keyboards...)

MisterBastahrd 5y ago

I've owned one for 10 years now and it's still as solid as it was on day 1. I would routinely break XL weight and sized chairs, probably because of odd sitting positions although I'm around 260 right now and the chairs were rated for 375. This thing? Rock solid. My advice if you are looking for a chair? Buy one. You don't have to buy a new one either. One of the first thing a lot of companies do when they're flush with VC money is to upgrade the offices, and that often means name-brand chairs. There are TONS of Aerons floating around for a few hundred bucks.

sneak 5y ago

I also use Aerons exclusively. Used they are only around $600-700, and they do last a very long time. I have worn out some of the arm rests but there are replacement parts available cheaply on ebay, which is nice. The warranty is only for the original purchaser and is nontransferrable, AIUI.

TacticalCoder 5y ago

> A year on, I think it was a very good investment. Ten or eleven years on here: have I think a bit more than a year left on the 12-years warranty. Looks brand new. Nothing has moved. When it came, there was a booklet (or a PDF?) explaining how to set it up: took me 30 minutes to set it up and since then, I never had to change the settings once. It's not suitable for people used to cross their legs then and kinda sit on their legs (I had a roommate doing that). The most common complain with the Aeron is that the frame pushes too hard on the back of the thighs but I don't get it: too me it's an improperly set up chain as I'm only in contact with the (amazing) pellicle mesh. I love that chair. In the US it's very easy to find refurbished ones as good as new at a big discount. In Europe it's doable but not at easy. If that chair dies before me, I'll immediately rebuy one. EDIT: a "trick", I think explained in the official doc: the recommended setting (but you do what you want) is that the chair has to lean back if you put both your arms behind your head and then lean forward again when you extend your hand in front of you (for example reaching for your keyboard).

tailspin2019 5y ago
> The most common complain with the Aeron is that the frame pushes too hard on the back of the thighs Yeah I'd read that concern prior to buying it to but like you I've had zero issues with that thankfully. Not to say that it might not be genuine concern for some body shapes/sizes...
iMage 5y ago
Do you have any recommendations for finding refurbished Aerons? Are there any things that I should look out for when purchasing one?
- chrizel 5y ago
  https://youtu.be/x-aeDaHIEbY https://youtu.be/x-aeDaHIEbY That’s a very popular YouTube video with tips on what to look out for when buying an used Aeron.
shostack 5y ago
Any idea if people with hamstring tendonitis might have issues with this?

Legion 5y ago

The killer feature of the Aeron is its ubiquity. I have bought three used Aerons, and refurbished them with replacement parts. Because Aerons are everywhere, replacement parts (both OEM and aftermarket) are incredibly easy to find. Some of these Aeron chairs are 10 years old, and I can find parts for them now. 10 years from now, I will still be able to find parts for them. Between their overall durability and the availability of replacement parts, I expect that I will be able to keep these chairs going for a very long time. And frankly, that's more valuable to me than any tiny incremental improvements some alternatives to the Aeron might be able to offer.

frugalmail 5y ago
Where did you find replacement parts. I was really hoping for original/Orem parts and all the distributors across two huge major metro areas haven’t responded to my inquiries at all

gnicholas 5y ago

I'm surprised all of the responses to this comment are so positive. I worked in a law firm and got an Aeron that was orphaned by a departing lawyer. I found it to be fine, but not amazingly comfortable. During COVID I bought a desk chair off Craigslist for $60 (MSRP $200, IIRC) and it's been roughly as good for me as the Aeron was. I'm glad to hear others enjoy their Aerons, but I wanted to share my experience since not everyone finds them to be so amazing.

mixmastamyk 5y ago
For me, the benefits of the Aeron kick in at hour 8 or so.
- admax88q 5y ago
  I'm not sure any chair can make sitting for 8 hours healthy.
  - mixmastamyk 5y ago
    Health wasn't yet a criteria in this thread.
nucleardog 5y ago
Same issue at a previous office. They spent a lot of money on Herman Miller chairs to much complaining about how it was a waste of money and they’re not even comfortable. And they complainers were right insofar as I never sat down in the chair and went “damn this is comfortable”. But that was also the first time in my life by hour 5 or 6 nothing was _uncomfortable_. Body felt fine, nothing was sweaty, everything was still just… fine. I felt the same as when I sat down. And that’s pretty much been my goal for chairs since. Anything that can make the unnatural act of sitting upright in one place for a third or more of my day not _hurt_ is a good piece of equipment. I’ve tried other cheaper chairs since. Some sufficed for a while, some sufficed until I got older. Finally but the bullet and got a Mirra and everything’s been great since.
eps 5y ago

rufus_foreman 5y ago

I got an Aeron about a year ago. I had a desk chair from Ikea before that. I guess I'm in the minority here but I don't notice a huge difference. I don't dislike it but I don't find it to be any more comfortable than the Ikea chair. I switch back and forth between them and don't really prefer one over the other. I guess the wheels are quieter on the hardwood floors, my office is above a bedroom so that is much appreciated. And the armrests on the Ikea chair are getting torn up after only a few years so hopefully the Aeron is more durable. But for $1600 or whatever it was I could invest the money and replace the Ikea chair every two years for the rest of my life.

gnfargbl 5y ago

Dissenting voice: I worked for a full decade for an employer which exclusively provided Aeron chairs. They gave me terrible back and neck problems, even after spending substantial effort selecting the correct size and setting the lumbar support correctly. It was like sitting on a trampoline for me, and I grew to hate them. Conversely I have, for the last four years, sat in a cheap IKEA MILLBERGET swivel chair. It has been excellent, and all my back issues have completely disappeared.

omnicognate 5y ago
Same. 15+ years of continuous Aeron use in various offices. Lockdown came, I spent £75 on an Ikea Markus and it's the best office chair I've sat in. YMMV.
- eitland 5y ago
  Interestingly especially "Millberget" mentioned above gets extremely much better better reviews on the US site. I wonder what this means: - has IKEA been unlucky with their first reviews on the Norwegian site? (there are very few) - has a local competitor placed them? - are the US versions different? - have IKEA stuffed their US reviews? This thread seems to indicate that people do genuinely like their chairs but that is the closest I get right now. Last I went to IKEA to try one I thought they felt flimsy but maybe I should reconsider now.
  - scrollaway 5y ago
    Different average body types between Norway and the US could be responsible for a genuine discrepancy in comfort.
zbuf 5y ago
Yes, the reality is a chair is very personal, there's no "one size fits all" no matter how much $$ or how good the warranty, or how available the spare parts. I think perhaps it's good to temper the enthusiasm of a lot of folks online who seem to be buying Aeron sight unseen -- there's a lot of chairs out there, and people come in a lot of different shapes and sizes.

ghaff 5y ago

Aerons are designed to have individuals dial them in. My 18 year old or so Aeron finally gave up near the start of the pandemic and I really wasn't sure what to do. There were newer HM models, including the Cosm which was billed as basically a self-adjusting Aeron. However, I couldn't try anything. But it was just for me. So I just ordered another Aeron with the new back support system and I couldn't be happier. Right call. Mirra 2's are OK--we have them at least one of our company offices--but they're not Aerons. (And I prefer the web style to something like an Leap or Embody.)

burnte 5y ago

I'm tall, 6'4". I ordered an Aeron a few years ago, even ordered teh large variant. I was incredibly disappointed. Uncomfotable, short, and while very adjustable, not in some of the ways I wanted. I tried it for a month before giving up and gave it to my wife. I ahve a Titan from SecretLab, most amazing chair I've ever had. I now have three, one at my home office, one at work, and one in a box for a location I haven't decided upon yet.

jhy 5y ago
Those look decent, and I had a similar outcome with my Aeron back in the day. Which size Titan did you get, the L or XL? Am same height as you and am guessing the XL would be better?
- jhy 5y ago
  [Self-reply] I ended up getting the L size and am very happy with it. The XL was only a little taller (1cm), but wider. Still getting used to it, but first impressions are that it's comfortable, helps give good posture, and the rocking & recline options are great to mix things up. It's my first gamer-style chair vs a regular office chair. The side bolsters and head rest are a great addition. I have often felt more comfortable in my car than in my office, and this is a step towards that kind of setup.
scabbycakes 5y ago
It sounds like I had a similar experience as you, I'm also 6'4". I had the largest Aeron and it was terrible, especially the hard plastic sides that pressed/cut into my outer thighs. The seat hurt after an hour or two without any real support under, and there was just no configuration that could be done to make any of it comfortable. I'm not really capable of not-manspreading in order to minimize the Aeron seat side lip pain so one day I brought a belt to the office to tie my legs together so I could relax ... which helped but was just as ridiculous as it sounds. So I just went and bought my own chair instead for my home office and never went back to the office again. Thanks for mentioning the Titan, it looks like my next chair!
- 5y ago

pfooti 5y ago

Yeah, I have an Aeron chair i purchased in 2006. It is still great. It just recently started to misbehave a little when raising or lowering it (my spouse sits a bit higher in the chair) - still works, but is a little sticky. But this is the vimes boots theory of chairs (https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/72745-the-reason-that-the-rich-were-so-rich-vimes-reasoned https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/72745-the-reason-that-the-r...), and totally worth it if you can afford it.

weaksauce 5y ago

yeah after a dot com bust a long time ago I got the aeron for something like 400 bucks and it's still basically the same quality it was then still and I use it all day work at home. if you amortize it out the quality per year is great 40 bucks a year so far with no real end in sight. I was buying a somewhat cheap staples chair every year or two and they were only really comfortable for a bit and were always too hot in summer months anyway.

andy_ppp 5y ago

My biggest regret was selling a perfect Chrome Aeron chair when I went to Japan, that thing was perfect to sit in and beautiful.

noobmax 5y ago

I usually keep a leg on chair sometimes, will Aeron be good for that also?

alfiedotwtf 5y ago

+1 for the Atlas headrest. Reclining while working and NOT getting sore neck and shoulders was a game changer!

txsoftwaredev 5y ago

I bought one used off of ebay for my home office. It was pricey for a used chair but worth it. Now I want a 2nd one for my gaming PC.

m463 5y ago

I had two aerons - one at work and one at home. The one at home I had bought used for $250. It was old and I didn't use it much... until covid. Then I found it to be a little sacked out and got a new one a few months in. The previous ones were "classic aerons" and and the new one was the updated model, and I got size C. I have to say I think it's a great chair, but could be a little better. The recline limiter has only two positions and it would be nice to have a continuous adjustment, or at least more positions. The size C is probably larger than I need, but it seems more comfortable than the other one - don't know if it's the size or the brand new web material. That said - I agree. The ergonomics are excellent and I can use it for countless hours without discomfort. It would be nice to hear if others have compared say aeron vs embody.

Readywater 5y ago

Strong second on the atlas headrest. It feels like the missing piece for the aeron as a chair that can do everything — focused work, lounging back to read, etc. I bought my aeron right at the start of the pandemics (as well as a split keyboard, vertical mouse) and honestly, not sure I can go back. Some consistent wrist and forearm pains have completely gone away.