Review: Herman Miller Aeron Chair

Herman Miller Aeron

Website

Price: $1277 (list) $750 (street)

Pros: Sturdy construction, good looks, super adjustable, 3 different sizes match to different builds, 12 year warranty

Cons: Only colors choices are shades of gray, hard lip on the sides of the seat, cable driven controls can be unreliable, basic lumbar did not work well

Notes: This is the one that started it all. It's still very popular and seen in TV shows and offices everywhere. I fit best in a size C, which is a big chair. Adjustments are nice and I was able to dial in just what I liked. The basic lumbar adjustment was pretty easy, but the foam block you move up and down or flip tended to move throughout the day as I moved, and almost fell out. The demo chair I had seemed to have much more wear on the lumbar foam then the rest of the chair. The PosterFit support might be the best option although I only tried it for 5 minutes in the store. The recline tension adjustment is too fine and literally took me 100 turns to tighten it enough. The deal breaker however was the hard lip in the sides of the seat. I found I sat to the side or with my legs spread enough that after a day of use my thighs had bruises. I really noticed it the next day when I sat down and my thighs hit the edge again. A coworker who sits with his leg pulled up under himself cracked his ankle on the lip. I really like this chair and would have excused all issues except the hard raised lip on the seat.

Review: Herman Miller Mirra Chair

Herman Miller Mirra

Website

Price: $1020 (list) $510 (street)

Pros: No hard edges, many color options, good price, easier adjustments than the Areon, nice lumbar support adjustments.

Cons: Only suitable for average to lighter weight people

Notes: Seat mesh sagged far enough that I could feel the hard frame underneath. A lighter weight person would not have that problem. If the seat had not bottomed out I may have bought this chair. The optional fabric cover is a nice addition as it adds a minimal padding and softness to the plastic back.

Tips for buying a new chair

I spent 5 weeks researching office chairs before deciding on the one that was right for me. During this search I learned a few things that might be useful to anyone looking for a new chair:

1) Different people have different needs. Just because I liked a chair may not mean you will like it at all. Just read other reviews, they often run the gambit from love to hate.

2) A chair often fits a person of a specific size or weight. The Herman Miller Aeron comes in 3 sizes to help match size and weight issues, others use adjustments to span the gap, but in the end there are chairs which are better suited for smaller people and others for bigger. Look for reviews that mention how big the person is and give those more attention.

3) It takes more than 15 minutes sitting in a chair to know if it is right for you. One chair made my foot fall asleep after 90 minutes. Another chair gave me bruises on my thighs that I only noticed once I sat in it for a 2nd straight day.

4) Looks mean nothing when it comes to comfort. Unfortunately the best looking chairs were not the most comfortable for me.

5) Looks matter if they matter to you. Some would argue if it does not look like an $800 chair then how can you spend $800 on it? Know how important looks are before you start and it can save you some time.

6) Big office furniture companies can design a chair as well as a specialized chair company. Years of research often go into the best chairs and big companies can afford to do that. Steelcase for example spent over 4 years researching the Leap chair.

7) Some companies can customize a chair to any decor. The Steelcase Leap can be wrapped in over 100 choices of fabric and you can even put a different fabric on the seat then on the back.

8) Most places will let you borrow several chairs for a week or more and will deliver them and pick them up when you are done. It's a very common practice for them, so don't feel bad about asking.

9) There are 3 price levels for chairs:
* Under $200 = low quality, short lifespan, non-ergonomic
* $200-$500 good quality, long lifespan, non-ergonomic
* Over $500 high quality, long lifespan, ergonomic

10) Higher priced chairs may be a better value. If a $100 chair lasts 2 years and an $600 chair comes with a 12 year warranty, which is the better deal?

11) Some people will think you are crazy for spending $800 on an office chair no matter what anyone tells them.