Herman Miller Aeron Chair Review

I received my Herman Miller Aeron Chair a few days ago. As promised, here is a short review.

I ordered the most basic model (i.e. cheapest) which was still $600. The basic Herman Miller Aeron Chair comes with adjustable seat height and back rest (a knob adjusts the amount of tension required to lean back in the chair). The more expensive Aeron Chairs also have adjustable armrest, arms that swing in and out so you don't always have to use them, and I believe there is also some sort of adjustable lumbar support. Unfortunately, the snazzier Aeron chairs also cost a couple hundred dollars more. Because a good ergonomic chair should have adjustable armrests, I almost wish I had sprung for the more expensive chair, but this model feels good and I am pleased with it.

Because I ordered over the Internet, I did not need to pay tax. I ordered the Aeron from Sit 4 Less (links at the bottom). Shipping was free and took about a week to arrive. Assembly was extremely simple. The chair arrived in two halves (bottom and back rest) which were easily connected with the accompanying Allen wrench and four bolts. Even with the help of my cat (who has a penchant for laying on directions), it only took a few minutes to put my chair together.

The Aeron Chair itself is quite sturdy; it has a solid frame that could take a beating and keep on, er, seating. I remember being surprised at how heavy the box was on the porch (of course, most things seem heavy when being dragged up a flight of stairs).

The seat and back are made of a sort of dense mesh that is designed to give good support yet remain cool unlike those leather chairs. The basic casters work fine on my short carpet (Herman Miller has some alternate casters for deep carpet which cost more).

My old chair tended to suck me in, and it was big enough (too big) for me to fold my legs under me or throw them up on the desk, not really the ergonomic thing to do. It was really too large for me. The Aeron Chair is not at all restraining or inflexible, yet it encourages my body to maintain better posture because it fits better.

In conclusion, I believe my Herman Miller Aeron Chair is a solid piece of equipment that will last me for years to come.

Sit4Less
Herman Miller

Comments

[Sheldon]

I got a fully loaded aeron for $599 at luxurychair.com

[Andy]

Avoid luxurychair.com. They are a lousy company. I had an awful experience with them (very delayed receipt of chair, chair in damaged condition, repeated changes in shipping time with an attempt to get me "upgrade" to an all leather Aeron chair (not a real Herman Miller option)). Ultimately I "saved" about $150 compared to buying from an authorized online retailer, but it definitely was not worth it!

[JOhn]

Bought 15 Aerons from LuxuryChair...great experience and saved myself an arm and leg...

[Jackson K/]

I need an aeron..i cant afford it man

[Cyndy]

I bought some Mirra chairs from luxurychair. (5 of them) 4 came in perfect condition and 1 was damaged and they replaced it..it took a while for the replacement to come...but I'm still happy with the purchase.

[Keither]

Is the Aeron really all its made out to be!? I feel like it's become a "status symbol"...Shud I buck up the dollars to get one?

[Ergoblog]

Well, it's a big improvement over the Office Depot chair I had before, but I don't think the Aeron is the only way to go. I would expect to pay about $500 for a good quality ergonomic chair though. If there is someplace nearby where you can try them out first, that would be ideal.

[Christina]

The Aeron is NOT the only way to go. I personally did not find it to be soo incredible.

I went for the Steelcase Leap Chair in Leather..I love it. It's beautiful, comfortable and the options and features on it are great.

[Greg Camburn]

I've owned an Aeron for four years. At first, I loved the chair. Then I began sinking into the pellicle. If you are not overweight, you'll sink into the material and your bottom will eventually rest on the hard plastic housing for the control mechanisms. Then your thighs will rest uncomfortably on the "waterfall" front edge which will cut off circulation and make your legs tingly. I've had trouble walking after sitting in this thing for an hour. The lumbar support too is a failure. At it's lowest position, it strikes me mid-back. Useless and uncomfortable. Add to that the fact that Herman Miller refuses to honor a warranty for anyone who buys from a reseller and you have to wonder. Just how do those resellers get the chairs? The chair fairy? Or does Herman Miller or one of its agents sell them? Aren't they all built in the same factory? So really Herman Miller is just screwing the customers. They pocket the money regardless and they profit MORE on those people whom they can screw out of a warranty. Hmm. Why doesn't anybody call them on this? All these glowing reviews from people with fifteen minutes in the chair! I plan to sell mine on Ebay very soon and am looking at the HumanScale Freedom or perhaps just the $200 Broyhill at SAMs Club. I can buy four of the SAMs Club chairs for the price of a single uncomfortable Aeron.

[Matt]

Without discounting that the implementation of features counts just as much as the features themselves, it's my opinion that the HM products are really designer products first and foremost, with enough "ergo" features sprinkled in to call themselves ergo. The trademark of the collapsed IT bubble; 600 bucks on a chair that doesn't even have adjustable arms is really tough to justify in my mind when there are so many 200 dollar chairs that are more featured.

[Steve]

I have been looking at ergonomically correct chairs. One of our local office furniture stores allowed me to take the Herman Miller Aeron chair home for a week and try it without any obligation. We are still testing it. HM has an official free try-out policy on these chairs.

[Ergonomic Man]

I too have an Aeron that I'm not too impressed by. Mine is loaded with every feature available and was purchased new in about 2000. The chair has held up great, but I think it is overpriced and not the best ergonomic chair out there. I'm currently looking for a replacement and have discovered a wonderful temporary solution which you can read about on my site at ergonomicreviews.com. Seriously, I've found a special kind of back brace that does wonders for me and can turn pretty much any horizontal surface into an ergonomic seat.

[owwwie!]

I was just switched to an Aeron chair at my work and my tailbone has been killing me ever since I sat down in it. Every single day I am in pain and am eagerly awaiting the Tush Cush I had to order. Seriously, it has come to that! OUCH!

[Victoria]

I had one of these chairs where I used to work and found it very comfortable (and the company paid for it not me!) I currently have a basic chair and miss the Aeron but it boils down to money right now. I don't have the $600 or so to invest in one but if I did, I would probably buy another.

[Chadwick Chair]

Great review- my primary issue with the Aeron, as is echoed by many of the commenters here, is the price... Have you heard of the Chadwick? DWR carries it, it offers a lot of the functionality and support of the Aeron, but at a much more accessible price...

[Paul]

I spent enough time at my home office to make the investment in an Aeron Chair worth it. I did a fair amount of research and found the prices to be consistent everywhere. It came down to who offered free shipping and had the best customer service. Plus I ran into a lot of people selling used chairs - not for me. But back to the Aeron - I also think this chair will last forever. Herman Miller covers them for up to 12 years(if bought new) - but with my usage (2-5 hours a day) it should last forever.
Good info sites:
www.HermanMiller.com
www.Aerons.com

[Sean]

I strongly suggest getting a chair with adjustable armrests - especially if you are even moderately tall. I find the height of the fixed arm chairs very low and very uncomfortable.

[Matt Proost]

I agree with the Aeron is not the way to go. I have an Aeron at home which I thought was nice when i purchased it and it has a unique look. I have since changed jobs and know I sit in a Steelcase Leap. The Leap is a far superior chair. You can purchase a fully loaded Leap(thats the only way they come) for $639 at Target Commercial Interiors here in Minneapolis. They will even ship the chair free of charge to you and it arrives fully assembled!

[Brent Ware]

I just got a Steelcase Leap at work (one of the Approved Chairs), and it's killing my back. First, it doesn't rock; you can't lean back in this chair. Second, the lumbar support starts at 9 and goes from there. If you want less, tough luck. I even took the adjustable lumbar out completely and it's still got too much lumbar curve for me. It's probably great for some people, but this chair is killing me. I'm about to fight the battle to get an Aeron again, it's got its issues, but it never made my back hurt.

[Andrew]

The Aeron chair is not a bad chair, I found that it makes you sit in one position which they consider ergonomic. The problem is, most people that sit all day tend to move around in their chair and the aeron is not easily adjusted. Sure there are lots of knobs and adjustments, it just takes a degree in chair design to be able to operate them! There are many newer designed chairs that focus on natural movement and auto adjusting to the user. I recommend checking out the Liberty or Freedom chairs. The Ergohuman is really nice and costs half the price of the Aeron.

Whatever you do, find a place to try out the chairs first! We bought a pair of Aerons from Home Office Solutions and they surreptitiously charged us $150 to return them. They were also verrrry slow to issue the refund. 2 weeks went by after the chairs were returned and I had to call the service department who said they were "backlogged". Avoid doing business with HomeOfficeSolutions.com or any of their 3 online businesses (yep they are all one company): OfficeDesigns.com or UltimateBackstore.com

[Kayla]

All Modern Furniture has the loaded Aeron Chair for $949 and the Basic Aeron for $749. The site is part of CSN Stores, so I felt secure ordering it online. i absolutely love my chair... i'd order it again in a heartbeat.

[Timmy]

I absolutely love the Aeron chair. I could not wait to sit on it. When it came in the mail i was so impressed i ordered 2 more. This is the best chair thanks

[Victoria]

I just purchased this chair because I sit at a desk and study all day (when I'm not in class). I recently have had horrible lower back pain and I've never had any kind of pain in my life! So it was a shock to me to have this pain. After thinking about it for a few days and noting the amount of time in my old chair, I realized it was my old chair causing the pain. It made me slouch a lot and lean forward not only to read but to write. I have sat in the Aeron chair since it first came out at my workplace and now, I'm sitting in it again at home. I think of it this way - you would pay this much for a nice chair to go with your sofa (or more) so why not invest in a piece of furniture that will benefit your body?

I also purchased a $10 book stand from Staples so my books aren't flat on the table and I don't have to lean all day long looking down to read, which also helps my back.

I was happy to have this blog to read reviews and gather input from other folks. I'm happy with my decision and my back is even happier! I can finally sit and not experience pain and I'm so much more productive thanks to this chair!

[Ergoblog]

Thanks for the comments Victoria and others. I've still got my Aeron after about 4 years now, and it hasn't lost anything. Great chair. I'm actually sitting on a chair at the coffee shop to write this afternoon and after just a couple hours my neck and back are all achy. Really makes me appreciate the Aeron. :)

[Jerry B]

Am in the hunt for a chair. I am having pain in my legs, tail bone and even having numbness where no guy should! Don't mind paying for a good chair to cure my pain....just don't want to pay a big price for hype and still have the problem......