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Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

hermanmiller.com

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Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#41

Post by asher_ »

forrestthewoods wrote: post #3

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 Aer…

You might have had the wrong size. If the length of your body is mismatched to the chair then this can happen.

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#42

Post by donw »

forrestthewoods wrote: post #3

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 Aer…

Another vote for the Leap. Just built out a new office, and while we don't have infinite amounts of money, I made sure that we got proper chairs.

Expensive artwork and overpriced lounge furniture don't improve productivity or morale. Proper work-chairs and desks, on the other hand, pay for themselves quickly.

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#43

Post by coldtea »

Freak_NL wrote: post #36

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 belittl…

>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").

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#44

Post by bdcravens »

Freak_NL wrote: post #36

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 belittl…

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)

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#45

Post by bdcravens »

robin_reala wrote: post #39
SwellJoe wrote: post #37

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…

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.

What about the warranty?

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#46

Post by bdcravens »

lubos wrote: post #8
Mao_Zedang wrote: post #2

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

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.

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.

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#47

Post by jonah »

forrestthewoods wrote: post #3

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 Aer…

I bought a Leap brand new oh, maybe 15 years ago. Aside from replacing the gas cylinder a few years ago (under warranty mind you!) it's been perfect and still looks almost new.

Highly recommended.

(I researched and sat in a whole bunch of chairs, including the Aeron, before choosing the Leap.)

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#48

Post by Solinoid »

elcct wrote: post #19

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...

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

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#49

Post by Freak_NL »

coldtea wrote: post #43
Freak_NL wrote: post #36

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 belittl…

> 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").

> 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.

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#50

Post by cantrevealname »

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&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).

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