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Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

hermanmiller.com

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Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#131

Post by Hydraulix989 »

greglindahl wrote: post #20
Hydraulix989 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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.

It's still also really uncomfortable.

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#132

Post by Hydraulix989 »

SyneRyder wrote: post #62
greglindahl wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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).

I sit in chairs for 12+ hours a day, I recently got a standing desk though. I can't sit on the mesh without putting a cushion underneath; it's one step above concrete.

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#133

Post by robertleon »

mulletbum wrote: post #90
paddy_m wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

I know you are getting recommendations, but the Embody chair is what you would be looking for. http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-wor...

Wow, this sounds so amazing. I have never spent any money on a desk chair and I have the worst neck pain + sciatic pain + shoulder pain every day now. This chair seems heavenly.

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#134

Post by masukomi »

robertleon wrote: post #133
mulletbum wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know you are getting recommendations, but the Embody chair is what you would be looking for. http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-wor...

Wow, this sounds so amazing. I have never spent any money on a desk chair and I have the worst neck pain + sciatic pain + shoulder pain every day now. This chair seems heavenly.

The Embody is worth every penny. It's ... it's really fantastic. The Aeron is not bad, the Embody is great.

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#136

Post by b3b0p »

nikcub wrote: post #17

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

I've owned an Aeron, Steelcase Leap (v2), and the Embody. All for multiple years. I prefer the Embody. I can sit comfortably in it the longest without any complaints. I think it's almost the perfect chair.

The Aeron I found extremely uncomfortable, I could never get settled in it. I don't know why, but it felt just wrong (I had the correct size and it was fully loaded with all the configuration options and posture fit). I loved the Leap and only got the Embody because I bought all new office equipment and after sitting in the Embody a while I fell in love with it. Only recently (finally) got rid of the Leap and Aeron.

I can't give any reasons other than it feels the most comfortable and I can easily sit in it longer without issues.

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#137

Post by geoelectric »

robertleon wrote: post #133
mulletbum wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know you are getting recommendations, but the Embody chair is what you would be looking for. http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-wor...

Wow, this sounds so amazing. I have never spent any money on a desk chair and I have the worst neck pain + sciatic pain + shoulder pain every day now. This chair seems heavenly.

I have an Embody. They are fantastic chairs. Couple of quick things you should know:

* They're heavy as hell. Probably the Aeron is too, but I was shocked just how heavy the chair was when I was bringing it up stairs.

* They aren't very adjustable--kind of. The whole thing about the Embody is that it, in theory, adjusts to you by itself. The tradeoff is you have quite a few less axes of manual adjustment than you do on most ergo chairs. In particular, there's no lumbar support setting--instead it has a back curvature knob, but I've heard from people who couldn't find a good fit. Test it before buying.

* They don't use cushions.

I can't remember if the Aeron is like this too, but the Embody seat uses [several layers of] plastic webbing as a spring layer and then a lightly padded fabric sling on top that rolls under in the front (it's extendable by essentially unrolling it). The back is the articulated skeleton and a frame with lightly padded fabric over it.

It is quite comfortable, but you will notice the webbing causing the fabric to wear a little in its pattern after a few months, particularly in the seat. You don't feel it at all, though. Just keep in mind it's very much a firm support ergo chair, not a comfy exec chair.

That said, I love being able to swing my arms backwards to stretch my shoulders and chest and absolutely adore being able to lean back and arch my back to stretch with the chair following my back curve and arching with me. It even twists with you some.

When you do get it dialed in right, it's like sitting on a super-articulated back brace with a butt hammock and wheels.

Edit: also, be careful how you buy them. If you expect the Herman Miller warranty, make sure you get it somewhere authorized. Most of the really cheap offers aren't. Your employer might help. I went through my then-employer's furniture distributor as part of a larger shipment, so I got it for about 50% retail.

Gizmodo actually did a pretty nice review with pictures of the construction I mention: http://gizmodo.com/5071571/herman-miller-embody-review-the-b...

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#138

Post by braveo »

paddy_m wrote: post #70
paddy_m wrote: post #58

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 i…

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…

> Most of the time I put my legs up on something.

it's healthy to have your hips be at or below the level of your knees. If your knees are below your hips, long term you're going to have issues with your hamstrings and glutes, and by extension your back and stomach as well.

http://www.fix-knee-pain.com/basic-postural-problems-at-the-...

I mention it because I always thought I was "weird" in that I hate chairs that sit up high. I've always put mine at the lowest level possible with my knees higher than my hips. It just always felt right.

So when I started learning about this stuff I realized I was one of the lucky ones who had unknowingly listened to my body and avoided problems.

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#139

Post by Hydraulix989 »

DonHopkins wrote: post #81
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…

I used to buy cheap used iconic dot-com office furniture at Desk Depot [1] in Mountain View in the 90's (they've been there since '76). That must have been one of the most profitable companies during the dot-com bubble era, and I bet there's furniture that's been recycled through that same warehouse multiple times! The Desk Depot is a Silicon Valley cultural touch-stone, like the Haltek Surplus Electronics [2] [3] or…

That is brilliant.

Re: Herman Miller Launches New Aeron Chair

#140

Post by jdcarter »

paddy_m wrote: post #70
paddy_m wrote: post #58

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 i…

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…

> I have short legs and a long torso.

Same here. Neither the Aeron nor Mirra ever fit me right, no matter how I adjusted them. The Equa 2 fits me perfectly, however. I happened to find a high-back leather one for 75% off when a store was getting out of office furniture, and it's pure bliss.

Edit to add: the Herman Miller Equa 2 is a common chair for conference rooms, therefore it's easy to find them in shops that sell second-hand office furniture. You should be able to get an excellent-quality used one for around $100.

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