Herman Miller Aeron Review
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
This Product Herman Miller Aeron | |||||
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Awards | Best Overall Office Chair | Best Bang for the Buck | Best on a Tight Budget | ||
Price | $1,410 List $549.00 at Amazon | $1,299 List $1,039 at Amazon | $819 List $617.60 at Amazon | $180 List $132.00 at Amazon | $97 List $76.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score | |||||
Star Rating | |||||
Bottom Line | If you are looking for a top-notch mesh chair, this one is worth checking out, though it will cost you | Our favorite year after year, this is one of the highest performing chairs on the market | This chair boasts both comfort and high-quality features, though there is room for improvement in terms of providing additional adjustment options | It's not fancy, but this is our favorite budget-friendly chair for the money | With this model, you get what you pay for, which isn't much |
Rating Categories | Herman Miller Aeron | Steelcase Leap | Steelcase Series 2 | Modway Articulate E... | Amazon Basics Class... |
Comfort (50%) | |||||
Adjustability (35%) | |||||
Durability (10%) | |||||
Ease of Assembly (5%) | |||||
Specs | Herman Miller Aeron | Steelcase Leap | Steelcase Series 2 | Modway Articulate E... | Amazon Basics Class... |
Adjustable Seat Pan | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Adjustable Lumbar Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes; the backrest moves up and down | Yes |
Adjustable Armrest Width | Option available | Option available | Option available | No | Yes |
Recline Lever | No | No | No | Yes | No |
Tilt Limiter | Yes; 3 stop points | Yes; 5 stop points | Yes; only locks in the upright position | Yes; locks you into a position | Yes; 3 stop points |
Swivel Armrests | Option available | Option available | Option available | No | No |
Armrest Depth Adjustment | Option available | Option available | Option available | No | No |
Tension Knob | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Lumbar Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Aeron is a really nice chair and one of the most popular options from Herman Miller. With design details to encourage proper posture and coming in three sizes, it also has great airflow. The only real downsides are a bit less adjustability than other options and a high price tag.
Performance Comparison
Comfort
To rate and score this highly subjective metric, we had a diverse panel of judges try out each chair for an entire workday and then fill out a detailed questionnaire. In particular, we had them rate and score how comfortable each chair's seat, armrests, and backrest were and comment on how long they would be content to sit in each one.
The Aeron scored fairly well by most of our judges, especially regarding the armrests. They are heavily padded, which gives them a leg up, but they can be difficult to make parallel to one another, as the level mechanism on the back requires both hands to operate. The backrest isn't the most comfortable we have seen to date and is a bit lower than many of the others, so taller testers weren't as comfortable.
The seat is also quite comfortable, with every single one of our testers rating it average or above. The vast majority of them even rated the seat of the Aeron close to the top of the entire group. Overall, the majority of our judges found it comfortable enough to sit in for at least a full workday, though there would be a few more complaints that the overall most comfortable chairs received.
Adjustability
Next, we looked at the adjustability of each chair and assessed how well each could accommodate a wide range of different body types and sitting positions. We compared how much you can adjust the chair's back, armrest, seat, and reclining resistance to achieve a recommended ergonomic position. The Aeron lacks some of the adjustability of other options, but it still scored decently. The backrest and lumbar support have a wide adjustment range, and the “PostureFit SL Lumbar Support” consists of two pads that conform to the body and support the lower back. You can't adjust the height of these pads — which is usually not an issue since they are quite tall — but you can adjust the level of support and firmness.
The Aeron has three different reclining limiters that you can set — straight up, halfway reclined, and all the way back. The reclining resistance knob is easy to reach underneath the front of the chair and makes it simple to set your desired resistance. The armrests can move up and down, forward and back, and can swivel, but they can't move narrower or wider. The seat has adequate padding, but the seat pan depth can't be adjusted. However, even our shortest tester (5'3") could put her feet flat on the ground in this chair. Altogether, it's fairly easy to get the Aeron configured for an ergonomic position at most desks, though the armrests are a little thick and can get jammed up depending on your desk.
Durability
Our next group of tests focused on each chair's construction and available warranty. To score this, we researched commonly identified issues and noted how well each chair held up to our in-house testing use. The Aeron is solidly built and scored exceptionally well in this metric, earning one of our fleet's top spots.
We combed through as many user experiences as possible of the Aeron and found no trend of concerning issues. The most common comments involved people complaining about the fit of the chair based on their personal preferences.
Ease of Assembly
We rated and compared the effort it took to assemble each chair for our fourth and final metric. The Aeron is one of the easiest chairs to put together, earning it a top score. It arrived almost fully assembled and only took us 10 minutes to go from the box to happily sitting.
Value
The Aeron received a decent overall score, but it also comes at a high price. That said, for the right user — namely someone who loves the fit and appreciates the ventilated back — we feel it's worth it. After all, if you sit all day every day for work, you really can't put a price on a good chair.
Conclusion
Overall, the Herman Miller Aeron is a good chair with some nice features. It offers plenty of ventilation on your back and a high level of comfort. The fit isn't as universally acclaimed as other models, and its price tag may put it out of most people's budgets, but if this ends up being your daily seat, we don't think you'll be disappointed.