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Herman Miller Aeron Review

This office chair is one of the nicer mesh-backed chairs we have tested but it comes at a premium price
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Herman Miller Aeron Review (The Aeron is a good chair but retails at a premium price.)
The Aeron is a good chair but retails at a premium price.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Price:  $1,410 List
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Manufacturer:   Herman Miller
By Hayley Thomas, Austin Palmer, and David Wise  ⋅  Jun 25, 2021
75
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#6 of 14
  • Comfort - 50% 7.7
  • Adjustability - 35% 6.5
  • Durability - 10% 9.0
  • Ease of Assembly - 5% 10.0

Our Verdict

The Herman Miller Aeron is a top-tier office chair with a mesh back. It fared well across our battery of tests, earning a score that puts it toward the top of the fleet. However, it couldn't quite clinch an award when up against other top office chairs in our lineup. It's very comfortable, has a ton of adjustability features, is very well-built, and arrives completely assembled. Unfortunately, it has one of the higher retail prices of the group, making it hard to recommend for every user.
REASONS TO BUY
Comfortable
Durable
Easy to assemble
REASONS TO AVOID
Very expensive
No seat depth adjustment

Compare to Similar Products

 
herman miller aeron
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Office Chair
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck
Best Buy Award
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 Sort Icon
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Bottom Line If you are looking for a top-notch mesh chair, this one is worth checking out, though it will cost youOur favorite year after year, this is one of the highest performing chairs on the marketThis chair boasts both comfort and high-quality features, though there is room for improvement in terms of providing additional adjustment optionsIt's not fancy, but this is our favorite budget-friendly chair for the moneyWith 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%)
7.7
8.7
7.7
6.0
4.0
Adjustability (35%)
6.5
9.1
7.6
5.5
4.9
Durability (10%)
9.0
9.0
8.9
4.5
2.9
Ease of Assembly (5%)
10.0
10.0
9.7
5.7
6.3
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


herman miller aeron - the aeron gets the nod for its superior breathable mesh suspension...
The Aeron gets the nod for its superior breathable mesh suspension, but the design focuses more on your back and posture. With Herman Miller's PostureFit SL back support technology, this chair encourages the user to sit correctly, which can reward you with long-term comfort when you get it right.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

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.

herman miller aeron - the aeron offers a significant amount of adjustability, which helped...
The Aeron offers a significant amount of adjustability, which helped bump up its comfort score.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

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.

herman miller aeron - you can adjust the pad to change the amount of lumbar support the...
You can adjust the pad to change the amount of lumbar support the chair provides for you.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

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.

herman miller aeron - the aeron's armrests are highly adjustable but are a little on the...
The Aeron's armrests are highly adjustable but are a little on the thicker side so they can hit your desk.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

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.

herman miller aeron - we thought this chair seemed exceptionally durable, even with its...
We thought this chair seemed exceptionally durable, even with its mesh backrest.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

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.

herman miller aeron - this chair arrived fully assembled.
This chair arrived fully assembled.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

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.

Hayley Thomas, Austin Palmer, and David Wise