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
The Aeron is a good chair but retails at a premium price.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
By Hayley Thomas ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ October 4, 2019
Contributions From: Austin Palmer & David Wise
RELATED: The Best Office Chairs
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.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Herman Miller Aeron | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Luxury Office Chair |  Best for Most People |  Best Buy for Back Support | Best on a Tight Budget | |
| Price | $1,565 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $1,440 List Check Price at Amazon | $389 List Check Price at Amazon | $170 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $170 List Check Amazon (on sale!) |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | This office chair is one of the nicer mesh-backed chairs we have tested but it comes at a premium price | The absolute best of the best, thanks to its incredible comfort, adjustability, and construction | This affordable office chair has advanced adjustability settings and ergonomics that make it comfortable for many body types and sizes | Notable for its supremely adjustable lumbar support and plush cushioning, this office chair excelled in our comfort tests despite its mid-range price | A surprisingly comfortable office chair that can't compete with top tier products, but boasts an especially friendly price |
| Pros | Comfortable, quality materials, easy to assemble | Extremely comfortable, tons of adjustability, sturdy construction | Very adjustable, responsive wheels, comfortable, many color options, ergonomic headrest available for purchase | four-way lumbar adjustability, comfortable seat cushion, wide seat height range, strong price-to-functional value ratio | Inexpensive, relatively comfortable, adjustable |
| Cons | Very expensive, no seat depth adjustment | Expensive | Hard armrests, narrow seat pan, difficult to adjust tilt tension | Wheels don't roll well, difficult to adjust, poor assembly instructions | Minimal seat adjustment options |
| Rating Categories | Herman Miller Aeron | Steelcase Leap | Branch Ergonomic | SIHOO M18 Ergonomic... | Modway Articulate Er... |
| Comfort (50%) | |||||
| Adjustability (40%) | |||||
| Ease of Assembly (10%) | |||||
| Specifications | Herman Miller Aeron | Steelcase Leap | Branch Ergonomic | SIHOO M18 Ergonomic... | Modway Articulate Er... |
| Comfortable Hours | 9.00 hrs | 10.00 hrs | 8.00 hrs | 7.00 hrs | 8.00 hrs |
| Manufacturer Weight Limit | 350 lbs | 400 lbs | 275 lbs | 330 lbs | 331 lbs |
| Measured Points of Adjustment | 6 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| Measured Tilt Limiter Stopping Points | 3 | 5 | None | None | None |
| GearLab Assembly Time | 1 min | 1 min | 12 min | 16 min | 10 min |
| Adjustable Lumbar Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes; the backrest moves up and down |
| Tension Knob | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tilt Lock | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lumbar Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Seat Pan Adjustment | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
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.
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
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, although there were a few more complaints that the chairs received were not the most comfortable.
The Aeron offers a significant amount of adjustability, which helped bump up its comfort score. Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Adjustability
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; however, you can adjust the level of support and firmness.
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 fully reclined. 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.
The Aeron's armrests are highly adjustable but are a little on the thicker side so they can hit your desk. Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Ease of Assembly
It arrived almost fully assembled and only took us 10 minutes to go from the box to happily sitting.
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
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