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Product Description
Exceeding all expectations and standards of its predecessors, the Aeron Chair, with its 12-year warranty, has become the new benchmark in the arena of ergonomic office, seating.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
242 of 243 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I've purchased 5 Aaron chairs within the last 14 months. I've had the technicians out to replace parts under warranty. Because of those issues, I had to repeatedly contact the vendors, Amazon, Herman Miller and the local chair technicians. Even so, I don't regret buying the chairs pending arrival of a worthy competitor to drive prices lower.
The ones I purchased include three highly adjustable models with lumbar support and two of the PostureFit. To be certain I know what I'm talking about, you can see my verified purchase logo on this review and here Aeron Chair - Highly Adjustable Graphite Frame - Carbon Wave (Large) by Herman Miller. Below I offer inputs based on recent experience with these chairs. One more thing. I've had back problems - I had spinal fushion surgery (it was successful). I mention that because it explains why I was motivated to research ergonomic chairs.
We'll get to what to do if your Aeron chair has problems, but first let's cover the basic decisions to get the right chair as numbered below.
(1) Price. I'd never guess an Aeron chair would be this expensive from looking at one in person. Yet it costs less than most true ergonomic chairs. Unless you're into fashion and have the budget, forget about almost all competitors to this chair. As style increases, price increases geometrically. So far nobody beats Herman Miller, in my view, probably because it benefits from scale. Herman Miller (HM) sells large orders direct to the federal government too - using a GSA Schedule (contracting vehicle to sell to the feds). By definition, that's the lowest price anyone pays for this chair. As soon as I find a worthy competitor to this chair with at least equal value, I'll update my review.
Unfortunately for me, I found out late that HM runs semi-yearly sales on the Aeron. I called HM only after my last purchase. Their week long sales run starting the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday), and then again about six months later. Typically, HM allows authorized vendors to sell at 15% discount from suggested retail price - but only during the official sales.
Hopefully you can qualify this purchase as a business expense. The tax code currently favors furniture purchases by businesses that have offsetting revenues. If you want to know more about this, look up "Section 179" on Wikipedia.
(2) Warranty. You always get a 12-year warranty when you buy an Aeron from a HM authorized dealer, period. I have no insight on whether HM will be a viable company 12 years from now, but remember the warranty. If you buy new, go through the channel that includes warranty, and if you buy used, get the remainder of warranty transferred to you.
For goodness sake, don't unpeel the sticker on bottom of frame underneath the seat. That sticker is about .5" x .5". The all-important sticker gives the Factory Order Number and the Born-On date, needed to exercise the 12-yr warranty. Write it down the number on the sticker; keep a duplicate record. When you call HM or the local technician, they only ask for the number on the little sticker. Literally, no other information was requested of me.
(3) Size. They come in A, B or C. A is the smallest, C the largest. Find Aeron chair dimensions for all 3 sizes posted on the Internet. I've never seen size A. Most people should go to a brick & mortar store that carries Aeron chairs and sit on the sizes they carry. B, the medium size, will cut off short on the bottom thigh for many. I believe C will fit many more people than B. Beware that if you're quite tall, then even C will cut off short under the thighs where you need support. If so, you might not even want an Aeron. Also, there is one easy way to tell the size of an Aeron: stand behind chair and feel under inside of upper frame lip (just behind the embossed Herman Miller logo) for Braille-like dots. 3 dots is for size C, 2 for B, and 1 for A.
For some, there'll be a tradeoff because size C is a little wide. I have size Cs, all my Aerons. You can get used to sitting on a wide chair but you need support along the bottom of the thighs. Notice the waterfall edge of seat shape on all Aeron chairs - that is to easily allow blood circulation when seated and it works.
(4) Model type. This is where I'm likely to be most helpful to you. For most people the highest end model, the PostureFit, is not the best. The PostureFit X-shaped support piece protrudes too low for almost all of us. We need support in the curved lumbar region of our backs. Take a look at "vertical column" in Wikipedia and see the diagram. Incidentally, orthopedic surgeons perform more surgeries related to the disk between L4 & L5 than any other area of the back.
For this reason you almost certainly should go with the model that has the Lumbar Pad. I have both and the Lumbar Pad can be placed to support the lumbar region whereas the PostureFit mechanism is set too low and is not adjustable up and down. Look hard at the pictures of these two models right on Amazon. See it? The PostureFit is lower support.
The chair technicians have now made 4 visits to my office. They confirmed that Lumbar Pad is better and also that changing PostureFit chairs to Lumbar Pad is their 2nd most common reason for an Aeron site visit. Please be warned that the lumbar pad is not going to last as long as the rest of the chair. Expect to replace it, but I don't know how often.
(5) Color and also, some of Amazon's Aeron offers have many mesh pattern choices. I don't have a notable preference regarding colors or mesh patterns and have no advice on the fifth decision point. From an ergonomic standpoint, you care that the mesh is tight.
Additional points including using the warranty:
A. Assembly. This is easy, especially if you avoid getting the PostureFit. The only tool used is the included hex key (Allen key). Assembly will probably take 10 to 15 minutes, with most of that unwrapping the parts. Assembly for PostureFit may take 25 minutes because you have to place a wire mechanism and actually poke a hole through the mesh. But if you believe me, you'll probably get the highly adjustable with lumbar support model and have zero trouble in assembly. If you get the chair with lumbar support, you will ONLY have to attach the back of the chair to the rest of it by screwing 4 bolts with the included hex key.
B. Defective parts. One of my chairs came with loose arms that kept falling to the lowest adjustable position. Upon telling HM my chair number, I was given contact info for local chair technicians. They first came to document the problem. They returned a couple months later after I called a few times to expedite the process, and installed new and good arms. They also gratuitously gave me a used lumbar support part and installed it on one of my PostureFit chairs because they're nice guys.
One of my chairs came with loose mesh in the seat. You want a seat to feel like a taut trampoline, not spongy. The technicians came to document the problem. They didn't think it was all that loose but I insisted. Again, after calls to expedite, they returned one day with a really good seat. As they tested the chair, they explained that their company bills HM for these site visits. Their company does better when fixing many chairs at one site, hence indirectly explaining why I had to make so many phone calls.
The technicians also told me with enthusiasm the #1 cause for their site visits. The most common complaint is the height adjustment stops working. These chairs are designed to handle the weight of up to a 250-pound person. Somebody heavier than that will often cause this up-down function to cease working, but the techs say it's a real easy thing to fix and the warranty covers it. Best for them, they can fix it on the documentation visit, not having to return with parts.
I have another compliant that the techs can't solve. One chair came without the sticker. The dealer has promised to have HM mail me a Certificate of Authentication. But not before I make some more calls to expedite it.
Finally, you are considering a big purchase so I've done my best to help you through the process and beyond. It took me awhile to graduate to increasingly more expensive chairs until I finally caved and got this expensive chair. Everyone in my little accounting firm gets to sit on an Aeron, no exceptions. I can work longer sitting without discomfort as a result. I and others are more productive using these chairs. Your body is worth it. You are a creative person who deserves a bona fide ergonomic chair.
The ones I purchased include three highly adjustable models with lumbar support and two of the PostureFit. To be certain I know what I'm talking about, you can see my verified purchase logo on this review and here Aeron Chair - Highly Adjustable Graphite Frame - Carbon Wave (Large) by Herman Miller. Below I offer inputs based on recent experience with these chairs. One more thing. I've had back problems - I had spinal fushion surgery (it was successful). I mention that because it explains why I was motivated to research ergonomic chairs.
We'll get to what to do if your Aeron chair has problems, but first let's cover the basic decisions to get the right chair as numbered below.
(1) Price. I'd never guess an Aeron chair would be this expensive from looking at one in person. Yet it costs less than most true ergonomic chairs. Unless you're into fashion and have the budget, forget about almost all competitors to this chair. As style increases, price increases geometrically. So far nobody beats Herman Miller, in my view, probably because it benefits from scale. Herman Miller (HM) sells large orders direct to the federal government too - using a GSA Schedule (contracting vehicle to sell to the feds). By definition, that's the lowest price anyone pays for this chair. As soon as I find a worthy competitor to this chair with at least equal value, I'll update my review.
Unfortunately for me, I found out late that HM runs semi-yearly sales on the Aeron. I called HM only after my last purchase. Their week long sales run starting the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday), and then again about six months later. Typically, HM allows authorized vendors to sell at 15% discount from suggested retail price - but only during the official sales.
Hopefully you can qualify this purchase as a business expense. The tax code currently favors furniture purchases by businesses that have offsetting revenues. If you want to know more about this, look up "Section 179" on Wikipedia.
(2) Warranty. You always get a 12-year warranty when you buy an Aeron from a HM authorized dealer, period. I have no insight on whether HM will be a viable company 12 years from now, but remember the warranty. If you buy new, go through the channel that includes warranty, and if you buy used, get the remainder of warranty transferred to you.
For goodness sake, don't unpeel the sticker on bottom of frame underneath the seat. That sticker is about .5" x .5". The all-important sticker gives the Factory Order Number and the Born-On date, needed to exercise the 12-yr warranty. Write it down the number on the sticker; keep a duplicate record. When you call HM or the local technician, they only ask for the number on the little sticker. Literally, no other information was requested of me.
(3) Size. They come in A, B or C. A is the smallest, C the largest. Find Aeron chair dimensions for all 3 sizes posted on the Internet. I've never seen size A. Most people should go to a brick & mortar store that carries Aeron chairs and sit on the sizes they carry. B, the medium size, will cut off short on the bottom thigh for many. I believe C will fit many more people than B. Beware that if you're quite tall, then even C will cut off short under the thighs where you need support. If so, you might not even want an Aeron. Also, there is one easy way to tell the size of an Aeron: stand behind chair and feel under inside of upper frame lip (just behind the embossed Herman Miller logo) for Braille-like dots. 3 dots is for size C, 2 for B, and 1 for A.
For some, there'll be a tradeoff because size C is a little wide. I have size Cs, all my Aerons. You can get used to sitting on a wide chair but you need support along the bottom of the thighs. Notice the waterfall edge of seat shape on all Aeron chairs - that is to easily allow blood circulation when seated and it works.
(4) Model type. This is where I'm likely to be most helpful to you. For most people the highest end model, the PostureFit, is not the best. The PostureFit X-shaped support piece protrudes too low for almost all of us. We need support in the curved lumbar region of our backs. Take a look at "vertical column" in Wikipedia and see the diagram. Incidentally, orthopedic surgeons perform more surgeries related to the disk between L4 & L5 than any other area of the back.
For this reason you almost certainly should go with the model that has the Lumbar Pad. I have both and the Lumbar Pad can be placed to support the lumbar region whereas the PostureFit mechanism is set too low and is not adjustable up and down. Look hard at the pictures of these two models right on Amazon. See it? The PostureFit is lower support.
The chair technicians have now made 4 visits to my office. They confirmed that Lumbar Pad is better and also that changing PostureFit chairs to Lumbar Pad is their 2nd most common reason for an Aeron site visit. Please be warned that the lumbar pad is not going to last as long as the rest of the chair. Expect to replace it, but I don't know how often.
(5) Color and also, some of Amazon's Aeron offers have many mesh pattern choices. I don't have a notable preference regarding colors or mesh patterns and have no advice on the fifth decision point. From an ergonomic standpoint, you care that the mesh is tight.
Additional points including using the warranty:
A. Assembly. This is easy, especially if you avoid getting the PostureFit. The only tool used is the included hex key (Allen key). Assembly will probably take 10 to 15 minutes, with most of that unwrapping the parts. Assembly for PostureFit may take 25 minutes because you have to place a wire mechanism and actually poke a hole through the mesh. But if you believe me, you'll probably get the highly adjustable with lumbar support model and have zero trouble in assembly. If you get the chair with lumbar support, you will ONLY have to attach the back of the chair to the rest of it by screwing 4 bolts with the included hex key.
B. Defective parts. One of my chairs came with loose arms that kept falling to the lowest adjustable position. Upon telling HM my chair number, I was given contact info for local chair technicians. They first came to document the problem. They returned a couple months later after I called a few times to expedite the process, and installed new and good arms. They also gratuitously gave me a used lumbar support part and installed it on one of my PostureFit chairs because they're nice guys.
One of my chairs came with loose mesh in the seat. You want a seat to feel like a taut trampoline, not spongy. The technicians came to document the problem. They didn't think it was all that loose but I insisted. Again, after calls to expedite, they returned one day with a really good seat. As they tested the chair, they explained that their company bills HM for these site visits. Their company does better when fixing many chairs at one site, hence indirectly explaining why I had to make so many phone calls.
The technicians also told me with enthusiasm the #1 cause for their site visits. The most common complaint is the height adjustment stops working. These chairs are designed to handle the weight of up to a 250-pound person. Somebody heavier than that will often cause this up-down function to cease working, but the techs say it's a real easy thing to fix and the warranty covers it. Best for them, they can fix it on the documentation visit, not having to return with parts.
I have another compliant that the techs can't solve. One chair came without the sticker. The dealer has promised to have HM mail me a Certificate of Authentication. But not before I make some more calls to expedite it.
Finally, you are considering a big purchase so I've done my best to help you through the process and beyond. It took me awhile to graduate to increasingly more expensive chairs until I finally caved and got this expensive chair. Everyone in my little accounting firm gets to sit on an Aeron, no exceptions. I can work longer sitting without discomfort as a result. I and others are more productive using these chairs. Your body is worth it. You are a creative person who deserves a bona fide ergonomic chair.
34 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
May 2, 2010 UPDATE: The main support cylinder for the height adjustment has started to leak so the chair slowly will lower down as the day goes on. I contacted Herman Miller and they said it is covered under their 12 year warranty. But, I would have to go back to the original seller. I contacted The BackStore and they had their Herman Miller service person call me (after several days of waiting for the call). I was informed that they will mail me a box for the chair and it would be up to me to ship the chair to them for repair. I explained that I can't do without the chair that long. I don't have another one for a backup. She told me that's the only way the warranty will work. They won't send me the part so I can install it myself. This is VERY disappointing to have an expensive chair that can't be repaired without going through a lot of trouble. Keep this in mind when you buy something from an online retailer. The initial price might be a lot better but sometimes things like this happen. I think I will contact Herman Miller and explain it to them. Perhaps I can get their dealer in Fargo (70+ miles from Grand Forks) to do the needed repair under warranty.
Herman Miller Aeron Chair w/PostureFit Lumbar Back...
When my office chair broke recently I decided to look for one that is not only very comfortable to sit in but will last a long while. I searched all over the internet and asked questions of a lot of people. It was a general consensus that if price is of no object, the Herman Miller Aeron chair is the way to go.
I'm a hefty person (360 pounds) and I'm hard on furniture. I spend a lot of my time in front of my computer and being well supported and comfortable is very important to me. Most chairs have little to no warranty, are not made in sizes to suit a wide variety of body types, and are flimsy for the most part.
The Herman Miller Aeron chair has been around for some years now so they already have a good track record for durability and quality. I don't think I've seen any other manufacturer's warranty that can come close to the 12 years they offer.
The Aeron chair is made in a wide variety of ways to suit almost anyone's body type. They are made in three basic sizes, A, B, and C with the C size being the largest chair. You can buy it with no lumbar support or with two types of lumbar supports. I opted for the PostureFit adjustable version.
The Aeron chair is totally different from other chairs. There is no foam rubber, cloth upholstery or springs to sit on. The seat material that they call "pellicle" is stretched drum tight in the frame and it conforms to fit you according to your weight and shape. It's also cool to sit on as air passes right through the fabric.
The chair is highly adjustable too. Seat height, forward and back tilt tension, arm height, arm angle (the arms turn inward and outward according to where they are comfortable), forward tilt, tilt limiter, and the lumbar depth adjustment. It comes with a booklet and the Herman Miller website also has videos on how to adjust the chair. [...]
I've found that the forward tilt is an added comfort I've not had in the past. If I have to reach forward for something the chair follows me and keeps my back and hips well supported.
The MSRP for a chair with the options I chose is $1350.00. But, I don't know anyone why actually pays full price. The "street" price varies quite a lot. I found a company that sells on eBay (seller ID "drtomy"), Amazon.com ("BackStore"), and their own website [...]
I ended up paying $847.00 for the chair shipped to my door.
Assembly was very easy. It took about 5 minutes and the necessary allen wrench is provided. The only thing I needed a little bit of help with was fishing the lumbar support control cable through the fabric and to the adjustment mechanism. Once I had an extra pair of hands it took only a couple of minutes.
I could tell this was a way different chair immediately. It's actually quite heavy in comparison with any other chairs I've owned. I watched the videos, and read the adjustment booklet while I set everything to my liking. The chair is basically personalized for the owner by making the various adjustments. Other people can sit in it OK but they won't feel as comfortable as if it were adjusted specifically for them.
I think this is the best chair I've ever owned. It's comfortable, heavy duty, and I expect that it will last me a very long while. If anything should break, the 12 years in home parts and labor warranty gives me a lot of peace of mind.
The price of this chair is on the high end but it's far and beyond what you would expect a chair to be. My low back and hips feel so much better and I can sit in it all day if necessary with complete comfort. So, I feel it was money well spent. I highly recommend the Aeron chair.
Recommended: Yes
Herman Miller Aeron Chair w/PostureFit Lumbar Back...
When my office chair broke recently I decided to look for one that is not only very comfortable to sit in but will last a long while. I searched all over the internet and asked questions of a lot of people. It was a general consensus that if price is of no object, the Herman Miller Aeron chair is the way to go.
I'm a hefty person (360 pounds) and I'm hard on furniture. I spend a lot of my time in front of my computer and being well supported and comfortable is very important to me. Most chairs have little to no warranty, are not made in sizes to suit a wide variety of body types, and are flimsy for the most part.
The Herman Miller Aeron chair has been around for some years now so they already have a good track record for durability and quality. I don't think I've seen any other manufacturer's warranty that can come close to the 12 years they offer.
The Aeron chair is made in a wide variety of ways to suit almost anyone's body type. They are made in three basic sizes, A, B, and C with the C size being the largest chair. You can buy it with no lumbar support or with two types of lumbar supports. I opted for the PostureFit adjustable version.
The Aeron chair is totally different from other chairs. There is no foam rubber, cloth upholstery or springs to sit on. The seat material that they call "pellicle" is stretched drum tight in the frame and it conforms to fit you according to your weight and shape. It's also cool to sit on as air passes right through the fabric.
The chair is highly adjustable too. Seat height, forward and back tilt tension, arm height, arm angle (the arms turn inward and outward according to where they are comfortable), forward tilt, tilt limiter, and the lumbar depth adjustment. It comes with a booklet and the Herman Miller website also has videos on how to adjust the chair. [...]
I've found that the forward tilt is an added comfort I've not had in the past. If I have to reach forward for something the chair follows me and keeps my back and hips well supported.
The MSRP for a chair with the options I chose is $1350.00. But, I don't know anyone why actually pays full price. The "street" price varies quite a lot. I found a company that sells on eBay (seller ID "drtomy"), Amazon.com ("BackStore"), and their own website [...]
I ended up paying $847.00 for the chair shipped to my door.
Assembly was very easy. It took about 5 minutes and the necessary allen wrench is provided. The only thing I needed a little bit of help with was fishing the lumbar support control cable through the fabric and to the adjustment mechanism. Once I had an extra pair of hands it took only a couple of minutes.
I could tell this was a way different chair immediately. It's actually quite heavy in comparison with any other chairs I've owned. I watched the videos, and read the adjustment booklet while I set everything to my liking. The chair is basically personalized for the owner by making the various adjustments. Other people can sit in it OK but they won't feel as comfortable as if it were adjusted specifically for them.
I think this is the best chair I've ever owned. It's comfortable, heavy duty, and I expect that it will last me a very long while. If anything should break, the 12 years in home parts and labor warranty gives me a lot of peace of mind.
The price of this chair is on the high end but it's far and beyond what you would expect a chair to be. My low back and hips feel so much better and I can sit in it all day if necessary with complete comfort. So, I feel it was money well spent. I highly recommend the Aeron chair.
Recommended: Yes
57 of 61 people found the following review helpful
The chair is amazing and helps alleviate a lot of back pain caused from desk work. Herman Miller is definitely the best ergonomic designer and manufacturer of chairs.
There is no difference between this chair and the aluminum one other than materials for aesthetic appeal. They function the EXACT same way but you pay more for "metal" versus graphite. The better value is this one, the graphite classic.
A plus is this company VitalityWeb (aka BACKSTORE from Amazon). Shipped fast, shipped in perfect condition, brand new... These chairs are NOT supposed to come pre-assembled -- if you buy one that does, then it is a USED chair or a floor model. If it is NOT assembled, double-check and look for a paper tag that should be on the seat height lever. It will be impossible to remove this paper tag without RIPPING it (and no way to put it on unless you were the one building it prior to installing the lever). If there is no Herman Miller paper/tag attached, it is USED.
They have more selection than DWR (Design Within Reach, a very high-end designer store) and Great Outdoors combined. NO TAX, FREE SHIPPING, NO HASSLE, GREAT PRICE.
Just make sure you know your size and type of chair you want before you buy. Simply visit a DWR or Great Outdoors store and sample these chairs there. Then buy them from Amazon without the hassle of carrying the large box yourself, paying for taxes, dealing with a salesrep, or getting a floor model.
There is no difference between this chair and the aluminum one other than materials for aesthetic appeal. They function the EXACT same way but you pay more for "metal" versus graphite. The better value is this one, the graphite classic.
A plus is this company VitalityWeb (aka BACKSTORE from Amazon). Shipped fast, shipped in perfect condition, brand new... These chairs are NOT supposed to come pre-assembled -- if you buy one that does, then it is a USED chair or a floor model. If it is NOT assembled, double-check and look for a paper tag that should be on the seat height lever. It will be impossible to remove this paper tag without RIPPING it (and no way to put it on unless you were the one building it prior to installing the lever). If there is no Herman Miller paper/tag attached, it is USED.
They have more selection than DWR (Design Within Reach, a very high-end designer store) and Great Outdoors combined. NO TAX, FREE SHIPPING, NO HASSLE, GREAT PRICE.
Just make sure you know your size and type of chair you want before you buy. Simply visit a DWR or Great Outdoors store and sample these chairs there. Then buy them from Amazon without the hassle of carrying the large box yourself, paying for taxes, dealing with a salesrep, or getting a floor model.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Very Poor Experience, Chair was defective within 2 weeks
The chair arrived in a huge box that needs to be carried by two people. The installation of the chair honestly hurt my back more than the chair provides support. Read more
Published 27 days ago by PDD
This chair ruined my marriage!!!
I purchased this chair after months of lengthy debates about our health insurance. The insurance was simply too costly, when I could purchase a chair that eliminates the risk of... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Frank Moosefelt
aeron chair
chair came in broken,and easily falls apart when used, feels very fragile and i have to continuously spend time fixing the chair. i am not happy with my purchase.
Published 2 months ago by leon
I was convinced this chair was all hype. I was wrong.
Never thought I'd spend this much on a chair. But after a decade of sitting most of my day you start to think about investing in your back. Read more
Published 2 months ago by QBS529
good chair. Complicated to buy
This review is intended to augment the review written by "Citizen John". IMO, all the info in John's review was right on. I think he missed some points. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. Bill
Huge improvement in my back
I had a pretty nice desk chair, but found that I had to get up about every 45 minutes to walk for a few minutes or my lower back would start to ache. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Genevieve
Unbelievably happy posterior (and lower back)
I had one of these chairs at a previous job. They were so comfortable that when I took a job working from home I missed the chair, so I (eventually) bought one for the house. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Zergling For Hire
Absolute poison for my back
If you look at the picture of the chair, you can see that it rises up on the sides of the seat bottom. Read more
Published 4 months ago by C. F. Parrinello
some assembly required
I ordered my Aeron (with PostureFit) for a new work-from-home job that will have me spending many hours in front of my computer. Read more
Published 6 months ago by DocESP
Didn't work for me
I got the Aeron chair because of all the good reviews. However, after sitting in it for a half hour, I realized that it wasn't going to work for me. Read more
Published 13 months ago by CleoSJ
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