Customer Reviews

Herman Miller Mirra Chair; Fully Loaded; Color: Graphite

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Needing to replace my old desk chair -- and acknowledging my advancing years -- I decided to find out what was the least expensive chair to offer blissful, sit-all-day comfort. After plopping down on every name ergonomic chair you've ever heard of (Leap, Freedom, etc.), I pronounced the Mirra the clear winner. (The Aeron is remarkably comfortable too, but more expensive.) I bought a loaded Mirra and have been very satisfied, with one little quibble for which I have deducted a star. That is, the two screws holding the chair's back to the base worked themselves loose after a few months of use. I consider this unacceptable in a $700 chair and caution all purchasers not to throw out the hex wrench Herman Miller gives you to tighten the screws. I have now tried applying some Threadlocker Blue liquid to the screws and hope this will solve the problem. I also think Herman Miller shouldn't charge a $150 premium over the basic model for the privilege of adjustable lumbar support.

I am a med student with minor lower back problems from years of hockey and rowing in college. I also have a back condition called spondylolisthesis. I bought this chair because of the amazing amount of strain it takes off of my back when I study (which is a lot of the time). I tried the rest of the herman miller chairs and the humanscale freedom and liberty chairs, and the mirra was clearly the most comfortable. I feel like it has all the features of the aeron with half the knobs. The mirra adjusts to you since the seat and the back are flexible. It has perfect lumbar support, and the chair just looks so sexy.

I do recline sometimes, and it is very comfortable while reclining. I would say that if you are mostly a recliner, it would be a good idea to check out the humanscale freedom with the headrest because it was great while reclining but not so great while just sitting up.

Get the mirra fully loaded so you can have the extra adjustable options not on the basic model. One review on here is wrong and claims that the only difference between the basic and loaded chairs is adjustable lumbar support; the loaded has adjustable arms, adjustable seat pan depth, tilt limiter, and adjustable lumbar support.

Some people complained about the building of the chair. I honestly cannot believe how whiney they are. You slide the back of the chair on and then use a 13mm socket to put in 2 bolts. That is all you have to do. If you screw them in at the proper torque they won't fall out, and if they do, take the 30 seconds to screw them in again. You really dont even need a torque wrench (I didn't use one)... just make sure you tighten the bolts but dont go nuts with cinching them down.

Finally, if you try out this chair and do not like it that much, the herman miller Equa 2 was really comfortable and worth a test run. Plus you can find used equa 2 chairs on ebay for ~$200-300 shipped.

With all the glowing reviews, you'd probably assume that this chair is pretty comfortable. That may be for some folks but if you're looking, I urge you to sit in one with an open mind. I wish I'd done this because I ended up hating this chair and returning it... losing a fair amount of money in shipping and restock fees in the process.

The main problem is with the seat. While the mesh is just fine in the rear-end portion of the seat(quite cushy with lots of depth to its flex) it's the opposite in the hamstring area. The mesh is still there, but because of the location of the chair's frame in this area, the mesh isn't allowed the same depth of flex. The result is that there's pressure pushing up on your hamstrings, which cuts off circulation and it's really noticeable.

I'm positive I had the chair adjusted correctly at one point during the time I had it. My feet were on the floor, my legs weren't dangling, I wasn't sitting on my head, I weigh 175 pounds and I'm not freakishly proportioned.

Bottom line, you shouldn't have to think "am I sitting in this chair properly? What am I doing wrong? Is it me? Am I not worthy of this chair? It sure costs a lot, so it can't be the chair's fault, etc. etc." A chair is either comfortable or it's not.

Sit in one before you buy.

Sit in one before you buy.

Sit in one before you buy.

We built a new office for our help desk and had the luxury to test out several of the top office chairs in the world. My personal favorite was the Mirra. It scored well against the Aeron and was a bit more comfortable to my behind and back. The style is good - a clean take on a functional product. It has all of the adjustments and it was a bit less expensive than the Aeron. The funny thing is that I suggested that we test sit the Aeron but the vendor suggested the Mirra for budget reasons (I was pre-sold on the Aeron). After a week with the Aeron and a week with the Mirra, I voted for Mirra - a shock to me and the people around me. Alas, the majority chose the Aeron and I sit in one now (not too unhappily).

The Mirra is a great chair - but try it before you buy.

I work 8-12 hrs a day from my home office and, until recently, have relied on a combination of sitting on a cheap ($80) task chair, 65cm exercise ball and have also created a "standing station" where I can stand while working. The variety in working positions was great, but the task chair and the exercise ball were quickly becoming weak points, creating a lot of fatigue and imbalances.

The exercise ball was great for freedom of movement, but I'm tall (6'3") and the sheer size of the ball required that I "straddle" it, which isn't comfortable for more than an hour or two.

Realizing I needed a high-end chair that could replace both my task chair and exercise ball, I began reading higher-end chair reviews and sought out a Herman Miller distributor. My goal was to sit in the Celle, Mirra and Aeron for at least 30 mins each.

I'm glad I sat in them for extended periods. With my long legs, I quickly realized that even the "C" size Aeron was not comfortable for me. Ironically, the Celle and the Mirra - which both have adjustable seat depths - were both evenly matched in overall comfort, and were a lot less expensive.

I chose the Mirra because I live in AZ and I liked the mesh-like seat on the Mirra, which will help dissipate heat during the summer months. If I didn't need the heat dissipation, I would have chosen the Celle.

I'm very pleased with my purchase - especially because I listened to the advice of other reviewers who strongly suggested to sit in the chairs long enough to get a real feel for it. That's my advice to you as well.

If you spend as much time in a chair as you do in bed, don't do what I originally did and simply purchase the cheapest chair you can find, just to save some money. The right chair is worth the cost.

When compared to the Aeron, I believe this chair is much better value. I found the chair to be more comfortable, a little "softer", and had a better recline mechanism. My biggest complaint is the lack of a headrest for reclining.

For me, the Aeron has always been "too hard" and while its mesh did adjust a bit, it felt too much like sitting on a lawn chair. I suspect this is because I was too small for the Aeron. The Mirra seems to fit smaller-frames a little better than the Aeron, though it is far from perfect. The mesh seat has a little more give, but is still too hard. The plastic-mesh back is much harder than the Aeron, though I find it more comfortable; it provides a level of structure and flexing that the Aeron didn't for me.

The recline mechanism keeps your feet on the floor--a very rare find even among high end chairs. The recline-stop only has three positions which is a big negative. It does seem possible to get a good balance where the tension keeps you mostly upright, but allows you to lean back just slightly. Since the seatpan moves with the back, it doesn't really "open up" your sitting position which can lead to some discomfort for some people.

The armrests can be adjusted for most people, though they are still a little too wide for my frame. My favorite feature is the rolling-front which does depth adjustment. Instead of the hard-lip featured on the Aeron, the front folds up and down to adjust the depth. This results in a soft-edge to the chair that doesn't cut off circulation to your legs.

Since I prefer to recline while working, I find the lack of a headrest unacceptable and the lack of cushioning is a problem for me since I lack "natural" cushioning.

I personally find the Leap to be a more comfortable chair, though it features a different recline mechanism. The arm rests adjust in farther for skinny folks, but the back curves back too far and provides less shoulder support than the Mirra.

As far as chairs with headrests, I find the Humanscale Freedom to be the best for my size. Compared to the Mirra, it provides a more aggressive lumbar support, an adjustable reclining headrest, far better cushioning, and better armrest adjustments. Though the headrest does not adjust forward/back so it can cause problems for some people.

I would strongly recommend trying the Mirra before buying an Aeron (or even a Leap). It's a good chair and may fit your needs very well. But I would *never* buy a chair without trying it first. And by try it, sit in the chair for an hour. Bring a book, your laptop, whatever. But sitting in a chair for 5 minutes isn't a useful test. It's a good way to hurt yourself.


On a side note... I don't understand why folks get so upset about spending $500-$1000 on a chair, particularly if you use it for several hours a day. People will spend $2000+ for a sleep number, but won't spent half of that for proper seating? I don't get it. I spend more time in an office chair than in bed--so I figure I should spent AT LEAST as much on a chair as my bed.

I can't speak to the longevity of this chair, but if its anything like the rest of the Herman Miller/Steelcase/Humanscale chairs, I expect it'll easily last a decade with only minor maintenance/repairs. With the lack of soft fabrics, I expect a Mirra to last much longer.

So, I love my Mirra. I have lower back problems and so this is the only chair in the house, as far as I am concerned. The lumbar support stays perfectly aligned even when you recline - amazing. And good looking too. I could go on and on. Its also a superior choice, in my opinion, to the Aeron chair - the Mirra was designed more recently (and so looks a little nicer) and while it is able to adjust in a variety of ways, it is simple to do all the adjusting (simpler than the Aeron, I tried them both.)

HOWEVER, bear in mind that if the chair does not come with assembly (depending on who you purchase it from) you will also need a torque wrench capable of 220-240 inch/lbs and a 13mm socket to put it together. This is especially frustrating because it is never mentioned, not on Herman Miller's site, not anywhere else. You need it only to attach the chair back to the chair base with two bolts, which we temporarily used a regular wrench for, but after spending around $800 for a chair, we did not want to mess around with assembling it "incorrectly". Now our new torque wrench has a bow and is hanging out with the other Christmas presents. And I am hanging out in my Mirra chair!

I want this chair, but I also want the 12 year warranty. Amazon's description says: "Sam Flax is an authorized Herman Miller service center and sells all its chair and furniture products fully-assembled with full 12-year manufacturer warranty. Don't settle for re-built or pre-owned, partially or ready-to-assemble products. We ship our products brand new and fully assembled. Available from Sam Flax at the lowest price of any authorized dealer, guaranteed. Sizing information available upon request."

However, the description also says the chair is "shipped and sold by MadisonSeating." So who is it? Sam Flax or MadisonSeating? One gets you a 12 year warranty -- the other leaves you up the creek without a paddle. So I emailed MadisonSeating, and here is their reply:
"Dear Lee,

Madison Seating is not an authorized retailer of Herman Miller. You will need to contact Sam Flax directly in order to purchase your chair with the 12 year warranty. Additionally, they will be able
to let you know if they are participating in the sale.

Sincerely,

Tina Yancy
Customer Care
Herman Miller for the Home
800-646-4400"

Since Madison Seating is NOT an authorized retailer, then NO 12 year warranty! Amazon needs to fix this listing; people are paying for something they are not getting.

This is an extremely comfortable chair and one of the few chairs I have ever used where the arms can be lowered far enough to not impede typing. I first sat on one at the desk in a Hilton Garden Inn room - - if Herman Miller is providing them free to the Hilton to drum up business, it is certainly working - - and when I got back home I ordered one. Note, however, that even though under the Amazon Product Description it says the chair comes "fully assembled" it does not. Not from the Backstore, anyway. Assembly is easy, however, and does not really require a torque wrench. Any monkey wrench will do.

My office chair broke down, so I was in the market for a new one. My neighbor let me borrow his Aeron chair for a couple of days (he has two). My wife insisted I buy the same chair as she has at work. Upon checking, it turned out she has an Aeron. Having tried the Aeron, I loved it, but after a week of reading as many reviews on the Herman Miller chairs as I could, I kept getting drawn to the Mirra.

The things that stood out to me about the Mirra, compared to the Aeron:

(1) I liked the design better than the Aeron's. I find the Mirra a beautiful chair, whereas the Aeron looks, well, not ugly, but standard.

(2) I liked the Mirra's one-adjustable-size fits all approach. With Aeron you have to pick an A, B or C size. I'm in the B/C size category per Herman Miller's chart. Herman Miller then recommends you get the B chair (which is what I borrowed from my neighbor). I figured you probably keep adjusting a chair over a long period until you have the perfect settings. I did not want to end up in a situation where I would always wonder whether the C size would have been better for me. With Mirra, there is only one very adjustable size--if you buy the right chair (see below).

(3) Mirra's moving back looked better than Aeron's more rigid back. In theory of course, because you cannot really make the comparison unless you try both chairs for many days.

(4) Mirra is cheaper than Aeron, but not by much (if you get the right chair, see below).

Having had the chair for three days, I'm extremely happy. My lower back pain, caused by my broken chair is finally gone. Aeron would have done this as well no doubt. The chair looks great. The assembly was done in two minutes. All you need is a not-included-with-the-chair 13 mm. socket wrench. (By the way, I suspect the people who complained about the two screws getting loose may not have used the socket wrench to tighten them. It is possible to assemble this chair without using the socket wrench.) I love the material of which the back is made--it seems more comfortable than the Aeron's back. The seat is similar to the Aeron's. Both chairs prevent your body from getting too hot because of the ventilating material used in seat and back. The chair looks rock solid, and it is obvious this one will not break down easily. If it does, there is a 12-year warranty.

Finally, a caveat: Make sure to get the right Mirra chair. It was only after reading all those other reviews that I realized the Mirra does not come in two versions, but three:

(1) Basic. I cannot imagine getting this one as the basic version lacks certain adjustable features.
(2) Fully Loaded/Highly Adjustable WITHOUT Forward Tilt.
(3) Fully Loaded/Highly Adjustable WITH Forward Tilt.

I bought the third version with forward tilt. I figured an extra $30 couldn't hurt, and, again, I wanted to prevent a situation where I would always wonder whether with forward tilt would have been better.

Upon adjusting the chair after assembly, I immediately realized that the $30 extra was more than worth it. In fact, I think if you get the Mirra without the forward tilt, you're not getting your money's worth as the chair does not provide any back support while typing on your keyboard.

When I type, I sit up straight. If I turn off the forward tilt (which you can do) the back of the chair does not follow my back and thus does not provide any back support while typing. Don't get this wrong, forward tilt does not let me type while my face is aimed at the floor (it doesn't tilt forward that much). No, it just allows the chair's back to continue to support you while you slightly lean forward, which is what you do when you type and sit up straight.

I think this is crucial, and would only recommend the Fully Loaded/Highly Adjustable Mirra Chair WITH Forward Tilt. To put it more bluntly: given the fact that Herman Miller prides itself on having designed a chair with back support that supports you at all times, they should have only brought to market one version--the version with forward tilt.

It's only the end of day three of using this chair, but I'm convinced I'm right about the forward tilt. I may update this review if my opinion changes.

11/21/11 Update: Today, I noticed I have to tighten the two screws again in the back, which was wobbly, despite my using a socket-wrench to tighten these when I installed the chair. Thus, the other reviewers were correct. This is annoying, but does not justify amending my opinion down a star, which is to say--I still love this chair!