Click on image to zoom Designers: Bill Stumpf and Don ChadwickWhen Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick designed the Herman Miller Aeron Chair, they combined a deep knowledge of human-centered design with never-before-seen technology to create a task chair unlike any other. Now Aeron has been remastered in practically every way to create an office chair that better supports people and the types of work we do today. Configure Your Aeron Chair Add to Wish List While its iconic form has remained largely unchanged, the Aeron Chair has been remastered from the casters up. With the help of Don Chadwick, the chair’s original co-designer, we updated Aeron to incorporate more than 20 years of research on the science of sitting, as well as advancements in materials, manufacturing, and technology. “It’s going to be a whole new experience, and yet the chair is still going to be an Aeron chair.” Get into the Zones Across Aeron's 8Z Pellicle elastomeric suspension seat and backrest, eight latitudinal zones of varying tension envelop you as you sit, delivering greater comfort and ergonomic support.
The new 8Z Pellicle also allows body heat to pass through to help maintain an even and comfortable skin temperature. A Stance Worth Backing An active body is at its strongest when standing, chest open and pelvis tilted slightly forward. PostureFit SL supports your spine to give you the same benefit while seated. Adjustable, individual pads provide lumbar support and stabilize the base of the spine for a more powerful seated posture. If You're So Reclined Sitting in one position reduces the natural pumping action of the muscles that deliver nutrients to the spine. As you sit in Aeron, however, the tilt allows the chair to move seamlessly with your body, so shifting between forward and reclining postures is smooth and balanced throughout the entire range of recline. A Whole New Aeron Aeron is available in three tightly curated, holistic material expressions. Graphite is the darkest, a modern rendition of the classic Aeron look. Carbon offers a balanced neutral for a modern chair that works equally well in both warm and cool environments.
Mineral is the lightest, with a fresh, ethereal quality that borders on translucence. One Size Does Not Fit All With chairs, one size does not fit all people. Based on an ends-to-the-middle design approach, Aeron comes in three sizes (A, B, and C) to provide an inclusive fit that delivers the same level of comfort to the largest range of anthropometric body types of any office chair. For individuals sitting in Aeron, cross-performance design means the ergonomic chair fully accommodates the widest possible range of activities and postures people adopt while working, from intense, forward-facing focus to relaxed, contemplative recline. Designers: Bill Stumpf and Don ChadwickIt's the most well-known ergonomic office chair ever made. As the first office chair to replace fabric and foam with a breathable, woven suspension membrane—the innovative Pellicle seat and back—the classic Aeron Chair distributes your weight appropriately, eliminating pressure points and heat buildup.
The Kinemat Tilt lets you recline fluidly, and PostureFit puts back support where you need it most while seated—at the base of your spine. Configure Your Classic Aeron Chair The revolution in ergonomics that’s become a design icon Functionality shows through in the design of the classic Aeron, creating a distinctive look that invites you to sit and experience the chair for yourself. From the transparency of the Pellicle suspension material to the chair’s curvilinear lines, Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick designed their groundbreaking office chair around people, creating an aesthetic all their own, and starting a revolution in ergonomics. With its aeration, inclusive sizing, support for the natural ways the human body moves when seated, and responsive design, the chair challenged practically every convention about office chairs. Every material, every mechanism advanced the art and science of seating. "We wanted a totally new kind of chair." Three Sizes, Easy Adjustments
The classic Aeron is available in three different sizes to fit just about anyone. Easy-to-make adjustments let you fine-tune the fit for your body. Support for Your Body PostureFit properly supports the base of your spine, or sacral region, to help your pelvis maintain a natural forward tilt, thus keeping your spine fully aligned. Moves with You, Naturally The patented Kinematic Tilt mimics the body’s natural pivot points—the hips, knees, and ankles—so the chair works with, not against, your body, and you recline fluidly. Conforms to Your Shape Much more than a mesh, the Pellicle suspension on the classic Aeron features elliptically shaped elastomeric threads woven together to create a topographically neutral surface. It conforms to each person who sits in the chair and distributes weight appropriately, eliminating pressure points and heat buildup. Contoured for Your Comfort The high, wide, contoured back takes the pressure off your lower spine.
Armrests slope slightly down in the back for the most natural and comfortable support. The "waterfall" front edge of the seat takes the pressure off your thighs, so your blood keeps circulating and you stay alert and focused. With an aesthetic all its own, it’s no wonder the classic Aeron was added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art even before the first one was sold. A selection of sophisticated materials and a choice of three Pellicle weave patterns make classic Aeron well-suited to a variety of tastes and surroundings. "Designs of the Decade" Gold Winner in Office Furniture from the Industrial Designers Society of America & Business Week magazine1999 International Plastics Consumer Product Design Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers1998This post was written by Daniel Mrdjenovich. Follow him on Twitter or Google Plus.The month of June proved quite exciting for the Priceonomics team. Over the course of three weeks our team doubled in size as we welcomed James, Daniel and Forrest.
Although we couldn’t be happier with the growth, it meant that we now have a shortage of office chairs. This might have proven a non-issue at any large corporation, but as a startup we don’t exactly stockpile dozens of chairs in the hopes of one day entertaining visitors.In order to make sure that everyone had a productive first day, Michael researched the prices of new Herman Miller Aeron Chairs. As awesome as the interns might prove to be, Priceonomics was surely not going to pay $800+ per chair. Based on Priceonomics data, Michael determined used Size B Aeron chairs were valued at $450 on used markets. Fortunately, all of our new hires today sit comfortably on office chairs. Throughout the course of the process, Michael learned quite a bit about the craigslist market for office chairs. We hope this post offers tips buyers and sellers tips on how to assess the value of Aeron chairs.Don't Be Satisfied with "Excellent Condition"Even at the used price of $450 per Aeron chair, that's still a lot of money.
We wanted to be sure they were of good quality, here's our five-step inspection checklist:1. Sizing: Turns out, Herman Miller actually offers three different sizes for Aeron chairs: A, B, and C. Here’s a breakdown of the appropriate size based on height and weight from the Aeron Chair Blog:Michael found that in most listings sellers don’t mention size. Since Aeron chairs look similar regardless of size, you can figure out a chair’s size by placing your hand under the back’s flap. You should feel one, two, or three bumps corresponding to sizes A, B, or C.2. Mesh Quality: Unlike other office chairs, the Aeron chair relies on mesh rather than cushion for support. Damaged, torn, or frayed mesh will likely require an expensive replacement in the near future.3. Working Levers: Let’s be honest, as ergonomic as this chair might seem, it’s useless if you can’t adjust it.4. Armrest Damage: Aeron chairs are designed to fit underneath your desk. Unfortunately, many armrest are often scuffed or dislodged by rubbing up against the underside of the desk.
If you don’t mind ugly armrests, you could still buy one of these and ask for a discount.5. Proper Lumbar Support: Unless you plan to suffer through nine hours of agony each day, inspect the lumbar support quality. Since it only costs around $60 for these replacement parts, damaged lumbar support could prove a bargaining tactic with the seller.When people refer to Craiglist as a “broken system”, they’re usually frustrated at the fact they can’t always buy or sell exactly what they want. Although you might not always land the item you wanted at your desired price, Michael discovered you can take some steps to ensure you find something as close as possible. In our case, we wanted a black Aeron Size B chair for under $450 delivered to our offices. Here's how we made it happen:1. Alerts: Timing is key in a market like Craigslist. If an item in high demand appears on Craigslist at a good price, it probably won’t last long. In order to remedy this, Michael developed a quick hack using Craigslist RSS and Google Reader.
Visit your local Craigslist site and enter a search similar to what’s shown below:Once you’re satisfied with your search, scroll and click the RSS button located at the bottom right of the page. You should see something like this:Copy the URL of the new page. Open Google Reader and subscribe to this URL. Boom, your own personalized Craigslist feed!2. Short and Direct Intros: Chances are that most sellers will quickly scan through your first email so it’s probably best not to load it with unnecessary information. Our messages read something like this:“Hey there, we are a company located in “X neighborhood” in need of office chairs. Are you willing to deliver? Short and to the point. In a market full of scams, it’s best to leave your name and number to prove you’re a real person.3. Delivery Request: Since we all live in the city, none of us had a car to transport our coveted new office chairs. Michael found that in some cases sellers were more than willing to deliver to our offices to finalize the sale.
In other cases, the seller could be coaxed into delivery by offering another $25. If you need something delivered, it doesn’t hurt to ask.4. Payment Process: Make sure to agree upon a final price (plus delivery or minus defects) and payment type. Although we intended to pay with a company check, most sellers would only accept cash. Would’ve been a bit awkward if we hadn’t fleshed out these details ahead of time.While this post won’t single handedly solve the Craigslist dilemma, we hope it provides some useful perspective for large and expensive items such as the Aeron chair. Throughout the process, Michael learned to make the used market work. At first, he restricted his search to listings below $375, well below the fair price indicated by our data. Within a few days only a few listings appeared and it seemed as if the new hires were destined to work from the floor. Once Michael moved his price range closer to the used market price, multiple options quickly popped up.Oh yeah, Priceonomics is hiring engineers!