The Herman Miller Aeron is easily one of the most well-known office chairs ever made. There’s science and style to support the $700+ price tag new, but it’s hard to justify that price when someone else isn’t footing the bill. Instead of picking up a used Aeron, check out some of our favorite office chair alternatives that will, stylishly, fit just about any budget. ITALMODERN Bungie Office Chair At first, the idea of sitting on a chair made of the same things you use to secure things to the roof of your truck might seem ridiculous. It can’t possibly be comfortable. The bungees are definitely going to stretch. The ergonomics are terrible. The only problem with this ridiculously comfortable chair is that everyone that visits HAS to sit in the chair made of bungee cords. IKEA Markus Office Chair Don’t let the fact that this is made by IKEA immediately dissuade you from purchasing it because the construction is nothing like their fiberboard furniture. Markus is a high back chair with a padded seat, headrest and armrests that also has a mesh back for breathability.
It won’t win any Red Dot Design Awards, but it’s a great professional looking chair that also comes with a 10-year Limited Warranty. AIS Element 9600 Executive Office Chair Affordable Interior Systems (AIS) has been in the office furniture game for almost three decades, so it’s safe to say they know what it takes to make a great chair. The Element Executive Chair has a mesh back and a mesh over foam cushioned seat for maximum comfort and support. It also comes in multiple sizes and styles in case you’re looking for something a little different. WorkPro Commercial Mesh Back Executive Office Chair With a three-part, split-back design, this WorkPro office chair is probably the most alien looking of the lot, but those aspects give it a huge amount of adjustability. Adjust the back sections to perfectly fit you. Slide the seat forwards or backwards based on your mood. There’s even a large handle on the back in case you need to move it over carpet… or with someone in it.
Modern in Designs Reproduction Eames Office Chair When it comes to Mid-Century Modern chairs Eames is the name of the game, and their cost reflects that. This reproduction from Modern In Designs replicates the iconic ribbed styling of the chair originally designed in the 50’s, but does it at a fraction of the cost. Since each chair is hand crafted with a stainless steel frame and premium Italian leather, you’re not sacrificing much in terms of quality. RFM Seating Rainier High Back Chair The Rainier Office Chair from RFM Seating puts more than 35 years of experience in seating manufacturing to very good use. You get the standards like multiple back options, multi-function control, extra lumbar support and a ratchet back, but the Rainier also gives you 35 fabric options, multiple control options and close to ten different arm options. In other words, you can customize it to fit an of office of one to an office of one thousand. Alera Elusion Series Mesh High-Back Chair
We’re convinced the Alera Elusion chair was designed by someone who studied Henry Ford. The chair does its job as a chair, but nothing more. The aesthetics are great, but they’re not revolutionary. The cost is something everyone can afford. Oh yeah, and you can have it in whatever color you want… as long as it’s black. Merax Ergonomic Racing Style Napping Office Chair If we’re being completely honest, this Merax chair looks like a Recaro racing seat with armrests and casters, which we’re totally in to. In addition to the unconventional styling you also get: easy to clean and maintain PU leather and mesh fabric construction, adjustable armrests, 360 degree swivel rotation, a full headrest and a recline function. The recline function is where the “napping” part comes in because the chair gets almost fully horizontal for that afternoon “meeting” post business lunch. The wrong chair = real health problems. (Total read time: 8 minutes) In this post I’ll cover how I identified the best high-end chairs in the world, which I ultimately chose, and the tangible results that followed.
In January of 2005, I found myself on a veranda in Panama after the usual afternoon rain, dreaming of the upcoming year and reflecting on lessons learned since leaving the US. Maria Elena, the matriarch of the Panamanian family that had adopted me, sipped her iced tea and pointed at my bruised feet: “Tim, let me share some advice I was once given. Buy the most comfortable bed and pair of shoes you can afford. If you’re not in one, you’ll be in the other.” I followed her advice upon returning to CA and the results were sudden: Plantar Fasciitis disappeared, as did shoulder impingement after switching from coil-spring to foam-layered mattresses. But what about chairs? On January 4th, 2009, I tweeted out the following: “Is the Aeron chair worth it? http://tr.im/2uxd Do you have any fave chairs for extended sitting and writing?” Even though I’m financially comfortable now, I didn’t grow up spending a lot of money, which I’m thankful for. To this day, I’ve never paid for first-class airfare for myself.
Not that it isn’t worth it — I just can’t do it. Similarly, I had trouble believing a chair could possibly be worth $850-$1,200, but my back pain led me to pose the question to the omniscient Interweb. More than 95% of Aeron users replied with “yes, absolutely”, but it wasn’t the only chair with a cult-like following. Four of the five are manufactured by Herman Miller (HM) and Humanscale (HS). Prices are from Amazon, as are the star reviews, but discounts of $200-400 can be negotiated with dealers. Both eBay and Craiglist offer similar discounts. In descending order of popularity: 1. Aeron (Fully loaded) (HM) – $879 (1 review; average review: 5 stars) Used at NASA mission control and tech start-ups worldwide.2. Mirra (fully loaded) (HM) – $829 (14 reviews; average review: 4.5 stars) Note: the Herman Miller sales representatives I spoke with preferred the Mirra seat feel for shorter legs vs. the Aeron. Easier to adjust: Mirra is about 9 revolutions from loosest to tightest settings;
3. SwingChair – $495 Recommended by a strong contingent of writers, including one of my favorite visual storytellers, Kathy Sierra. I like the design concept, but I would suggest other forms of “core exercise”. 4. Liberty (HS) – $899 (6 reviews; average review: 3.5 stars) 5. Freedom Task Chair with Headrest (HS) – $999.99 (1 review, average: 4 stars) Used at the FBI and by other governmental agencies with three-letter acronyms. 6. Embody – $1,800 list price (negotiated with dealer: $1,200-1,300): Basis of chair design – sitting is bad; Even in locked position, it still has some backward flex at the top position. No forward tilt option. For personal testing, I also added a Swiss-ball chair (Isokinetics Balance Ball Chair – $75) to the mix, as seen below: Surprisingly, the Isokinetics chair is more comfortable than most fixed chairs I tested, though there is some minor… ahem… testicular compression that isn’t nearly as pleasant as it sounds.
If you don’t have jewels to worry about, this chair could well be an ideal cost-effective choice. The chair I most wanted to test was the Mirra, which seems to have the best combination of price point (bought used or via eBay) and multiple 5-star reviews. Not to mention it’s also the name of one of the best BMXers of all time. In the end, I bought a used C-size (technically a bit too large for me) Aeron for $450 on Craigslist. I’m impatient and didn’t want to wait over the weekend to schedule sittings for other Herman Miller chairs with a certified dealer. Once I have some conclusive comparable data, I want closure.I’m 5′ 8″ and 170 lbs., but the C works with no problem. 1) The lumbar support is — by far — the primary determinant of comfort or pain. I’ve lowered this adjustment and found that maintaining the natural S-curve through pressure on the lower back is what prevents pain most consistently. Comfortable sitting time is now 7-8 hours vs. less than 2 hours, with no ill after-effects.
Sliding lumbar support on the Aeron. 2) Seat height (and secondarily, depth) will determine the rest. If the flats of your feet don’t make complete contact with the floor, you will move your hips forward and slouch, eliminating the S-curve in the lower lumbar. If your seat is too low and your knees are above your hips, you will shorten the habitual range your hip flexors (negative neural adaptation) and end up with severe lower-back pain. Aim to keep your hamstrings parallel to the floor, and if the seat is too long for your femur (thigh bone) — as is mildly the case with my C-size Aeron — just separate your knees a bit. If you’re not wearing a tight skirt, I’ve found a basketball of space between the knees to provide the best lateral stabilization, which reduces torso fatigue. Take off heels when sitting at a desk, lest you end up with hot calves and Quasimodo-like posture. Not good for mating. If you are wearing a tight skirt, I suggest taking up the Japanese tea ceremony and sitting on tatami side saddle.
It’ll be more comfortable than crossing your legs all day.True, I’ve thought more about chairs in the last few weeks than anyone should, but I do it to save you the trouble. Benefit from my OCD so you can obsess on other things. 3) Using a 3′ long and 6″ diameter foam roller three times per day for 5 minutes can eliminate persistent middle-back pain from mediocre chair use; conversely, it can extend your comfortable sitting time by 30-40%. Knowledge workers often log more ass-in-seat time than sleep. Coders, in particular, are often subjected to a steady diet of Mountain Dew and hunching for 12+-hour marathons. I don’t put in these hours, but I found myself with severe mid-upper back pain from using a non-adjustable chair and craning over a desk that was too low, even for 30-60 minutes per day. Two doctors suggested various therapies, but a quick experiment (placing a laptop on top of a dresser and writing while standing for two days) proved that posture was the problem.
In less than a week following my switch to the Aeron, all upper middle-back (lower trapezius, rhomboid major) pain disappeared completely. The results: better output during work and writing, faster and deeper sleep, and a huge smack on the forehead. Why the hell didn’t I do this earlier? In my case, was it worth it at $450? Particularly looking at the value of time per hour and the lost income due to doctor visits, massage, etc., this is $450 I should have invested years ago. Odds and Ends: Twitter Giveaway WinnersThe travel bag and Fujitsu color travel scanner are gone. More giveaways coming here this week… Posted on: January 27, 2009. Please check out Tools of Titans, my new book, which shares the tactics, routines, and habits of billionaires, icons, and world-class performers. It was distilled from more than 10,000 pages of notes, and everything has been vetted and tested in my own life in some fashion. The tips and tricks in Tools of Titans changed my life, and I hope the same for you.