Office chair - anything better than Herman Miller? [Archive]

actng

Sep 28th, 2006, 10:47 PM

My ass is hurting. I've been sitting at my desk chair at home for almost three days straight. It's a piece of crap compared to the Herman Miller mesh back chair I used to have at work.

I heard a lot about the Staples Managers chair on this forum but I really doubt its quality @ $200 compared to a Herman Miller at $1200.

I'm seriously contemplating on buying a Herman Miller chair... is there anything else out there that's better or just as good but a little cheaper?

Just wanted to do due diligence before taking the plunge on spending $1200.

Thanks...

B40

Sep 28th, 2006, 10:49 PM

My ass is hurting too...

Would like info on this as well..

CanadaBoy

Sep 28th, 2006, 11:29 PM

My ass is hurting too...

Would like info on this as well..

You should put some lube on your chairs wheels that way the chair slides nice and easy. No friction against the ground

zoomzoom

Sep 28th, 2006, 11:33 PM

I'm assuming you guys are saying that your ass is hurting because of the crappy chair you guys are using now :cheesygri Herman Miller is the way to go. It's the Aeron model you want. It's a great chair -expensive, but definitely a great chair if you spend a lot of time at your desk.

Casper

Sep 28th, 2006, 11:51 PM

I've got a tall obusforme one...about $300..not bad at all.. Couple years old, 8 hours per day +...can't complain.

actng

Sep 29th, 2006, 03:04 PM

any body know of a place to buy herman miller? i checked their website and their authorized retailers... seems like they just "special order" for you which means no discount prolly.

warpdrive

Sep 29th, 2006, 03:36 PM

go to visaperks.ca and look for the visa discount for GabrielRoss.com who sells HM chairs (free shipping too)

A lot of people like the Steelcase Leap chair, but it's not cheaper.

I'm using a Herman Miller Mirra chair with fabric back (slightly cheaper than the Aeron), but I still prefer the Aeron

actng

Sep 29th, 2006, 03:38 PM

i just called herman miller, or their reseller in toronto... holy crap... that chair has more options than a car. they should really have a configurator on their website to build the different options and price it out live!

http://www.hermanmiller.com/CDA/SSA/Category/0,1564,a10-c766,00.html

check it out - the aeron pdf. took me until the third read before i understood how the configuring works.

in the meantime let's check out visaperks. thanks warpdrive.

warpdrive

Sep 29th, 2006, 03:40 PM

i just called herman miller, or their reseller in toronto... holy crap... that chair has more options than a car. they should really have a configurator on their website to build the different options and price it out live!

Gabriel Ross sells fully loaded ones, which saves you a bit of money than if you were to add the options separately

actng

Sep 29th, 2006, 04:25 PM

Gabriel Ross sells fully loaded ones, which saves you a bit of money than if you were to add the options separately

makes more sense to have a website configurator than a PDF to go on. good find warpdrive!

Taiphun

Oct 3rd, 2006, 03:02 PM

Omega in Edmonton, Alberta is selling them for $999 fully loaded.

Something good for us Westerners for once.

http://www.omegabfl.com/promotion.html

Rehan

Feb 13th, 2008, 12:05 AM

Bump for an old thread. And back to the original question... Is there anything better than an Aeron? Are Stokke balans chairs available in Canada or US?

flyman

Feb 13th, 2008, 12:09 AM

Bump for an old thread. And back to the original question... Is there anything better than an Aeron? Are Stokke balans chairs available in Canada or US?

Haven't tried the Strokke Balans but if I had the extra $$$, I would definitely get an Aeron. They're really comfortable! There's an authorized retailer in the underground @ Yonge and Bay so you can try it out if you want. They have 3 models on display and for you to try. Aeron, Mirra, and another one (can't remember the name).

The Mirra is cheaper around 800~900 (if I remember correctly). It's really comfortable too.

seekay

Feb 13th, 2008, 01:32 AM

An older model but definately super adjustable and highly recommended is the ErgoCentric geoCentric Multi-Tilt High Back Chair.

The Herman Miller Aeron is a fantastic chair, but my main concern with that is the mesh will loose it's "springyness" after a certain amount of time. For $1200, it better last me a while.

rilhouse

Feb 13th, 2008, 01:38 AM

best. chair. ever.

http://www.arrickrobotics.com/chair/

jcoltage

Feb 13th, 2008, 07:36 AM

My ass is hurting too...

Would like info on this as well..

there are other reasons for your ass hurting and it has nothing to do with a chair:twisted:

warpdrive

Feb 13th, 2008, 08:32 AM

The Herman Miller Aeron is a fantastic chair, but my main concern with that is the mesh will loose it's "springyness" after a certain amount of time. For $1200, it better last me a while.

Mine is 8 years old and it's still feels good.

JAC

Feb 13th, 2008, 10:40 AM

warpdrive

Feb 13th, 2008, 11:37 AM

I've heard HM doesn't warranty their chairs unless you buy directly from them. TIFWIW.

That doesn't make much sense. The office supplier that I bought mine from specifically made a big deal about how good their warranty was.

Brandon

Feb 13th, 2008, 12:38 PM

Review on the Mirra:
http://techreport.com/discussions.x/14096

My Shukra brand office chair from Global is okay I guess.

JAC

Feb 13th, 2008, 12:46 PM

That doesn't make much sense. The office supplier that I bought mine from specifically made a big deal about how good their warranty was.

You're probaly right. Looking at the HM site, it says warranty through authorized resellers. So I guess you just need to careful not to get through some bargain website.

SyncMaster04

Feb 13th, 2008, 09:05 PM

Aeron chairs are good. But, IMO, there are better chairs for that price range. I personally like Steelcase's Leap chair:

http://www.steelcase.com/na/leap_products.aspx?f=11852

Some people prefer Humanscale's Freedom Chair:

http://www.humanscale.com/products/freedom_index.cfm

Both Leap and Freedom chair is slightly more expensive than Aeron. But they are definitely worth the price. I don't think you'll be able to find Freedom chair here locally. I use Aeron chair in my office and Leap chair at home. I bought Leap chair after trying out both of them. I couldn't be happier that I picked Leap over Aeron. You may wanna check out this site to find out Aeron chair's drawback. Though these videos were made lighthearted way, but after using Aeron chair a number of years I can attest that all these points are valid for Aeron chair.

http://www.dack.com/misc/aeron.html

Only area that the Aeron chair is marginally better than those two chairs is that it is more breathable because of it's meshed seat and back.

Rehan

Feb 13th, 2008, 09:36 PM

SyncMaster04

Feb 13th, 2008, 10:47 PM

^^ Good to see that Freedom chair is now available in GTA. When I was looking for a good chair few years back, I couldn't find any local supplier. I agree that the hard front edge definitely cuts off blood circulation after extended period of seating. One of the main reason I eventually decided to opt for another foamed chair at my workplace. Because the meshed suspension material can't evenly adjust to the contour of the body, body weight does not get evenly distributed. Because of that it is not as comfy as many good foamed chair for extended use. Aeron chair was good more than a decade ago when it came out first, because at that time there were no other better chair in the market. And the cheap money during the dot com boom was the main reason why it became so much over-hyped.

BTW, one of the feature that only the Leap chair has is that when you recline, the seat glides forward so you can recline without leaving your reach zone or monitor. Very useful feature for deskwork.

zoomzoom

Feb 13th, 2008, 11:44 PM

Thanks for the comments.

I do think that as good as the Aeron may be, it's probably over-rated...so that's why I wanted to look at other options too. The hard front lip of the Aeron is a big issue for me, so I'm leaning towards the Freedom right now. Business Interiors (http://www.businessinteriors.ca) in Mississauga has it listed on its website, and hopefully it's in their showroom too. (But I might not check it out right away because I'm not buying the chairs until March.)

You have to get the right size Aeron for your size. Believe it or not, there are 3(?) sizes.... small, medium, and large. If you feel the upper back of the chair behind the lip, you'll feel either 1, 2, or 3 dots. This corresponds to sizing. You need to get the one that is for you. They're expensive chairs, so they're not for everyone. You'll definitely need to think it over a few times before you decide if you will splurge for the chair.

Kinki

Feb 14th, 2008, 01:16 AM

Group buy?!

My co-workers dealt with an account manager of Herman Miller (Canada) and was impressed with our level of service, so she offered "call me if you need anything". Not that it means anything... everyone says that.

Taiphun

Feb 19th, 2008, 12:46 AM

Heh, FWIW I ended up getting a fully optioned out Aeron in large size for $700 after winning an auction for it. :D

Best $700 spent in 2007 for it.

We have Steelcase Leaps and Aeron's at various office locations, and the Aerons are much better by far.

actng

Feb 19th, 2008, 08:33 AM

I ended up buying the HM Aeron from Backs ETC (no longer in business) after price match for $1026~ taxes in.

The justification is easy. The chair will last ten years easy. Factor in the number of working days per year, number of working hours per day and it works out to something like 13 cents an hour.

Most of us make way more than 13 cents an hour. The critical factor is whether you will spend ten years in your chair. But even if you don't, that's for you to worry about in the future. :) Justify it and buy it now!!

lol

espeed

Mar 27th, 2009, 12:27 AM

ali123

Mar 27th, 2009, 04:05 AM

Is there something good for your back for under $300? I've had my $15 chair for 1.5 years now and it's been killing it.

actng

Mar 27th, 2009, 04:58 AM

the herman miller is worth every penny of it... and more! because when i'm done with it, i can sell it for at least half of what i bought it for.

so it would only cost me at most $450.

A $300 chair on the other hand may not have as good a resale value or comfort and ergonomics.

Dranus

Mar 27th, 2009, 04:23 PM

I've heard HM doesn't warranty their chairs unless you buy directly from them. TIFWIW.

I just bought a Global chair.

http://www.globaltotaloffice.com/global_upholstery/

I *highly* recommend you arrange to visit their showroom in Downsview, and actually sit in some chairs. Don't be put off by their listed prices; you can get them about 30% cheaper from the vendors.

Be sure to check out their "multi-shift" chairs. They're designed for 24/7 use, and use very thick memory foam in the seat.

If you do decide on Global, PM me and I'll send you the vendor I went with. They had the best pricing in the Pickering/Scarborough area.

I design office chairs for global and I definitely recommend trying out our chairs as this person suggested. If you have any questions about our chairs please PM me and I'll be happy to answer any questions.

As for the Herman miller Aeron you cant go wrong with that chair. It really is a great chair for ergonomics.... aesthetics... thats another subject

fakishan

Mar 27th, 2009, 04:59 PM

Cheaper to get your ass off the chair every now and then and let the blood circulate.

Sitting for long periods of time is very bad, can weaken your knees, give you spider veins, etc..

espeed

Mar 29th, 2009, 12:10 AM

I tried HM's Embody, Aeron and Mirra.

I read great reviews about Mirra on amazon.com but somehow the Aeron felt better after a while of sitting.

I liked the Embody the instant I sat on it but then felt it kinda too soft later on.

Any other experiences? Hard to concentrate on the chairs when I was constantly asked by CSR's how I felt, how I felt...

loybond

May 10th, 2009, 05:31 PM

I got this Air Grid chair for 125 bucks on sale from Staples. Mesh back, very similar to the Aeron, great shape and support. The seat cushion is not mesh (wish it were), but its well shaped too. Best chair I've seen in terms of value for money. Check it out at Staples and Costco.

My ass is hurting. I've been sitting at my desk chair at home for almost three days straight. It's a piece of crap compared to the Herman Miller mesh back chair I used to have at work.

I heard a lot about the Staples Managers chair on this forum but I really doubt its quality @ $200 compared to a Herman Miller at $1200.

I'm seriously contemplating on buying a Herman Miller chair... is there anything else out there that's better or just as good but a little cheaper?

Just wanted to do due diligence before taking the plunge on spending $1200.

Thanks...

jstaneon

May 10th, 2009, 06:44 PM

fix your posture. You shouldnt be sitting on your butt anyways. You should be sitting on your hamstrings.

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/PublishingImages/HIC/mansitng.gif

thirstyrobot

Sep 3rd, 2009, 10:07 AM

I highly recommend the Steelcase Leap chair, particularly the earlier "v1" model (ones manufactured since 2006 are "v2"). Key difference is that the v1 had a lever to adjust front lip of the seat, whereas the newer ones have some kind of flexible material in the lip.

The leather upholstered model has a bit more of a cushiony feel to the seat and is (in my opinion) more comfy to sit on in the summer. That's what I had heart set on--particularly after sitting on one at an all-day meeting and finding my back wasn't killing me afterwards...for a change. However, buying new with leather would have set me back well over a grand...and in US dollars, which I just couldn't justify.

I bought mine via an eBay seller store that remanufactures (and reupholsters) v1 models. And for what I paid (around $450) compared to new, I couldn't be happier. Shipping within the US was free (but over $100 to Canada :confused:) so I shipped it to a UPS store near the border, picked it up there and paid the taxes....so still coming out ahead by a lot.

ullyeus

Sep 3rd, 2009, 10:09 AM

I bought this one last week after trying out a bunch..

http://www.knoll.com/products/product.jsp?preview=1&prod_id=865

My suggestions it to take an afternoon off and go exploring and find a chair you like...

joeym

Sep 3rd, 2009, 10:40 AM

try the chair sold at XScargo :D

thirstyrobot

Sep 3rd, 2009, 11:07 AM

try the chair sold at XScargo :D

Sorry, I've taken the cheap, poorly designed route before. It always ends up with my back killing me and the chair rolled out to the community garage sale.

If you sit for long periods, a good chair is worth every penny.