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Herman Miller Aeron Review

Ryan Hansen Avatar
Updated Feb 7, 2024 3:58 PM

True Score

83
83
7

Experts

86
569

Consumers

Product Awards

Top 10

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

The Herman Miller Aeron is a highly adjustable office chair that offers impressive breathability through its mesh back and seat. The chair does offer adjustable lumbar support but misses out on a headrest and seat depth adjustment.

$1,349.99

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Herman Miller Aeron is a top-shelf office chair first announced in 1994 but remastered in 2016. The fully adjustable chair has a mesh backrest and seat, making it one of the best office chairs to go for if breathability is your biggest concern. The chair is also relatively easy to assemble and has a weight capacity of up to 350 pounds.

The chair’s swivel wheel base has five smooth-rolling casters that allow for swift and quiet movement around your working space, and since it is available in three different sizes, buyers can go for the most appropriate according to their body weight and dimensions.

Best For

  • Herman Miller

Consensus

our Verdict

The Herman Miller Aeron is a popular office chair that stands out due to its impressive breathability and comfort. The chair is also highly adjustable, but unfortunately, it misses out on seat depth adjustments and doesn’t come with a headrest. Owners can adjust its seat height from 16” to 20.5”, configure its 4-way adjustable armrests (with a height adjustment range of 4” and a forward/backward movement range of about 2.5 inches), and also use its tilt tension limiter to adjust the force required to recline its backrest.

There are three variants of the chair to choose from depending on your body weight and size, and the Aeron chair also offers depth-adjustable lumbar support, where two pads are moved independently to fit the curve of your spine. Build quality is also top tier as the chair is designed from premium-feeling materials, and its largest variant can support individuals of up to 350 pounds.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Good adjustability and ergonomics
    • This is a highly configurable chair. You can adjust the seat height (over a 4.5” range), its armrests (4-dimensional), and its tilt tension. Armrests have a height adjustment range of about 4” and can be moved forward or backward by about 2.5 inches.

    • However, the seat doesn’t allow for seat depth adjustments

  • Adjustable lumbar support
    • The lumbar support offered by the Herman Miller Aeron is depth adjustable but not height adjustable.

  • High-end materials
    • Everything from the mesh fabric to the padded armrests feel premium on the Herman Miller Aeron. Movements are also smooth and swift, and the largest variant can support a user who is up to 350 pounds in weight.

Reason to Avoid

  • Does not include a headrest
    • The Herman Miller Areron unfortunately doesn’t offer a headrest as an add-on.

Herman Miller Aeron Specs

Adjustable ArmrestsAdjustable ArmrestsYes
Armrest Height MaxArmrest Height Max30"
Armrest Height MinArmrest Height Min22"
Backrest HeightBackrest Height20.5"
Backrest WidthBackrest Widthn/a
Frame ConstructionFrame ConstructionSteel and Plastic
Has FootrestHas FootrestNo
Head PillowHead PillowNo
Head RestHead RestNo
Lumbar SupportLumbar SupportYes
Piston TypePiston TypePneumatic Cylinder
ReclineReclineYes
Seat DepthSeat Depth16.5 – 18.5"
Seat Height AdjustmentSeat Height Adjustment14 – 18"
Seat Padding MaterialSeat Padding MaterialPellicle Mesh
Seat WidthSeat Width19"
UpholsteryUpholsteryFabric, Mesh
Weight LimitWeight Limit300 lbs
Wheel TypeWheel TypeCasters

All Specs

Test Results

Max Recline (Degrees)0
Min Seat Height (Inches)0
Max Seat Height (Inches)0

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Product Comparison

Herman Miller Aeron Review

True Score

83
80
74
76

Ranking

#

10

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31

#

21

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31

#

28

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31

#

26

/

31

Market Context

The Herman Miller Aeron is a top-shelf office chair first announced in 1994 but remastered in 2016. The fully adjustable chair has a mesh backrest…

The Herman Miller Aeron is a top-shelf office chair first announced in 1994 but remastered in 2016. The fully adjustable chair has a mesh backrest and seat, making it one of the best office chairs to go for if breathability is your biggest concern. The chair is also relatively easy to assemble and has a weight capacity of up to 350 pounds.

The chair’s swivel wheel base has five smooth-rolling casters that allow for swift and quiet movement around your working space, and since it is available in three different sizes, buyers can go for the most appropriate according to their body weight and dimensions.

The Herman Miller Aeron offers better 4-way adjustable armrests than the Herman Miller Sayl, which can only be moved up or down. Also, while there…

The Herman Miller Aeron offers better 4-way adjustable armrests than the Herman Miller Sayl, which can only be moved up or down. Also, while there is a headrest for the Aeron Chair, there’s none for the Sayl, and while the Aeron Chair is available in three different sizes, the Sayl is only available in one size. The Sayl has one significant advantage over the Aeron: its seat depth is adjustable, while that of the Aeron Chair is not. Check out our Herman Miller Sayl review to see what else it has in store, and maybe have a look at our Herman Miller Aeron vs Ergo Chair 2 round-up to see how it fares against other different brand alternatives.

The Herman Miller Aeron offers much better armrest padding than the Steelcase Think does, and despite being the more expensive pick, lumbar support on the…

The Herman Miller Aeron offers much better armrest padding than the Steelcase Think does, and despite being the more expensive pick, lumbar support on the Aeron chair is only adjustable by depth, while the same support on the Steelcase Think is only adjustable by height. The Aeron Chair also arrives fully assembled, while the Steelcase Think does not. For more information on what else it has to offer, feel free to check out our Steelcase Think review.

The lumbar support offered by the Herman Miller Aeron Chair is adjustable by depth. However, the support offered by the X-Chair X2 K-Sport is dynamic,…

The lumbar support offered by the Herman Miller Aeron Chair is adjustable by depth. However, the support offered by the X-Chair X2 K-Sport is dynamic, but owners can opt for a massage or heating pad upgrade for added comfort, which owners cannot do with the Aeron Chair. The X2 also allows for seat depth adjustment over a 2” range, but the Aeron Chair does not allow for this. Check out what else the X2 can do in our X-Chair X2 K-Sport Mgt review.

Adjustable Armrests

Yes

4-Dimensional

4-Dimensional

Armrest Height Max

30"

10.5", 10.78"

11.25

9.5"

Armrest Height Min

22"

7"

7"

7"

Backrest Height

20.5"

21"

20.75"

n/a

Backrest Width

n/a

17"

18"

n/a

Frame Construction

Steel and Plastic

Aluminum, Alloy Steel, Nylon

Metal and Plastic

Metal and Plastic

Has Footrest

No

No

No

No

Head Pillow

No

No

No

No

Dig Deeper

Herman Miller Sayl Review →

Steelcase Think Review →

X-Chair X2 K-Sport Mgmt Review →

All Stores

Updated every 24 hours

  • $1,349.99

    Availability

    In Stock

    Free Shipping

    No

Score Card

E

Expert Score

83

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

86

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

83

Expert Scores

  • Techgear Lab
    78.7

    Category Trust Rating

    75
    The Herman Miller Aeron is a top-tier office chair with a mesh back. It fared… Read More

    By:

    Hayley Thomas
  • Tom’s Guide
    64.25

    Category Trust Rating

    90
    If your budget can afford it, the Herman Miller Aeron is the best office chair… Read More

    By:

    Mike Prospero
  • MacSources
    54.3

    Category Trust Rating

    NR
    All in all, the Aeron is a great chair. It’s been a godsend for me… Read More

    By:

    Nicholas Calderone
  • BTOD
    49.33

    Category Trust Rating

    81
    There is a reason the Aeron has become one of the most popular office chairs… Read More

    By:

    Ryan Bald
  • Expert Reviews UK
    51.3

    Category Trust Rating

    100
    It might cost you an arm and a leg but the Aeron lives up to… Read More

    By:

    Gareth Thomas
  • Creative Bloq
    54.65

    Category Trust Rating

    90
    When reviewing an iconic product such as the Aeron, you need to forget the hype… Read More

    By:

    Beren Neale

Customer Scores