[zerostar]

I searched and found some old threads but couldnt' revive them

Anyway, I am looking to getting a Aeron chair, I am having back problems at work and my current chair just isn't cutting it.

I saw they have the basic model here:
http://www.vitality-web.com/backstore/Aeron.htm

I was thinking of getting the basic with lumbar support, my budget was $500 but I can do the $800 I think...

Anyway, is this the best way to go as far as a good supportive chair that will last and last?

[Paco500]

I can't give you specific alternatives, but I had use of Areon chairs at two former comapnies, for a total of about 2.5 years. It was a fine chair but was not especially comfortable. They were bought with dot com bubble money as status symbols, and thats why I used mine- it was cool.

Chair comfot is a very personal thing, but the Areons I sat in were not in the top 10 of desk chairs I used in my life. Most others in mt company felt pretty much the same way. Those that had special eronomic needs or cared a lot about comfort generally used other chairs.

But, as I said, comfort is very personal. I would test drive a few before I bought. Most suppliers of high-end office chairs will allow you to demo them for a few days. At least in my area.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

I am sitting on one now at work.

It is a nice chair but nothing mind blowing at all to make it worth the cost.

[zerostar]

2 good comments, I saw a ton of "yes they are da bomb" comments nice to get some otherwise. Guess I will go around locally and see what feels nice to me.

[MaxPower]

The thing with the Aeron chair is that it has to be the right size for you. If you don't fall within the specs of the chair you're sitting in, be prepared for a world of pain.

Two other chairs to look at are the Steelcase Leap and the Humanscale Freedom*. My wife and I made the decision to go with the Leaps after sitting in chairs from all 3 manufacturers. Definitely get some hands on time and decide what fits for you.

*I don't have any experience with the linked store. It was just one that had offerings from all 3 manufacturers.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Whatever happened to those 90's chairs that had no back and this 45 degree angle for your chins?

[Eynstyn]

The Aeron Chair Sucks
An expensive (and maddeningly ubiquitous) example of form kicking the **** out of function

Herman Miller's Aeron chair isn't just the symbol of wasted VC money and dot-com failure, it's also a beautiful example of a triumph of form over function. Oh sure, its unusual, minimalist look has made the chair an award-winnng icon of modern design (hell, it's even on permanent display at New York's Museum of Modern Art), but sitting in an Aeron chair hurts like a bitch.

dack.com > misc > the aeron chair sucks

Lumbar support pokes into back, feels like someone's goddamn elbow.
Demo: Windows Media (504K) | Quick Time (875K)

Armrest height adjustment more difficult to use than 99.99% of all other adjustable office chairs.
Demo: Windows Media (918K) | Quick Time (1554K)

Patented Pellicle suspension material rated the equivalent of 220-grit sandpaper; tears khakis to shreds.
Demo: Windows Media (628K) | Quick Time (1103K)

Rock-hard waterfall front edge cuts off circulation to legs.
Demo: Windows Media (470K) | Quick Time (716K)

One of the many comments at the link is this random piece of advice which I enjoyed:

Just don't fart in this chair. Does not muffle sound at all ...

Sent by agent0neo on December 12, 2002

[Paco500]

One comment I have to endorse from the above is the sandpaper like quality of the fabric. I usually sat on mine in Jeans, but in shorts it was very uncomforatable and several women co-workers complained of them shredding tights.

[Eynstyn]

Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker 

Whatever happened to those 90's chairs that had no back and this 45 degree angle for your chins?

I heard that being forced to rest one's weight on one or more of their chins has been outlawed by the International War Crimes commission.

[Adam Betts]

I own Mirra chair which is a sequel to Aeron chair, they're much better than original one:



I spent $700 on top of the line one but you can get it cheaper than that.

[climber]

I have one in my office at home. I like it.

[shifuimam]

When I broke up with my ex-boyfriend, he bought one of those to replace me. I think he thought that overpriced crap would be a good way to pretend like he still had a girlfriend.

Not pathetic at all.

I have a leather chair I got on special at Staples for $15. It's held up well to my cat trying to shred the crap out of the headrest, and it's really comfortable, especially when I'm tired and want to curl up in it while surfing the internet. I dunno, though...usually the insanely high prices on that kind of thing (similar to the $250 keyboards someone posted about in this forum somewhere) are because people still want them as some kind of status symbol/coolness factor. Not worth it IMO.

[Timo]

I like mine, although I do agree the front can cut off circulation depending on how you sit.

Best feature: the ventilated fabric. You know what I'm talkin' about.

[gnomexp]

I also have one for use at uni. Most other people I know wasted money on new cars, computers, gaming systems, etc. Instead, I convinced my folks to pay for a used Aeron off of Craigslist.

It's definitely a nice chair, but you really need a desk that works with it (height appropriate with a decent spot for a keyboard). I also removed my back support and bought the posturefit thingy, but have yet to install it because I don't have a T15 screwdriver. With the amount of time I spend doing papers, research projects, Internet, etc., though, it's definitely worth it for me.

Get the chair that's right for you. I have a feeling I'd like the Steelcase chair better, but could only get an Aeron.

[Eug]

I found the Aeron to be uncomfortable. I liked the Steelcase Leap (below) better, but it sure ain't worth the 4-digit price either.



I ended up getting some no-name $350 chair which suits me better.

[cszar2001]

The best chair ever is the HAG Capisco.
HAG

[fhoubi]

Originally Posted by Adam Betts 

I own Mirra chair which is a sequel to Aeron chair, they're much better than original one:

The first and hopefully the last time I was in a Microsoft building they had all Mirra's over the place, and sitting on one for the whole day they were very comfortable in fact...

[osiris]

I had one back in 2000 and didn't like it at all. Very uncomfortable.

[memory-minus]

I have one at work and I loved it so much that I bought one for home and am sitting in it right now. I require the "C" size of the chair, and I've noticed that when I sit in coworker's "B" size Aerons they are very uncomfortable. I can literally barely fit in the "A" size so there really is a large distinction between the sizes.

Some people don't realize they come in multiple sizes. If you've tried one and didn't like it, are you sure you were sitting in one that was sized for your body type?

[milhous]

i've had my true black posturefit aeron for about 2 weeks now and it's been great so far, though it'll take more time to fully get used to it. got mine from Sit4Less.com - Herman Miller�, Aeron�, Eames�, Celle�, Mirra�, Humanscale chairs ... for about a grand. it's definitely nice to have a chair that, after you've sit in it for a few hours, you can get up and not feel fatigued at all. minor downside is that that since chair's seat and back are made of pellicle mesh you lose all your body heat which is tough when you have cold weather. but it'll be nice when it gets warmer as the chair lets your body naturally breathe.

[Cipher13]

I had an Aeron at my old workplace, and it was... okay. Nothing special at all.

[hart]

when I was shopping for a chair I was lucky to have the Museum of Modern Art store and the Design Within Reach stores nearby with all the major 20th c. chair designs. I spent a long time rolling around in chairs and I have to agree that you MUST sit in the chairs to decide.

I didn't like the Aeron. First of all, any chair that requires a video to get set up is WAY to complicated. And I ended up not liking it anyway. Those Mirra chairs were nice-ish but once again for me, not comfy. And they looked worn out and shabby too, especially the lighter colors.

Oddly enough, Ikea's top of the line leather chair with all the bells and whistles was one of my favorites and the time and maybe $200 tops. I think it was this one:


I ended up with the classic Eames Aluminum Management chair and it has been great for me.


the padded ones would probably be nice too. there's a high back version too:



well, I don't know if those images are working but here's a PDF from Herman Miller extolling the virtues of the whole aluminum group: http://www.hermanmiller.com/hm/conte...ous/eag_cp.pdf

[DeathToWindows]

If you can afford the Leap, do it.

I spent four summers of 45hr weeks working in one - loved it.

[Yose]

I use an X99 from Haworth - love it.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Adam Betts 

I own Mirra chair which is a sequel to Aeron chair, they're much better than original one

I kinda like the new model. Where is the best place to buy them?

[zerostar]

I got a leap (in black) after trying them all out, It supposedly gets in today so I will let you know how it all goes in a few days.

[TimmyDee51]

I've had an Aeron since 1999 (my uncle works for Herman Miller), and I have to say I'm a fan. I spent all of my undergrad in one and all of the work I've done from home since. It's one of those chairs that's not "ahhh, this is comfortable," but when you never feel uncomfortable. For me that's a biggie. At my office right now, we've got some OfficeMax cheapies, and boy do I feel terrible after sitting in them. I'm going to buy another Aeron for work.

[parsec_kadets]

I had one at my last job and something I've never noticed anyone mention is how abrasive the fabric is on your clothes, especially if you keep your wallet in your back pocket. At my office everyone had holes in their pockets due to the fabric from the chairs. Otherwise it was very comfortable, but not $800 comfortable.

[zerostar]

After 3 (long) days in the Leap I am feeling a lot better, my old chair was a real piece of junk and this one has been great so-far. I am never uncomfortable feeling and always seem to be in a proper position. I too didn't like the mesh of the Aeron very much. The Leap almost feels like the memory foam used in some beds.

[mistercobber]

Spent 2 years working at a call center (sit 8 hours straight) sitting in a Steelcase, not comfortable at all.
This new job (federal government) have both Aeron and Human Scale, tried them both and and I like the Aeron much better. Also according to our Ergonomic and Safety adviser the Aeron fits my type of work best, with the forward tilt which is the proper posture for working on computer and the Human Scale is NOT intended for that kind of work.

And anyway the difference here is: both the Steelcase and Aeron seat pan will tilt when you lean back, maintaining the cradle shape (looks like a L from the side) and that keeps you from slumping. The Human Scale seat pan are station which means when you lean back you'll have a tendency to slide off the chair.

I'm lucky that I did tried all three of them and with the advice of experts in the ergonomic field I finally decided to buy my own. So now I have an Aeron at home and I love it.

As some others stated before comfortable is a personal thing so go to a local dealer and try them all, spend time sitting on it in different position and see how you feel about it. And it also have to do with what type of work you'll do while sitting on it.

I had an Aeron chair at a previous job. It was a great chair and very comfortable. I have to disagree with those that said it felt like sand paper. They may have had a defective chair. I echo the comments of others that if you have the wrong size it won't be very comfortable.

Was it worth $800? Probably not. But it was a nice chair.