April 27, 2014
I need a new chair. My current no-name mesh back chair has these problems:
(this list keep growing as I learn more about ergonomics)
Over the past few months I’ve tried out a bunch of chairs at home, in stores, and showrooms. Here’s my picks in order from Awesome to Not for me:
Here are my impressions of each chair, roughly in the order that I tried them out (tried first = top of the list)
I rented a Herman Miller Aeron for 2 weeks from Executive Furniture Rentals in Toronto just to try it out. I used one when I worked at marketing agency around 2007. It’s as good as I remember! I find I compare all the other chairs to this one.
Pros:
Cons:
Other links:
I spent a couple of hours in a Herman Miller SAYL at a consulting job a few months ago, and in a few stores.
Pros:
Cons:
I wish I could find a place to rent one in Canada. CORT in the USA rents the SAYL.
Other links:
This is supposed to be one of the successors to the Aeron. I spent a few minutes in Herman Miller Mirra at a store. The mesh seat as good as the Aeron, but lacks in other areas.
Pros:
Cons:
Other links:
The Herman Miller Mirra 2 has a softer feeling back than the Mirra. I didn’t notice other major differences. The seat is comfortable and the seat length adjustment is really cool, but I fit better in the Aeron.
The padded seat and mesh back of the Knoll Regeneration reminded me of the SAYL, but without the freedom to move my arms around due to the wide back.
Links:
The Herman Miller Setu is not a heavy duty office chair, but it was nearby and meshy looking, so I gave it a try.
Pros:
Cons:
The Humanscale Diffrient World chair was a surprise find at Nirvana Home. I spent about 20 minutes in it in a few sitting sessions.
Pros:
Cons:
I tried out the Liberty at the HumanScale showroom in Toronto back-to-back with the World chair. The Liberty feels a bit more solid than the World. Sitting in it was silent, and recline mechanism felt smoother. The back support fits my body very well.
Pros:
Cons:
I tried out the Haworth Zody at the Haworth showroom in Toronto back-to-back with the Very. This chair feels solid and comfortable, and packs in many features.
Pros:
Cons:
BTW, it’s pronounced hay-worth, not haw-orth.
The area around the shoulders doesn’t feel as nice as Zody, probably because the frame isn’t flexible. Otherwise, it feels very similar and is a bit less expensive.
The Herman Miller Celle offers a lot of features at a good price, but isn’t right for me. The cellular suspension design and recline tension are too stiff for my weight, and the shape of the back didn’t feel right to me.
The Herman Miller Embody felt good to sit and recline in once adjusted properly, but the only things that really stood out about it were the arm rests and high price.
Pros:
Cons:
Links
If these chairs seem pricey, check out my thoughts on buying a new vs used ergonomic chair.
Other ways you can improve your work space: