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Comment by grogenaut | Hacker News Reader

Wow, this is just full of people who don't like the aeron. I agree it's expensive. I just buy used ones on craigslist for $375. I just wait till there is one. I've got 3. I've had a work aeron since 2002. Love the things they work for me. I know plenty of people they don't work for. I used several other ergonomic chairs and they pinched the nerves at the back of my knees and caused the outsides of my feet to go numb. Aeron works great for me.

Now what is missing from the comments is a good summary of the differences. I read the comments to I don't have to think for myself and so I don't have to digest the article. I think of the comments as the mturk version of AI article summaries. GET ON IT PEOPLE! :)

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- More adjustable arm rests (they go back and forward too)

- New mesh material which is apparently more supportive

- New back support mechanism which is a combination of the two previous options (which you could not put together) - both the lumbar and the pelvis supports

- Chair is angled 1.8 degrees further forward

- Tilt mechanism causes the chair to hug your body more, with less latency

- A new white-ish color option

Other than that it looks the same.

I'm in the middle of an assessment of both Aeron and Mirra 2, so yeah I've been in the details a bit too much this week...

...as a programmer I find it easy to make decisions based on facts, but when it's a decision based on how something feels, I lock up in panicked indecision and almost always make a choice I regret!

I have an Aeron and a Mirra 2. The Mirra is both better looking, better constructed and more ergonomic. There are more adjustments, and the mechanisms are very intuitive and integrated into the design. Perhaps the new Aeron will bring it up to par.

Besides, the Mirra 2 is beautiful, while the Aeron is... debatable. This is mine: http://www.hermanmiller.com/content/dam/hermanmiller/page_as...

I have both as well and the Mirra 2, in my mind, is the way to go. For me, the Aeron has the edge of the seat part where the back of my thighs rest and it starts getting uncomfortable after 15 mins. The Mirra doesn't have this issue. The Mirra back also hugs my shoulder blades a little better. The plastic back of my Mirra doesn't bother me vs. the Aeron mesh.

I would recommend the Mirra for anyone looking at Aeron. They're usually cheaper too. I got my Mirra on Amazon for around $600 which the Aeron was going for, I think at the time, around $900.

I always get Aerons used on CL. In the Bay Area, if you shop around for a few days, you can get one for $300. My last one came from a dentist office. I sold my OK-condition size C for $280 and picked up a better-condition size B (which is actually my size, at 6'0 and 220# with a 44" chest and 36" waist) for $300 later that day. It was the second one I called about; the first person didn't call me back fast enough.

Agree that the lumbar support is more comfortable but PF does have some benefits. I like that they redesigned the arms which support the seat above the part which connects to the top of the gas cylinder. Hopefully this will have less tendency over time to wobble.

I agree, but with one caveat.

If you wear trousers with buttons on the rear pockets, avoid the Mirra. The holes in the back are perfect for catching them and ripping them off.

yeah I went and read... looks like it's just "upgraded" components. Never know if that means cheaper for us or actually better. looks like it's rev 2 of the ergonomic adjusters. There were a few things like the tilt adjust that did wear out when you toss your full weight back against one ratchet mechanism, it's going to get messed up.

As for feel stuff I just try before I buy. Buy them on craigslist at market price, try them for several months, sell the one you don't like. Simple. Or try, sell, try sell, buy new.

Herman Miller is actually pretty good at improving the quality of their products over time

I recently got an aeron, and struggled with which of the 2 back support options to get. I ended up getting both (an extra $100-ish). I find myself using the lumbar version more. While you can't use both options at once, I've enjoyed using the lumbar option more, and it is easy to swap them out. It's great that they are combining the two options.

We assesed the Aeron, Mirra 2 and Embody - the Embody won in our office pretty much unanimously. Just over a year later and everyone still loves it.

Does the Embody have mesh back and seating?

It actually is a mesh that is disguised as a fabric. It's extremely breathable but more closed than the aeron.

Interestingly, The Wirecutter has consistently preferred Steelcase chairs: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-office-chair —first the Leap and then the Gesture.

I loved the Aeron I used to have, until I hurt my shoulder swimming and discovered that its skeleton actually digs uncomfortably against the shoulder. That jarred me out of complacency about the chair's possible flaws, at least compared to others.

Haven't tried the Gesture but did have the Leaps somewhere I previously worked. I think a lot comes down to your feelings around breathability and feel of seat and back material. Personally, I like the mesh of the Aeron but there are a lot of people who prefer a more "traditional" chair material.

After having an aeron at work, I had to get one for myself. Now any non-vented chair feels sweaty and wrong after a few minutes.

The Leap is fantastic. Steelcase makes great chairs. It's as well made as the Aeron and much more comfortable. (I've not tried the new Aeron.)

Love my think! wouldn't trade it for any aeron.

Agreed, I bought a used one 10 years ago and I'm sitting on it right now. Before that I was replacing foam office chairs every few years due to wear or degassing, but not so with the Aeron. The only maintenance I've had to do is replace the foam at the seat's edge and clean it occasionally.

The build quality of these chairs is amazing when I consider the tens of thousands of hours I've been sitting in this thing.

Where did you get the foam? I have this problem as well.

I'm in the UK and got the foam from simplyaeron.co.uk

Have a search for "Aeron seat foam insert" if you're outside the UK and need an alternative option.

I love my Aeron which I got sometime in the 90s on offer. I can spend far longer in it before I start noticing the chair than anything else I've tried.

What I don't love is longevity and cost of spares. The original lumbar support[1] was just a piece of plastic, consistently broke after 12-18 months, and cost £50+ to replace. After the 4th broke, an ugly bodge was the answer!

Arm rest pads also split regularly, though less frequently, but a pair cost less than the simple backrest!

Everything else seems to have lasted remarkably well.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Aeron-Chair-Lumbar-Herman-Miller/dp/B...

I think ergonomically they are fantastic. I have owned one at home and had many at work. The problem I have is that at least previous generations they broke pretty easily for such an expensive chair. And I had some sticker shock with getting the one I owned at home fixed. I finally sold it.

My first employer (Visio!) had aeron chairs for everyone. I fell in love with it then.

The most important part (indeed, all I care about): The wire mesh seat. No more sweatty butt!!!

I bought some imitations in Thailand for about USD $200, kid of meh but had the wire mesh seat so +++

If you are in the states and have the same feature needs as me, Costco sells a faux Aeron (vinyl "wire" mesh seat and back) for $100. Works for me, but my wife is super picky about the rest of the seat ergonomics, so she hates it.

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