Is the Aeron Chair by Herman Miller the best desk chair in 2021?
Every week I see new blog posts from respectable outlets such as CNET, Wirecutter, and CNN touting that the Aeron Chair by Herman Miller is the best chair. But is it though? If you look closely these articles are written by people who are not experts in the industry and all they do is round up mediocre chairs and then show the Aeron chair as the winner. An even closer look would reveal a referral link for them to earn a sales commission. Should you make a purchase based on a misinformed decision?
BUT IS THE AERON CHAIR THE BEST DESK CHAIR?
The Aeron Chair is undoubtedly a very good chair that is well made and has a great warranty. Because of their marketing and referral program, it is the best well known chair. Just like asking the average Joe which watch brand is the best, he would most likely say Rolex. But what about Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, Cartier, and Omega? Let me tell you a little secret: There is no one magical chair that fits every body type.
“There is no one magical chair that fits every body type”
Most people don’t get to experience the difference that a good chair makes when you work for more than 8 hours a day. This is because the price for a good chair starts at $550 and only goes upwards. This guide is to provide you with real desk chair options that are on the same level as the Aeron Chair by showing you what makes them unique rather than going into detail about them.
Junior Task Chair by Keilhauer
I know I know it’s an odd shape but if you are able to get past its look and actually try this chair, you will feel back support like no other desk chair can provide.
Keilhauer was founded in 1981 in Toronto Canada and they make some of the most comfortable task, conference, and executive chairs. Their quality and customer service is unparalleled by any other Canadian or American company. A bold statement but as someone who actually works with high-end vendors, I have first hand experience.
President Obama sitting on the Danforth Chair by Keilhauer
The Junior task chair is different than any other chair you have ever tried. Its unconventional shape is designed to expand your chest, giving you the ability to breath more air into your lungs. It also provides more support to your lumbar and thoracic area as it supports the natural curve of your spine.
Price range for a well configured chair is between $850 – 950+. Price difference is mostly due to the textile the client picks. We could use graded-in fabrics or COM (Customer’s own material) from other textile mills making this chair truly personalized.
Freedom Task Chair by Humanscale
Humanscale was founded in 1983 by CEO Bob King with a focus on high-performance tools that support a healthy, more active way of working. Today they are considered the ergonomic leader with the best in class monitor arms, keyboard trays, and of course desk chairs.
Freedom is a fitting name for this beautiful and fantastically ergonomic task chair designed in 1999 by renowned ergonomics designer Niels Diffrient. That’s because this chair automatically adapts to the user, providing complete freedom to move from posture to posture. There’s no need to first learn about its hidden mechanism or to figure out complicated levers or dials. Dubbed “the gold standard in office seating” by The New York Times, the Humanscale Freedom Chair is simple and streamlined in the best of ways.
Available as a midback or high back, pricing for the Freedom chair ranges from $850 to $1,500 depending on the textile or leather options.
"You" Desk Chair by Allseating
Allseating was founded in 1982 in Mississauga Canada and they specialize in commercial, healthcare, and education environments. Known for their quality and 12 year warranty across the board, Allseating makes as of this writing my favorite desk chair.
The You chair by Allseating is not your run-of-the-mill mesh chair. It is the only mesh back chair that has an adjustable lumbar by bending the frame. This in turn creates an active lumbar support that makes you lighter on your sit bones decompressing your spine. Besides having amazing back support, the seat cushion is great too and the You chair can also be specified with a mesh seat as well.
The You chair ranges from $750 to $900 ish depending on the textile. And because Allseating wants as many people to enjoy working in the most comfortable way, they also offer the You Too chair. The main difference is the You Too chair’s frame is made of polyester vs Metal, different mechanism, and no standard ratchet back. A well configured You Too chair is about $650.
Sguig Task Chair by Keilhauer
The Sguig chair was designed between Keilhauer and the Austrian design team EOOS. Their goal was to create an “intuitive” task chair that would follow the human body’s natural inclination for movement and postural variation. They discovered that men and women sit differently and we are constantly moving.
Based on their research findings, the Sguig Chair was designed with Pelvic Balance Point Technology to give equal comfort to both men and women sitting styles.
The Sguig chair also features the T1-T5 Free shoulder thoracic support that the Junior desk chair has. Besides its many health benefits, it prevents the hunched position that most men take when working for long periods of time.
The Sguig Desk Chair comes in multiple standard textile colors and three different electro-welded back patterns and coordinating plain seat. Pricing is around $950 depending on the options.
6C Home Task Chair by Keilhauer
The 6C at Home desk chair is not on the same level as the aforementioned chairs but it is comfortable and does provide great back support, after all it is made by Keilhauer. This is a great option for everyone else that can’t afford a one thousand dollar chair during these difficult times. The packaging was extremely well designed to make sure it arrives free of damage anywhere in the contiguous 48 states and best of all it is very easy to assemble it.
Pricing for the 6C at Home chair is $549 and is avaiable in a black frame with black fabric or a grey frame with grey fabric.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT
These are real options that compete with the Aeron chair in quality, ergonomics, and price.
Because we are built differently, every chair is going to feel differently. As I mentioned before, there is no magical chair that works for everybody. The important thing is to try out different chairs and find the one that truly fits you.
We specialize in medium to high-end office furniture. Visit our showroom to try out all of these chairs and more.