| It's hard to believe that Herman Miller's Aeron | | | | the use of lumbar supports which when used |
| chair is now some 13 years old, acknowledged as | | | | correctly encourages the user's back and spine to |
| the best known office chair ever, is it still the | | | | maintain its proper posture or lordosis as it is |
| best choice of quality chair today? | | | | technically known. |
| In this article we consider whether the Aeron is | | | | The problem with this method is that the user |
| still worthy of top chair status and which other | | | | needs to ensure that they are sitting with their |
| chairs are challenging for the top seating product. | | | | back firmly resting on the support. It is too easy |
| When the Aeron was introduced in 1994 it really | | | | to sit incorrectly by being too far forward in the |
| did change the face of office seating quite | | | | chair. With the Miller method it does make it easier |
| radically. | | | | to sit properly as it encourages the balance of |
| Put down by some critics as ugly, it managed to | | | | your weight to rest against butterfly pad of the |
| rise above its detractors and is seen today as a | | | | PostureFit. |
| classic and winner of numerous design awards. | | | | On the downside, PostureFit isn't a standard |
| So what is it about the Aeron that makes it so | | | | feature and costs more. Fortunately, it is relatively |
| radically different to its competitors and are these | | | | simple to add the accessory to your chair later. |
| features really that different? | | | | Given the choice though, it's best to have it at |
| Probably the biggest single point of difference with | | | | the outset. |
| the Miller Aeron is the upholstery or Pellicle. The | | | | The other drawback with the Aeron is that it |
| old form of upholstery with padded foams | | | | does take quite a bit of setting up initially to get |
| finished in either fabric or leather had been around | | | | everything exactly right for the individual user. |
| for ever and it's credit to Herman Miller for | | | | Consequently, it's not really a chair that can be |
| devising a new way looking at office seat | | | | recommended for sharing with others, unless |
| upholstery. | | | | each user remembers their exact settings and |
| From this came the revolutionary pellicle, a unique | | | | that isn't really very practical to do. |
| form of open mesh upholstery that effectively | | | | So what have the competition been up to? Well, |
| replaced the need for padding as its strength and | | | | they haven't just been standing idly by and there |
| durability eliminated the need for conventional seat | | | | are a number of excellent chairs that do offer a |
| and back pad framing, foam and fabric. | | | | serious challenge to the Aeron. |
| Here was a material that was able to move to | | | | One of the key features that other |
| support the user's body but at the same time | | | | manufacturers have been keen to develop is the |
| have the ability to return to its original shape | | | | simplification of chair adjustment. |
| when not in use and not become distorted or lose | | | | Companies like HÅG of Norway, that has |
| its shape. | | | | introduced a method of automatic weight |
| The pellicle brought about the introduction of the | | | | adjustment into some of its top level models. |
| mesh office chair concept as competitors tried to | | | | Here the user simply needs to lean back into the |
| fight back and this has become a very popular | | | | chair and it automatically self tensions it to suit |
| product these days. | | | | the person's weight. |
| However, a lot of this mesh upholstery doesn't | | | | The Humanscale Freedom Chair also has its own |
| have the same qualities as Miller's pellicle, which | | | | version of automatic weight compensation to |
| continues to set the standard for this form of | | | | make adjustment as simple as possible. |
| upholstery. | | | | Steelcase's Leap chair has also proved very |
| The other key difference with the Aeron was the | | | | popular, even with former Aeron users. Its |
| introduction of PostureFit in 2001. | | | | LiveBack chair back mechanism is designed to |
| The design team at Herman Miller worked closely | | | | change shape to support the entire spine and is |
| with a leading back care specialist, Dr Brock | | | | an innovative idea. |
| Walker, to perfect the PostureFit concept. | | | | So, for now the Aeron is still probably the top |
| They were aware that the vast majority of | | | | ergonomic office chair and with over a million units |
| office chairs gave insufficient support to the base | | | | in use world wide will take some knocking off the |
| of the spine, the area below the belt line. | | | | top spot, in fact it's probably too far ahead now |
| They designed a support system that gave | | | | to be caught. |
| proper support to the user's pelvic region and by | | | | With that said some of its competitors are |
| doing so ensured that the spine and back is | | | | worthy challengers and do produce chairs of |
| automatically correctly aligned and supported | | | | comparable quality, the problem they face is |
| when using an Aeron fitted with the PostureFit | | | | successfully getting their message to potential |
| mechanism. | | | | chair buyers. |
| Nearly all other office chairs attempt to do this by | | | | |