The best Herman Miller chairs are some of the finest office chairs you can buy – believe me, I know. I've reviewed lots of office chairs for Creative Bloq, and for me, Herman Miller offers the perfect balance of design, comfort and longevity. These are the kind of chairs you buy once and use for a lifetime.
Yes, it requires splashing some cash, but it's worth it. So, I've drawn on my experience testing Herman Miller chairs, both at home and in the company's UK HQ, to compile this list of top choices.
The top 3 Herman Miller chairs
A modern design icon, the Aeron was a milestone for ergonomic chairs when it was released in 1994, and it's still one of the best office chairs I've ever used.
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The Lino is one of the rarest things: a 'budget' Herman Miller chair. Well, at $800 it's more mid-range, but it is the brand's cheapest chair. And it's a beauty!
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The Embody is perhaps the most comfortable of the Herman Miller chairs, with fantastic arm rests and a clever skeleton that fully embraces you.
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The best Herman Miller chairs
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Modern icon
30-second review: If you picture a Herman Miller chair, you're probably thinking of the Aeron. This highly customisable chair remains the most popular Herman Miller chair of all, having sold over seven million units. It was a milestone for ergonomic chairs when it was released back in the 1990s, and it remains one of the most desirable office chairs around. In my hands-on review, I found it to be overall best ergonomic chair I've ever used.
Pricing: The price of a new Herman Miller Aeron chair in the US generally starts around $1,000-$1,300 / £1,000-£1,200 for a basic model, and can go up to $2,400 / £1,800 or more for highly configured versions with premium finishes like polished aluminum or onyx. Refurbished or used Aeron chairs are widely available and can be found ranging from $300-$900 / £350-£600. If you want all the adjustments, the Aeron remains an expensive option, but I feel that it lives up to expectations.
Design and performance: When reviewing, I found it exceptionally comfortable for extended work sessions, with the mesh back providing excellent breathability and the fixed lumbar support hitting just the right spot. The armrests, while non-adjustable, are positioned perfectly and feel substantial yet comfortable. The chair moves as one solid unit with no rattling, thanks to its die-cast aluminum construction. My only concern is that the limited adjustability means it may not suit users significantly taller or shorter than average (I'm 5'10").
Best value
30-second review: If price is your priority, then you're looking for the Lino. You won't find a cheaper option than this minimal, no-nonsense chair. It looks more like a traditional office chair than most other Herman Miller chairs, but while it lacks the advanced features of the likes of the Aeron or Embody, it's still impressively comfortable and supportive.
Pricing: The Lino represents one of Herman Miller's most affordable options while still delivering their renowned build quality and comfort. It's positioned as an entry-level chair in their lineup, making Herman Miller design accessible to a broader audience without compromising on the essentials like smooth mechanisms and quality materials. Expect to find new Lino chairs starting around $670-$855 / £530-£800 GBP on the Herman Miller store and authorised retailers. Refurbished Lino chairs can be found for as little as $240 / £240.
Design and performance: Despite its affordable price, the Lino provides a comfortable and supportive seating experience. It has adjustable arms and seat depth so that you can find your perfect sitting position and a breathable suspension back offering full spinal and lumbar support. It also comes in a wide range of colours, material and finish options so that you can ensure that your Lino fits perfectly with your office décor.
Best premium
30-second review: The Embody doesn't just support you - it actively encourages healthy micro-movements while distributing pressure perfectly across your body. It's the closest thing to a perfect chair you'll find. For some reason, Herman Miller markets the Embody as a gaming chair. I'm sure it will serve perfectly well as such, but that is to slightly under-sell the Embody. It is, all things considered, the best chair I've ever sat on. It really is that good.
Pricing: The Embody retails for around $2,195 / £1,715, positioning it firmly in premium territory. However, for a chair that represents cutting-edge ergonomic design, uses exceptional materials, and comes with Herman Miller's legendary build quality, it's an investment in your long-term comfort and health. This is a chair built to last a lifetime.
Design and performance: The Herman Miller Embody features a backfit adjustment so that you can tune the chair to your spine, a smooth tilt that mimics your natural pivot points, and a seat with four breathable layers for comfort and airflow. It also has the best arm rests that I've ever tested – simple, clever design that works. The real genius is how you feel when you've sat on the Embody for a while. Thanks to its skeletal back and seat design, which encourages micro-movements, and therefore blood flow, you feel super comfortable, but also fresh – not like you've just been sat on your bum for X hours. That really is genius design.
Best compact
30-second review: If the price of Herman Miller's Aeron is just too much but you want a fine-looking chair with sound back support for both work and play, I think the Sayl is the perfect alternative as the best Herman Miller chair for those on a more prudent budget. Inspired by the geometry of the Golden Gate Bridge suspension system, the Sayl office chair has the hallmarks of a future design classic. Its striking Y-Tower armature and ventilated elastomer back not only look stunning, but they also give you plenty of spinal support as well as space to stretch and move about.
Pricing: The price of a new Herman Miller Sayl chair in the US generally starts around $735-$775 / £540-£700 for a basic configuration. Depending on chosen options such as arm type (fixed, height-adjustable, or fully adjustable), lumbar support, and specific upholstery fabrics or frame finishes, the price can increase, potentially reaching over $1,300 / £1,100. Refurbished or used Sayl chairs in the US can often be found in the range of $200-$600.
Design and performance: Our reviewer found the Sayl to be ideal for use both as an office chair and also for leaning back and watching videos or gaming (there are fun colours for gaming too). The webbed plastic back is very cool and breathable, making it this probably the best Herman Miller chair for anyone who tends to get too hot or who works in a hot office. The arm rests are adjustable too and I found they worked well in practice.
Best Herman Miller office chair for home working
30-second review: With soft upholstery options and a sculpture-like form with smooth curves, Herman Miller's Asari chair exudes smoothness and calm, perfect for slotting into a home-working space without making it feel too much like a sterile office. Created by influential designer Naoto Fukasawa, the Asari also hides a surprising level of ergonomic depth in its relatively simple form.
Pricing: Of course, that kind of design pedigree doesn't come cheap. The Herman Miller Asari currently runs from about $1,460 to $ 1,560 (£1,518 to £1,577), depending on whether you go for mid-back or high-back and a few other options.
Design and performance: Furnishing a home office can be a bit of a challenge, as you want the functionality of a good office chair but don't necessarily want the look of one. The soft, inviting Herman Miller Asari is an ideal solution, marrying the function of an office chair with the aesthetic appeal of a piece of furniture you'd actually want in your house. Fukasawa was inspired by naturally occurring forms for his design, as you can see from the smooth curves of the backrest, which is available in two heights.
The Asari can adjust to your lower back's individual contours thanks to PostureFit, and the seat pads are engineered to minimise pressure points for solid overall support. You get a few upholstery options (personally I'm rather taken with the bright yellow 'Clarion' colourway in Luce), and the softness of the design allows the Asari to easily slot into your carefully co-ordinated interior space.
Best for restless
30-second review: The Herman Miller Mirra 2 takes its name from the fact that it's designed to intuitively mirror your natural movements. Herman Miller likens it to a good running shoe, and it's an apt comparison. When we reviewed it, we found the Mirra 2 to be responsive and supportive, allowing the body to move, stretch and reach naturally, while the Harmonic 2 tilt provides a balanced feel when reclining the chair.
Pricing: The price of a new Herman Miller Mirra 2 chair starts around $1,385-$1,395 / £700-£850. Depending on chosen options such as the back type (TriFlex polymer or Butterfly suspension), arm type (fixed or fully adjustable), adjustable lumbar support, FlexFront adjustable seat depth, and specific frame or base finishes, the price can increase significantly, potentially reaching over $1,700 / £1,100 for fully loaded models. Refurbished or used Mirra 2 chairs can be found in the range of $300-$700 / £250-£700.
Design and performance: The Mirra 2 has two back options, a flexible TriFlex back or an ultra-responsive Butterfly back. Its woven seat distributes your weight evenly and allows air circulation, and it comes in a range of great-looking colourways, giving you more colour options than with the classic Aeron above. Some might find the seat just a little unyielding compared to the Aeron, but if support matters most to you then it's a definite winner.
Best minimalist
30-second review: While not quite the cheapest Herman Miller chair you can get, the Setu is notably minimalist and one of the more affordable options. It has a mesh seat and back and a flexible spine that responds to your movement. There are six tasteful colour options and either white or black frames. Herman Miller bills it as a side chair, and the light manoeuvrability makes it very suitable for that. We're not sure we'd choose it for all-day use, but if you don't spend the entire day seated or if you like a firmer chair with no cushioned seating, this is Herman Miller quality at a more affordable price.
Pricing: The price of a new Herman Miller Setu chair generally starts around $960 / £780 for a basic configuration. Fully customised or premium configurations can reach over $1,200 / £1,200.
Design and performance: You can adjust the height but nothing else in this case, making it less ergonomic than other options on our list. That said, the plastic panels that support the back of the chair are designed to adjust and respond to your body with no manual controls necessary. So while it's not something you have total control over, it does mould itself to your body. The Setu's biggest selling point though is its lightweight design, which makes it easy to manoeuvre.
Form adjusting
30-second review: Available in three back heights, the Herman Miller Cosm is designed to adjust itself to provide you with optimum support. It features Herman Miller's Auto-Harmonic tilt mechanism that automatically gives you the balanced support and movement you need, based on your body and posture, and its seat and back are combined into a breathable and temperature-neutral Intercept Suspension that conforms to your body to provide dynamic spinal support. This also encourages better posture by allowing you to sit in a way that specifically aligns with your spine.
Pricing: The price of a new Herman Miller Cosm chair generally starts around $1,270 / £975 for a low-back configuration with fixed arms, with mid-back models typically starting around $1,635 / £1,400 and high-back models around $1,955 / £1,500. Depending on chosen options, the price can increase to exceed $2,000 / £1,600.
Design and performance: There are three arm options – fixed-height, height-adjustable and leaf – and multiple colour options; we particularly love the Cosm's 'dipped-in' look, which means it's the same colour from top to bottom. When we went to the Herman Miller showroom and tried out all the chairs, the Cosm was definitely up there with our favourites.
FAQs
How do I choose the right size Herman Miller chair?
The best thing to do before you buy is to take a look at Herman Miller's size reference chart, which combines height and weight to suggest the ideal chair for every user. Be aware that not every Herman Miller chair comes with size options – some are 'one size fits all'.
Why are Herman Miller chairs so expensive?
Herman Miller chairs are premium products, and they're designed to last. They offer excellent build quality, and are made from superior materials, and come with a guarantee of 12 years as standard. Herman Miller's business model doesn't revolve around you buying a new one of their chairs every couple of years – they aim to provide long-term satisfaction.
Herman Miller chairs benefit from premium design, with many of their lines being created by iconic designers like Naoto Fukasawa. If your chair is designed by someone with a blue wikipedia link to their name, it's going to cost a bit more! They're also highly ergonomic, delivering not just improved comfort, but also better back support (see our guide to the factors that make an office chair ergonomic for more).
It's also worth noting that not all Herman Miller chairs are super-expensive. Several come in below the $1,000 mark, and the best Herman Miller chair deals can get you a handful of the top picks in our guide for about $500 / £450 when there's a Herman Miller discount.
Are Herman Miller chairs good?
Herman Miller chairs offer significantly better quality than many of their competitors, with increased longevity and total spinal support, following the natural alignment of the spine. They're also designed for a dynamic fit, supporting the sacrum not the lumbar (as many other chairs do). The materials that make up the chairs are strong but flexible, able to dissipate heat and evenly distribute weight.
Herman Miller chairs come with a 12-year warranty when you buy them through the proper channels, and are designed for 24-hour. And according to Mike Rowen, EMEA market manager of global performance seating at Herman Miller, most people don't send them back. This also makes these chairs a sustainable choice, as you'll ideally only buy one for a lifetime's use!
With that said, if you like the sound of Herman Miller but would appreciate a cheaper option, we have a guide to the best Herman Miller alternatives.
How to choose
When choosing a Herman Miller chair, you'll need to consider size, materials and overall design. While many Herman Miller Chairs are 'one size fits all' with adjustability, others come in different sizes for different body types.
Materials are also a consideration. Many Herman Miller chairs have a mesh back that supports and flexes with your body as you move throughout the day. These are designed to be breathable while still offering complete support, and while they may feel a little unyielding when compared to the couch, they will still allow you to sit back and relax thanks to an adjustable tilt handle. Other Herman Miller chairs are designed with softer padded materials, which are less breathable, but some find more comfortable.
You may want to simply look at the most popular Herman Miller chairs. The Aeron and the Mirra 2 are the most famous chairs, with the former being the company's best seller. While these two are incredibly adjustable, they're also among the most expensive in the line-up, so you may want to consider some of the comparatively cheap options, such as the Herman Miller Lino.
How we test
We review chairs by calling them in to assess and test them in person, rather than relying on manufacturers' specs. From the moment of opening the box, we start evaluating the chair. If assembly is required, how easy is it to set up? We look at each chair's adjustability and comfort, closely scrutinising materials to assess its durability and quality. We test chairs over long periods, not just a few days, but weeks and even months, to ensure that it really is offering the kind of long-term comfort that its manufacturers claim. We also look at warranty and returns policies, as well as up-to-date pricing to assess whether a chair provides real value for money compared to rivals.
