01.11.19 | Furniture
|The Aeron® Chair by Herman Miller® has been one of the most desirable task chairs for 23 years. Originally designed in 1994 by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick, the Aeron Chair remains a modern and innovative task chair today.
After more than 20 years of success, Herman Miller decided to reevaluate this famous design. With more advanced technology and a better understanding of ergonomics, some room had been created for improvements.
In 2016, the highly anticipated remastered Aeron Chair was released. Below, we delve into the specific updates that were made as well as our evaluation of what was most and least successful.
New Color Options
Previously, the Aeron Chair was available in a titanium (light grey) and graphite (almost black) frame. The new remastered Aeron Chair offers three great frame color options: Mineral (an even lighter grey), Carbon (medium grey) and the popular Graphite, which remains unchanged. The new Mineral and Carbon frame colors are fresh and have a more modern feel. Each frame color is paired with the matching 8Z Pellicle™ suspension material. We like that the look remains clean and classic.
The new Aeron also offers additional base finish options, which allow you to customize your chair’s look. Our favorite is and will always be the polished aluminum base & chassis, which makes the Aeron Chair a real standout. This version is ideal for an executive’s office.
8Z Pellicle™ Suspension Material
We always loved the breathability and comfort the Pellicle suspension material had to offer. Herman Miller managed to make it even better with the new 8Z Pellicle™ zoned material. This new material offers 8 zones of support on the seat and back of the Aeron Chair. Essentially, this means there is increased tension where the majority of your body weight rests and less tension elsewhere. The result is a noticeable improvement in comfort. It reduces pressure to a point we didn’t think was possible. And, of course, you will still be comfortable and cool while sitting on the ultra-breathable seat and back.
The New Adjustable Arms
Finally, you can have a completely adjustable arm on the Aeron Chair. The new fully adjustable arm pivots and moves forward and back. The height adjustment mechanism is now much smoother and easier to operate. And the standard vinyl arm pad has a little extra cushioning.
Additionally, there are more arm options to choose from than ever. Choose from no arms, fixed arms, height adjustable arms and fully adjustable arms.
Tilt & Tension Controls
The tilt limiter and seat angle controls on the original Aeron Chair were never very intuitive. So, Herman Miller made the levers into user-friendly knobs. We like that the direction you turn the knobs relates to the actual function of the knob (turn the knob forward to tilt the seat forward). However, they still seem a little bit tricky at times. Overall, we would consider this change an improvement.
As for the tension knob, it no longer requires 100 turns of the knob to go from the loosest to the tightest tension setting. Previously, it had been labor intensive to adjust the tension of the reclining mechanism. Now, a few turns make a noticeable difference.
Updated PostereFit SL™ & Adjustable Lumbar Support
Some subtle updates have been made to the back support options for the Aeron Chair. We are anxiously awaiting our Aeron Chair with the adjustable lumbar support, so unfortunately we can’t comment on this option yet. The new adjustable lumbar option was recently released this year.
The new PostureFit SL™ has received a lot of positive feedback from our customers. The adjustment (that moves towards or away from your back) is subtle, but it allows some customization. The overall support is quite comfortable. With its longer shape and two independently moving support pieces, it feels as if it is integrated with the mesh back of the chair.
The lumbar support option received a bit of an update as well. Most noticeably, it looks different and we find the feel of it to be a bit more subtle. This is likely due to the increased flexibility and movement in the design of the lumbar support. Is it height adjustable (just reach back and slide it up or down), but the rest of the movement that happens is automatic.
The New Remastered Aeron Chair is Here to Stay
Overall, Herman Miller has managed to improve a classic task chair while maintaining all of the things that made it great in the first place. The overall aesthetic of the new Aeron Chair has remained the same. Three size options continue to offer customized support and comfort for all. And the popular adjustment options that draw many to this chair are still there – now with easier-to-operate controls.
Our favorite changes include the new color options, the amazingly comfortable 8Z Pellicle zoned suspension material and the improvements made to the adjustability and operation of the arms.