Ask HN: Good Aeron knock-off/alternative?

28 points by mlLK 15 years ago | 43 comments

I've been meaning to make an investment in a low-end Aeron (do they exist?) or an Aeron knock-off. . .I've been through 2 chairs in the past 2 years and it is seriously interfering w/ my work. I'll actually even go to my school's computer lab for extended periods of time if I have a lot of work to do since their chairs are so comfortable to sit in while working.

I know it's not just me and I'm not trying to act as if I'm a special case, but the biggest problem I see w/ office chairs is they don't support a proper posture while sitting at a computer. For instance, I often find myself slouching or trying to reconfigure my arm-chair height so I can jump from the keyboard to the mouse w/o much effort.

Again not to sound like a special case, but I have extremely long legs (high-waist line, like a woman...) and short torso, I don't know if this physical feature is affecting my posture in normal office chairs, but Aeron seems to effect my posture enough that it makes a huge difference.

mechanical_fish 15 years ago |

If you have tried the Aeron and it is working for you then my advice is... buy an Aeron. Why are you trying to save nickels and dimes on a problem that is interfering with your work? You will spend more time searching and auditioning an alternative chair -- which will end up costing plenty, itself -- than the money you save will be worth.

My Aeron is nearly ten years old. A new Aeron costs $850 up front from Amazon; that works out to about $7 a month. It beats pain.

Recently my chair broke (the hydraulic unit sort of exploded). Fortunately Aerons have a twelve year warranty, so in about an hour a tech is scheduled to visit my home office and fix it, for free.

If you really cannot stomach spending money for a new Aeron buy a used Aeron. (But you might want to call and make sure that the sweet, sweet warranty will transfer! ;) Then, if you decide later that another chair is better, you can sell the Aeron used and not lose much money in the bargain.

skalpelis 15 years ago | |

If anything, the chair is worth it because of the warranty - imagine buying a 100$ POS chair every year and compare it with the cost of an Aeron over 12 years (at least twelve, but it's likely to last more).

However, the 12-year warranty is only for structural parts. If I recall correctly, the mesh had only a 5-year warranty.

silencio 15 years ago | | |

This chair discussion and zed shaw's recent RSI discussion led me to looking at buying a new chair since my current one is giving me problems. I've settled on the Mirra, since I prefer it to an Aeron and I've found some reasonable deals for various colors of lightly used Mirra chairs on sites like ebay, craigslist, etc.

I'm sure a lot of others here looking to buy a chair are thinking of going the same route I am. Be aware that there is one major caveat emptor to buying a secondhand chair: Herman Miller's 12 year warranty only applies to the original purchaser that obtained the product from HM or an authorized reseller. Humanscale, Steelcase, Knoll, HON, and pretty much every other major task chair manufacturer has a similar warranty, and none of them will let you transfer the warranty AFAIK. Experiences with obtaining warranty service for secondhand Aerons and other chairs seems to vary, but please factor in the possibility that you may not be able to obtain service into the long-term cost of buying a used chair. If a trivial-over-12-years cost difference will give you peace of mind, go for it. Research a reseller before you buy anything from them. And so on.

If you weren't aware of this already, well, you can use it now to negotiate a lower price ;)

(Speaking of warranties, Costco sells some Herman Miller chairs as a legitimate authorized reseller. You can get the HM warranty and Costco's legendary return policy together that way, should anything with your chair go horribly wrong.)

mechanical_fish 15 years ago | | |

I believe that is right. Don't juggle knives while standing near your Aeron.

mlLK 15 years ago | |

I hate to admit this, but I think you're right. My Dad was originally going to get me a new chair for my birthday, but when he showed me what he wanted to get me, I reluctantly declined and tried describing to him I don't him or myself to waste more money on another office chair that is only going to cause me more problems. I doubt he's gonna shuck $850, let alone $425, for an office chair, so I guess I'm gonna have some shopping around to do on craigslist. :|

mlLK 15 years ago | |

Since you own an Aeron, what is the difference between sizes (i.e. A, B, C keep cropping up)

mechanical_fish 15 years ago | | |

I sit in a C and it's still a smidgen too short for my lower leg length. So, all I really know is that Bs are too small, and I've spent so little time sitting in a B that I cannot even tell you how. ;)

The difference I notice is the height, and perhaps the size of the seat back, but there may be other differences as well.

I did learn the secret for figuring out an Aeron's size: Under the edge of the back of the seat, stamped into the plastic, are one or more raised dots, like Braille. The one with three dots is a C. The one with two dots is too small for me, and I've never encountered a single dot.

byoung2 15 years ago |

low-end Aeron (do they exist?)

Some of my coworkers saw an ad on Craigslist for a recording studio that was going out of business. They were selling everything, from mixing boards and microphones to computers and Aeron chairs. They got genuine Aeron chairs for about $250 each. Try looking on Craigslist or in the Pennysaver for going out of business type sales.

jeremymcanally 15 years ago | |

Same here. I bought two Aerons for just a couple hundred a piece from a guy who got them from an office that went out of business. He had like 10 he was selling. I'd imagine this scenario isn't that uncommon and should be easy to find on CL or something similar.

Also, search nearby cities/regions. I had to drive an hour or so for mine, but it was worth it.

abyssknight 15 years ago | |

Got mine last year on Craigslist for ~$400 cash. It's a 2007 with the posture fit support and is fully adjustable. Sure, it was a strange transaction, but my back doesn't mind.

SkyMarshal 15 years ago |

Previously on HN:

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=585693

Ergohuman is the closest I can find to the Aeron, but I haven't tried one yet. They're also pretty close to Aeron in price, around $600:

http://ergohuman.com/index.html

Realspace Pro 9000 is close too:

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/690690/Realspace-PRO-9...

A Slate article looking for the 'best desk chair':

http://www.slate.com/id/2131646/

Some others worth looking at:

Herman Miller Ecua XR:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/ProductGroup.aspx?Prodid=113004...

Humanscale Liberty:

http://www.thehumansolution.com/liberty.html

Hayworth Zody:

http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/review-haworth-zody-cha...

Realspace BT2:

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/392830/Realspace-BT2-B... (I randomly found this one in Office Depot recently, and liked how it felt so much I bookmarked its page. I'm not Big & Tall, just average, but this chair's posture & lumbar support felt great)

Here's a fake Aeron:

http://www.coolchairz.com/solid-metal-mesh-chair--metallic-t...

Lots more at http://www.ergodepot.com/

Even a TED Talk on sitting:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/niels_diffrient_rethinks_...

ihartley 15 years ago | |

I have the Zody chair and I have to say it's pretty fantastic. I was going to buy an Aeron, but even with the size C chair, the lip of the seat dug into my thighs. The Zody on the other hand has an adjustable seat pan so I can move it out so the edge is under my knees.

The adjustable arm rests are also pretty cool and nearly worth the price of admission by themselves. They adjust up/down, forward/backward, left/right and rotate around the vertical axis.

jamesbritt 15 years ago | |

Thanks for these links. Very helpful!

Tangurena 15 years ago |

I am obese [1]. When I sit in one of those cheapy ($150 or so) office chairs from the office stores, I find that the gas cylinders last about 6 months before my fat a@@ squeezes the gas out of them. Since they're cheap imports, the only way to get a replacement gas cylinder is to buy a new chair. So I was spending $250-350/year on office chairs at home.

I've had my Aeron for 4 years now. No new cylinders. So the $800 I spent more than paid for itself. If I had stayed using office chairs, I'd have spent more than $1k on them.

Notes:

1 - Getting run over by a car, and being unable to be as physically active as I used to be didn't help.

EvanK 15 years ago |

Not exactly what you're asking, but I took a chance on replacing my chair entirely with an inflatable exercise ball, and I'm quite happy with the result. It took a week or so to get used to, but my balance has somewhat improved and my lowe back actually seems a little stronger. I'm also putting the money I saved on a chair into buying an adjustable height desk so I can stand & work when I get tired of bouncing on said ball.

mlLK 15 years ago | |

What kind of desks are you looking into?

EvanK 15 years ago | | |

Thinking of getting a GeekDesk. You can buy just the frame, then find your own desk top piece (and a hollow-core door from home depot will work just fine)

AgentIcarus 15 years ago |

One that was recommended to me on here before (and I ended up buying - thanks HN!) was the Markus from Ikea - http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20103101

It's a lovely chair for working in, very comfortable and with a decent head / neck support.

stonemetal 15 years ago | |

How long have you had yours? I have a chair from Ikea that was great for about 1.5 years then deteriorated rather quickly.

MartinCron 15 years ago | | |

I have a love hate relationship with Ikea. The rule I've worked out is "buy nothing with moving parts" which would rule out office chairs.

AgentIcarus 15 years ago | | |

Purchased on the 1st of June last year - I'll keep an eye on it in the future, thanks for the warning!

gregtrob 15 years ago |

After having issues multiple times with my back as a result of the way I sit (and the amount of time I sit) for work, my opinion is work standing up as much as possible.

That or get one of the exercise balls to sit on when you must sit, it forces correct posture.

sbov 15 years ago |

Whatever you do, I wouldn't buy the Realspace Pro/Quantum from Office Depot. They may have since fixed the design, but for my current version:

The design for attaching the seatback to the base is poor - all that is holding it up is two metal plates attached to eachother at (about) a 60 degree angle with 2 screws. There is a "slot" one goes into but it is just plastic. Due to this the screws holding up the back have a tendency to snap in half.

Both of my screws broke after 1 month, causing me to go crashing onto the floor. They had a "recall" and distributed a repair kit with new screws but one new screw has already snapped for me. To really fix this chair they would have to do much more than distribute a new pair of screws. Hopefully they have in newer chairs, but I wouldn't risk $250 on it.

This may have to do with weight and height - I'm 6'4 and 190 lbs, so I would place much more stress on the screws than someone shorter. I still wouldn't risk it though.

See: http://www.quantumchair.com/recall/cpsc.html

Entlin 15 years ago |

Imho, Aeron chairs are overrated, because they lack good neck and head support.

I use a Vitra Headline. Most comfortable task chair in the world. I can code on it for days without feeling that my head is getting heavy and I need to sleep. It's so much relaxing fun I regularly have to drag myself away from the monitor at 3am to go to bed. Truly a revolution.

silentbicycle 15 years ago |

While not necessarily cheaper, the Haworth Zody chairs are an option (I love mine), as are several Steelcase chairs (e.g. the Leap). You might have better luck if you watch craigslist for all three, but remember that the fit of the actual chair is probably as important as the general design.

stonemetal 15 years ago |

>I'll actually even go to my school's computer lab for extended periods of time if I have a lot of work to do since their chairs are so comfortable to sit in while working.

So what kind of chairs do they have? School labs aren't known for having Aerons.

mlLK 15 years ago | |

Yeah, I was actually going to stop by later today and see for myself.

sabj 15 years ago | |

Depends on the school...

euccastro 15 years ago |

I own an Aeron, and I used to have a Mirra at work. If I had my money back, I'd go for the Mirra instead. It's still in the luxury price range, but a bit cheaper, and to me it felt better. I used to spend more time sitting in the 'proper' position in the Mirra, while in the Aeron I'll often slouch, cross legs, and otherwise change posture. Maybe I never managed to adjust the Aeron just right. Mirra is less configurable, but it just worked for me, so I count that as a plus.

Even cheaper chairs are a significant investment, so I suggest just try sitting on as many as you can, and don't buy one that you couldn't try.

elouise 15 years ago |

Get a Celle. I find them more comfortable that Aerons and way cheaper. http://www.hermanmiller.com/Products/Celle-Chairs

weaksauce 15 years ago |

I picked mine up used on craigslist for about $400.(If you are willing to wait for it you can get it cheaper) It has so far lasted longer than a "cheaper" staples chair that goes for 100-200 bucks and has no degradation in utility. I love it and I am kicking my self in the ass for not buying it sooner.

BTW... the price that they list on craigslist is usually an ideal price that they would like to get. You should be able to knock off 50-100 bucks off the price by haggling in person and be willing to walk away from a deal.

edj 15 years ago |

Another option is the Swopper chair. http://www.amazon.com/A-801-Black-Swopper-Chair/dp/B00079EH3...

It looks like a barstool and feels a bit like a high-tech, firm, adjustable exercise ball. Easily my favorite office chair and vastly better, in my opinion, than Aerons.

matrix 15 years ago |

I can't recommend the Steelcase Leap enough. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I found the Aeron chairs to be somewhat uncomfortable. The Steelcase Leap, on the otherhand... I've had it for a year and couldn't imagine working without one.

I found mine for $100 on Craiglist, so maybe try there.

flowereater 15 years ago | |

Second the steelcase leap. It has a nice "recline mode" which I make copious use of. Make sure you get the version 2.

moe 15 years ago |

I'll actually even go to my school's computer lab for extended periods of time if I have a lot of work to do since their chairs are so comfortable to sit in while working.

So what chairs do they have? Probably not Aerons? If those work fine for you, why not buy just that.

frankus 15 years ago |

The Quantum Mesh Chair from Office Depot is pretty nice, and about $300 new.

Double-check the seat height, though. I'm 5'11" and at the highest setting it's almost too low. I'm not entirely sure if they come in different sizes or if its one-size-fits-all.

far33d 15 years ago |

We use these at our office:

http://www.sitonit.net/home/product-overview.asp?product=foc...

They are not as good as aerons but they are significantly cheaper, around $250.

tvon 15 years ago |

I've seen a bunch of Aeron chairs on Craigslist (Baltimore) for around $450. I suggest just subscribing to the Aeron search results and waiting until you see one at your price point.

ThomPete 15 years ago |

I have had an Aeron chair almost since it came out. The same one have been traveling with me across continents for 12 years or so.

Don't get the nock off get the real thing.

lanstein 15 years ago |

I got an Aeron on craigslist for $150. Shit luck, but it does happen. The seller wanted a white one to match his office redesign :)

BoppreH 15 years ago |

Have you tried a stand-desk?