How do you like it? It looks awesome but very spendy. Also- for those who know, is it worth $200 more for the “fully loaded” Mirra vs the standard?
Unfortunately, I have limited options for trying these chairs in the area - the only dealers seem to be places that do full office furnishing consultations. I may have to order blind from a place with a good return policy.
I’d advise caution. It looks a lot like the Celle–it has an oddly similar name and price point, and the Celle no longer appears in the store, so maybe it’s their replacement for that chair. The Celle was not a good chair–lots of negative reviews from a variety of sources, and the one that I tried at the office furniture store was not very comfortable.
It may be that they have improved on the design, and that’s why the Celle is gone and this new chair is taking its place at that price point. But I’d find someplace to try it out before buying.
I still like my Steelcase Think, BTW. Price-wise, it’s only a bit more expensive than the Sayl, and a bit cheaper than the Mirra.
The answer is: it depends. IIRC, the more expensive Mirra just has more adjustment options. The thing with chairs, though, is that you will typically tune them to the settings that feel most comfortable to you, and then leave them there. So if the seat edge on the cheaper Mirra (I think that’s one of the things that is set on the cheap model and adjustable on the loaded one) feels comfortable to you, then you might not need to get the more expensive model.
It’s a good idea to find a local dealer, where you can sit in these chairs and see how they feel.
Upon looking around today, it seems that the Ergohuman may be a lot better choice if I’m trying to save money than any of the Herman Miller offerings. I’ll see if I can find one to try locally.
Seriously, check out the Steelcase stuff, too. The Think is priced pretty close to what the Ergohuman sells for. I found it to be more comfortable–comfort is a fairly personal thing, though, so YMMV. Regardless, if you are spending that much on a chair, then you owe it to yourself to try a few out before buying, if you can. Check out the HM ones, too, even if you think they might be a bit out of your price range.
Looks like there’s a Design Within Reach in downtown Milwaukee. I’ll give them a call to see what they have in-store.
Got to try out a Mirra today, which I liked. I really wish I could have tried out a Sayl and an Embody though. The reviews I’ve read have said the Embody is the chair to get if you like reclining all the time (which I do), but I’d still have to convince myself of it. The Mirra I liked decently, but I’m not 100% sold on the hard-back. The Sayl has gotten decent user reviews from what I’ve seen, but I’m really not sure about it.
Decisions, decisions… At least I found one online store (Smartfurniture) that has full refunds no questions asked if I end up with something I don’t like.
Most vendors are having a Herman Miller sale (15% off) starting tomorrow. I’m giving a lot of thought to ordering up the cheap SAYL chair from SmartFurniture to try it out. They have a 30 day free-shipping return policy. As much as I like the Mirra, I like $399 -15% more. Since I can’t find one anywhere local to try, I’m considering it.
I had a loaded Steelcase Drive for years, I loved it. Just doing a quick search, you can pick one up easily for around $200.
I was able to just score an Embody (with arms) for $867 from OfficeDesigns.com. They are applying 30% instead of 15% to HM chairs right now, likely as a mistake from the 15% off sale that just started. We’ll see if they honor that price!
After a few years, my Ergohuman no longer keeps its set height; usually when I sit down, I’ll find it at max height and need to lower it again. I suppose it could be a ghost or a cat, but it’s probably just a bad seal. If I lower it all the way to the bottom stop, it’s less likely to happen.
It’s also not the quietest thing when sitting or, especially, leaning back (I’m not a particularly heavy sitter) – often there will be a pop or series of pops from it, which is enough to worry me about waking someone else if I’m up early.
I’ll probably look for a Herman Miller or other major brand next time. The sale right now on the Mirra is tempting: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002K11BK/?tag=codinghorror-20 (using wumpus’ link).
After a few years, my Ergohuman no longer keeps its set height; usually when I sit down, I’ll find it at max height and need to lower it again. I suppose it could be a ghost or a cat, but it’s probably just a bad seal. If I lower it all the way to the bottom stop, it’s less likely to happen.
It’s also not the quietest thing when sitting or, especially, leaning back (I’m not a particularly heavy sitter) – often there will be a pop or series of pops from it, and it’s loud enough to make me worry about waking someone else if I’m up early.
I’ll probably look for a Herman Miller or other major brand next time. The $679.15 sale right now on the loaded Mirra is tempting: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002K11BK/...odinghorror-20 (using wumpus’ link).
Follow up to my earlier post: They wouldn’t honor the 30% off since it was a mistake, but met me halfway at 21% off instead of 15%. Getting the chair either today or Monday - very excited. I’ll post my impressions after I’ve had it a few days.
Man, that’s an awesome chair. I would have considered one if I could have gotten it for that price. Let us know how you like it!
I love my Mirra, and I definitely prefer it to the Aeron.
Have not tried an Embody, but would like to.
Thank you Ben Sones!
I meant to post this a few months ago when I ordered an Aeron from Smart Furniture based on your post, and the recent bump to the thread reminded me. I was able to customize the chair very easily on the web site, and they did a good job in keeping me posted while the chair was assembled and shipped. One nice thing is their shipping and assembly charges seemed significantly lower than some of the other sites I was looking at (also without all the complaints I was reading about sit4less). The Aeron arrived fully assembled, and after a few months continues to look and feel great(I’m using it for my primary work chair).
Oh, apparently they are having a 15% off sale for Herman Miller chairs through June 13th.
Initial impressions after 2 days: This chair is awesome. At first, it took a little getting used to because I’m not used to that much lumbar support. I also spent a lot of the first day futzing with settings I found that I liked. Going in to work today, I definitely felt like the Aeron was a step down and was missing the Embody. One thing I particularly like is that it works really well for reclining. My whole back is supported and I can lean back and still feel like I’m in the proper position for getting real work done. The max recline is great for a slight ‘kick back’ while doing some gaming.
My only caution about this chair is that it may be a lot less padded than you are used to. While your back is fully supported, it is a lot different feeling than a thick padded chair. It’s not a drastic difference in ‘cushion’ from an Aeron, but someone stepping up to an Embody from an Office Max chair may find it jarring.
I thought I’d chip in here and mention that I grabbed a second-hand Aeron size B from Ebay, for around £250. It took a while to get used to it due to my weight resting purely on my arse in my previous chair, resulting in my thighs being achey for a few days. Now though it’s a lovely, supportive chair that I would probably never get rid of.
I also checked the price of an identical chair brand new. Holy hell.
You have to consider longevity when you look at prices, though. Herman Miller chairs, for example, come with a 12-year warranty. You’ll go through 4-5 Office Depot specials in that time period, if my experience is any indication, so in the long game, the good ergonomic office chairs aren’t really much more expensive than the cheaper alternatives, if at all. And as an added bonus, you’ll have spent twelve years sitting in a comfortable chair, rather a crappy MDF-backed monstrosity.
I’m looking at a Mirra now and I see two models - Basic and Fully Featured.
Anyone know what the difference is between them? A quick search turns up nothing and I dont see anything on the Herman Miller site either.