Herman Miller Aeron

The Herman Miller Aeron office chair has been an icon among ergonomic office chairs since its introduction in 1994, and most reviews say it's still the best or one of the best. Aside from the ergonomic mechanics, reviews praise the mesh seat, which helps the user stay cool. About the only consistent criticism is that it's expensive, although some reviews make more subjective observations about comfort, a now-dated appearance and hard-to-reach controls. The Herman Miller Aeron still retains one huge advantage over other highly rated high-end office chairs -- it comes in three sizes, increasing the probability of comfort if you're especially tall, short or wide. There is one key caveat, however: Owners who have the incorrect size say they are actually uncomfortable in the Aeron. The Herman Miller Aeron is adjustable for lumbar depth, lumbar height, tilt tension, seat-pan angle, seat height, armrest angle and armrest height, although some reviewers point out that the chair isn't very adaptable to various seating positions. The 12-year warranty is better than what you'll find on cheaper chairs; other popular high-end chairs have warranties that vary in length for various parts. Reviewers say that the Herman Miller Mirra (*Est. $650 to $850) gives the Aeron a run for its money.

We found the best review of the Herman Miller Aeron chair at Slate.com, which had eight staffers use six office chairs over several weeks. Reports from Kiplinger.com, About.com and Popular Mechanics magazine don't indicate an especially large frame of reference. OfficeChairAdvice.com certainly knows office chairs and offers plenty of insight, but just about every chair gets very high ratings, which doesn't really help narrow your choices. Owners of the Aeron post numerous detailed reviews of the chair on Amazon.com.