Herman Miller Mirra

I work 8-12 hrs a day from my home office and, until recently, have relied on a combination of sitting on a cheap ($80) task chair, 65cm exercise ball and have also created a "standing station" where I can… stand while working. The variety in working positions was great, but the task chair and the exercise ball were quickly becoming weak points, creating a lot of fatigue and imbalances. The exercise ball was great for freedom of movement, but I'm tall (6'3") and the sheer size of the ball required that I "straddle" it, which isn't comfortable for more than an hour or two. Realizing I needed a high-end chair that could replace both my task chair and exercise ball, I began reading higher-end chair reviews and sought out a Herman Miller distributor. My goal was to sit in the Celle, Mirra and Aeron for at least 30 mins each. I'm glad I sat in them for extended periods. With my long legs, I quickly realized that even the "C" size Aeron was not comfortable for me. Ironically, the Celle and the Mirra - which both have adjustable seat depths - were both evenly matched in overall comfort, and were a lot less expensive. I chose the Mirra because I live in AZ and I liked the mesh-like seat on the Mirra, which will help dissipate heat during the summer months. If I didn't need the heat dissipation, I would have chosen the Celle. I'm very pleased with my purchase - especially because I listened to the advice of other reviewers who strongly suggested to sit in the chairs long enough to get a real feel for it. That's my advice to you as well. If you spend as much time in a chair as you do in bed, don't do what I originally did and simply purchase the cheapest chair you can find, just to save some money. The right chair is worth the cost.

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With all the glowing reviews, you'd probably assume that this chair is pretty comfortable. That may be for some folks but if you're looking, I urge you to sit in one with an open mind. I wish I'd done… this because I ended up hating this chair and returning it... losing a fair amount of money in shipping and restock fees in the process. The main problem is with the seat. While the mesh is just fine in the rear-end portion of the seat(quite cushy with lots of depth to its flex) it's the opposite in the hamstring area. The mesh is still there, but because of the location of the chair's frame in this area, the mesh isn't allowed the same depth of flex. The result is that there's pressure pushing up on your hamstrings, which cuts off circulation and it's really noticeable. I'm positive I had the chair adjusted correctly at one point during the time I had it. My feet were on the floor, my legs weren't dangling, I wasn't sitting on my head, I weigh 175 pounds and I'm not freakishly proportioned. Bottom line, you shouldn't have to think "am I sitting in this chair properly? What am I doing wrong? Is it me? Am I not worthy of this chair? It sure costs a lot, so it can't be the chair's fault, etc. etc." A chair is either comfortable or it's not. Sit in one before you buy. Sit in one before you buy. Sit in one before you buy.

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The company I work for has these for all their employees (100+). Hands down the best chair I have ever sat in. There are so many adjustments on this chair. Everyone makes it that more personal. In fact we… all have our names on them hidden so when the chairs get mixed up we know which one is ours. After you have your settings dialed in you notice if its the wrong chair within seconds. Do yourself a favor and spend the $$$ on a chair that will last forever. When I can afford one for home this will be the one.

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When compared to the Aeron, I believe this chair is much better value. I found the chair to be more comfortable, a little "softer", and had a better recline mechanism. My biggest complaint is the lack of a… headrest for reclining. For me, the Aeron has always been "too hard" and while its mesh did adjust a bit, it felt too much like sitting on a lawn chair. I suspect this is because I was too small for the Aeron. The Mirra seems to fit smaller-frames a little better than the Aeron, though it is far from perfect. The mesh seat has a little more give, but is still too hard. The plastic-mesh back is much harder than the Aeron, though I find it more comfortable; it provides a level of structure and flexing that the Aeron didn't for me. The recline mechanism keeps your feet on the floor--a very rare find even among high end chairs. The recline-stop only has three positions which is a big negative. It does seem possible to get a good balance where the tension keeps you mostly upright, but allows you to lean back just slightly. Since the seatpan moves with the back, it doesn't really "open up" your sitting position which can lead to some discomfort for some people. The armrests can be adjusted for most people, though they are still a little too wide for my frame. My favorite feature is the rolling-front which does depth adjustment. Instead of the hard-lip featured on the Aeron, the front folds up and down to adjust the depth. This results in a soft-edge to the chair that doesn't cut off circulation to your legs. Since I prefer to recline while working, I find the lack of a headrest unacceptable and the lack of cushioning is a problem for me since I lack "natural" cushioning. I personally find the Leap to be a more comfortable chair, though it features a different recline mechanism. The arm rests adjust in farther for skinny folks, but the back curves back too far and provides less shoulder support than the Mirra. As far as chairs with headrests, I find the Humanscale Freedom to be the best for my size. Compared to the Mirra, it provides a more aggressive lumbar support, an adjustable reclining headrest, far better cushioning, and better armrest adjustments. Though the headrest does not adjust forward/back so it can cause problems for some people. I would strongly recommend trying the Mirra before buying an Aeron (or even a Leap). It's a good chair and may fit your needs very well. But I would *never* buy a chair without trying it first. And by try it, sit in the chair for an hour. Bring a book, your laptop, whatever. But sitting in a chair for 5 minutes isn't a useful test. It's a good way to hurt yourself. On a side note... I don't understand why folks get so upset about spending $500-$1000 on a chair, particularly if you use it for several hours a day. People will spend $2000+ for a sleep number, but won't spent half of that for proper seating? I don't get it. I spend more time in an office chair than in bed--so I figure I should spent AT LEAST as much on a chair as my bed. I can't speak to the longevity of this chair, but if its anything like the rest of the Herman Miller/Steelcase/Humanscale chairs, I expect it'll easily last a decade with only minor maintenance/repairs. With the lack of soft fabrics, I expect a Mirra to last much longer.

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This chair is absolutely fantastic. I'm one of those geek-types, I spend a lot of time at my computer after work. I have an Aeron at work, but I bought the Mirra for my apartment. And it is a superb chair… - it feels a lot better than the Aeron - and is more comfortable, by far. The lumbar support is incredible - as is the well contoured back. Sitting on it feels - almost therapeutic! I highly recommend it - if you liked the Aeron (and who wouldn't?) - you will love the Mirra.

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