Humanscale Freedom

Some reviews like the Humanscale Freedom office chair even better than the iconic Herman Miller Aeron (*Est. $950 and up). While they are both ergonomic office chairs, they also have some fundamental differences. The Humanscale Freedom has minimal control knobs and adjusts automatically as the body moves. While one reviewer says it's "like having a second spine," others say the contraption works a lot better for sitting upright than for reclining, and some complain that the armrests aren't comfortable. The Humanscale Freedom is available in leather and various fabrics; regardless, some users complain that the chair doesn't breathe as well as the Herman Miller Aeron. There is a five-year warranty on fabric and cushions and a lifetime warranty on all other parts, compared with the Herman Miller Aeron's 12 years for everything. And unlike the Herman Miller Aeron, there's only one size. If you're torn between the Herman Miller Aeron and the Humanscale Freedom, it's probably best to try each one -- users seem divided on which is more comfortable. If you want to spend significantly less money, the Ergo Mesh Medium Back Task Chair (*Est. $200) gets good recommendations from users.

We found the best review of the Humanscale Freedom in The Wall Street Journal, which tests five office chairs and offers significant detail on each. Reports from Popular Mechanics and Business 2.0 magazines don't indicate an especially large frame of reference. OfficeChairAdvice.com has a great breadth of knowledge on office chairs and offers plenty of insight, but just about every chair gets very high ratings, so it's hard to tell which are really superior.