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Branch Ergonomic ChairvsHerman Miller Aeron

Age hasn't cost the 1994 Herman Miller Aeron the lead: it averages 8.6 against 8.2 for the 2019 Branch Ergonomic Chair, and takes Durability 9.6 to 7.6.

Branch Ergonomic Chair

Branch

8.2

Most of a premium chair's adjustment range, sold direct and priced well below one.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens current listings on Amazon.

Herman Miller Aeron

Herman Miller

8.6

Used ones sell for more than most new chairs do. Resale prices are hard to argue with.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens current listings on Amazon.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Value, Branch Ergonomic Chair ahead 8.8 to 6.8. They come closest on Ease of use, 9.0 to 8.2. Left of center is Branch Ergonomic Chair, right is Herman Miller Aeron.

Branch Ergonomic Chair versus Herman Miller Aeron — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 4 axes. Bars for Branch Ergonomic Chair run left from the axis labels, bars for Herman Miller Aeron run right. Branch Ergonomic Chair: Value 8.8, Durability 7.6, Ease of use 8.2, Design 8.2. Herman Miller Aeron: Value 6.8, Durability 9.6, Ease of use 9.0, Design 9.0.Branch Ergonomic Chair (left)Herman Miller Aeron (right)ValueBranch Ergonomic Chair — Value 8.8 out of 108.8Herman Miller Aeron — Value 6.8 out of 106.8DurabilityBranch Ergonomic Chair — Durability 7.6 out of 107.6Herman Miller Aeron — Durability 9.6 out of 109.6Ease of useBranch Ergonomic Chair — Ease of use 8.2 out of 108.2Herman Miller Aeron — Ease of use 9.0 out of 109.0DesignBranch Ergonomic Chair — Design 8.2 out of 108.2Herman Miller Aeron — Design 9.0 out of 109.0Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Branch Ergonomic Chair

Leads on Value.

  • A home office that also has to look like a room
  • Adjustment range matters but a twelve-year warranty does not
  • You want it assembled and usable the day it arrives

Take the Herman Miller Aeron

Leads on Durability, Ease of use and Design.

  • You sit for six or more hours a day, every day
  • You run warm and foam seats become unbearable
  • You would rather buy once than three times

What each one gets wrong

Branch Ergonomic Chair

  • You expect it to still be in service in a decade
  • Support beyond email is something you will need

Herman Miller Aeron

  • The outlay has to be justified this quarter rather than this decade
  • You want a padded seat — this is mesh, and it feels like it

Specs, side by side

SpecBranch Ergonomic ChairHerman Miller Aeron
AdjustmentSeven points including lumbar depth—
WarrantySeven yearsTwelve years
AssemblyTool-light, under ten minutes—
Suspension—Woven mesh, no foam
Sizes—Three frame sizes

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

The Branch Ergonomic Chair is 25 years newer. Why does it score lower?
Because the axes didn't move the way the release dates suggest. The 1994 model takes Durability, Ease of use and Design, widest on Durability at 9.6 to 7.6. Value is where the 2019 model answers, and whether that is enough is the whole question.
What did the 2019 model improve?
Value. Value runs 8.8 to 6.8. That is not enough to move the average, which stays 8.6 to 8.2.
Which one ranks higher in "Twelve years on everything beats a limited lifetime"?
Herman Miller Aeron sits at #1 in "Twelve years on everything beats a limited lifetime", Branch Ergonomic Chair at #3.