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Herman Miller AeronvsSteelcase Series 1

23 years apart, and the averages land 8.4 and 8.6. Only Value moved much, 8.4 to 6.8.

Herman Miller Aeron

Herman Miller

8.6

The chair the resale market values above most new ones, which tells you what you need to know.

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

Steelcase Series 1

Steelcase

8.4

Contract-grade adjustment and warranty at a price that does not require a spreadsheet.

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

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Value, Steelcase Series 1 ahead 8.4 to 6.8. They come closest on Ease of use, 9.0 to 8.4. Left of center is Herman Miller Aeron, right is Steelcase Series 1.

Herman Miller Aeron versus Steelcase Series 1 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 4 axes. Bars for Herman Miller Aeron run left from the axis labels, bars for Steelcase Series 1 run right. Herman Miller Aeron: Value 6.8, Durability 9.6, Ease of use 9.0, Design 9.0. Steelcase Series 1: Value 8.4, Durability 8.8, Ease of use 8.4, Design 8.0.Herman Miller Aeron (left)Steelcase Series 1 (right)ValueHerman Miller Aeron — Value 6.8 out of 106.8Steelcase Series 1 — Value 8.4 out of 108.4DurabilityHerman Miller Aeron — Durability 9.6 out of 109.6Steelcase Series 1 — Durability 8.8 out of 108.8Ease of useHerman Miller Aeron — Ease of use 9.0 out of 109.0Steelcase Series 1 — Ease of use 8.4 out of 108.4DesignHerman Miller Aeron — Design 9.0 out of 109.0Steelcase Series 1 — Design 8.0 out of 108.0Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

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

Take the Steelcase Series 1

Leads on Value.

  • You want the office-furniture warranty without the flagship outlay
  • 4D arms — the adjustment most cheap chairs skip
  • A chair that will not look out of place in a home office

What each one gets wrong

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

Steelcase Series 1

  • You are very tall or very short — one frame size fits most, not all
  • You want the seat depth range of the higher Steelcase lines

Specs, side by side

SpecHerman Miller AeronSteelcase Series 1
SuspensionWoven mesh, no foam—
SizesThree frame sizes—
WarrantyTwelve yearsTwelve years
Back—Flexible LiveBack frame
Arms—4D adjustable

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Is the 2017 Steelcase Series 1 the safer pick over the 1994 Herman Miller Aeron?
Herman Miller Aeron leads on Durability, Ease of use and Design. If Value matters more to you, take the Steelcase Series 1 instead. The 23-year gap shows in the totals as 8.4 against 8.6.
What does the 1994 model still win?
On Durability, Ease of use and Design, yes. Those axes still go to the 1994 model. The 2017 one answers with Value.
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", Steelcase Series 1 at #2.