Herman Miller Aeron Chairs

Product Story

Own the problem, and define it as deeply as you can. Bill Stumpf echoed this mantra on every project he took on for Herman Miller, but perhaps never more completely than with the groundbreaking Aeron Chair. Working with Don Chadwick, Stumpf began thinking about what a chair ought to do for you by consulting people who spend a lot of time in chairs—older people in retirement centers. When Stumpf and Chadwick took what they learned and applied it to work seating, they started a revolution in ergonomics.

With its aeration, inclusive sizing, support for the natural ways the human body moves when seated, and environmentally sensitive design, Aeron challenged practically every convention about office chairs. It wasn’t upholstered. It wasn’t padded. And its designers’ ideas about what they called “cross-performance” work—a mix of high-intensity tasks and casual interaction—anticipated the realities of today’s workplace, where the technological and social aspects of work have become increasingly intertwined.

Performance

Every material, every mechanism on Aeron advances the art and science of seating. As the first office chair in which fabric and foam were replaced with a breathable, woven suspension membrane—its innovative Pellicle seat and back—Aeron distributes your weight evenly, eliminating pressure points and heat buildup.

Stumpf and Chadwick concluded that, functionally, a chair should move with you as naturally and effortlessly as possible. That’s what they achieved with Aeron’s Kinemat tilt. The patented mechanism allows you to recline fluidly, as your body pivots naturally at the hips, knees, and ankles.

PostureFit

A modest but fundamental addition to the original Aeron design, PostureFit properly supports the base of your spine, or sacral region, to help your pelvis maintain a natural forward tilt, preventing slouching and keeping your spine in alignment.

Design

Aeron’s functionality shows through, contributing to a distinctive look that invites you to sit and experience the chair for yourself. From the transparency of the Pellicle suspension to the chair’s curvilinearity, Aeron was designed around people, creating an aesthetic all its own. It’s no wonder the chair was added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art even before the first one was sold.

Aeron’s selection of sophisticated materials and choice of three Pellicle weave patterns—Classic, Tuxedo, and Waves, all of which are available in a choice of light-to-dark neutrals—make the chair well-suited to a variety of tastes and surroundings.

Family

The innovative design and performance of the Aeron Chair extends to a full family of seating, including work stools and side chairs.