A few weeks ago I purchased a Herman Miller Aeron chair from Home and Office Solutions up in Northbrook, Illinois. I’ve wanted an Aeron for the longest time, but just never felt comfortable spending a thousand dollars on an office chair. My seven-year old Ikea chair was falling apart and wasn’t comfortable anymore. To be honest, it started to fall apart after two years. I really needed to get a new chair.
Not long ago I came across a blog post written by Joel Spolsky. From the post he mentions Herman Miller Aeron chairs for developers:
They are much more comfortable than cheap chairs. If you get the right size and adjust it properly, most people can sit in them all day long without feeling uncomfortable. The back and seat are made out of a kind of mesh that lets air flow so you don’t get sweaty. The ergonomics, especially of the newer models with lumbar support, are excellent.
They last longer than cheap chairs. We’ve been in business for six years and every Aeron is literally in mint condition: I challenge anyone to see the difference between the chairs we bought in 2000 and the chairs we bought three months ago. They easily last for ten years. The cheap chairs literally start falling apart after a matter of months. You’ll need at least four $100 chairs to last as long as an Aeron.
So the bottom line is that an Aeron only really costs $500 more over ten years, or $50 a year. One dollar per week per programmer.
I think that blog post pushed me over to finally take the plunge and buy one. And so I did.
And I’m really happy I did. The chair is comfortable, sturdy, and encourages good posture with excellent support. It’s a real joy to sit in this. At first I got a blue medium sized one. It is fine, but then I decided to give that one to my parents and get the large, as I am able to fold my legs comfortably in that size.
If you are thinking of getting a better chair because you sit in front of the computer all day long, I recommend you go try out a Herman Miller chair. I’ve looked at the Mirra line, which is slightly cheaper than Aeron, but I really felt more comfortable in the Aeron. I think you’ll be glad you did.
