Head to head
Herman Miller Aeron vs Steelcase Series 1
The reference office chair against one that costs a third as much, on the same twelve-year warranty.
The short answer
Sitting eight hours a day, the Aeron mesh earns the difference and holds resale value the Series 1 never will. Sitting four, the Series 1 gives you the same warranty term and most of the adjustment for a third of the money, and what you give up is mostly seat foam.
- Herman Miller Aeron
- 9.3 out of 10 · from $1,595
- Steelcase Series 1
- 8.7 out of 10 · from $519
Herman Miller
Herman Miller Aeron
A twelve-year warranty and a resale market that holds value, which no cheap office chair can claim.
Performance9.2
Value for money8.4
Design and build9.0
Reliability9.7
Pros
- Twelve-year warranty covering everything
- Mesh does not trap heat
- Holds resale value remarkably well
Cons
- Very expensive new
- Three sizes that are not interchangeable
Steelcase
Steelcase Series 1
Most of the ergonomic adjustment of a chair three times the price, on the same twelve-year warranty.
Performance8.6
Value for money9.2
Design and build8.4
Reliability8.9
Pros
- Twelve-year warranty, the same term Steelcase puts on its flagship chairs
- Weight-activated recline sets its own tension, so there is no dial to get wrong
- Adjustable lumbar and 4D arms at a price where most chairs offer neither
Cons
- Seat foam is firmer than the Aeron mesh and you feel it past six hours
- Fabric seat holds heat that a mesh seat would let out
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