The designer furniture manufacturer Herman Miller has added a “Gaming Edition” to their Aeron chair range. MeinMMO editor Leya Jankowski sat on the designer chair for 4 weeks and shares her experience here.
This is my seating situation: I spend much of my life sitting on chairs. As a gaming journalist, I have a full-time office job. Gaming is one of my favorite hobbies, or I wouldn’t be in this profession. After work, I often spend additional time sitting in front of the PC to play.
My previous chair is of rather modest quality and not really designed for sitting hours on end. Since March 2020, I have been working from home full-time due to the Corona pandemic. At the office, I have a good office chair thanks to my employer. My back gets some variety when I come home and then sit on my mediocre chair for 2-4 hours in the evening.
This variety is missing for my back since the continuous home office. I sit in my chair at home all day and extend the time there when I play on the PC in the evening. Like many others, my outdoor activities are currently minimal, although I usually enjoy meeting friends, going to the movies, or visiting museums.
After a while, I felt the monotony of sitting on my poor chair painfully in my neck – it has been sensitive since a bicycle accident a few years ago anyway. Persistent nasty pain became noticeable, significantly reducing my quality of life.
This is how I became aware of the Aeron in the “Gaming Edition”: We received a press release from the designer furniture manufacturer Herman Miller that they now have an Aeron chair in their range that is aimed at gamers. The Aeron chair is actually a classic office chair from the manufacturer and is praised mainly for its powerful ergonomics. This piqued my interest, and we requested a test copy of the “Gaming Edition” from the manufacturer.
Technical Specifications
Specifications
B – medium chair
- Total height: 933 mm to 1099 mm
- Width: 673 mm
- Depth: 432 mm
- Distance from seat to armrest: 407–519 mm
- Maximum permitted weight: 159 kg
C – large chair
- Total height: 984 to 1152 mm
- Width: 701 mm
- Depth: 470 mm
- Seat height: 401 to 579 mm
- Maximum permitted weight: 159 kg
Product Details
- Fully adjustable armrests
- PostureFit SL
- 8Z Pellicle
- Tilt limiter and forward tilt of the seat
- Rollers for hard floors/carpets
- No assembly required
Warranty and Service
- The warranty includes: 12 years, for 24-hour use
- 14-day return possible, with full refund of the purchase price
Environment
- The Aeron is made of at least 52% recycled materials and is up to 91% recyclable at the end of its life
Aeron Chair “Gaming Special Edition” Introduced
Before I get to my own impressions, here is a quick overview of the features of the chair.
What are the special features?
- The backrest is designed to optimally support the spine over 8 zones and simulate a healthy posture: “standing, with an open chest and slightly forward-tilted pelvis”
- Instead of fabric, padding, or leather, the seat surface and backrest are made of an elastomer membrane, the so-called Pellicle membrane. The membrane is tightly stretched at the edges and elastic and supple where the body contacts the chair.
- The membrane of the backrest and seat surface is permeable. This ensures air circulation so that you don’t start sweating on the chair.
- A tilt mechanism is installed. This allows the chair to adapt to your body movements, keeping your back active.
What makes the Aeron Gaming Chair a gaming chair at all? The Aeron “Gaming Special Edition” does not differ from the original Aeron office chair. All the same ergonomic features are present.
The Aeron office chairs were designed with the idea that someone sits in them for many hours while taking care of their back at the same time. According to the manufacturer, their research showed that gamers were already using this chair.
Rather, it seems that using the label “gaming chair” now serves marketing purposes to draw more gamers’ attention to the chair.
What does the chair cost? A proud €1,498 – that is expensive for an office chair, or rather a gaming chair. Most high-quality office and gaming chairs are priced between €200 and €600, depending on the manufacturer and model.
The price can be explained by
- the patented ergonomic design. The tilt mechanisms and the Pellicle membrane of the seat surface and backrest carry the patent. The Pellicle membrane is the heart of the chair.
- a 12-year warranty for 24-hour use, as the chair promises durability. The chairs are manufactured in Michigan (U.S.A.), and only sustainable and recyclable materials are used according to the manufacturer.
- the shipping, as the chair arrives home fully assembled.
Where can the chair be purchased? On the official Herman Miller website.
My Impression of the Chair: Look and Comfort
After introducing you to the chair, I will explain how it feels to sit on the chair. I will take you through the delivery process to the several weeks of sitting trial.
How does the delivery go? Two unfortunate delivery men had to huff and puff! I was quite astonished when a huge box arrived that had to be carried into my apartment by two people. As you can see below, I have plenty of room in the box with my 1.60m – it would be a kingdom for a cat:
The chair is completely assembled in the box. It can be easily pulled out. For the lower photos, I removed the protective film from the chair so that it can be seen better:
The chair stands with a plug-in system in the box that protects the feet. 
The chair can be easily pulled out of the box
The Aeron is ready for use immediately upon receipt. I just have to open the box on the side and pull the chair out. There is another box around the feet, but it has a slit. I also simply pull the chair out here.
This should also be easy for people with slight physical limitations. The delivery, unpacking, and direct use are extremely comfortable.
What about the look? The chair has a timeless and simple design that meets my personal taste. For someone who likes flashy and bright colors, the chair probably looks like a boring office chair. Currently, there are no other colors than black available for the “Gaming Edition.”
For gamers who also currently work from home: In a business video call, the chair doesn’t stand out at all. For those who don’t want to out themselves as gaming nerds in front of business partners and colleagues in a formal environment, this is practical.
How comfortable is it to sit? I immediately noticed upon my first sit that the Pellicle membrane on the seat surface is springy. No other chair has felt like this under my rear. It’s really hard to describe, but I feel like I’m floating more than sitting.
The patented membrane seat surface really makes a difference. 
At my fingertips, it can be seen that the chair gives in and springs at points
I have sat on the Aeron “Gaming Special Edition” for up to 12 hours in the last few weeks. I never slouched during that time. The chair remains comfortable all the time, but I still have the impression that I am in an active position. It doesn’t matter whether I lean slightly forward when I intensely play an action game or lean back completely when I watch a longer video on YouTube.
How can the chair be adjusted? You can make the following adjustments:
- Seat height
- Tilt tension
- Arm height
- Arm angle
- Arm depth
- “Posturefit SL” adjustment (that’s the part in the back that supports the lower spine)
- Forward tilt
- Tilt limiter
You can see the exact adjustment options in this official illustration.
The adjustments are all easy to use. However, I have to go very much by feel and try out what feels right and good for me. Over the past few weeks, I’ve changed the settings here and there until I felt comfortable.
With the armrests, I have to go by eye whether they are evenly adjusted. It can easily happen that one armrest is higher or lower than the other.
At this point, I would like to praise the official product page of the chair, which shows with small video clips exactly how to adjust what. This definitely helped me, and I consider it a good service that I expect for the price.
Conclusion: The chair is worth its money
Overall, I have used the Aeron Chair “Gaming Special Edition” intensively for four weeks before writing this review. On average, I sat on it daily for 10-12 hours a week. On weekends, I reach 4-8 hours.
The most positive effect for me is that my previously mentioned neck pain has significantly diminished and is hardly noticeable. Here I must mention that I have also done targeted sports against the pain. Nevertheless, I notice a difference in my posture compared to other chairs.
The chair distinctly shows that it was developed with good ergonomics in mind. My back feels supported. The chair even prevents me from slumping. The various adjustments of the chair are easy to adapt to my body.
The difference from other chairs is mainly due to the Pellicle membrane on the backrest and seat surface, instead of padding or leather or fabric. The elastic suspension can be compared to a good suspension under a mattress. You notice the difference immediately. By the way, it is indeed true that you do not start sweating or sticking to the chair.
The 14-day trial period is needed to decide whether you like the seating feeling or not. Initially, the springiness of the membrane and the absence of a headrest may feel strange. I can imagine that for some, this might feel uncomfortable, and they might miss the padding or headrest.
Within 14 days, you can return the chair and get a full refund. Therefore, you can’t go wrong if you just want to give it a try.
The chair is expensive at €1,498, yes. But if you have the money and want to invest in a good office chair, I can recommend the Aeron chair. The chair comes with a 12-year warranty. When you consider that you will likely have to replace a low-quality chair more often in this period, you will recoup the money in the 12 years. Otherwise, as a tip for savings: keep an eye out for offers and B-stock for the Aeron. You will find great deals quickly.
And keep in mind that for many, it will be an option – as long as working from home – to claim office chairs on tax returns.
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