Herman Miller’s Aeron was the chair when it launched in the ’90s. It catapulted the word “ergonomics” into the workplace, and, with its foam-free mesh-seat design, it looked nothing like office chairs before it. Everyone from the early dot-com techies to Hollywood producers — and their mothers — had to have one not only because it was radically different, cutting-edge and darn-right comfortable, but also because it had become a status symbol. However, even an icon can be improved.
Last month, the furniture manufacturer released a revamped version of the Aeron that retains the look of the original but has a number of enhancements that ultimately make it better and even more user friendly and comfortable.
“Why would you touch this icon? Over the ensuing 20 years, we learned a lot,” said company CEO Brian Walker at the official launch in New York City. “Our mantra as a team was we could make it better in every element, we can keep something the same if it’s fundamental, but nothing could be worse.”
Again, at first glance, one might not spot any differences from the original. But sit in the classic Aeron and then the revamped version, and it becomes much clearer. Drawing on the latest insights into ergonomics and anthropometrics, the Aeron team — consisting of scientists, engineers, materials specialists and original co-designer Don Chadwick — rendered the controls more intuitive, enhanced aeration, improved overall comfort and adjustment capabilities and implemented smarter, stronger materials.
The team worked with Herman Miller creative director for materials — and legendary textile designer — Laura Guido-Clark on developing 8Z Pellicle, a new mesh textile that, instead of presenting a uniform weave, features eight varied zones of tension in the seat and back. Four tight zones engage the sitter and reinforce a healthful posture, while two lower-tension “nesting” zones cradle the sit bones and scapulars to reduce pressure in these areas. The two stabilization zones keep the sitter from sinking into the chair and instead positioned at a healthy angle to stay active throughout the day.
From left: Aeron co-designer Don Chadwick; spools of yarn that make up 8Z Pellicle; a light reveals the intersection of vertical and horizontal lines in the seat back, which are really strands with higher tension.
“Move around. That’s part of good health,” said Chadwick, who was also on hand at the Herman Miller flagship for the launch. “Over the 20 years, we’ve learned a lot. You have to take that knowledge and advance it into the product,” he explained. “We understand a lot more how people sit, how they work. We have a much more mobile society today. We’ve got smartphones, we have laptops, we have people who work even in non-office chairs but then go back and sit in the office chairs. We’re promoting movement.”
And when someone moves while seated, he or she will notice that the chair’s slimmer, updated tilt mechanism enables it to move with the body in a natural way, whether it’s shifting forward or reclining. The back essentially stays in continuous contact with the individual’s body. Additionally, the new Aeron has been adjusted 1.8 degrees forward to better support upright positions and a wider range of postures.
Another enhancement was made with PostureFit, which in 2002 was an element on the Aeron chair that sustained the pelvis in its natural forward tilt. The new chair design’s PostureFit SL supports the sacral-pelvic region by rotating the pelvis forward but also features a secondary pad that supports the lumbar region; together this combination better nurtures the natural S shape of the spine.
Enhanced controls for better and quicker user adjustment
Finally, Herman Miller made some major strides in the area of adjustability for different users. For example, depending on a person’s scale, the original chair’s tilt mechanism could require up to 50 turns for adjustment. All of the new Aeron’s controls have been fine-tuned and reengineered to make adjustability easier, quicker and fluid. Going a step further, Herman Miller has released the new Aeron in three proportional sizes — anthropometric A, B and C — to meet the needs of different body types.
Walker likens the updated Aeron to the remastering of a classic album: “If you’re a fan of The Beatles and you love Abbey Road, and somebody tells you it’s been remastered, you have this moment of ‘whoa, who would touch Abbey Road? But as you play it, it suddenly comes to life more, you hear more of the instruments … and you get a smile on your face. With Aeron remastered, when folks sit in it, they get this smile on their face.”