The Embody Chair is Herman Miller's spunky step-sister to the more classic Aeron Chair.
I will declare straight out right now that I am a great fan of the Embody Chair. This review is based on my personal experience with my very own Embody chair which I purchased last year when it first came out.
Let me give you a bit of background on the chair. The Embody was designed by Bill Stumpf who also designed the Aeron and it was created to be the next step from the Aeron, which now my husband owns and is very happy with. So, what can I say? Well, generally it is made up of mostly recyclable materials so it is easily disposable. From top to bottom, the seat is made up of four layers: textile, mat, local spring, and global spring layer. Basically, they all make up for your comfort and convenience. The most bottom part of the chair is composed of plastic bands which provide suspension and on top of that is a thicker layer which is made up of coils. When you’re moving, this layer supports the weight of wherever your behind is moving. The third layer is made up of silver rings that provide maximum comfort as you shift your weight in the chair. Lastly you have the Mesh layer, similar to that of the Mirra Chair, which makes sure you have a nice layer of circulation so that you don’t get too hot. Again, it’s fully adjustable. With the knobs, you can adjust about everything: the amount of recline, tension of recline, seat depth, back curvature, arm rests (how high and how far they come in). I mean, it’s an Ergonomic Chair so like all other Ergonomic Chairs, the Embody Chair has the same and even more adjustable features. Probably the most unique feature of the Embody chair and the thing that I think sets it apart from the Aeron is the back rest. The back rest, unlike that of the Aeron chair, is actually shaped like a human spine. Herman Miller claims quote on quote that “a matrix of pixel creates a dynamic seat and back surface that automatically conforms to your every movement and distributes your weight evenly”. Now, I don’t know scientifically if this is the case but what I do know from personal experience is that it is the most comfortable chair that I’ve ever sat on. It indeed does support my back in a way that my Aeron didn’t and since it has a thinner back, I’ve got complete movement on my arms as well. So, it’s pretty amazing in that respect.
Now to the hardest part of my review: the negatives. Well, if there’s something bad I have to say about this chair, I guess I can say that it’s a bit heavy. You actually have to be quite strong to move the levers, but once you’ve adjusted them then you’ll be fine. I guess the biggest downside of the Embody Chair is the price. Its price is substantially more than the price of the Mirra or even the Aeron. I bought mine for about $1,600. You can get one from around $1,200 up to $2,000 depending on its features. It really depends on whether or not you want to spend that much on a chair.
For me, I can honestly say the Herman Miller Embody is the best chair I’ve ever sat on and was well worth the money.
{ 5 comments }
Hi there,
I’m going to purchase an Embody but I can’t decide on what fabric to get. I’m mainly interested in the Papaya fabric which appears to be the same one as the one you have, but I’ve seen a couple of reviews where people have been recommending to go for a darker fabric because the bright fabrics get dirty very fast and that they get marks where the legs are and so on. I was wondering what your experiences are with your Embody. Any chance you could post / send me a picture of your seat now that you have used it for some months? Would be extremely valuable to me. Thanks.
Hey there,
Thanks for your comment. I’ve had Herman Miller Embody chair for quite some time now and haven’t had much of an issue with it getting too dirty. Even the few spots that have accumulated are hardly noticeable without REALLY close inspection. I guess it all comes down to the environment you use it in and the type of person you are.
I wouldn’t worry too much about it getting too dirty, plus the papaya color just looks so damn cool.
I love my Embody chair. My wife, an interior designer, gave this to me as a Christmas gift and I couldn’t be happier with it.
As an architect I appreciate thoughtful design and as an aging baby-boomer I feel the benefits of being ‘unstill’, a word used in the HM adjustment guide, already.
Right now I’m reclined and using my keyboard with wonderful ease. Thank you to Bill Stumpf, Jeff Weber, and my loving wife Christine.
I have bought the HM Ebony chair from Living Edge in Melbourne , retail price less 10% . First of , Living Edge are total utter rubbish to deal with ( despite HM buying LE when they went broke but unfortunately all the internet stories of LE total incompetence and total lack of care are in fact still true even after HM bailed them out : it was the soul reason why LE went under in the first place , but that silly stupid mindset is still very firmly in place : ah , fond memories , to have a job where I was not held accountable to anyone . Those were the days . I am absolutely amazed those days still exist in 2012 . sic ) First quote was in fact 15% off retail , later denied . The tune change when I shelled out the cash . LE also wanted $90 to deliver it to me in the Melbourne Metro Area ( literately 15 mins away ) I just bought a 520 litre Refrigerator online and had it delivered for $20 . But once I had paid the HM price , after the initial 10% deposit and waiting 3 months for it to be available , I was on my own in loading the chair into my car ( only a total moron would pay $90 to get a $1800 chair delivered , when one can pay $20 to deliver a massive refridgerator ) It is a comfortable , but it sometimes feels , well , like a grossly overpriced and cheaply made chair . It certainly does not have the full recliner experience of my $375 Office Works Chair , now retired to the spare room . I am sitting in the HM Ebony chair it as I type . And my Coccyx feels just fine , unlike my $375 OW chair . But yet I may sell it , as the Leap chair is far cheaper and it does look the goods . Time will tell . I will check it all out once again . The sad thing is , I thought I had already had . In my humble opinion HM needs to lift their game . They can start by firing all the Living Edge staff , at least in Melbourne . They are , from personal experience , total utter rubbish . And employing some people who actually care about the finer aspects of ones life . Like buying a $2000 retail computer chair . Something that those same sales people do not personally own .
I was wondering if you ever considered changing the page layout of your
blog? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so
people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or two images.
Maybe you could space it out better?
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