Ergonomic chairs have many health benefits. For example, according to a 2012 study published by the National Institutes of Health, a well-fitting work chair can prevent abnormal neuromuscular tension. Improved posture support, reduced back and neck pain, and improved circulation are some of the benefits as the chair helps keep the spine, neck, and hips in line. Chairs with headrests also support your back and shoulders, according to the Open Access Government.
If you’re buying an office chair and don’t want to shell out a fortune for a big name like Herman Miller, there are plenty of options available today. We curated some of the best counterfeit designer office chair deals before deciding to make a bigger investment. While these models don’t necessarily have all the R&D of more premium brands like Steelcase, our latest Dealmaster deal offers a great starting point for those new to ergonomic chairs.
For years, Herman Miller’s Aeron chair has been a favorite among our editorial staff and office workers for its comfortable design. No one wants a sweaty back after a long day at work, and the Aeron’s back and seat features mesh construction to help prevent heat buildup from long periods of sitting.
“[Aeron] helped accelerate the adoption of expensive home and office work chairs, and in the era of the dot-com bubble, it was considered both a great chair and a stylish accessory for your desk,” our editor noted in our Chairs magazine. Technique review.
The mesh is also very comfortable to sit on and wraps around your body like a sturdy hammock. The downside is that the Aeron can be quite expensive as it’s designed for businesses with big budgets, but our editors found the adjustable armrests, lumbar support, and excellent mesh wear guarantee to be of great value and benefits.
Luckily, if you want to check out Herman Miller’s looks without the high price tag, there’s a good fake out there. While the Gabrylly Ergonomic Chair uses a mesh design similar to Herman Miller’s Aeron, this chair has added a headrest for extra comfort and neck and shoulder support. The chair is advertised as supporting your head, back, hips, and arms, with adjustable seat height, headrest, backrest, and reclining armrests.
In today’s deal, the duplicate Aeron is 35% off its regular retail price, bringing it down to $216, which is 12% off the Aeron’s value.
The OC3B from Flexispot is another chair with a breathable mesh back and seat design. The Flexispot office chair also features an adjustable headrest and multiple seat adjustments for greater comfort.
The Steelcase Gesture Chair is another favorite among clean office furniture design enthusiasts, and the company’s work chairs have great back support and plenty of adjustment features. In our observations of Gesture, we appreciated all the meticulous customization and simplicity of the chair’s design. “You can change the recline tension from almost non-removable to a free recline or somewhere in between, which will further enhance the appeal of this chair,” our editor said of the chair. “There are four locking positions in this range, like most other chairs, but the tension adjustment provides the perfect amount of flexibility in between.”
Like Herman Miller chairs, the Steelcase Gesture is more expensive, with a fully customized Gesture retailing for more than $2,400.
If you appreciate the stylish Gesture design, the Vari executive office chair and the HON Ignition 2.0 office chair are good options at a low price.
While Vari chairs don’t have the fine adjustments of their more expensive counterparts, the Executive Work Chair offers plenty of armrest customization, offering height, angle, forward and back position, as well as pneumatic seat height adjustment, adjustable backrest. tension, tilt and lock adjusters as well as seat depth adjustment.
Embody is one of the latest additions to Herman Miller’s office chair catalog, featuring the company’s pixelated support system to adapt to your movements and multiple seat and armrest adjustments. Herman Miller claims that 30 doctors and scientists in the fields of biomechanics, vision, physical therapy and ergonomics took part in the design of Embody. In addition to ergonomic comfort, according to Herman Miller, Embody will help improve circulation and lower your heart rate.
Herman Miller also collaborated with Logitech to develop a gaming version of the Embody, which is identical to the office version but with fabric construction and back padding customization. In our review of the Embody gaming chair, we found that the narrow back gave the impression that “Embody is designed to lean forward and hold you upright while sitting”, “perhaps ideal for office workers who work long hours a day.” “The armrest design makes it difficult to use the chair if you are leaning on the controller to play the game.
While we haven’t tested the company’s medical claims about Embody, we just love the clean design and the comfort of the pixelated support on the back of the chair. You may not find all the advertised designs and health benefits, but there are several options if you want to replicate the Embody aesthetic. While not a replacement for the original, they offer comfort and support at a more affordable price.
None of the three chairs listed above have Herman Miller pixelated support, but if you need extra back support, Ticova comes closest with lumbar support.