Office Chairs: Should I Buy a Used Aeron or a New Ergohuman?

I’m after a new office chair and these two seem to get good vibes from people here. I can see a bunch of HM Aeron chairs for like $900 ish used, or the Temple and Webster Ergohuman is like $600 ish new.

Love to know anyone’s thoughts on which would be the better way to go.

Edit: update for future readers just so people get the full story. I bought a 15 year old Aeron and it was ok, but actually it turns out none of the Aeron range (even the C size) go high enough for me (am 2 metres tall). Have ordered a mesh chair from Style Ergonomics that goes high enough for me. Fortunately as I bought the Aeron from a second hand store (and not a FB seller or whatever) I was able to get a refund. Moral of story - Aerons are great, but they’re not for everyone.

Comments

  • Aeron are very durable, and I would happily buy second hand if it presented in good condition.
    I would also suggest the Mirra from Herman Miller too. They can be had around $300.

    I don’t know much about ergohuman.

    • +1

      I've had my Aeron for almost 15 years now. Gas strut was replaced under warranty at the 11.5 year mark. I've got thousands of butt hours in it. Sure it was expensive but broken down to a cost per hour of use I'm below $0.05 per hour. The mesh is as new however the frame is faded on one side I assume from UV exposure from the window and lighting (shouldn't be as much of an issue with LED lighting now).

      That said I renovated my office late last year and was looking for something new and was going to try something else but lockdowns etc made it hard to get to showrooms to try them so I ordered a new Aeron customised in colour to better suit the new decor and this time without arm rests and a few other changes as I knew I couldn't go wrong.

      OP should still try and sit in each and see for themselves which they prefer as we're all different.

  • I've found a few individuals on FB marketplace selling multiple used Aerons in Melbourne for $750-$800 each but also an office furniture removal for $850 and will probably go for the removal company. Looked at Ergohumans but considering the value of a new Aeron right now before shipping and how much praise it gets will probably get the used Aeron soon.

  • I purchased the Ergohuman IOO from T&W. I felt it was a good quality chair but one thing to know about the Ergohumans is that they have a very pronounced lumbar support - Good for some people, but it was too much for me.

    Ended up buying an Aeron from FB Marketplace. Overall it's pretty good, forces you to sit in a really proper posture which can sometimes feel borderline uncomfortable (in my opinion), but the plus side is that it fixed my back pain. Also miss having a headrest but I see aftermarket options on Amazon so that should be an easy fix if I decide to keep this chair.

    • The problem with FB Marketplace is that you don't know whether the asking price is worth it. Sellers, especially commercial sellers could over quote the price due to the brand name.

  • +1

    My 2 room mates both have 2nd-hand Aerons - Great chairs if you can get one for (1) Good Condition, (2) Great Price & (3) Correct Size for you.

    I've bought myself a Ergohuman V2 and I've been quite happy with it for the past 2 years worth of WFH.
    I bought the Ergohuman V3 for my parents, and you can definitely feel the quality and slight improvements.

    So in order of first to last choice: Ergohuman V3, then Ergohuman V2… and finally a 2nd-hand Aeron.
    This is ignoring the price, and purely based on my opinion of comfort and adjustability.

    • I'm 170cm and weigh about 75kg if that helps.

      Also, the Ergohuman V3 comes with leather seats or full mesh options.
      I think leather is generally too hot for spring/summer in my opinion.

  • I have an ergohuman v2 and have had since 2018, my father has had an Aeron for about 15 years, and I also have worked in offices with Aeron's and have tried multiple sizes. For my skinny build (190cm, 58kg), I much prefer the ergohuman as it just seems to work for me better, and it still looks basically as new as it did the day i got it. For my dad however, his Aeron seems to suit his frame better (roughly 180cm, 90kg).

    It'd be worth checking them out in person, as I remember when researching Ergohumans it was generally reccomended that people under 170ish cm look elsewhere.

  • I would consider Steelcase too.

  • I've got a 20+ years old Aeron here, everything's fine with it other than the gas strut is dead and someone has pricked the seat base netting over the years and that's stuffed.

  • Steelcase Leap V2 for me. Well worth the investment.

  • Steelcase is also a good choice. They have showrooms in both Sydney and Melbourne so buyers and try it out first.

  • I've sat on the Mirra chairs both at home and at work in the office over the last 10 years on and off. Love them. Also frequently sit on the Aeron chair as that's what they tend to have in the meeting rooms. Not much different to the Mirra - maybe a bit softer and 'relaxing' but for working at a computer workstation I still prefer the Mirra.

  • FWIW I have an Okamura and it's the best chair I've ever used, it's also around $2-2.5k new though. My second chair is a ~$1K Steelcase, pretty good as well but not on the same level. Personally I'd recommend those over any Aeron or Ergohuman.

  • Definitely an used Aeron! I have no regrets and I bought a detachable head rest (~$300) to complete the setup. Perfect!

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