9 Herman Miller Alternatives Office Chairs That Are More Affordable

Herman Miller is, without a doubt, one of the best office chairs brands on the planet today. Their chairs are soo good that they’re ridiculously expensive!

If you’re one of those overwhelmed by the premium pricing on the HM chairs, we’ve researched the market for affordable alternatives with similar features to the premium Herman chairs.

We compared dozens of the highly-rated models and then distilled them into the finest models that are close to the performance of Aeron chairs, Embody, Sayl, and other HM chairs.

Discover below our ultimate list of durable, ergonomic, comfortable, and affordable Herman Miller alternatives on the market today.

8 Best Herman Miller alternative office chairs:

1. Best Herman Miller Aeron alternative: Flexispot Ergo Chair Pro (OC14)

This chic chair has a timeless and modern design and is available in four different stylish colors, adding more class to your working space.

A big plus is the back design. It’s a combination of PU soft plastic, and hard plastic as well. This means it automatically adjusts according to the user’s body weight, making a dedicated lumbar support, which you would need to adjust manually, unnecessary.

Other than the Aeron chair, the Ergo Pro has an adjustable headrest for the little extra comfort you’re maybe looking for.

It does tilt to 30 degrees which can be locked in 4 different positions, and the seat is not only breathable but also adjustable in its depth.

The biggest downside though is the price. Because it’s the manufacturer’s high-end model, it’s still half the price of the Aeron chair which can make it a little bit pricy for some, yet it’s totally worth it. If you’re looking for similar features for a lower budget we highly recommend checking out their popular Soutien Model.

2. Runner Up: WorkPro Quantum 9000 Series Ergonomic Mesh Chair

However, the non-adjustable lumbar support in this WorkPro model sets the two chairs apart. But WorkPro compensates for this with a height-adjustable backrest so you can customize it to your specific back length and curvature.

Like the Aeron chair, this WorkPro seat comes with a mesh back material that helps optimize airflow and keep you cool. Its seat is also made of mesh back material, just like the Aeron chair to further promotes airflow and keep you cool when working in hot weather.

Regarding adjustability, this chair has a pneumatic seat height adjusting system to enable you to customize it according to your needs. Its gel-padded armrests easily pivot and move up/down for additional customization options.

Unlike the best Herman Miller Aeron chairs, this WorkPro model is also seat depth adjustable to facilitate a good flow of blood in the bottom of your thighs and improve your comfort. You’ll like the waterfall-edged seat design.

This is key for minimizing pressure on your limbs and offering you dependable comfort when using the chair for long hours.

Don’t forget that this Aeron alternative also comes with an adjustable backrest tilt and tension control, which further makes it a good Aeron chair alternative with high customizability.

As for the quality, this chair is made using a sturdy nylon frame plus heavy-duty steel undercore—giving it enduring strength and durability.

3. Best Herman Miller Embody alternative: SIDIZ T50 Home Office Desk Chair

Another thing that makes this chair comparable to the Herman Millers is the forward tilt which is hard to find in most chairs. With this feature, you can easily tilt your cushion forward for easy handling of forward-leaning tasks without having to strain your back or waist.

Seat depth adjustment lets you customize this seat according to your body shape and preferences. And the waterfall seat edge ensures minimal pressure under your thighs that come with long sitting hours.

Just like the Herman Millers, this fairly priced chair also enables you to adjust its backrest through various levels. It features a multi-limited tilting function that offers you up to 5 different tilt levels. Plus, it features tilt tension control to enable you to easily lock your back recline angle in various positions.

Construction is top-notch for this chair as it comes with durable materials including plastic aluminum and steel. It has a nice heft to it which confirms its solid design. It has a mesh backrest similar to the Aeron chair to allow for free air circulation to make you feel cool and comfortable.

4. Adjustable Lumbar Support: Ticova Ergonomic Office Chair

The decently ergonomic office chair comes with an adjustable lumbar pad which simply pushes your mid-back forward to help align your spine in S-curve for improved posture and to keep off back pains.

While this lumbar support isn’t as good as that of the Herma Miller Aeron chair, it is great to have a chair in this price range.

You’ll also enjoy a variety of other adjustability options in this chair including adjustable arms that you easily move in and out (helpful when leaning back into a relaxing position), adjustable seat height, and a tilt angle that you can set between 90 and 120 degrees.

Mesh back also makes this office chair a great alternative to the Herman Millers. It ensures high breathability and consistent airflow to keep you cool throughout the day.

What’s more, this mesh material forms a high back design that covers most of your back

For the construction part, this chair is fairly high-quality and has a solid build, and will serve you for some years to come.

A 3-inch high-density seat cushion height memory foam makes the seat comfortable to sit on while being durable enough to withstand regular use and last longer than most chairs in its price range.

5. Most comfortable: Steelcase 3D Knit Think Chair

It boats the Steelcase LiveBack Technology that easily responds to your movements with back flexors plus dual-energy lumbar support. This way, it conforms to your specific back shape as you change postures for the ultimate support and comfort levels.

We also like that this seat comes with 3D knit material which offers you high breathability just like the mesh found in Herman millers. This material also offers you an extra layer of comfort while getting rid of possible pressure points for all-day comfort.

THINK also gives you the freedom to adjust it in various ways to suit your sitting needs and preferences.

Some of the adjustability options in this chair include seat depth, adjustable arms, adjustable lumbar, seat height adjustability, recline tension and recline angle.

With the flexible seat edge, this chair will easily flex down to help relieve pressure on the back of your legs. The seat is also weight-activated, meaning it responds to how you seat and then sets the most comfortable sitting position for you.

As expected, this Steelcase product is high-quality. It comes with an extremely durable but lightweight frame that withstands daily use and lasts for years to come. The chair comfortably withstands users up to 400lbs!

6. Herman Miller Embody alternative: Duramont Ergonomic Office Chair

It boasts lumbar support that’s fully adjustable to enable you to adjust its backrest shape according to your specific spine’s natural curves by making the back more straight or curved.

This feature helps you maintain proper posture and minimizes painful pressure from your back.

This inexpensive chair has additional adjustment options to enable you to fully customize it to your specific needs.

These include adjustable arms and seat height adjustment. Not to forget the tilt adjustment function that lets you recline your chair at angles 90, 100, and 120 degrees.

Duramont ergonomic chair takes its game higher than Herman Miller’s Embody with the headrest which offers you great neck and head support. It even allows you to adjust this headrest up and down or rotate it for the ultimate support.

Unlike most chairs in its price range, this Duramont has a higher weight capacity and will comfortably accommodate users up to 330lbs, making it suitable for people with different body sizes.

7. Best lumbar support: Steelcase Amia Task Chair

This advanced tech enables the chair back to move up and down to give you extra support where you need it most.

The 4-way adjustable arms are another cool feature you’ll enjoy in this chair. This simply means you can customize your chair arms in up to 4 directions namely height, depth, width, and even pivot them to give you the most supportive arm support when working.

Additional adjustability options you’ll enjoy in this chair include easy seat height adjustability, adjustable seat depth to fit your body shape and legs for extended periods of comfort, and back tension to help you set your desired level of resistance when reclining.

Keep in mind that this chair has a flexible seat edge that automatically flexes to help relieve pressure on the back of your legs whether you’re leaning forward or reclining in this chair.

The chair itself is well-made and has a solid and durable feel to it. It is backed by a whopping 10-year Steelcase warranty, so it will serve you for up to an entire decade before you can think of replacing it.

8. Best value: Ergohuman High Back Swivel Chair with Headrest

Adjustable lumbar support enables this chair to perfectly mold to whatever shape or angle you want it to for excellent lower and upper back support.

The back angle adjusts in 3 positions and the tension control button lets you control the level of reclining resistance or help you sit up straight in your chair.

You’ll get a good Herman Miller Aeron alternative in this chair given that its back and seat are made from a breathable mesh material.

This makes you feel nice when using the chair and facilitates consistent airflow to help keep you cool and prevent you from soaking in sweat.

Keep in mind that this chair has a waterfall edge design which helps relieve pressure on your thighs, making it a great choice for those who spend many hours seated in the office.

The headrest is height-adjustable to offer you outstanding head and neck support.

The best part about this chair is that it is extremely sturdy and well-made. All its parts are high-quality, so you can rest assured you’re getting a chair that serves you for many years to come. It has a sleek and modern look to it and will refresh your home office environment.

9. Budget option: SPACE Seating Professional AirGrid

It has a tilt control with an adjustable tilt function to enable you to easily recline in your chair up to 15 degrees.

It also features a pneumatic seat height adjusting mechanism and a height-adjustable arm to allow you to fully customize it according to your needs.

You’ll enjoy the AirGrid’s built-in lumbar support which perfectly conforms to your body to offer you passive ergonomic support when working in your office for long.

Because this chair is made with a mesh back, it is highly breathable and will keep you from getting hot and sweaty during those long hours you spend in your office.

The mesh back is then paired with a durable PU leather seat foam padding for a comfortable seating experience.

Despite the budget-friendly pricing, this Space Seating is a good quality chair. It boasts a heavy-duty nylon base that gives it excellent sturdiness and a durable look and feel. The assembly part is pretty easy and fast and will take you around 10-15 minutes.

What makes Herman miller chairs great?

To get the best office ergonomic chairs that you can use as an alternative to Herman Miller, you first need to understand what makes the HM seats great. This way, you can easily find a chair that comes close in quality and performance to the Herman millers.

Here are the main reasons why Herman Miller is a special name in the office and gaming chairs space.

They’re made of quality

One of the reasons why Herman Millers are great is that they’re made using quality parts and craftsmanship. The end products are extremely durable and will last for an exceptionally long period of time compared to chairs from other brands.

The company is so confident in the quality of their chairs that they offer you an impressive 12-year warranty. This means once you buy the Herman Miller chair, you won’t bother going back to the market for a whopping decade!

High customization options

Adjustable lumbar support technology

The Herman Miller Aeron chair, which is probably the most popular chair from HM offers you several options of lumbar support to choose from, including the adjustable lower back support option.

The adjustable lumbar support feature enables you to customize your chair to offer you more targeted support—helping improve your posture and keep off back pains.

If you look around, you’ll discover that not many manufacturers offer chairs with this feature.

Cool mesh design

The manufacturer also keeps their chairs separate from the pack by arming them with a cool mesh design for both the backrest and seat material.

This is a step above the traditional cushion padding in most chairs which tends to be uncomfortable when you sit on it for long hours.

Top models like the Herman Miller Aeron come with woven pellicle material for the backrest for excellent airflow, minimized pressure buildup, and enhanced comfort. The mesh in this chair is also customized with up to 8 tension points that help support various areas of your back as well as relax it.

Mesh office back also helps eliminate the buildup of heat and humidity close to your body. The water vapor, air, and body heat easily pass through the backrest—keeping you cool and comfortable.

Numbers don’t lie!

The best way to confirm whether Herman Miller chair is indeed the best chair brand is the reviews their products enjoy from previous users.

A quick search for these chairs on the web will usher you to thousands of positive feedback from satisfied users across various online shopping stores, including Amazon the biggest e-commerce website.

All the users who give their experience with these chairs agree that their pricing is steep but after years of using the chair, they’ve found them to be well worth it.

How we picked the best Herman Miller alternatives

Below are the key considerations that we made when picking the best alternative office chairs to Herman Miller chair models.

Adjustable lumbar support

The perfect char should offer you excellent support for your lower back and facilitate good posture.

Aeron alternative chairs and other models that let you adjust their lumbar support are the best since they enable you to customize the back support to your specific body shape.

We also considered ergonomic chairs with an S-shaped backrest that conforms to the natural line of your spine and ensures you assume a healthy sitting posture [2].

Adjustability

The best ergonomic office chair should also offer you a wide range of adjustments. The reason why Herman Miller Aeron and its siblings enjoy high ergonomic chair ratings is that they offer a wide range of adjustments over other models.

Top adjustment options to look out for in a chair include:

Mesh office chairs vs upholstery

If the reason you turn down Herman Miller office chairs is due to their mesh seat material, then you’ll have the option of upholstery seat chairs from our list.

The best mesh office chairs are unbeatable in offering you free airflow and keeping you cool and comfortable.

A good Aeron alternative with a mesh seat and back makes a wise choice if you live in hot environments. Though mesh backs may look thin and flimsy, they’re usually durable and flexible.

Upholstery office chairs, on the other hand, are not as breathable as mesh chairs. But they also have a few advantages such as offering you a nice thick cushion to sit or rest your back on for improved comfort.

Upholstery chairs are also stylish and durable.

Brand

We also kept an eye on the brand we chose. As you expect, the top alternatives to Herman come from competing brands like WordPro, SIDIZ, Ergohuman, Steelcase, Space Seating, to name but a few.

These are reputable brands in the industry and, although their chairs are cheaper Herman miller chair alternatives, they’re still high-quality and offer nice ergonomic features and overall great performance.

Swivel

The perfect chair should also let you turn while you’re sitting on it in your home office. Some models even have a swivel base that turns through 360 degrees, allowing for movement in all directions.

Waterfall seat edge

Budget

Probably the biggest reason why most folks are running away from HM chairs is that they’re quite expensive.

Most people aren’t willing to spend that much money (over $1000 bucks on a chair).

Using the pricing factor, we were able to find good alternative office chairs that come at lower pricing than these Herman Miller models while still offering you the performance you expect in a good ergonomic chair.

Most of the models we have featured on this list lie around the $300-$800 price range.

This means that most of them come at about half the price of the Herman Millers. This is a huge cost difference and will help you save a few hundred bucks that you can invest in other office items or in other aspects of your life.

Final Verdict

As you have seen from this post, you can get high-quality, ergonomic chair options that come close to Herman miller chairs without being too hard on your wallet.

The biggest difference between these alternative models and the Herman Miller Aeron and other HM office chairs is that they cost you less and help you save significant amounts of cash while offering you the most coveted features in Herman Millers.

Remember, the chairs on our list are in no way cheap in terms of materials and craftsmanship. Despite a lower price point, they’ll still give you a comfortable sitting experience in your office for years to come.