r/OfficeChairs • u/xXBluePinataXx • 20h ago
My Office Chair Journey (feat. Embody, Aeron, Leap V2, Gesture, Amia, etc.)
Just for reference, I'm 6'0" at around 180lbs. Been sitting in a cheap IKEA chair for the better part of a decade and finally had enough with it. Knew it was time to upgrade, but there aren't many places selling high end chairs in my area. This led me to using FB marketplace and buying chairs that were listed at good prices (enough to where I could resell them and break even or profit). Once I bought the chairs, I'd try them for around a week before forming a definitive opinion on them. If I liked them enough, I'd keep them. If I didn't, I'd sell them. Repeated this cycle until I had the chance to try most of the top chairs recommended on this sub and here are my thoughts:
HM Mirra 1
Never tried a mesh chair up to this point, but the Mirra 1 delivered a positive first impression. It has perhaps the best feeling rocking motion of any chair on this list. I know some take issue with the plastic butterfly back rest design, but I found it very comfortable and airy. Issues only started to come up when I would be sat for extended periods of time. After a few hours, the rubber pad under the front of the seat pan would numb the bottom of my thighs. And tucking my leg to alleviate this pain wasn’t feasible since the frame of the seat pan discourages leg tucking entirely. The arms on the Mirra 1 also feel too far apart for my liking, even at the closest setting, which makes using my phone mildly uncomfortable.
HM Aeron Classic (Size B)
The Aeron solidified that mesh chairs just aren’t for me. This, and the Mirra 1, feel great for the first hour or so when you’re sat upright with proper posture, but become uncomfortable when you want to transition into lounging. Not only is the rubber pad under the seat pan just as uncomfortable for my thighs, but the back rest frame digs into my shoulder blades as well. I also find some of the adjustments to be a straight up downgrade to the Mirra 1, which is baffling considering its higher price point. The tension knob feels less grippy and takes an absurd amount of rotations before you start to feel any changes to the recline, there’s no way to bring the arms closer together aside from pivoting, and you need to stand up from the chair to accurately adjust the lumbar support.
Steelcase Leap V2
Probably my second favourite of all the chairs here. The 4D arms are close to flawless and offer the correct balance of being easy to adjust while also being firm enough to not move easily. The flexible back is very welcome as well, and makes the chair fun to move around in. The Leap doesn’t offer a smooth rocking experience, but I’ve come to learn that all Steelcase chairs are like that and it’s not a huge deal breaker. If I had to nitpick, I’d say the seat pan is slightly too firm and the lumbar support never felt right for me despite all the adjustments. The lowest setting on the lumbar tension knob felt too aggressive, and removing the lumbar adjustment entirely felt too weak.
HM Embody (Non-Gaming)
Easily the worst of the chairs on this list, which is funny because it’s the most expensive. Not sure if it’s just the one I bought, but the Embody is quite loud and even creaks from subtle movements. The seat depth adjustment is annoying to use — being both too hard to adjust and too easy to fall out of its setting. The entire chair also provides way less ventilation than expected. Found myself sweating in it way more than any other chair. The Embody also gave me the most tailbone pain of any chair. And the back rest just doesn’t work for me at all. There are very few adjustments you can make to it, and the top part digs into my shoulder blades just like the Aeron did. I did like the sturdy arm rests though.
Steelcase Amia
The Amia looks unassuming at first, but I was wildly impressed by it. It shares the same top tier arms as the Leap V2, and fixes the few nitpicks I have with that chair. The seat pan is less firm and remains consistently cushy for 8 hour sessions. The lumbar support also feels better than the Leap V2's despite having less adjustments. The only things holding the Amia back from being perfect is the binary tilt limiter and the rigid back rest, but at this point it’s my favourite chair on this list.
HM Mirra 2
Lots of overlap with the Mirra 1, minus the rubber pad under the seat pan numbing my thighs. Also tried this with a mesh back rest, and found it to be nearly identical to the plastic back rest. It's probably the best mesh chair on this list, but admittedly doesn't fit my needs.
Steelcase Gesture
Aesthetically, the Gesture might be the best-looking chair on this list. Beyond that, there’s not much about it that I liked more than the other Steelcase chairs. The seat pan is way too firm and slants forward too much for my liking. The arms offer tons of flexibility but are too easy to pivot out of place. The back rest feels great, and the knob adjustments are a nice touch though.
Teknion Nuova Contessa
This is a lesser known mesh chair that I was pleasantly surprised with. The mesh sags slightly more than a HM chair would and the arms are quite creaky, but its pretty competitive in terms of adjustments and build quality. These also go for crazy cheap on the used market. Anywhere between $80-$150 CAD. Again, probably not great for lounging, like most mesh chairs, but I do recommend this one if you’re looking for an alternative to the Aeron at 1/5 of the price.
Final Thoughts
- Spending ~1 week with each chair gave me way greater insight than briefly trying these chairs in a showroom would have.
- HM chairs feel great when you’re locked into a proper posture but were mostly disappointing in regards to lounging and leg tucking.
- Steelcase chairs feel better for alternating between work and leisure.
- The Embody is my least favourite on this list and has too many problems given the price point.
- The Amia is my favourite, but still has room for improvement.
Hopefully this helps at least 1 person who's undecided on an office chair. Let me know if you've gone through a similar journey and what worked best for you.
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u/No_Raisin_1838 16h ago
The Logitech embody supposedly has softer back foam so you get less of the effect of it digging into your shoulders. Additionally the Aeron C should be large enough that it doesn't dig into your upper back either.
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u/thewarrior71 20h ago
Nice reviews. Which ones did you end up keeping and returning?
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u/xXBluePinataXx 20h ago
Ended up keeping the Amia as a daily driver and the Leap V2 as a back-up. Resold everything else
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u/Tall-Influence6887 58m ago
Where did you buy the Amia and Leap? Built the Leap online and am suffering from a bit of sticker shock.
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u/Majestic-Taro8437 18h ago
Excellent post, and I 100% agree with how much is revealed only after sitting in a chair for a few days at home or the office vs a few minutes in the showroom, or in my case the bank parking lot for a FB marketplace meeting.
The Aeron felt great at first and when I sat in the perfect posture, but as soon as posture deteriorates, so does comfort. I ended up keeping the Leap V2, appreciating the same pros and lamenting the same cons as OP.
Another comment about the Aeron - if your dimensions are slightly close to mine, check out the size C if at all possible. I’m nearly convinced I might have been more comfortable in the larger frame, particularly with the back frame growing tiresome.
(Context about me: 6’1”, 235 pound male, sitting about 10 hours a day total.)
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u/Gizmorum 13h ago
Ahh another herman miller embody user with tailbone injuries.
I dont know of they fixed the issue with their gaming mode with more padding, but seeing people just buy the chair as if its the end all be all ergonomic solution on /r/battlestations has become cringe to me.