There is a reason that the Herman Miller Aeron has been, and continues to be, one of the most popular chairs in the world. It has a unique design worthy of being featured in the museum of modern art. It also has the best build quality of any office chair to come through our doors and it is backed by the best warranty in the industry. The chair tested well in our office, placing high on our list of the best office chairs for 2025.
While the Aeron Chair is a great choice for some, it won’t be a good option for everyone. There are a lot of people looking for Aeron chair alternatives. Maybe you want something less expensive. Maybe you want something other than a mesh seat. Maybe you need something with a high back and headrest.
Whatever the reason is, we have created a list to help you. The chairs on this list offer a wide range of prices, styles, designs and adjustments. Hopefully, this helps you to find an Aeron chair alternative to meet your needs.
Full Disclaimer: We are an office furniture dealer and sell some of the high-end ergonomic chairs we review. To learn more about the products we sell, our review process and why you can trust us, please visit: Why we’re different. Who is BTOD.com and The Breakroom Blog?
Quick Look: Herman Miller Aeron Alternatives
Ergohuman GEN2 $911.99 (BTOD). The Ergohuman GEN 22 Mesh is a popular alternative to the Aeron chair for about 50% less money. It offers extra adjustments, including a seat slider and adjustable headrest, along with notable lumbar support. With vibrant color options available, it provides some customization at a lower cost. Full Ergohuman GEN2 Review…
Humanscale Diffrient World $1,127.99 (BTOD). The Diffrient World Chair by Humanscale is a high-end alternative to the Aeron chair, offering similar quality at a lower price. It features 4-way arms, seat depth adjustment, and a comfortable, flexible mesh seat. With a weight-sensitive recline system and extensive color options. Full Diffrient World Review…
Nightingale CXO $1,902.99 (BTOD). The Nightingale CXO is our final high-end alternative to the Aeron chair. It features a comfortable padded seat, an adjustable headrest option, and more extensive adjustability than the Aeron, including 4-way adjustable arms, a seat slider, and depth-adjustable lumbar support. Full CXO Review…
BTOD Akir $619.99 (BTOD). The BTOD Akir is a budget-friendly alternative to the Aeron chair. It provides excellent seat comfort and superior adjustability with 4-way arms and seat depth adjustment. Despite its lower build quality compared to the Aeron, it offers solid construction and a good warranty. Full Akir Review…
Herman Miller Mirra 2 $1270.00- $1605.00. The Mirra 2 by Herman Miller is a great alternative to the Aeron chair. It offers similar features and quality at a lower cost. The Mirra 2 has more adjustments, including seat depth, arm width, and individual lumbar depth. It has a flexible polymer backrest, allowing for easy movement. Full Mirra 2 Review…
Eurotech Vera $469.99 (BTOD). The Eurotech Vera is our affordable alternative to the Aeron chair. It provides comparable adjustments, excellent back support, and a comfortable seat with thick padding. It features seat depth and arm width adjustment, but lacks an adjustable lumbar support system like the Aeron. Full Vera Review…
1. Ergohuman GEN2
2025 Starting Price: $911.99 + Free Shipping Where to buy: Buy on BTOD
The Ergohuman GEN1 was one of the most popular Aeron alternatives since its release in 2007. But the Ergohuman GEN2’s major improvements make this newest generation an even better alternative to the Aeron. At half the price, it offers a good build and includes a warranty by Raynor that is one of the best available for a mid-market chair.
The Ergohuman has a few standard features that the Aeron lacks. The first is a seat slider to help accommodate for different-height users. The Ergohuman also has backrest height adjustment, which does more of the same for your upper body. The adjustable headrest on the Ergohuman GEN2 is both height and pivot adjustable. On the other hand, the Aeron requires you to purchase a third party headrest if that is something you would like on your chair.
The change in design with the GEN2 seat created a more flat sitting experience, eliminating pressure points on your sit bones for those who have had this issue with mesh seats in the past. The overall seat design change eliminated any contact with the hard frame, which is what makes the Aeron a deal-breaker for so many.
The Ergohuman has one of the most pronounced lumbar supports of any office chair. The back height adjustment allows you to place it at the perfect height, while the tension adjustment for more or less aggressive lumbar. The split-back design lets the lumbar section flex independently, providing better support as you move around in the chair.
2. Humanscale Diffrient World
2025 Starting Price: $1,127.99 + Free Shipping Where to buy: Buy on BTOD
Our second Herman Miller alternative is the Diffrient World Chair by Humanscale. This is another high-end option. It is similar to the Mirra 2 in build quality so it is a slight downgrade to the Aeron but it does come in at a lower price point. The Diffrient World Chair is backed by a really strong warranty and arrives almost fully assembled.
You can get the Diffrient World with 4-way arms, which gives you an extra adjustment over the Aeron. The World Chair also comes standard with a seat slider, giving you seat depth adjustment. Another thing that really separates these two chairs is their mechanisms. The Aeron has a traditional mechanism while the World Chair does not utilize a mechanism. The World Chair uses a weight-sensitive recline system that does not use any knobs or levers to control tension or locks.
Our office also found the seat on the Diffrient World to be more comfortable than the Aeron. The mesh has a lot more flexibility so it is a softer sitting experience. The World Chair was also designed with no frame on the front edge of the seat. This means that your legs do not feel a hard frame like a lot of mesh chairs.
The final reason that may attract you to the Diffrient World, over the Aeron, is that it is available in a lot more colors and upholstery options. Pairing all of these options with its clean, minimalist design really makes the Diffrient World a nice choice for designers or people that want a custom look. With 3 frame finish options, 23 mesh back color options and 64 seat upholstery options, you have a ton of different directions you can go.
3. Nightingale CXO Chair
2025 Starting Price: $1,902.99 + Free Shipping Where to buy: Buy on BTOD
Our 3rd pick is our final high-end Herman Miller competitor of the Aeron chair. The Nightingale CXO is also a mesh back chair but it is a much different chair and has a lot of different things to offer when compared to the Aeron. The CXO has a solid build quality, a good warranty and arrives almost fully assembled.
The first major difference is the seat. Instead of a mesh seat, the CXO has a thick padded seat in ENERSORB™ memory foam. Our office gave the seat on the CXO a higher comfort score than the Aeron’s and it is because of the thick padded seat. It provides good support and does not bottom out over time.
The second major difference is that the CXO is available with an adjustable headrest option. The headrest has height adjustment and can tilt. Along with the adjustments, the headrest is also padded in the same upholstery that you choose for the seat. It is soft and comfy, just like the seat.
The CXO is going to offer more adjustments than are available on the Aeron. The CXO comes with 4-way adjustable arms with wide ranges. It also has a seat slider and depth adjustable lumbar support. These additional adjustments give you a better ability to fine-tune the chair to your liking.
4. BTOD Akir Chair
2025 Starting Price: $619.99 + Free Shipping Where to buy: Buy on BTOD
Our 4th chair is the first chair on our list to offer a significant amount of savings. With a starting price of $619.99, the BTOD Akir is a fraction of the cost of the Aeron but it was still featured on our list of the most comfortable office chairs. While the Akir has a much lower build quality than the Aeron, it is still really solid for the price and it is backed by a good warranty.
Even though the Akir has a much lower price, it actually has some good advantages over the Aeron. The Akir’s seat did much better than the Aeron in our seat comfort test. The Akir has a thick padded seat. The foam is not memory foam or high-density foam. It is soft but the quality is such that it does not bottom out. The Akir has the highest seat score we have given to any office chair to date. This is a nice option for people that want a mesh back chair with a soft, cushy seat.
The next advantage the Akir has is in its adjustability. The Akir has 4-way arms, compared to the 3-way arms on the Aeron. It has seat depth adjustment and an additional lockable position. It also has the option to add an adjustable headrest for even more ergonomic features. You can choose from a mesh or vinyl padded headrest.
5. Herman Miller Mirra 2 Chair
2025 Starting Price Range: $1270.00- $1605.00 + Free Shipping
Our #1 alternative to the Aeron chair is another chair from Herman Miller, the Mirra 2. This is our #1 pick because it is the closest chair you can get to the Aeron and it costs quite a bit less. It is made in the USA with a high-end build and comes with Herman Miller’s industry leading 12 year warranty. Like the Aeron, it also arrives fully assembled.
One of the biggest advantages that the Mirra 2 has over the Aeron is that it has more adjustments. Along with all the adjustments that the Aeron offers, the Mirra 2 also gives you seat depth adjustment, arm width adjustment and individual lumbar depth adjustment.
The seat does not slide like traditional seat depth adjustments; instead, it flexes and folds down to change the depth. The lumbar depth adjustment was also unique. You are able to turn a knob on each side of your back to increase or decrease the amount of support on that individual side.
Another differentiator between the Aeron and Mirra 2 is the backrests. The Aeron features an all mesh back while the Mirra 2 offers a 100% polymer backrest. It is basically a hard plastic. While the plastic is hard compared to the mesh, the Mirra 2’ back is actually more flexible than the Aeron’s. It allows you to move around more easily in the chair.
6. Eurotech Vera Chair
2025 Starting Price: $469.99 + Free Shipping Where to buy: Buy on BTOD
Rounding out our list of Aeron chair alternatives is our lowest priced option. The Eurotech Vera comes in at $469.99. When configured with similar adjustability, the Aeron is about $1,000 more than the Vera. The Vera has a much lower price but it still comes with the same warranty coverage period as the Ergohuman chair.
The Vera has a similar number of adjustments as the Aeron with a few differences. The Vera has seat depth adjustment and arm width adjustment, while the Aeron does not. But the Aeron has adjustable lumbar support options, while the Vera does not have an adjustable lumbar support system.
Our office found the Vera to be a more comfortable chair than the Aeron through our testing. The Vera was featured on our list of the most comfortable office chairs. The highlight of the Vera is its back support. The mesh offers just the right amount of flexibility to let you sink into the chair. The shape of the back has a nice curve for your lumbar but still allows you to use the entirety of the back.
The seat also did well compared to the Aeron’s. The seat has thick padding and no hard edges. The foam holds its shape well and offers good support. The seat is not as soft as the seat on the Akir. This makes it a nice option for people that want a mesh back chair with a thick padded seat, and a bit more firmness.
Top Aeron Chair Problems to Consider
High price
While the Aeron features the best build quality we have seen on an office chair, that comes at a price. Herman Miller makes some of the highest quality chairs in the world and they are backed by an industry leading warranty, but you will be paying a premium. With a price range of $1,195.00 – $2,225.00, the Aeron is one of the most expensive office chairs we have tested. This price range will not be affordable for most people.
Can feel frame on seat and backrest
One of the biggest complaints about the Aeron is the frame on the seat and back. The frame is thick and it has side bolsters on the seat. These side bolsters are designed to cradle you. The problem is that the side bolsters do not always feel good to sit on or lean against. These can be uncomfortable for some people.
The front of the seat frame can also be a problem because it may hit you awkwardly on the back of your legs. This can be uncomfortable if you have to rest your legs on the frame or if you are constantly rubbing up against it.
The backrest frame may also be an issue for people that really like to move around in their chair. It does not offer any flexibility and there is no padding covering the frame. If you are someone who stretches or leans back a lot, then you may be able to feel the backrest frame.
Seat may not be comfortable
We found the seat on the Aeron to be quite polarizing in terms of comfort. When we test seat comfort, we allow everyone in our office to sit in the chair, score it and then we take the average. The Aeron’s scores were either really low or really high. There was no middle ground for people.
The two main reasons why people in our office disliked the seat were the seat frame and firmness of the seat. We’ve talked a lot about the frame so I will not touch on that again. The mesh on the Aeron is the highest quality we have seen. It is soft and flexible. With that being said, the seat is quite firm and some people in our office felt that it was uncomfortable because of that.
No seat depth adjustment
The problem with the front of the seat frame would not be a problem if the Aeron had seat depth adjustment but Herman Miller chose to go with different chair sizes instead of seat depth adjustment. The problem is that three sizes are not going to cover as many people as a seat slider would.
This also goes the other way too. Some people will have too much space in between the back of their knees and the front of the seat. This can cause discomfort and will be a poor ergonomic experience.
No back height adjustment
The Aeron does not have back height adjustment. Not having back height adjustment can accentuate the problem of feeling the frame if you are tall. The lack of back height adjustment may also be an issue for lumbar support. Not being able to put the curve wherever you want may be a problem. I would highly recommend going with one of the adjustable lumbar support systems on the Aeron to help combat this problem.
Limited color options
Herman Miller chose to go with only a few neutral color options when they came out with the remastered Aeron chair. The Aeron has always been a symbol of modern design but not having a broad selection of colors to work with will certainly be a problem for designers that want chairs with some color.
Final Thoughts
We are fans of the Aeron chair. It is one of the best office chairs to come through our doors. But, there are things about the chair that might be a turn off for you. The biggest deterrent is the price. You are getting a chair with the highest build quality score we have given and the #1 chair on our list of the best mesh office chairs, but you will need to pay for it. I do think that the price can be justified, due to the quality of the chair and the warranty, but it could simply be too expensive as well.
Whether it is the price, the lack of color options or a need for different adjustments, an Aeron alternative may be your best option. Chairs like the Akir and Vera offer great value because of their high comfort scores and strong warranties. The Ergohuman is an attractive option for those of you that want a little nicer chair than the Vera or Akir, but don’t want to get into the $1,000 range. The CXO, Diffrient World and Mirra 2 are some nice high-end alternatives that offer different styles and adjustments.
If you are searching for an Aeron alternative, then I hope we have put together a list with enough variety to help most of you find a nice Aeron alternative. If none of these chairs seem like they will work for you, then I hope we have given you enough useful information to go out and find your perfect alternative to the Aeron chair.
Additional Office Chair Resources
Mike Norman
Have you reviewed the Herman Miller Sayl? It is priced at $545+ with a 12 year warranty.