Amazon offers open box or used products that are good quality most of the time. I bought an Aeron Classic for 60% off, but were they being honest about the condition of the chair? Let’s unbox this product together and see what we find out.
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“Open-Box” Aeron on Amazon Links
1. Unboxing the Aeron
To start, there are specific guidelines in order for a product to be considered “used- like new or open-box”. Our chair was delivered and it stated it was in perfect working condition and original packaging may have minor damage. As I started to open the package, I noticed the chair was in an unmarked box and covered in a white garbage bag with simple masking tape to hold it in place. This experience was a little different compared to opening a Herman Miller Aeron from the actual company as they are all about showcasing their brand.
The chair I received was the Herman Miller Aeron Classic. The Herman Miller brand stopped producing this specific chair in 2017 and it was renamed the Aeron Remastered. Many changes and upgrades were produced with the new version of the chair.
2. Assembly
As I began assembling, the open box chair revealed a couple problems. The base and casters appeared dirty and left skid marks in the box. The casters didn’t roll as easily as you would expect for a perfect condition chair. It should also be noted that the chair looked to be painted which is common in the refurbishing process. It can improve the overall look. After attaching the backrest, the rest of the chair looked pristine from the outside.
On the other hand, we are going to see just how clean this chair is once I remove the mesh inserts. In another video, I bought a new open box Aeron on Ebay and found all the dirty secrets of the chair in the mesh area. I tested out the basic functions of the chair to ensure they worked properly.
3. Aeron Arms
While sitting down in the chair, I discovered the arm pads they were using are the newer version. There was some discoloration and scratches from overtime use but were still intact. The newer arm pads are desired by most, so it was an advantage for me.
I checked the arm adjustments and those worked just as well. The height adjustment moved up and down nicely and the pivot adjustment was consistent. Regarding the actual chair height adjustment, it shifted smoothly and the cylinder looked spotless.
4. Adjustments
Additionally, one of the best features of an Aeron is the recline. I didn’t notice any squeaks or creaking as I leaned back. I then turned the dial for the tilt tension and this worked as it should, although it is known that the Aeron dial takes 50-100 turns to feel any sort of change.
Another adjustment I tried was the forward seat tilt and this functioned standard with no issues. Overall, the chair was in perfect working order aside from the casters.
5. Disassemble
At this time, I initiated the mesh deconstruction. This is a great way to see what’s hiding and is personally my favorite part. It sounds gross, but ultimately is important to see what you are getting as an open box or used product. As expected, there was buildup from someone who had been sitting in the chair for multiple years at minimum.
The front seat pad was in pretty good shape and still had some puffiness. I’ve had seat pads in the past come in as flat as a pancake. I was also able to see the date and it stated the seat frame was from 2011 so not super old. Nevertheless, I didn’t know if the actual core chair including the mechanism would be the same date.
Next, I pulled the mechanism cover off, I was happy to see that area clean. I found that the easier areas to take apart were a lot cleaner than I thought. The date in fact was different on the mechanism, it read 2014.
Bottom Line
All in all, the true definition of an open box product from Herman Miller will be that everything is intact and in good working order, whereas refurbishers will take parts of the chair and rebuild them back with functioning parts regardless of dates. So in my opinion, this product would be used good or used acceptable.
