Haworth and Herman Miller are very famous brands when it comes to buying an ergonomic office chair. Both office chairs made by Haworth and Herman Miller are suitable for their next generation office chair thanks to the latest upgrades they received. So you won’t go wrong if you decide to buy either one of them.
The truth is, both Haworth Zody vs Herman Miller Aeron are 2 of the best selling chairs. They have many similarities but also some differences. We will try to figure out which chair is better for you by comparing their features, ergonomics, prices and more.
Let’s take a look at some specs
| Feature | Aeron Size A | Size B | Size C | Haworth Zody |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height (in) | 38.5 | 41 | 43 | 41.5 |
| Width (in) | 25.75 | 27 | 28.25 | 27 |
| Depth (in) | 16 | 16.75 | 18.5 | 29 |
| Seat Height (in) | 19 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 16″–21″ (Standard), 17.5″–24.5″ (Dual Posture) |
| Weight (lbs) | 40 | 41 | 43 | 19.8 |
| Weight Capacity (lbs) | 300 | 350 | 350 | 400 |
| Base Diameter (in) | 26.5 | 26.5 | 26.5 | – |
| Warranty | 12 years | 12 years | 12 years | 12 years |
| Price | N/a | Check | N/a | Check |
To begin with Haworth Zody vs Herman Miller Aeron, let’s see what they have in common:
Both Haworth Zody vs Herman Miller Aeron are high end office chairs, recently redesigned to suit modern needs of employees at work . Haworth Zody has made a good rush on market since its design came out in 2009/2010 while Herman Miller Aeron chair was first introduced in 1994. Haworth comes with several color options for armrests (black, grey or white) while Herman Miller Aeron only has black armrests. Haworth Zody also brings two types of trays, one for keyboard and other for documents.
How about the difference? The main difference between these 2 chairs is that Haworth company makes its own parts for their chairs while Herman Miller outsources some parts which make the price of the latter higher.
Haworth Zody vs Herman Miller Aeron showdown
- Support for back pain
The Haworth Zody chair is ergonomically designed to provide good support for people who suffer from back pain or just want to have better posture at work . The chair is very flexible, its height can be adjusted easily with the handle under the seat.
Haworth also has lumbar support that can be moved up/down by pulling/pushing the handle on the side of the chair. Haworth Zody also features a tension knob which is pretty handy when it comes to adjusting the chair. Haworth provides different types of seat cushion, from plain one to heavily padded and even inflatable gel one.
Herman Miller Aeron has a mesh instead of fabric on the back part of the chair which makes it more breathable and flexible at the same time. Chair’s height can be adjusted with a knob on the side that allows changing it 5 inches up or down.
They have almost equal lumbar support but Haworth has slightly bigger range for adjusting it up/down as well as more variations for seat cushions
- Compare their Armrests
Haworth Zody vs Herman Miller Aeron both offer wide range of armrest style and color options. Haworth has 3 color options for its armrests (black, grey or white) while Herman Miller Aeron only has black armrests. Haworth Zody also brings two types of trays, one for keyboard and other for documents.
Herman Miller Aeron has wider armrests that are able to provide more comfort when you are typing. Haworth Zody’s armrests are lined with soft padding for your elbow while Herman Miller Aeron doesn’t have any extra padding which makes it unsuitable for people who work long hours on the computer.
- Compare the size of their seat
Haworth Zody’s seat is slightly bigger than Herman Miller Aeron. Haworth has a width of 19″ compared to 18 5/8″ on Herman Miller Aeron chair which makes Haworth more suitable for people who have wider hips or just need a bit more space between their body and the edge of the chair. Haworth Zody also has longer seat pan which can accommodate even taller people since they don’t have to place their legs too close to each other.
Herman Miller Aeron doesn’t have limiting factors when it comes to size so this will suit both tall and short users .
Both chairs are very comfortable according to many reviews but Haworth offers extra padding, adjustment options and better materials (leather for Haworth Zody vs fabric on Herman Miller Aeron).
- The warranty
Both have the same years. But Haworth provides a free seat cushion replacement for life while Herman Miller only replaces the mesh and forces you to buy a new seat pan which is costlier.
- The customer service support, who win?
Haworth company has a more extensive customer service department. Haworth offers great customer support and even some videos on their website explaining how to assemble or use the chair.
Herman Miller, on the other hand, doesn’t provide that much information and you will find yourself searching for answers all over internet at least until you get used to the chair and don’t need any more help from Haworth’s side.
If you get trouble with your Zody ergonomic chair, well, Haworth is the one you should contact first.
If your chair is Aeron, you want to complain with Herman Miller, you will find out they don’t always listen to their customers and make bad business decisions.
- The price comparison
Price is probably the biggest difference between Haworth Zody vs Herman Miller Aeron office chair because you get Haworth with better quality, more features and higher rating for almost 300 dollars cheaper. To be honest, their price is pretty high, but both chairs are top quality products designed to last long time if properly used.
Haworth Zody lacks some comfort/adjustment features that Aeron offers but it’s cheaper so if you are looking for a quality office chair at affordable price, we think this Zody might be the best choice out there. Slightly bigger size, wider range of armrest adjustment options and thicker padding are making Haworth Zody very comfortable ergonomic task chair suitable for any work station . It’s pretty obvious that Haworth company put lots of time in designing their chairs in order to provide maximum comfort for its users and Haworth Zody is a true example of their success.
Herman Miller Aeron chair has been proven as one of the chairs with top quality materials, best ergonomic, long lasting construction and wide range of adjustment options. There are couple things that make Haworth Zody better choice but Herman Miller Aeron is still a great pick for anyone looking for a high end office chair .
It doesn’t matter if you need an executive chair to complete your big office suite or just want a stylish furniture piece for your home study room, both could serve the purpose very well. Haworth costs lot less than Herman Miller so it makes sense
Conclusion
Both Haworth Zody vs Herman Miller Aeron are good chairs with different features that suit office needs. Both have many similarities but also some differences in terms of ergonomics, flexibility and user friendliness. While Haworth has recently become very popular among people who suffer from back pain or just want to improve their posture at work, it does not mean that Herman Miller is worse than Haworth in any way. Herman Miller’s product offers excellent ergonomic support but Haworth gets the job done just as well. The choice is entirely up to you
Another high-end product from Haworth, the Fern is also amazing with more features. If you want to take a choice between Haworth Chairs, consider this comparison post: Zody vs Fern
Related post: Haworth Fern vs Steelcase Leap Office Chair Showdown: Midrange Comfort vs Premium Comfort