Are you in a dilemma about whether you should buy Herman Miller Sayl vs Aeron?
If you spend a lot of hours in front of the computer, what things would you look for in a good office chair?
No doubt, comfort would be at the top of your priority list. Its look, warranty, and durability would be no less important though.
Well, in that case, you might have plenty of options in the market, while only a few of them can meet all of your expectations. Herman Miller is a brand that pops up in our minds when we try to find out the best chair.
Now comes the question, of whether you should buy Herman Miller Sayl or Herman Miller Aeron.
Both chairs come with competitive features giving each other tough competition to become the better one than the other. A lot of buyers like me get confused in this battle about whether they should buy Herman Miller Sayl vs Herman Miller Aeron.
While the Sayl model by Herman Miller has targeted young buyers due to its unconventional style, the Aeron model comes in a conventional design. Both come with back support; while Sayl has a 3D intelligent back, the other one has a stance worth backing.
Also Read: Why are Herman Miller Chairs So Expensive?
Comparison of Herman Miller Aeron vs Sayl
Despite all these common features, they share unique qualities that make one lead over the other. Let us find out which one becomes the showstopper.




Breaking It Down
Since both the Sayl and Aeron models come from the same brand Herman Miller, they have some identical features. It becomes tough to pick only one model as the winner.
For that matter, we will find out which one is the best chair by comparing them against the other based on the features.
Be it the material or the aesthetic beauty, we will leave no stone unturned in this article.
Let’s get ready for some interesting comparisons of Herman miller chairs!
1. Comfort
The most important selling point for any chair is comfortability. Just imagine sitting on an office chair that hurts your back and does not allow you to sit in your preferred position.
Ah! It would be no less than torture. All the reputed furniture brands give the utmost importance to the comfort level of their chairs. While you may find a number of chairs in the market, only one or two of them can turn out to be really comfortable.
This comfort level would make a lot of differences between the Sayl and Aeron models.
Herman Miller Sayl
The Sayl comes with a 3D intelligent back that strikes a great balance between stability and movability.
You can stretch your back, and it also has a posture fit design.
The posture fit design retains the natural shape of your spine.
However, the back support of Sayl is unframed, and its armrests are too tall.
Herman Miller Aeron
On the other hand, the Aeron model has framed back support, making it more comfortable than the Sayl model. Apart from this, it has a posture fit design, adjustable armrest, and standard tilt.
While Sayl does not have lumbar support, Aeron comes with lumbar support and prevents back pain.
The Aeron one is more comfortable than the other to sit for long hours.
Winner: HM Aeron
2. Material
The material of any chair has a significant role to play in its features. Be it durability or comfort; you cannot overlook it.
Furniture brands use different materials for different parts of their chairs. It determines the warranty also. How can your chair have a great life shell if the material is of poor quality?
Let’s check the material of Herman Miller Sayl and Aeron.
Herman Miller Sayl
The chief components of the Sayl model are plastic cellular and sponge. While the plastic allows the manufacturer to do a lot of experiments with the design, it may hurt your back as it is quite hard.
The spongy seat does not feel as comfortable as the leather or mesh ones.
Herman Miller Aeron
On the contrary, the Aeron model uses mesh and pellicle as its chief component. The seat is also made of mesh that feels quite soft. Mesh is more durable than a sponge as it can pass the test of time.
The pellicle allows the Aeron model to stay cool and maintain a comfortable temperature for the skin.
Winner: HM Aeron
3. Aesthetics and Colors
Our eternal thirst for external beauty has also influenced the furniture industry. Would you like to have a boring chair for your office?
Not at all, right?
Herman Miller has tried to give both Sayl and Aeron models distinctive looks, yet one takes over the other. Let’s find out who the winner is.
Herman Miller Sayl
Keeping in mind the young generation’s taste, Herman Miller has given their Sayl model some exotic color options with an unconventional design.
The back support is unframed, which strikes a different look from other office chairs. Some peppy and eye-catchy colors of the Sayl model are hot pink, rust orange, royal blue, etc.
All these colors are vibrant enough to lift up your mood during a boring day at the office.
Herman Miller Aeron
Herman Miller Aeron is a lot more conventional when it comes to outlook. The colors that Aeron offers are more or less the same, such as graphite, carbon, and mineral. They make your office look quite serious and less peppy.
Winner: HM Sayl
4. Armrests
A chair must come with adjustable and comfortable armrests to suit your body. How can you sit on your chair comfortably if it doesn’t allow you to rest your hands properly? Not possible right?
This is also a crucial feature to look for in an office chair. Let us find which one among the Sayl and Aeron models has the most comfortable armrests.
Herman Miller Sayl
The armrests of Herman Miller Sayl are adjustable. They are too tall to fit under your desk. Moreover, they are non-padded. The non-padded armrests might hurt your arms and scratch your elbows as you work for long hours in front of the computer.
Therefore for resting your arms, Sayl is not the best choice in the market.
Herman Miller Aeron
Quite the opposite of Sayl, the Aeron has adjustable and padded armrests.
They are fully adjustable so that you can set the arm height according to your comfort. Imagine sitting for a long time on the Aeron and resting your arms comfortably- great!
Winner: HM Aeron
5. Warranty
Since both these chairs come from the same manufacturer, there is hardly any difference in their warranty policy.
Would you like to buy a new office chair every year?
No way, right?
Then it is always better to go for a renowned brand like Herman Miller. All their products ensure a great lifespan.
Herman Miller Sayl
The Sayl model of Herman Miller comes with a warranty of 12 years with 3 shift warranty, including labor. This covers the warranty for all the parts of your chair. You can get a service from the Herman Miller store if any part of your chair becomes damaged within this warranty period.
You can use it 24/7 with a maximum weight capacity of 350 pounds.
Herman Miller Aeron
The Aeron model also comes with the same warranty period of 12 years, 3 shifts, including labor. However, there is a slight difference in usage.
The Aeron model’s A size covers 24/7 usage with a maximum weight capacity of 300 lbs, while the size B and C cover 24/7 usage with 350 lbs weight capacity.
Winner: None – Both Aeron and Sayl have the same warranty
6. Size
The height and weight of a person determine which chair they should buy. The below table will help you in choosing the right Aeron Chair for yourself.
If you are a short person (around 5″6′), then you should go for Size A and if you are taller than 6 inches then you should aim for Size C.
There should not be one size that fits all and that’s why HM Aeron comes in 3 different sizes while the Sayl comes in only one size.
And that’s why the HM Aeron is a clear winner here.

Winner: HM Aeron
Conclusion – which herman miller chair should I buy?
After this hardcore battle of Herman Miller Sayl versus Herman Miller Aeron, we found that Herman Aeron won in 4 parameters out of six.
No doubt, these categories are the major selling points for any chair, and Sayl can hardly give any competition to Aeron.
Though both of them come from the same brands, there is a slight difference in their price as Aeron is a bit expensive.
But how does that price matter when it offers you so much comfort and durability?
At the end of the day, it is all about comfort for your back and booty and if you’re ready to pay a little extra premium for this then we highly recommend you go with Herman Miller Aeron.
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