Herman Miller has established itself as one of the preeminent experts on office chairs. Its lineup is filled with premium products like the Aeron and Embody, which offer multiple customization options, heaps of adjustability, and enough cushioning to support your body through even the longest workday.
All those luxurious features don't come cheap, however, and Herman Miller is also known as one of the most expensive brands on the market. That can make it difficult to add one to your home office without stretching your budget. Or, maybe you're currently using a Herman Miller and don't think it lived up to expectations. Whatever the case may be, there are several Herman Miller alternatives for you to consider for your next office chair.
From other luxury brands like Steelcase and X-Chair to more affordable models and even gaming chairs, here's a look at the six best Herman Miller alternatives for your home office. All of these chairs are designed to provide your body with all-day support, are highly adjustable, and look great when placed behind your desk.
If you need more options, be sure to check out the best ergonomic chairs of 2024, as well as our short list of the best office chairs for long hours.
The best Herman Miller alternative
Steelcase Leap
- Highly adjustable
- Multiple color options
- Streamlined apperance
- No headrest or footrest
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Materials | Fabric, plastic, foam |
| Style | Mid-back |
| Max weight | 400 pounds |
It's not cheap, but the Steelcase Leap is a nice alternative to most Herman Miller office chairs. One of the big perks of the Leap is its customizability. Before adding it to your cart, you'll be able to choose from over a dozen unique styles, giving you an easy way to find something that matches your style.
While the sleek design might draw you in, it’s the superior comfort and adjustability that'll keep you in the Leap all day long. Not only does it let you adjust seat height and tension, but there's also an adjustable lumbar support, armrests that swivel and rotate, and a recline lock with five different settings. In short, you'll have plenty of ways to mess with its settings and find a configuration that'll work for your needs.
As you'd expect for an office chair in this price bracket, the Leap is constructed with premium materials that are bound to last years before running into issues. The materials are also plush and supportive, allowing you to get through your workday without any complaints. You won't find options for a headrest or footrest, but if you want a no-frills office chair that's supportive and durable, the Leap is the chair for you.
The best leather alternative to Herman Miller
X-Chair X4
- Professional, executive design
- Variable lumbar support
- Multiple color options
- Leather causes heat to build up
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Materials | Leather, aluminum |
| Style | High-back |
| Max weight | 300 pounds |
Leather isn't always the best option for office chairs, as they often trap heat as you work and become uncomfortable with prolonged use. But if you love the look of leather and need something professional for your workspace, it's hard to go wrong with the X-Chair X4 High End Executive Chair.
X-Chair offers this in four unique colors (black, brown, cognac, and red), but they all offer the same features. This includes a built-in headrest, a variable lumbar support, a unique floating recline technology for smoother movement, and plenty of adjustable components – including armrests, seat height, seat depth, and headrest position. All of these components are built with durability in mind, and the sturdy aluminum frame should get you plenty of comfortable workdays without any complaints.
The dynamic variable lumbar support might be the most intriguing aspect of the X4. This part of the chair is built to move with your body, allowing it to provide you with enhanced lumbar support regardless of how much you shift positions or fidget in your seat. And since you can adjust the backrest height, it's easy to get the lumbar support into a position that benefits your body.
X-Chair gives you the option to purchase the X4 without a headrest or with an extra wide seat, so you should have no problem finding a configuration that fits your needs. Keep in mind that the chair is mighty expensive and leather may not be perfect for long work hours, but if style and premium materials are your priority, there's a lot to love about the X4.
A premium alternative to Herman Miller
Humanscale Freedom
- Gigantic headrest
- Eye-catching design
- Contoured seat cushion
- Expensive
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Materials | Metal, polypropylene, fabric |
| Style | High-back |
| Max weight | 300 pounds |
Clocking in just shy of $2,000, the Humanscale Freedom is every bit as premium as the Herman Miller Embody. With a massive headrest and sculpted backrest, it's well-equipped for keeping you comfy and cool regardless of how long you're stuck at your desk.
Part of the Freedom's allure is its striking design. Its backrest features numerous curves and contours, giving it a free-flowing look that's uncommon on office chairs. Its headrest is also much larger than others on the market and provides great support when reclining. Humanscale even built the headrest in such a way that it can move with you, so you won't have to worry about making constant adjustments to find a comfortable position.
The rest of the chair was designed with the goal of removing pressure points and reducing the load on your back. Humanscale says the cushions are designed to replicate the body's contours and provide enhanced comfort regardless of body type. And while the chair looks great in its default form, you'll find a few customization options available to help you tweak its appearance to your liking.
A mid-tier alternative to Herman Miller
Branch Verve
- Great price
- Plenty of adjustable components
- Multiple color options
- Armrests aren't the most comfortable
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Materials | High density foam, aluminum |
| Style | Mid-back |
| Max weight | 275 pounds |
The Branch Verve is one of the cheapest products on this list, yet it punches well above its price tag. Offering a sleek design, several color options, and plenty of adjustability, it's a great compromise between a budget chair and something like a Herman Miller.
The first thing you'll notice about the Verve is its floating armrests – which are quite divisive. Some like them for their elegant design and lightweight appearance, while others dislike their floating appearance and lack of adjustability. Unlike other chairs in this price range, you can only adjust the armrest height.
That could be a big issue for some shoppers, but if you can look past it, you'll find plenty of other premium features. This includes a durable aluminum frame, comfortable high density seat cushion, and built-in lumbar support. And with adjustable components like seat depth, tilt tension, seat height, tilt lock, and lumbar position, it's easy to overlook the quirky armrests.
Most people will also find the overall aesthetic of the Verve to be eye-catching, as it's built with unique contours and curves yet remains elegant and streamlined. To help refine its looks, you can choose between multiple color options, such as coral, mint, and cobalt.
It's no match for the Embody or Aeron, but the Verve offers a nice middle ground for shoppers unwilling to drop over $1,000 on a chair.
A premium gaming chair alternative to Herman Miller
Vertagear Triigger 350
- Breathable mesh construction
- Tons of adjustable components
- Lumbar support
- Not customizable
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Materials | Metal, mesh |
| Style | Mid-back |
| Max weight | 350 pounds |
Looking to do a bit of gaming in your home office, but don’t want one of those racecar-inspired gamer chairs? Then consider looking at the Vertager Triigger 350, which looks closer to a traditional mesh chair than anything else. It's also highly adjustable and breathable, turning it into an ideal companion for long gaming sessions.
The mesh construction is what sets this apart from others on this list, which mostly use fabric or leather for their seats. This allows the Triigger 350 to better dissipate heat and keep you cool without the need to get up and take a break. To break up the all-mesh design, the edges have a leather wrapping to them that gives Vertagear's seat a more elegant look than you'd expect for a gaming chair.
You'll find plenty of ways to adjust the seat too, including multi-directional armrests, a handle for quick tilt tension adjustments, a moveable lumbar support, and a recline lock to snap the chair into a fixed position. This version of the chair is only offered in black, making it less customizable than others on this list. Still, for a chair under $1,000, there's a lot of impressive features packed into the Triigger 350.
An affordable Herman Miller alternative
Flexispot Ergonomic Office Chair
- Affordable
- Foam and mesh options
- Surprisingly adjustable for its price
- Limited customization options
- Uninspired design
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Materials | Mesh, foam, metal |
| Style | High-back |
| Max weight | 300 pounds |
If you're trying to keep your spending under $500, this chair from Flexispot is a good budget alternative to Herman Miller. Of course, it's not nearly as premium as anything from the vaunted company, but it does have enough cool features to make it a welcome addition to most offices.
This Flexispot chair might not have a cool name – it's officially called Ergonomic Office Chair (C5188) – but what it lacks in its name is made up for in its performance. Available as either a mesh or foam model, you'll get a product that includes a headrest, adjustable back height, adjustable back tension, adjustable seat depth, and 4D armrests that move in nearly all directions. And if you want to kick back and relax, the C5188 reclines up to 115 degrees.
The main drawbacks to this affordable chair are its lack of customization options and its bland design. While it's great that you can choose between foam or mesh, you can't get it in anything other than black. And while there's nothing wrong with how the chair looks, it doesn't do anything special to differentiate itself from the gaggle of chairs available at your local Office Depot.
How we chose the best Herman Miller alternatives
Finding office chairs that rival those produced by Herman Miller isn't easy. Few models are up to the challenge, and even fewer are worth recommending. Here's a look at how we narrowed down the thousands of options available in 2024.
Supportive and comfortable
Herman Miller products are popular because they're comfortable and supportive. From dense foam and supportive mesh to enhanced lumbar support and soft armrests, they offer everything you need to stay comfy during long days behind the computer. For this list, we tried to hunt down products that do much the same. That means they're bound to be incredibly comfortable and help you power through your day without feeling any aches or pains. Our list includes products with high density foam seats, mesh seats, lumbar support, and plenty of other high-end features that are designed to cradle your body and help you feel as fresh at the end of the day as you did at the beginning.
Adjustable components
Part of offering a comfortable sitting experience is giving users the ability to adjust the chair to their needs. Most chairs let you adjust height or tension, but only premium chairs let you tweak lumbar support, swivel armrests in multiple directions, or let you lock in different recline angles. In other words, the more ways to adjust a chair and find a comfortable position for your body, the better the chair is likely to be. On the other hand, just because a chair isn't as adjustable as others doesn't mean it's less comfortable – and we ensured that all factors were considered before adding (or removing) a product from our roundup.
Customization options
Office chairs are highly personal, and there's no one-size fits all solution to comfort. Adjustable components are part of the key to finding a comfortable fit, but the other piece of the puzzle is customization options. Do you prefer a mesh seat or foam seat? High back or mid back? Headrest? Footrest? All of these are things you'll want to consider when shopping for a Herman Miller alternative – and many of our favorite products give you the option to change these settings prior to purchase. Being able to customize your chair gives you more ways to find something that fits your needs and plop down in a chair that supports you just as much as a Herman Miller.
Style and design
Aside from being comfortable, Herman Miller office chairs are easy on the eyes. And since you'll be seeing your chair pretty much all the time, it's important to find something that looks good in your space and gets you energized about the day ahead. This isn't quite as important as comfort and support, but if you're dropping over $1,000 on a chair, there's no doubt you'll want it to look good.
Durable and reliable
An office chair is an investment, and you don't want that investment breaking down after just a few months of use. Products on this list are designed for the long haul, with sturdy frames and durable materials that should last several years before starting to wear down. Many even come with generous warranties. Most of them don't offer the same incredible 12-year warranty as Herman Miller – but they're pretty generous, nonetheless.
This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.
