Wow, Herman Miller is trying really hard to get into gamers’ hard-earned pockets. Following its collaboration with Logitech (which resulted in the Embody Gaming Chair, Motia Gaming Desk, and Ollin Monitor Arm) earlier this summer, the furniture company is now releasing a special “gaming” version of its iconic Aeron Chair.
We’re giving Herman Miller a big, fat zero for effort and authenticity, though – apparently, the only difference with the gaming edition is that it’s matte black (the original is only available in “graphite” and “mineral”). Where are the pointless highlights and puke-inducing neon colors?
Herman Miller’s special gaming-edition Aeron is available starting today for $1,445. The company noted that it’ll be bringing us even more gaming furniture in the near future.
“The original Aeron is the chair that changed office chairs forever,” wrote Herman Miller. “As comfortable for people behind their work computer for eight hour stretches as it is for gamers who want to play all day (or night!), Aeron for Gaming is where high performance and ergonomics meet iconic design.”
Meet the gaming edition of the iconic Aeron Chair! After surveying thousands of gamers, we confirmed that Aeron is already a favorite—so we chose the best configuration for gaming postures and created a dark black version to seamlessly fit with your setup. https://t.co/HjhfNa8dkO pic.twitter.com/hbMLMSnxFl
— Herman Miller (@HermanMiller) September 2, 2020
Original Press Release:
ZEELAND, Mich., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Herman Miller (NASDAQ: MLHR) announced today that they are releasing a series of special edition chairs for the gaming community, starting with the iconic Aeron Chair. Aeron has already made its mark in the world of online gaming. It has been consistently ranked as one of the top office chairs for gaming by the gaming industry and is the choice of many superstar gamers.
“When we started our research into how we could help meet the needs of the gaming community, we discovered many of our existing chairs were already favorites of individuals and teams,” said Tim Straker, Chief Marketing Officer for Herman Miller. “We came across countless gaming reviews for Aeron, and they were all positive. It makes sense. Aeron is one of, if not the most, versatile chairs ever designed, and we have seen it used everywhere from pro sports locker rooms to broadcasting sets to recording studios–it even sits in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.”
From hundreds of hours of conversation and observation with gamers, it was clear that both ergonomics and aesthetics matter. “There is no question it is an amazing chair for gamers,” said Ben Watson, Chief Creative Officer at Herman Miller. “The ways any player, of any size, playing any game can fine tune the adjustments of the chair to find optimal support was called out as a huge benefit. But gamers also told us that they care about how the chair looks: overall design and color are important. We consistently heard gamers ask for an all-black Aeron–they wanted their chair to feel like a part of their gaming set-ups. So that’s what we gave them.” This is the first time Aeron has been sold with an all matte black finish, including the Pellicle material that supports the sitter’s body.
Decades of research in ergonomics have equipped Herman Miller to design new products like the recently released Embody Gaming Chair, as well as reconfigure existing products specifically for gamers. “Gamers have been huge and vocal fans of Aeron for a long time,” said Jon Campbell, Gaming Business Lead at Herman Miller. “Armed with these insights and our own research, we were able to combine the optimal configuration of Aeron, which offers customized back support and a forward seat angle for an active gaming posture, with a new color option that better matches the gaming aesthetic. This special gaming edition Aeron offers gamers everywhere another fantastic Herman Miller solution for their set-ups.”
Traditional athletes work to connect every part of their body in proper alignment and sequence to generate power and balance, and gamers are no different. Players achieve maximum performance and comfort when all of their muscles, joints, and bones are aligned properly and active. Herman Miller has advanced thinking about this alignment and symmetry, commonly referred to as the anatomical loop. “Athletes who play video games are looking for the same outcomes as traditional athletes,” says Campbell. “The gaming edition of Aeron is where high performance and ergonomics meet iconic design. It offers that same comfort the Aeron is known for, tailored for gamers who want to play all day (or night).”
The new matte black special gaming edition Aeron will be available starting September 2nd, 2020 for $1445 USD and can be found at hermanmiller.com/gaming. Herman Miller will be releasing more “special gaming edition” chairs fall 2020.