The Ultimate Herman Miller Gaming Chair Buying Guide (Gaming Aeron vs Gaming Embody vs Gaming Sayl) 

Did I help you narrow down your choice??? If you decide to pick up, please consider using my links! It costs you nothing, but I earn a small commission, which helps keep this channel going! *Herman Miller (USA)* 🛒Herman Miller Gaming (USA): geni.us/EpLgIkn 🛒Herman Miller Non-Gaming (USA): geni.us/0nnoU *Herman Miller (UK)* 🛒HM Non-Gaming (UK): geni.us/HXpIb *Aeron Headrest* 🛒 Atlas Aeron Headrest - geni.us/LyRjXu Use code *AHNTOURAGE* for $5 off!! *Embody Headrest* 🛒EMBODY HEADREST: atlasheadrest.com/collections/headrest-for-embody-chair Code *AHNTOURAGE* for $5 off headrest! *HM revoked Atlas Headrest's claim that it doesn't void warranty. From Atlas Headrest: "In our experience, when installed per our instructions, our headrest does not cause damage to the chair that would require warranty work"

You do an EXCELLENT job reviewing. I feel like most reviews follow a basic pattern but somehow yours feels more genuine and real. Great job!

Glad you are getting official recognition and potentially sponsors from herman miller themselves! You deserve the best bro, always a pleasure watching your videos.

Love the video. I've had the standard Embody for almost a year now. You mentioned the new scrim foam being implemented in the standard Embody in "May 2021" I just wanted to point out that it was added in February. My Embody was actually one of the very first to get the scrim added (2/7/21) so I lucked out. Also thanks for that tip of sliding down the back of the chair to get in that proper position. Some days my chair feels perfect and others it feels off and I think it may be due to that, so far that tip has helped. Keep it up, can't wait for the Atlast headrest!

Grats man! I was one of the people who saw the Used Aeron vid and insta subbed because of the level of insight that you offered for your chair reviews. Was even able to snag a fully loaded OG Aeron for about half of what the used market around me was going for. Great to see Herman Miller recognizing you and what you offer with your channel.

I bought the embody gaming and returned it after 30 days. I just couldn't adapt to it, felt too hard in my lower back and didn't feel 100% comfortable. When I tried the aeron afterwards, I INSTANTLY felt a big difference, much more confortable, my back fits perfectly and it feels really soft. I had a hard time accepting that I didn't like the embody but now I feel so good that I returned it. Love my Aeron.

I was ready to purchase a Razr gaming chair over Thanksgiving when I saw one of your videos. At first I was shocked by the price of entry for one of the Herman Miller chairs but realized the benefits after watching some more of your videos. Needless to say it went from want to need right now, lol. The next time Herman Miller puts a sale I'll definitely purchase it through your affiliated link. Thanks for educating the masses bro. Our back and behind thank you too!

Thank you for this !!! Love the all-black sayl design and this video sold me !

Great video! Picked up an aeron because of your videos and am saving up to get an atlas head rest to complete the chair, as I'm kind of tall and need the extra support. Your content just keeps getting better and better! Can't wait to see more!

You earned my subscription man!!! Your explanation’s really clear and answer a lot of questions.

Amazing the growth on your channel over the past few years. Content is coming out great, keep it up!! Thinking to buy the Aeron!

Ahn, finally. Your comparison review is golden. I now know which one i need to get (non-gaming Embody). Thanks for your efforts in creating this video. Happy new year to you.

After watching a bunch of your videos I'm so glad I found this channel. Great job

Thanks for the video, I just used your link under the video to buy my embody!

Wished you uploaded this video before the November discount! bought the sayl but with a light-coloured cushion 😅but I am really happy about buying it and videos like yours helped me in my decisions, so thank you!

Excellent review! I'm glad I've found your channel, I'm going to a dealer to try out HM chairs in a couple days and your videos have made me feel far more prepared for what to look for. I'm 6' 2" so I feel like a 3rd party headrest will be a must if I go for a Embody or Aeron

great video thanks. really wish you the best of success. loving ur content.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! GREAT VIDEO, GREAT PRODUCT AND A GREAT EDUCATION!!!! I LOVE ALL HERMAN MILLER PRODUCTS!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!

I'm so glad I found your video! :) Out of all the videos I've watched this was definitely the kind of informative video I was looking for. I was debating between the Aeron/Aeron Gaming, and Embody/Embody Gaming, and ended up solidifying my decision to get the Embody Gaming after watching your video ^^~

I always wanted an Embody, but that Sayl looks VERY interesting. I need to find a place to try them both out.

Thank you for reviewing! This was extremely useful :)

Thanks for this great overview! Would love to see a comparison of the mid-century leather models!

great review! thanks

I need the same thing with Steelcase chairs. Thank you, Ahnestly.

Quality quality reviews. Deserves more views!

This review was excellent and full of useful information, thank you.

I own a Sayl. I love it because it helps me sit correctly when doing work but it also allows me to sit on my leg or to rest my leg on a table. I also have this chair at my office. I hate the fully adj. arms. I went with basic arms for home use and I'm happy with my purchase. 6:50 that should be an encouragement to get up and do some stretches away from the chair hah

Wish I had the money for one of these. Great video dude thank you man.

I bought both the Aeron and embody, tried the Aeron for a week and the Embody for a few days (had the Aeron a week before the Embody). I agree with pretty much everything mentioned in this video. I personally do not find the lumbar support on the Embody comfortable. It felt like there was not enough support and of course this is not adjustable. When I got my Aeron I initially had the lumbar support set to the minimum as setting it any firmer than minimum felt uncomfortable. However, with time I increased the support a small amount and it feels great. I also feel like the backrest of the Embody makes your shoulders feel as if they are being curved inwards a little bit but I have quite wide shoulders so this may be why. Even if I adjusted the backrest further backwards, it made me feel like I was sitting in a "lazy, slightly slouchy" position which personally didn't feel the best compared to the sitting position in the Aeron. I tried so many adjustments with the Embody because I really wanted to like it, but I never felt comfortable in the Embody so I returned it. The Aeron felt significantly better in every aspect to me. The Embody also feels very light and cheap, where as the Aeron feels very sturdy in every aspect. The Embody makes some noise when rocking (not a great deal but enough to be annoying for me) and it appears to come from somewhere around the base of the seat. I didnt hear any noise coming from the backrest as it really doesn't flex that much at all during use (not that it is not flexible - it is, but your movements don't cause it to flex a great deal). Also, the mechanism to lean back in the Aeron feels so natural and nice, whereas it feels slightly odd in the Embody. It's hard to describe but it just didn't feel quite right and its not as comfortable as the Aeron. Don't get me wrong, it is still good, just not as good as the Aeron. This could again be due to the lack of lumbar support making me feel this way about the Embody because you notice it more when leaning back. I do not get this "creaking" when rocking in the chair as mentioned in this video, mine is completely silent. Maybe this is due to the amount of tension you have on the lean back function? You can also lean back and stretch your upper back and arms backwards and outwards in the Aeron with a great deal of freedom which feels great, but the backrest height on the Embody doesn't allow you to get such a stretch. The Embody made me feel like it was really trying to keep me in the confined area of the backrest when trying to lean back and stretch - I don't know why but I do this a lot in my chair so I noticed this difference. I think HM are right in saying there is no need for a headrest, even when leaning back I experience no discomfort in the Aeron. With the Aeron I did sometimes get pain on the rear side of my legs (hamstring area). I don't really know why that is, there are some days that I do get this pain and some days where I never get it. Recently I have not experienced that at all so maybe I was still getting use to the chair and sitting in a better posture.The Embody does feel more comfortable to the rear side of your legs, but I do not recall getting such a pain with that chair. I may have these opinions because my body became more use to the Aeron and it's characterisitcs as I had been using it for a week before I got the Embody. Also, I have a feeling that since the Aeron makes you sit in a position with good posture, you feel uncomfortable sitting in a chair which allows you to have a more laid back posture (the Embody in this case). Your sitting posture definitely feels different in each of these chairs. Most people don't get to try both chairs, and if they do, it is usally at a HM shop. The time you spend trying one of these chairs at a HM shop is not long enough for your body to really understand which one it likes more. I initially liked the Embody when i first tried it as it felt more comfortable, but your opinion can change with time. To anyone trying to decide on one of these chairs, I'd recommend the Aeron as I feel it is significantly better than the Embody. I was able to get the Aeron for a little cheaper than the Embody too which was a bonus. If you are going for an Aeron, get the gaming version from HM gaming as it comes with nearly all options and it is significantly cheaper than choosing the Aeron on the HM website and adding the options yourself. The deep black tone you get with the gaming version looks really really clean and nice. There is no difference with the gaming version apart from the colour and you do not get leather arm rests (the only option the gaming version lacks) but the standard ones are really damn good. I can't comment on the leather armrests as I have not tried them. Just to comment my experience as I found it useful reading other people's experiences in comments of videos before I bought my chairs. From my journey of reading peoples comments on videos, I find that there are a lot of people who comment that "x" chair is the best but they have not tried the other chairs or have only tried them for a very short period at a HM shop. They got one chair, and they like it, so they think that is the best. But I am giving my opinion after trying both chairs for more time than most people would be able to and think this might be useful to a potential buyer.

Awesome comparison thanks for your effort

the lean forward feature is so essential for gaming and then reaching forward to adjust the goxlr, or hit the stream deck, grab a drink, basically anything like that. it's also less jolting when you scoot around to get comfortable. nice that the chair leans forward with you. i can't even go back to a chair that doesn't have this feature.

can not wait for the embody headrest!

Can you please also make a video/ a review about the Herman Miller Mirra 2. I would really appreciate that. That would be amazing. Thanks for all the videos, i love them 😊

cant wait for the embody headrest!

Props to you including the factoid about the scrim foam on the newer models of the Embody. I don't think I've seen a single other reviewer mention that, and I only found myself through a lot of research.

Bought an aeron with your method. I love seeing it everywhere

You literally answered a lot of questions I had about those 3 specific Herman Miller chairs. Gonna check out the solo review of the Embody. I hope there will be a price drop in my region sometime. Currently it cost 1.595,00 € where I live.

Spoiler for his favorite chair: He is sitting in it for 95% of the video.

I was looking for new chair for over year now and I tried Aeon and didn't really like it (prefer cushioned seats without sharp/hard edges). Its pretty hard to get other models here, but I would not like shape of Sayl back rest either. Embody not yet available here yet with ETA early next year. In the end I went with Accis Pro from Profim which I had chance to test last week and it was 1st chair that felt fully comfortable. On top of all usual stuff it offers pretty unique feature that allows chair seat and back to lean left and right with whole body (it can be disabled). Overall build looks better than its price suggest, It have shorter warranty, but chairs I used before anyway either got issues within 1st 1-2 years or not at all and for Herman Miller prices could buy same chair 2-3 times if needed.

What a great comprehensive face to face!

Love the video. You got a new sub

This is the best review of all time thanks

Hey there, I love all your video guides, and this one convinced me to grab a Sayl at some point in the near future. :) I just wanted to double-check though, which were the other two chairs that have forward-tilting other than the Sayl and the Aeron? I should probably take a look at those other two before making the purchase, just in case. Forward-tilt is really attractive to me because of occasional hip pain

Best comparison video. Thanks!

ahnestly you rock your vids are complete you don't bias towards your personal choices... im in between the remarstered aeron or the embody gaming id need the head rests....

Fantastic Review tho, really living up tp your channel name.

I'm 6 feet tall and I just got my Sayl 3 days go (with the height extension). Its been really comfortable so far, I haven't had any problems with the back rest, no neck pain after hours of gaming. Would definitely recommend

Got the Embody. Love it so far. Just had to fine tune the settings

This channel is so underrated Great video !

I've gone through a considerable number of videos, probably around 30 or more, as I delve into the market for a HM chair. Your sincerity and captivating presentation style truly stood out to me. As a result, I couldn't resist hitting that like button and subscribing to your channel!

Already own an Embody and Sayl but I love watching these videos anyway.

this was great, thank u

Amazing video!

I've owned both the non-gaming Embody and Aeron's. I'm a huge believer in buying quality office chairs given the quality of life for the time spent in them by professionals especially now with WFH. I totally agree on the majority of your points, the defining choice with me between the two was while I found the Embody more ergonomic and better long term value (seat cushion lasted longer). I ultimately went with the Aeron since the Embody seat would get too warm, and in a home with poor or no air conditioning the Aeron was the clear winner for staying cool with good comfort. I've had my Herman Millers easily last 7-10 years no problem vs cheap big box office chairs friends or family would buy that fall apart after 6-12 months that cost $100-300. Thanks for the great review, this is a a great value for folks who are spending this much money on a premium chair for the first time.

Thank you so much for this review. It was long, but you went into such great detail for each of the chairs. I don't game, but I work from home, and truly appreciated this. I already have the Sayl non-gaming version. If you have a contact at Atlas, could you push them to create a headrest for the Sayl as well? I've seen a couple of hacks out there that have 3-D printer plans for a headrest, but I don't have a 3D printer, nor do I know anyone that does. I'd also prefer to just pay for one! :-) Keep up the great work! I appreciate your Ahnest opinions! :-)

Dan, you can add the lumbar support after the fact. I have the Gaming Sayl in Neon Green and I was told that I could add the lumbar support at any time via customer service. Just something to consider. Good video!

Really looking forward to the embody headrest it’s my only wish with the chair

I am so happy that you finally were able to review the Sayl. I have been anxiously awaiting for you to post this video, and alas, I missed it 2 weeks ago. Oh well, I am still very happy to watch it. I think it is probably the chair for me. It provides a good amount of features for me as well as being nice on the cost.

Just got my Embody Logitech a couple of weeks ago. I've been working in offices for the better part of 35 years now and it's the most comfortable chair I've ever used. When the Atlas headrest finally comes out, I can see myself using it as an occasional lounge chair to watch TV on. It's that comfortable. Also, and this is a question of personal taste, it makes me feel like a starship captain every time I sit on it....

I like the fact that you also convert to centimeters 😄

I have the embody gaming chair and bought a really solid after market headrest to complete the design. I can't wait for the factory headrest and hope I can add it after the fact.

Herman Miller has been selling a new version of the base fixed lumbar on it's chairs. It's called ZSS fixed posturefit I believe. I tried it on a chair that was too big for me and it was useless. Would love to hear what you think about it.

My Sayl comes in later this week! My back is gonna thank me as i had a $200 chair before haha

Had the aeron and the embody each one for a week (none gaming version): Aeron feels more solid, the mesh is comfortable but I hated that it force you to sit in one specific way. Cant cross legs, cant sit how i want.The aeron its possibly the best to work from home. The embody feels great to me, at first it was really weird but once you get used to its just perfect. Love the freedom you get. Best for work AND enterteinment No matter what you choose, make sure to try it first.

Thank you for this video ♥️ Gonna sell my steelcase leap chair for an aeron.

This is an incredible video. Did not help me in terms of what chair i want though lol. Its too bad i find all three of these chairs so comfortable lmao

I've tried all 3 (Non-gaming versions) and even bought and returned the Aeron at first. Here are notes which I hope they help people in deciding with the least amount of knowledge and mainly based on back feel as all the bells and whistles of features are self-explanatory. I'm 5'6 and half and 175 lbs at this time with slight lower back issue. Below is my feedback (bulletins are not an order of which is better but in order of what made sense for me to present) 1. Sayl: out of the 3 it has the most huggy feeling to your lower back if you like that. Even without additional back support. The 2 main issues I had with the chair are: seat bucket is too small for casual seating even at my height if you want to occasionally slouch. And the back tension has weird tendency to push back onto your back even when it's so light. You can lean back so easily but for some reason I always felt the chair was pushing back. 2. Aeron: this chair is designed for you to set up right. No slouching or anything else. If that's your thing then get it. The side profile of the backrest has an angel to it horizontally along the mid back where you can see the backrest bending slightly. This invisible horizontal line WILL create a pressure line across your mid back if you sit in anyway other than proper. Also don't trust Herman's recommendations for size and height. For my biometrics I found the size B too small. 3. Embody (Which what I ended up loving) out of the 3 it has the backrest that will suit and feel comfortable for most people. It feels great sitting proper or slouching. Seat bucket is large for many seating positions. Nonetheless, the chair is not perfect. As per Ahnestly's reviews, it has too much plastic so some noise is to be expected. Some people may find the backrest needing more cushion, even with the Sync fabric option (thicknest one they offer). I'd say if that's the case, make your own external padding. You don't need much, couple of yards of fabric, handheld sawing machine (or by hand if you can) and some cheap think mattress topped for $10 or any foam you like (say maybe with cooling gel). Profile the foam, cut, sandwich it between layers of fabric, sew along the profit, final cut and trim to extra fabric. And it will make the backrest much better for those who needs cushion.

Wow, now I'm confused about which one to pick... I'll have to watch the review a few more times...:)

the tilt forward is also good for playing tactical shooter

Ordered the Aeron Gaming due to the breathability of the mesh, cant wait for it to arrive!

I can see when you finished siting review on Aeron and Sayl you get back to Embody immediately, body languages dont lie. Love your videos, and brought an Aeron based on your review.

I've had an Aeron and a Mirra 2, but my current and favourite chair is the Humanscale Freedom. It's hardly a gaming chair per se, but I can sit in it for 12-14 hours a day with zero issues. I bought it because my back was giving me crap, and since I've been using it, nothing (at least not caused by sitting too long). It doesn't quite have the adjustability of the Aeron, such as the pitch forward, but I can't say I've missed that too much.

bro you get a like for that donut break 😂thanks for the review

I literally was trying to pick one between embody and sayl 2 days ago. You video has been super helpful! Do you think the Embody's handles for seat depth adjustment would get in the way if I spread my legs too much?

a lot of people criticize the Aeron for not being able to sit in it however you want, but after sitting in it for a month or two, I think that's the wrong way to approach it. it passively improves your posture because it encourages a more ergonomic sitting position. and because of this, you won't feel the need to move around as much. your body doesn't fatigue as quickly when sitting properly. I very rarely feel the need to fold my legs at all - and if I do feel the need, it's just one leg, not both. if you don't even feel the need to change positions a lot in the first place, then changing positions a lot becomes less of a concern. that's the magic of the Aeron in my opinion. I absolutely love mine. that being said, try these chairs for yourself if you can before committing. and thank you Ahnestly for another good video.

Hey man awesome reviews I really appreciate it. Can you share your best pick for a programmer with a lot of coxis (tail bone) pain? Also taking into account good adjustable arm support? Thanks!

Would love to see you review the Haworth Fern. Looks pretty interesting.

Wish you could've showcased more of the new cushion headrest on the Aeron

I think the forward tilt on the aeron and sayl is very good for gamers

Purchased and returned (or at least waiting to return, HM is dragging their feet) the gaming embody. It wasn’t loud or creaky which is nice, but even with the added seat padding i could feel each individual “spring” stabbing into my butt while sitting. I’m 205 lbs. not terribly light, but well under the weight limit. Ordered an Aeron and keeping fingers crossed that it works out for me.

I currently have aeron 2 in my office and sayl at home. SAYL all the way.

Had an Aeron for a dozen years before passing it along to my brother... I never got super comfortable in it. The Sayl on the other hand is amazing, and I have it in Lime green/black gaming version, sooooo nice for 10 hours at the computer per day. If you work full time from home, you spend more time at your desk than in your bed, it's *well worth* spending ~$1000 to be comfortable and properly supported.

so underrated. greetings from germany

i got my embody logitech 3 days ago (got in from BF deal for 1190€) and from what i can say is that the mentioned Noises (from the comments an other sources) from the structure are there but its not a big Problem for me. when im working or gaming am not jumping aorund in a chair. and the noises are not loud. no cracking or something like that.

To be fair to aeron ive never used it specifically. When i was in the navy we had chairs that look almost identical to it though and i HATED them. The mesh pulled from the frame of the seat due to constant wear from heavier armed guys the arm rests appear to be similar and were a pain in the ass to adjust. I generally hate that hard border all around the chair as a bigger guy (6'3 250lb) i will be buying the embody in the nearer future and cause of thid vid i will make sure to use your link.😊

You reviewed the first 2 chairs and chose to remain seated in the embody. Tells me everything 😂

Just wanted to say you're a phenomenal content creator! So knowledgeable, genuine and down to earth :) I did want to ask one thing. I want to buy an embody or aeron for office and gaming. For gaming I like to recline when playing console (using computer monitors). I know you can't recline lock these chairs. But if you use the least rocking resistance, can you stay reclined for long periods? Can you use like a foot stool or automan or will that be uncomfortable or even damage the chair if reclined for a long time? Thanks!

Great vid! I just got my non-gaming Embody a few days ago and noticed that hard lumbar lump pretty soon on the first day. I was ready to be bothered by it but I stuck it out and on the second day it just... disappeared. I readjusted my position and it was gone. Physically it's still there when I feel for it with my hands but I can't feel it on my back. I don't know if I broke it in or if it broke me in, but it's much more comfortable now. Still, the backrest is stiffer than I expected and I'm considering ordering a Fern to try alongside it. I'm looking forward to seeing what you think of the Fern!

Tried all of these except the Sayl - ended up going with the Cosm. Too many people pass on it because of its auto adjusting features but I love the way they work and the absolute peak design of the thing. Nightfall is also a great colorway for it.

I got an aeron and found a mesh ottoman that’s similarly color matched and sit in it like a lounge chair lol

Have you tried the Haworth Fern? If so, how does it compare to the Embody?

I am looking for a high quality office chair with arm rest that can move away or tilt up to make the chair feel like there are no arm rest. This is one huge functionality for guitar players. I found many cheap options on Amazon but there were several negative reviews. HM Aaron looks perfect if the Arms rest can tilt 90 degree or remove easily.

Hey Ahnestly. Does the embody chair have the tilt forward function like how the Aeron does? As a gamer I find myself tilting forward alot of the time so I would still want the comfortable support while tilting forward. Do you have any recommendations?

I got the Sayl on sale for 300 bucks because it was open box. I'm excited to try it out. I'm not super tall so it should be a good for me.

I'm torn between the embody and the Haworth Fern. I sat in the embody for 30 minutes at a dealer and have never sat in a more comfortable posture, truly blown away. But I'm not sure if it will sit as comfortable after a few hours since the seat felt really hard and the lumbar support feels (to me) super aggresive. Now i'll admit i've never really had a chair with lumbar support so maybe it takes some getting used to. The Fern on the other hand has a softer seat i heard and a similar backrest, anyone ever sat in both?

When is the headrest coming for the embody? im leaning forward when im gaming what do you recommend for me? what do you think about the vantum chair?

Best review.

What's the latest update for the HM Logitech Embody headrest from Atlas?

So close to buying the embody with the current deal but I just can’t get over the fact it doesn’t have a headrest. Hope atlas makes the release soon

hey ahnestly, can u review the herman miller cosm with these chairs as well?