Herman Miller Aeron vs Steelcase Gesture: Which is the Best Office Chair?

If you’re in the market for a top-of-the-line office chair, then you’ve certainly heard of Herman Miller and Steelcase, since these are two of the most reputable brands in the industry.

The Herman Miller Aeron and the Steelcase Gesture are two of the most popular chairs ever produced by these two brands, but it can be difficult to decide which one is the correct option for you.

While these chairs are both high-end, luxury office chairs, they are vastly different from each other in terms of design, look, feel, adjustability and more.

In this Herman Miller Aeron vs Steelcase Gesture comparison, we’ll take a deeper look at the major differences between these two chairs to help you decide which one is the best fit for you.

Let’s get started!

Herman Miller Aeron Overview

We all know that Herman Miller does come with an expensive price tag, but there’s something behind that tag that you should know about if you stick with us here.

Herman Miller guarantees their chair will provide you top-notch advantages and features if you become a customer. They claim to correct your posture so you don’t have back problems and wrist aches from sitting for a lengthy period of time. Their chair gives your back the support you need to avoid serious health issues in the future.

A Herman miller is an investment because they obsess over quality and design at the same time. You get exactly what you pay for, so if you are willing to spend a little more on a good chair, you can go with this well-known brand. It has become a prestige symbol among the corporate elite over time.

Read our full guide on the Best Herman Miller Office Chairs

Steelcase Gesture Overview

The Steelcase Gesture is definitely what you need if you’re seeking an ergonomic chair that will fit right out of the box for many customers. Of course, there is a price to pay for this.

The Steelcase Gesture is one of the most costly Steelcase chairs in the $1000 ballpark range. It comes with adjustable options, whether it’s the armrest or the headrest, and gives you many features that make buying the super Steelcase Gesture well worth it.

Steelcase Gesture is compatible with the broadest range of technologies. It is very sensitive, and it’s designed to fit people of diverse sizes and shapes, with simple tweaks to fine-tune the right fit.

Herman Miller Aeron vs Steelcase Gesture: Features

Let’s dive into some of the highlights. This comparison is not as easy as you would think. The Herman Miller Aeron and the Steelcase Gesture are both flagship chairs from top furniture manufacturers. Each chair comes with a best-in-class guarantee and is delivered completely assembled to your door.

While both these chairs perform the same functions, they are pretty different from each other regarding many things, which will be discussed in detail in this article.

Herman Miller Aeron vs Steelcase Similarities:

Let’s shed light on some of the similarities:

• Both Herman Miller and Steelcase Gesture have adjustable armrests.
• Both alleviate back discomfort, poor posture, hip, and sacrum pain
• Both chairs are meant to adapt to the user’s shifting postures and spine motions to support posture alignment.
• Herman Miller and Steelcase Gesture provide a headrest as an additional feature, so you can go with it if you are willing to spend some more money.

Herman Miller Aeron vs Steelcase Differences:

• Coming back to armrests, even though they share some similarities, here the winner is Steelcase because it offers 4D armrests. You can move the armrest inward and outward, too, as per your comfort.
• Herman Miller gives you a recline option, which the Steelcase Gesture doesn’t offer in their chairs.
• The seat depth in Herman Miller is non-adjustable, which is a bit uncomfortable, but the Steelcase does provide adjustable seat depth.
• Lumbar support- Herman Miller has a more adjustable lumbar position (up & down, back & forth) and thickness.

Herman Miller Aeron Vs Steelcase Gesture: Full Comparison

We just provided you with a fraction of the similarities and differences between these two chairs.

Below is the complete comparison between “The Herman Miller” and “The Steelcase Gesture.”

Brand Reputation:

Herman Miller

Being 100+ years in the furniture business, Herman Miller has placed itself in the top charts worldwide, providing service and looking after the well-being of its customers and employees.

Herman Miller’s brand had become linked with “modern” furniture by the mid-twentieth century. The company created pieces that would become industrial design classics in collaboration with great designers like George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames.

Steelcase Gesture

Steelcase, also in the market for more than 100+ years, was named one of Fortune’s 2020 World’s Most Admired Companies in the Home Equipment and Furnishings industry area in January 2020.

This is a tribute to the company’s brand value to provide high-quality ergonomic furniture. The Steelcase Gesture achieved an excellent grade in terms of design, simplicity of installation, and quality control.

Materials and Build Quality

Herman Miller

The majority of Herman Miller chairs are made with compressed and recycled steel, glass-filled nylon, 30 % glass-filled PET, and foam fabric, making it an environmentally-friendly chair. Herman Miller is considered the best in class when it comes to building quality. It has scored 95/100 in the build quality category.

When you touch the Aeron’s parts, you can tell it’s in a class by itself in building quality. Sitting down, you can notice there are no loose or improperly fitted components, and everything glides smoothly. The Aeron is upholstered in the most luxurious mesh we’ve ever seen on a chair.

Steelcase Gesture

The Steelcase Gesture gets a 90/100 when it comes to Materials and Build quality which is slightly lower than the Herman Miller.

The Steelcase Gesture chair has a very different feel than Herman Miller’s; The build comprises many top-notch plastics throughout the chair’s body. Steelcase deliberately picked the plastics, permitting them to keep their seat lightweight and adaptable.

Making a fully adjustable seat is the core plan of its design. All the Gesture plastic segments are very much done, fitting together pleasantly and with no baggy pants.

In terms of the upholstery, this guitar uses a 100% polyester fabric, which is soft to the touch, providing a comfortable, yet supportive sitting experience.

Check out our full guide on Mesh vs Fabric Office Chairs

Size Options

Herman Miller

Herman Miller comes in 3 sizes, so its customer base has a wide range of size selections. The sizes are known as  A, B, and C. Check the following measurements so you can understand what to expect:

Size A is around 10 centimeters shorter than size C, measuring around 104cm. In addition, the seat width varies by 7cm. Size B is the most popular Aeron Chair, and it should be the ideal choice for 80 to 90% of all office chair users.

1. Aeron A: With a height of up to 1.57 m. This is perfect for slim customers and children.
2. Aeron B: It’s universal, perfect for all customers
3. Aeron C: Height of 1.95 meters and a weight of 95 kilograms.

Steelcase Gesture

The Steelcase Gesture is a one-size-fits-all chair, so there are not multiple size options like the Herman Miller Aeron. Instead, the Steelcase Gesture has more adjustability options, such as a seat pan depth and large height adjustment range, which allows it to accommodate roughly 95% of users. That said, it would have been nice if there was a “Plus” option, similar to the the Steelcase Leap Plus, that is specifically designed for larger indviduals. Despite that, the fact that the Gesture will fit most people without you needing to worry about picking the right size makes it a good fit if multiple people in your household or office will be using the same chair.

Seat Comfort

Herman Miller

The most subjective thing that one checks before buying a chair. We give 75/100 for seat comfort. The Aeron chair is covered with Pellicle mesh fabric and has a hard-outer frame design. When pressed on, the Pellicle mesh has a pleasant soft feel to it. Despite its softness, the seat provides a robust sitting sensation.

The frame’s design, particularly the side bolsters, can be one reason you will not select an Aeron chair. If the seat pan isn’t the proper size for your body, these side bolsters might cause pressure spots on the side of your hips.

Steelcase Gesture

The seating in the Steelcase Gesture is considerably different from that of the Aeron. The seat pad gives a more standard cushioned seat. It doesn’t have a very thick seat pad, but the cushion’s quality keeps you from the bottom down.

The seat pan’s front is also flexible, allowing for more give in the seat and decreasing pressure beneath your legs.

With an 81 for seat comfort, there’s a strong sense that most people would find this chair to be relaxing to sit in.

Some users can get disappointed by the lack of a thickly cushioned seat, but it should be about solid support at the end of the day. The cushioned seat of the Steelcase Gesture chair is less than 2 inches thick, yet it nevertheless provides good support for 8+ hours of sitting a day.

Back Comfort

Herman Miller

The shape of the Aeron chair is what makes it perfect. The curve for lumbar support is a huge plus. The Aeron chair has the most advanced lumbar support system that is the Posture-Fit SL.

On the Aeron chair, this is the most sophisticated lumbar support upgrade offered by the brand. The depth of this vertical lumbar support system can be adjusted, allowing you to vary the amount of support on your spine.

Steelcase Gesture

The Gesture provides something that varies a bit from the Aeron chair. It focuses on the user’s ability to move.

The Gesture lumbar support system has two adjustments: a lower tension adjustment and a lumbar position adjustment. Both functionalities work effectively and let you tune the amount of support you get on the chair.

The lumbar didn’t seem to be exceptionally prominent. Depending on how supportive it appears to you, this might be a good or bad thing. But at the end of the day, what customers want is good back support that Steelcase Gesture provides.

Armrests

Herman Miller

Herman Miller has a wide range of armrest functions. It can be stationary, height-adjustable, or 3D (height, depth, and pivot). If you pay more, you get more features on the armrest.

The arms of the Aeron are linked to the chair’s backrest, which is just perfect. If you want to lean back on your chair, this gives fantastic arm and shoulder support as the arms move with the backrest. The arm pads of the Aeron are soft and squishy, so if you favor this style of arm pad, you’ll probably love the Aeron.

Steelcase Gesture

Steelcase Gesture provides all those features that the Aeron chair provides, but there is just one more additional feature that makes Gesture different and much better than the Aeron chair. It has a 4D (height, depth, width, and pivot) option available, which is fully adjustable. With it, you can move the armrest inward and outward also as per your convenience.

The Steelcase chair arms have many adjustability options, which is probably why they score better than the Aeron. While the pads weren’t as soft as the Aeron’s, they still are comfortable and didn’t seem as coarse as some of the other chairs we tested.

Adjustability

Herman Miller

Aeron chairs offer lumbar support, which is perfect for your back. Whether it’s the armrest or the back portion, you can adjust it as you wish. The Aeron chair offers a good amount of adjustability options but is still slightly different from the Gesture.

You can adjust the armrest upward, downward, front and back, thus providing you maximum comfort. Also, you can adjust the back support depending on your preference.

Steelcase Gesture

Steelcase comes with adjustable seat depth, which is perfect for customers of every age. It adapts to the customer’s height and legs’ length and reduces the pressure on thighs and knees.

Plus point in Steelcase provides one extra feature in the armrest, which is the 4D rotational movement adjustability. In this, you can move the armrest inward and outward too. You can adjust it according to your needs if you want to keep your hands inwards or outwards.

Ergonomic Adjustments

Herman Miller

Herman Miller does not have many options when it comes to Ergonomic Adjustments. You may raise or lower the lumbar support pad by applying equal pressure to both ends.

Adjust the pad’s height so that it comfortably accommodates your spine’s natural curve. To rise, you can elevate your feet off the footring while you are seated and turn the knob in forwarding motion.

Steelcase Gesture

Seeing the kinds of adjustment features a chair has, we will give full marks to that chair if a chair has seat height adjustment. Therefore Steelcase Gesture gets full points in this category; it does not have any match in the market at present.

Price

The Miller Aeron is less expensive to begin with than the Gesture. This is because Miller Aeron can be customized with your preferred level of flexibility. Adjustable arms, tilt lock positions, and lumbar support are all the options you have, 

However, Gesture does offer many adjustments, so that’s the main reason why their price is a bit higher than the base model. Note that the price can vary at a certain point.

Herman Miller

Aeron chairs are, as usual, a bit more expensive than the Steelcase chairs. The model’s base price starts from $920, and if you select some other options, it can exceed $1300. If you want to go with fully adjustable and customizable, you will have to spend around $1300.

Steelcase Gesture

Steelcase also ranges from $1000, and if you add on some features, it can go up to$1100. If you want to equip the Steelcase Gesture similarly to a fully loaded Miller Aeron, it will cost around $1,062.00. Steelcase Gesture doesn’t have many options in sizes, so that is another reason why the prices don’t rise as with the  Aeron Miller.

Warranty & Return Policy

Herman Miller

Herman Miller Aeron offers a better warranty period than Steelcase. Miller Aeron comes with a 12 Year warranty without any inclusions. Upholstery, cushioning, frame, mechanism, casters, and so forth are all included in this warranty period.

For the size A version of the Aeron, this warranty covers 24/7 usage and a 300lbs capacity. The B and C models have a 350lbs capacity. With this Miller, Aeron gives you a TAT of 30 days in which you can return the chair and get a full refund.

Steelcase Gesture

The Gesture also covers the same policy. It comes with a 12 year warranty period without any inclusions too. This Gesture also gives you a TAT of 30 days in which you can return the chair and get a full refund.

Along with the warranty part, the second most crucial thing that should be covered, and you might have been waiting for this, is the Repair scenario.

Herman Miller Aeron has an excellent option if you want to get your chair repaired. Their technicians will come to your home and get your chair repaired, but only if you are near an authorized dealer.

In contrast, Steelcase doesn’t offer any of this, but it offers something better. Suppose you have to get your chair repaired and send it for the repair needed, and the technicians cannot fix it. Steelcase will offer you a full refund, or they will provide you a brand new chair.

So you have these two options with you in case your Steelcase chair catches some issues, you can choose what best suits you.

Herman Miller Aeron vs Steelcase Gesture: Pros and Cons

Herman Miller Aeron Pros:

• The warranty policy of 12 years covers all the major and the minor parts, including the mesh, which is the best part in this category. You also get a 30-day refund policy.
• If you ever buy Herman Miller Aeron, it will be delivered to you fully assembled. Everyone knows how cool it sounds. If you decide to return the chair because you don’t like it, you won’t have to spend time disassembling it for repackaging.
• The next best advantage is the build quality; Herman Miller Aeron offers “the best” build-up quality that no other company provides at present. The components are correctly aligned, the chair is relatively easy to operate, and the appearance is highly appealing.
• It offers you three size options so you can select as per your needs.

Herman Miller Aeron Cons:

• It does not have seat depth adjustment, which is a feature people want. As mentioned, the chair comes in three sizes, each with distinct seat size. None of them will feature a seat slider or depth adjustment option. This may be a problem for people who like longer or shorter seats than the chosen size.
• The backrest is the second factor that puts down the chair a bit. It does not provide any backrest adjustment, so it would not be comfortable for everyone. There is no way to adjust the back height, and you can’t move the frame up or down to keep it from hitting your upper back.
• The price- The Miller Aeron price is a big issue. The very basic version is also tagged very high. If you go for fully adjustable and fully customized chairs, it can cost as much as $2000, making it one of the most expensive chairs in the market.
• While some may like the stylish look, those seeking a classic executive-style leather chair may be disappointed because this chair has a very decent and simple design.

Steelcase Gesture Pros:

• The warranty policy is 12 years. You also get a 30-day refund policy if you don’t like the chair.
• Comes with a wide range of customizable adjustments. You can customize it as you wish, but the price rises a bit with this option. It provides a greater degree of postures because it has more adjustable features than the Aeron Miller.
• If you order, you will get the chair fully assembled, so you don’t have to put in your efforts and time to build it.

Steelcase Gesture Cons:

• If we compare it with Aeron Miller, the Steelcase features are a bit expensive as it offers only one size.
• The lumbar support isn’t firm enough as it is in Herman Miller.
• The Gesture, according to some customers, might cause clothes damage. As you sit on the chair, the armrests might shred or tear your pockets, depending on how they’re set.
• Steelcase appears to be unconcerned with height-adjustable backrests. If this is something you’re looking for in a chair, the Gesture doesn’t have it.

Herman Miller Aeron vs Steelcase Gesture: Which Should You Get?

Both these chairs are flagships and iconic. You’ll find these two chairs literally on any board. What best suits you depends on your preference for upholstery type, adjustments, Pros and Cons, and your pocket power.

If you want a more top-notch build quality chair with more features, we suggest you go with Aeron Miller.

And if you want a more ergonomic chair that will fit right out of the box and has more ergonomic adjustable features, you can go with the Steelcase gesture, as it also comes with slightly more adjustable features.

They’re both well-made and have simple designs. They are not made for people who want classy and sizzling designs. In terms of build quality and back support, the Aeron beat out the Steelcase Gesture. The Gesture has a leg up on the competition in terms of adjustability and seat comfort. Both come with an excellent 12 year warranty period and are delivered completely built.

The prices are also comparable. It may just come down to whether you want a mesh chair or one made of fabric or leather. Whatever variables you prioritize will lead you to choose one model over the other. You just need to read and analyze each point by yourself.

We hope that by now, you must be clear on what must be the best for you depending upon the various factors we discussed and explained in detail. These office chairs are the best from the past several years so you can go with anyone depending on your needs and you would not be disappointed at any point.