Embody Ergonomic Office Chair | Fully Adjustable Arms and Carpet Casters | Black Rhythm

The bottom line on this chair is that it is unexpectedly miraculous. After just 3 days, I've found it is unconventionally comfortable and the thing that makes it unique is that it renders adjusting it a normal part of its usage. I was originally like most folks, I presume - set the chair and then see how it does - but this chair demands that you use its intuitive controls to change things around as your needs change during the day. It is so easy to do, and that is where the magic is. I graduated from an excellent budget chair, the Alera Elusion high-back that is very adjustable. After over 5 years of pretty heavy usage, though, it was showing its wear, and I was really starting to feel the cushion every time I sat on it. I also started to experience some neck, shoulder, and lower back discomfort, and decided it was time to graduate to a better solution. I did not consider the Embody chair initially. At first glance, it looked a bit weird, and it was also on the expensive side, so I blew right past it. My initial starting point was the Aeron. I had used one at work years ago, and I recalled its adjustability. My body was much younger when I had used it, so I didn't experience its ergonomic benefits as well as I should have. I also looked at Steelcase models as they had some good reviews. Steelcase didn't fit my requirements as well as the Herman Miller solutions, so I gravitated strongly to the Aeron and was about to push the trigger on the order. A last second search on YouTube led me to the Embody and I was intrigued because of a couple of factors: the intuitiveness of the controls and the emphasis on the flexibility of the back and seat. The people that loved it REALLY loved it, and that, compounded with the Herman Miller return policy interested me enough to try it. So, here are some findings from the past 3 days: First, the seat is incredibly comfortable. The pixellated solution flexes with the weight that is applied to it, and it makes you feel as though you are suspended with no uncomfortable pressure points - this completely resolved the issue I was facing with the old Alera. It breathes well, is cool, and just invites you to sit down. The seat length adjustment required a little strength, but works well - you are not stuck with just the default length that might be either too small or too large. I had to adjust a couple of times to get just the right length. Once set, I don't foresee having to adjust it often. Second, I have found that I change the recline setting on the chair frequently. When I am typing, I set it so that it is relatively rigid, and when I am mostly reading, I set it so that it flexes more. There are several aspects to this - for typing, I set the tilt limiter to the position that allows the least possible movement or the next step down. I tighten the recline knob to keep me more upright, and adjust the back to a comfortable setting. It is all really easy, and the chair gives immediate feedback to ensure a good setting. When I am reading, I set the recline to setting 2 or 3 (more recline) and relax the recline a bit. That gives me the opportunity to lean back as needed and move around, with full support. If I am watching YouTube, I go to the most relaxed recline setting, and adjust the back to a less aggressive setting, and it is very comfortable. Setting/resetting all of the controls is responsive, easy, and intuitive. I never thought that this would be so required in a good seating experience. Third, I fiddled with the height of the chair to find the most comfortable setting. I use an iMovR standing desk and a Kinesis Advantage keyboard. I initially set the chair/desk combination so that my feet were flat on the ground and so that my forearms were angled downward slightly - supposedly more ergonomic. I ended up with some discomfort in my right wrist. Through experimentation, I found that raising my table or lowering the chair so that my forearms are angled a bit upwards got me in the correct wrist position for the keyboard, since it has wells. I am more upright with these settings, and am finding that my back is much more in contact with the chair, providing great and flexible support. This may not work well for folks using normal keyboards, but it is great with the Advantage. I also adjusted the height of the monitor so that it is a little higher than most ergonomic folks would recommend. I had found that by keeping the top of the monitor strictly at eye level as recommended, I was moving my head down to read the lower part of the screen, and this was causing some neck discomfort. My current setting is very comfortable. I have spent long hours in this chair over the past few days, and I am very impressed. My experience with the Alera and Aeron, both excellent chairs, is that they unwittingly promote the initial set and don't adjust paradigm, simply because adjustments, though technically possible, are not as integrated into the seating experience - you have to bend, get up, or twist unnaturally to do the adjustment. The Embody chair, on the other hand, encourages adjustments while you are in the seated position because the controls are few and easy to reach. This allows adjustments that correlate to the changing needs of our bodies throughout the day with immediate feedback because all of the controls are so well placed and simple to use. Flexibility and consistent support are inherently part of the design. No doubt that this chair is expensive, but with the generous 12 year warranty, this chair is about as good an investment you can make for your back and your general health if you spend significant time in a chair.

TLDR, this is a used so no warranty. You have to do some putting together, comes in a wide square box, came used that's for sure. Gas lift is wobbly and it costs $90 to replace, again no warranty with this chair buying from here. Not a good chair for someone short, and wearing 28 length pants, feet barely fully floor. Tends to make you lean back, so not a good work chair/competitive gaming chair. Lastly, not comfortable, too much ergonomics (doesn't feel ergonomic though, not for me), imagine trying to get work done and in discomfort, half of the discomfort is from the seat, so the discomfort is felt in the glutes. I'm around 5'4". My glutes are uncomfortable and the mid back is uncomfortable. The seat towards the end it has a lot of pressure so its not comfortable for glutes. It just lacks lower/mid back support, I sit as hips forward and upper back backwards it cannot be adjusted so the seat tilts forward which would probably help relive the discomfort in my glutes as well. My feet barely fully on the ground, so just to give idea 5'4", I wear 28 length pants. No tilt, so I'm sitting leaning backwards a lot, the seat edge curves up so uncomfortable on glutens, doesn't go down far enough either. Not a good chair for a short person, but there is hardly chairs for short people too, very frustrating. $1355, wobbly, still not a good chair for short person, some of the features are not present, forward tilt, the back piece does not go back down by itself either, it leans back with the seat. The back rest it only goes in from the very low back, it makes you lean back even more. Probably a gamer chair sitting leaning backwards, but I play video games too. If your playing competitively your not leaning back your comfortably forward. This chair doesn't have that. This is more an MMORPG chair than a competitive video game player chair. Or someone who does IT work and has to get done, seat forward comfortably, not leaning back. I'd list the pros, but the cons far outweigh the pros and I paid $1355 for this, there should be little to no cons. Chair is not comfortable so it doesn't matter what the pros are, its not comfortable for a short person. I need forward tilt on the seat. Leaning back the seat, the whole seat leans back, so the forward edge leans back too, meaning my feet are not fully/comfortably on the ground anymore.

PURE JOY? Words can't actually express it… …so why try. Just say that after a quick and painless assembly of the back onto the chair base, and within mere minutes of sitting in the chair, I knew why it was worth the price in terms of both quality and comfort. I instantly knew it would benefit so many others with a range of different shapes, sizes, and complaints about sitting (especially long periods.) 5 minutes of sitting in the chair and my neck felt different, better... 10 minutes that and my back -- the actual SPINE -- felt no other way than I can describe but "better" because there was no weight on it, no pressure I didn't even realize was there previously in other chairs, and yet it was fully supported. Moving in the chair is also a pleasure -- I can reach back behind me a bit for a tissue on a shelf and the chair curves with my back! in fact, just about any way I move my back at all, the chair moves with it like fluid, providing support and comfort, and without getting in the way! You can spend some time with all the various adjustments (all very simple to operate and understand, but there is an AMAZING amount of flexibility in the configuration for this thing..) So many adjustments! Even for my mom who prefers chairs that tilt forward -- there is an adjustment for that. Curved back or straight? Adjustment for that. Elbow height? Adjustment for that. Long thighs? Adjustment for that!! (yes, the seat fabric can take the good range of movement for this adjustment!) You'll also note quality construction in the frame and casters, and arm rests and how they are attached to the base, and in the tension (also adjustable in several places) in chair movement. Those who need to put weight on their chair arms to sit or get up can easily slide the arm rests down -- and actually USE them to support themselves getting in and out of the chair due to the quality materials/construction. Within 1-1.5 hours of sitting in the chair after making the many various appropriate adjustments and understanding them, I ordered 2 more of these chairs! I needed one for my lady (so she will spend more time in the office with me!) and one for my mom, who really needs this chair for her back, posture, and ultimate comfort. I imagine she will cart it back and forth between her computer desk, kitchen table, and living room replacing the couch/chairs!!! BUY IT!!! For me personally, I did have issues with my back and I found myself recently constantly adjusting my lower back and how I sit. I have a curved back and slouch, rarely sitting with my butt in the back of the chair (towards the rear of the seat, where it generally should be!) but usually in the middle (even to front at times, towards the forward edge of the seat!) I also have shoulder/neck issues from elbow height and it seems no matter what chair/desk I purchase there is never a chair that is comfortable at the same height it takes to get my large thighs under the edge of the desk, in order to get my hands close to a keyboard without slouching forward. All of these issues were wreaking havoc on me in multiple ways, and ultimately I lost productivity and creativity, working less and less. Also I was tired - ALWAYS falling asleep in my chair. Not great when as a small business owner and software developer, I spend sometimes 20 hours in it at a time, and typically spend some number of hours in it 7 days a week. Would I buy another? In a heartbeat! As mentioned, I already bought two more for the important ladies in my life. Next, I will be buying them as bonuses for my employees, it will definitely help their productivity and it is also a tax deductible expense in that regard! 12 year warranty? I can see that not being needed with this quality, but it's good to know. Now, as the title says, words can't express it - JOY! Easiest thing to say is that all the problems in the previous paragraph? FIXED! (and then some) I could write more - this chair will ensure it, but my time is expensive so I gotta move on. JUST BUY IT!

I’ve always wanted a good ergonomic chair for my home office but, since most of my time was spend in the office prior to COVID, I couldn’t really justify spending the money. When COVID shutdown the office and remote work meant spending 10 – 12 hours in my cheapy chair, it was time to look for the home office chair of my dreams. I really had three chairs in mind; the Herman Miller (HM) Aeron, the HM Embody and the Steelcase (SC) Gesture. Why did I settle on the HM Embody? • Seating Material – In the office, the AC is always cranked up so you don’t really get hot even when sitting for long periods of time, so breathability of the seat doesn’t seem to be as much of a problem. Normally, at home you don’t have the AC up as high so there is a higher chance that your butt and back of your thighs will get hot and sweaty. The Gesture is a more traditional office seat design with tight woven fabric on a foam cushion seating surface. You could image it getting hot. The Embody has what I would call an airframe. The seating material is a sort of open weave, porous fabric (Balance fabric) and stretched over a frame. This allows air to circulate freely through the seat. Aeron is similar but a mesh. In this area Embody was chosen because, if you are wearing shorts (no one sees below our chest on a vid call. . . right?) the mesh could be rougher on your skin and not be as comfortable. This turned out to be true. The Embody fabric was much softer to the touch, yet just as breathable as the Aeron mesh. Durability of the fabric is very good and after almost 2 years of daily use there is no signs of wear or color fading. • Ergonomic adjustments – All three chairs have similar seat adjustments with one exception. The Aero and Gesture have adjustable lumbar supports. The Embody doesn’t. It has a sort of lattice structure that has curvatures to cradle your back. You can adjust the angle of the backrest to come in closer to your back, thus giving more lumbar support (and upper back support) or away for less. How this would actually feel was a big question at time of purchase, but I can tell you that it works fine for me and provide the support I need. I also like how the backrest tapers towards the middle. This allows more freedom of movement of your arms and elbows. • Arms - The arms should be part of the ergonomics, but although the Embody has less adjustments here it still provides good ergonomic support. The arms on the Embody move up and down and narrower to wider. They don’t slide fore/aft or pivot in/away from you. The limited arm adjustments have not been a problem. I can comfortably use the armrests all day. If you want more arm adjustability, the Gesture offers more, but from my use of the chair in the office, some of it like the pivot function, just get in the way. • Seat structure – All three have solid, durable structures. I have not had any problems with the base, casters, or seat frame itself. I expect it to last a long time. Now, everybody’s body is shaped differently and that matters when choosing a chair. To my knowledge the Embody and Gesture only come in one size while the Aeron is available in three. I am assuming that the Embody is designed to fit people within a certain average height and weight range. If you fall outside of that, the comfort and fit won’t be as good. In that case, you might want to look at the Aeron which offers different height adjustment ranges, seat widths, etc. You might also be a borderline so consider this example, I’m on the shorter side and with the Embody at its lowest position, I am just barely at the correct knee position. It works for me, but I have no margin. However, if I have chosen the Aeron size A, I would have additional space to lower the seat, but would also have to consider the narrower seat body. To sum it up. The Herman Miller Embody was well worth the price paid. The seat is very comfortable, breathes well, offers great support and is built to last. I would recommend this chair to anyone who is looking for a premium quality ergo chair, but as you can see, there are others that are just as good and may even fit your better. I hope I have been able to give you a good comparison that can show you the difference between a few of them so you can determine what is most important to you. However, no review can ever replace in seat (no pun intended) experience. If at all possible, find place where you can actually try them out. This is my 100%, guaranteed, best recommendation!

Is the chair great? Yes. Is it worth over $2k? Probably not. All in all its a really nice chair but a bit disappointing at the price point. Only recommend for people who can comfortably afford it and even then the biggest selling point is the nice warranty that Herman Miller provides.

Honestly yes this chair is comfortable, not worth mrsp, possibly worth $500 or less. Any chair that you can sit comfortably in is going to be pretty much the same this image of Herman Miller reputation and design abilities is not evenly matched with price. Also this chair I bought from Logic Office Solutions is broken i dont remember them saying anything about it being broken, there are two bolts that do not screw in at the bottom and backside of the chair cushion, the inside of the socket area the threading won't screw in it is malfunctioning in an haphazardly way. I was able to match up the bolts per socket and the two long bolts that screw into the back of the chair at the bottom, technically all of the other bolts did fit into place so the chair technically performs well, except only one torque screw held in place until I sat in the chair it shot out, idk how they missed that in the description, also officelogix did not include the torque Allen key for the tourqe screws and with i busy schedule I bought the t40 and t25 from ace hardware for $5 per. I also watched reviews of the headrest for this chair and I wouldn't trust this company ever, plus Herman Miller is completely overrated. Any chair would do the job not worth $1200 I paid for a used chair that is definately broken and not worth half or $600 and definately not worth $1899 mrsp the embody chair goes up over $2000 for their embody gaming chair. TOTAL RIP OFF, be certain you get your next chair via Offer up or fb marketplace or habitat for humanity or goodwill, that would be smart. So the lesson here is do not be confused by Herman Miller office chairs honestly theres nothing that much better about it Not a good buy.

I purchased this chair with every intent to return it, because I was positive that you could find a better (or equally as comfortable chair) for less money after reading all of the reviews about it. After a lot of hands-on experience with a few chairs, I decided to keep the Embody. For three years, I've used a Herman Miller Aeron. It's very comfortable, but it's what I call a "task chair", and is better suited for the office and less so for gaming or reclining back and watching movies on your computer. When I decided it was time for something more plush and comfortable, I tried out a few chairs: 1. Steelcase Leap v2 2. Steelcase Gesture 3. Herman Miller Embody Here is the short version of the review: - Skip the Gesture all together. The more adjustable armwrests do not make up for the fact that the back and lumbar support is not as good as the other two chairs. In every test besides the armrests, I could not justify getting this chair over the Leap. If this chair were cheaper, I could recommend it over the Leap, but as it stands, you are getting a much better bang for your buck by getting a Leap, or making the jump to an Embody. - Get the Steelcase Leap if you are on a budget, but do not pay more than $500 for the chair. (Madison Seating has some great deals on them refurbished) Past that, you might as well make the jump up to the Embody. The Leap is a very comfortable chair, and probably the one I would recommend to most people who are just dipping their toes into ergonomics on a budget. The cushion on this chair is deceiving, however, because if you have them side by side and you do a quick sit test, you will probably think that the Leap is more comfortable than the Embody due to the more plush seat and back (in comparison to the Embody). When I got the Leap, I immediately thought I would have to send back the Embody when I first sat in it. However, after about an hour, I started to feel pressure and discomfort in my back that I did not feel while using the Embody. After several hours, I realized that I sorely missed my Embody and it's form-fitting structure. Also, be aware that the Leap is a much warmer chair than the Embody. I never get hot in my chairs, but I felt quite warm after sitting in it for a full day. When I sat back in the Embody, it was like a cooling relief. However, I still think the Leap v2 is an excellent chair for under $500, and should be your next step up from a crappy traditional office chair. - Get the Embody if you want the most comfortable chair for the money, and ESPECIALLY if you spend all day sitting. This chair was the hands-down winner if you sit for hours, specifically once you get the chair dialed in to fit your body perfectly and learn to adjust it correctly depending on how you are sitting. It takes a few days of adjustments and trial to finally get that sweet spot, but once you do, it's amazing. The Embody was also the heavier and sturdier chair of the three, and I expect this chair will last a really long time. Bonus, the seat will never go flat. It's a much cooler (temperature) sitting chair than the others, and actually stays cool while you sit in it. The fabric is very comfortable, and while you have to treat it like fabric, it is a much higher-quality material than what is on the Gesture, and especially the Leap (the leap was soft but I don't think the material will wear well). While the Leap felt more plush in terms of cushion, I found this to be deceptive since the Embody proved to be much more comfortable. Overall, I was very impressed by the build quality of the Embody, it was far superior to the other chairs.Even the casters were smoother on carpet. Yes, it's more expensive. But unless you are on a tight budget, this chair will serve you better in the long run than the other two chairs. ******************************************************* First off, you need to understand that chair comfort is a very subjective thing. At the end of the day, most of the reviews out there are literally comparing features and then telling you to go sit on them yourself, because what is comfortable to them might not be to you. Most of the reviews pointed me towards Steelcase, simply because of the adjustable arms. Let's just say that I'm glad I did my own research, because there are more important things than if you can swivel the armwrests backwards. *COMFORT* Hands down, the Embody was the most comfortable chair out of the three, especially when sitting for extended periods of time. You simply cannot sit in these chairs at a store for ten minutes and have that be a good judge of comfort. At first, I thought maybe the Steelcase Leap might be more comfortable than the Embody, but then an hour went by and my body told me that there was no contest, especially in the lower back area. However, the Leap is a very comfortable chair, and excellent for the price. Why is the Embody so comfortable? - The seat is kind of like a hammock, where you are being suspended by netting and supported by plastic coils (you can't feel them), as opposed to sitting on a solid foam object (like the other chairs). It's more complicated than that, but the idea is the same. Basically, your butt doesn't get as fatigued because you aren't flattening it against a solid block of foam. I see this kind of seat lasting for a really, really, long time when compared to a traditional foam seat. - The back is the most comfortable I've felt on a chair. It hugs and conforms to your back regardless of what position you are sitting in. You hardly even notice it, which is the best part. The back slider system on the Leap is a joke, and it's my major complaint with the chair. The Gesture was better, but I preferred the feeling of the Embody. Over time though, I found the Gesture to have less-than-ideal lumbar support, and found myself preferring the Leap over the Gesture for back support. The Embody has a knob that you can use to fill in your back, and after about a week of use I realized you should be adjusting the back for different sitting positions. When sitting straight up, I need to adjust the knob to fill in my upper back and provide some support there, rather than just pure lumbar support. When I recline back, I turn the knob the other way for more lumbar, and it's very comfortable. - Superior reclining ability. I found the recline adjustment on the Steelcase Leap to be really...annoying. The first THREE positions barely do anything, they're still sitting you straight up with just very slight steps in between. Then the last two are more reclined, but not as reclined as the Embody, or as comfortable. Also, I mention this somewhere else in the review, but the armrests do not move with the recline on the Leap, so when you are reclined back, you have to completely adjust the armrests for your new position. On the Embody, you really only ever have to set them once, since they move with the recline. - You can "float" in this chair. You can do it better in the Aeron, but due to the forward placement of the recline mechanism, you can find this wonderful half-reclining position where you feel like your body is being weightlessly suspended, or floating. The chair almost disappears, and your muscles relax. I can sit in this position for several hours, and get up without a single bit of pain or discomfort. It works best if you have a nice keyboard tray, and you can pull the tray into your lap and basically relax everything except your hands to type. - Adjustability, adjustability, adjustability! One of the BEST parts about this chair is how much you can adjust it, and you should be adjusting it often, based on how you are sitting. One of the mistakes I first made was thinking I could set it once and forget it forever, but that's not the case. I use a completely different set of adjustments when I am sitting straight up in the chair as opposed to when I am reclining back and watching a movie or playing a game. At first, I thought I needed MAXIMUM LUMBAR SUPPORT, but I quickly realized that I actually needed more upper back support! A few turns of the knob filled in my upper back, and I felt amazing after sitting all day. I have slightly hunched shoulders from years of bad sitting, and this chair actually forms perfectly to my upper back to support it. If some days I need a little more lumbar support, I just adjust the knob a bit. The Leap and Embody are both comfortable chairs. But for me, I find that the Embody has an edge due to being much more comfortable over long periods of time, and far superior build quality (it's also a lot more expensive). Also, YOU CAN SIT CROSS-LEGGED in the Embody, and it's very comfortable with the back supporting you in different strange positions. I do this a lot when I'm watching a movie or something, and it's awesome. Let me close this part by saying you NEED to spend a bit of time with the Embody to get used to it, and understand how the adjustments work to form to your body. It took me a week of sitting in the chair before I realized I needed to change the back support a bit when sitting straight up, rather than a "one setting fits all" kind of thing. If you buy this chair, spend a minimum of two weeks with it and mess around with it before making up your mind. *DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION* This is a very modern-looking chair compared to the Leap, which some people don't like. Personally, I find it very attractive from the back, but strange looking from the front, almost disproportional when you see how big the seat is compared to the back. The Gesture is much more normal-looking, and the Leap looks like a regular old office chair. I found the overall quality of the Embody to be superior to the other chairs. It just felt and looked so much more sturdy, despite the large amount of thick plastic on the back of the chair. Let's get one thing out of the way: the armrests. If you've read ANY reviews of this chair, people bash on the armrests as being so terrible and wobbly. Honestly, I PREFER the Embody armrests over the other two chairs, hands down. They aren't nearly as wobbly as people say, and actually the Leap had much worse wobble. Yes, the Gesture has much nicer and more adjustable armrests, but I don't find them as comfortable as the ones on the Embody. Once you get the width adjusted, they are rock solid and don't move an inch. Also, they curve down a bit on the outside edges, which is insanely comfortable and follows the natural curve of your forearm. It's hard to explain, but I love the way my arms rest on them. Also, the armwrests move back with you when you recline, rather than staying fixed like on the Leap. I found this to be incredibly annoying, because it meant I had to adjust my armwrests constantly, where on the Embody I didn't need to. The Embody also has very intuitively-placed controls. I looked at the manual once, and then I didn't have to look at it again. The knobs and levers just make sense to me for some reason. The Leap has awful controls, and they're confusing. The Gesture is better, but I prefer the Embody again in this department. It's not like they were impossible to figure out, I just didn't need to think about it. I knew where to put my hand exactly to adjust the recline, back support, etc. It's a small thing, but you can tell they had somebody sit in the chair and figured out where they kept instinctively putting their hands to make adjustments, and designed the controls around that. In terms of weight, the Embody is the heaviest chair of the three. The base really has some weight to it, and the chair feels like it's made of premium materials. The Leap felt much, much cheaper and lighter, and the Gesture is slightly less heavy. Still, I felt like the Leap was made of cheaper stuff and didn't feel as sturdy, even though the entire back on the Embody is plastic. Some people mentioned the Embody being noisy due to the moving parts on the back, but my Embody was the quietest chair of the three. I much prefer the seat adjustment of the Embody, once I got used to it. The Leap was really annoying to adjust the seat, since there isn't a dedicated object to hold onto, and I really loved being able to simply grab the two small handles to adjust the seat on a whim. When I recline back, I like the seat a little longer. I feel like I have a lot more control over the exact length when I'm using my hands as opposed to my hips to try to push it out to the right length. *STUFF I DON'T LIKE* Let's face it, I've said mostly great things about this chair. There are some things that I don't love, but these are mostly nitpicks. - I have a love-hate relationship with the seat slider. I love the idea, and I love how easy it is to slide forward (you're essentially unrolling the fabric and extending the frame to make the seat deeper). I adjust it a lot, because I like the seat longer when I'm reclining back, and shorter when I'm sitting straight up. Sometimes, it can be a bit finnicky to lock in place, and it has a less solid feel than I would like. Still, I like it better than the Leap or Gesture seats. - No headrest option. I was quite bugged that a chair at this price point wouldn't have a headrest, but I suspect it wouldn't work well with the flexible back. It doesn't make or break the chair, in my opinion, but it certainly would be nice. *FINAL THOUGHTS* One of the reasons the Embody is so comfortable is because you barely notice that it's there while you work, but you need to spend some time adjusting the chair to the perfect fit for your body. It has some of the best back support I've ever felt in a chair, and I really dig the looks. I love the seat, because I don't have to worry about it going flat after a few years of use. The armrests aren't as bad as everyone says, and I even preferred them over the competition. The chair reclines wonderfully, and is highly adjustable. I expected to send this chair back, but instead the other two went back. Steelcase makes great chairs, and you can compare based on price, but not pure comfort. I would absolutely recommend the Leap to somebody that is on a budget, and I probably would have been happy if I had only ordered the Leap. However, I once I got the Embody next to it, I couldn't return it, even knowing how much more expensive it was over the Leap. The extra money was worth it, in my opinion. Pair this chair with a footrest and an ergonomic keyboard tray, and you'll realize that your office is the most comfortable place in the house.

Like one of the other reviews has stated, I, too, really wanted to like this chair, and I would have much rather enjoyed using it, than have losing $300 to send this chair back to the company that I purchased it from--(I have to pay for shipping both ways, plus a 10% restocking fee). Furthermore, I now have to begin the process again, for looking for yet another office chair that does not actually cause me physical discomfort and pain to use. To begin this review, I want to state that I have never in my life experienced any sort of back injury, and in general, I never experience back pain. I am a healthy person in my 20's, my body frame is 6 feet tall and weighs 160 lbs, and I wear a size 38 suit jacket. I am a graduate student that spends each day sitting, doing reading and researching online, and I really need a proper ergonomic chair in which to do that each day. I also want to mention, that unlike some people who have probably purchased this chair without trying it out first at an actual Herman Miller retail store, I actually did make two different trips out of my way to a Herman Miller retailer to test this chair out for about an hour each time, before decided to purchase it. Having stated all of that, I will explain some of the reasons for which I rate this chair 2 stars out of 5 stars. The chair caused me discomfort and pain: 1. Ultimately, the single chief reason for which I am choosing to return this chair, is that I cannot sit in it for extended periods of time, without experiencing pain and/or flaring in my back. 2. Aside from that discomfort, the chief reason for which I simply cannot use this chair for extended periods of time, is that it is extremely hard to find a sitting position on this chair that is not actually uncomfortable; the way in which the lower and middle portions of this chair are designed confuses me, as those portions of the chair's letter "H" shaped components are unable to be adjusted, which is very significant, due to the fact that the lower and middle portions of the back of this chair can really cause a lot of discomfort. 3. Problems using the setting for this chair: What is probably the most greatly annoying part of using this chair, is the fact that it is so hard to find a single setting that works, and once one finds a setting that works, it changes and then changes again; and there are no memory settings, so each time one tries to revert back to a previous setting that actually worked, one has to go through trial and error steps that are time consuming and frustrating. 4. The back portion of the chair: The lower back portion of this chair is not adjustable, and it really does press into my back as though it were an elbow. Of course there are ways to adjust the back of the chair so that such an experience can be altered, but when I make such adjustments, the chair is not improved, and only remains equally, if not more uncomfortable in different ways. An example of how discernable the lack of comfort in this chair is, occurred when I had one of my family members, who has spent lots of time searching for a proper office chair for himself, sit in my Embody chair, and he noticed within seconds that the chair was not very comfortable. 5. Why didn't I discover these aspects of the chair when I tried it in the store?: You might be wondering, how is it that I did not discover such uncomfortable qualities to this chair when I tried it out in the store. That question leads me to my biggest piece of advice to anyone considering purchasing this chair: It is imperative that you try this chair out for very extended periods of time before deciding to make this your new chair--that is of course, unless you don't mind spending between $1200 and $1650 for a chair that might not be useable. As for myself, I am lucky enough to be able to return this item, but it is going to cost me $300 to do so. It takes time to really discover the potential that this chair has for discomfort, as well as comfort, so don't expect to really know what this chair is all about from a basic trial of it. 6. Amount of time that I used this chair: Since purchasing this chair I have sat in it for up to 10 and 12 hours a day, totaling well over 150 hours, and unfortunately I have concluded that I simply cannot be an owner of a Herman Miller Embody chair. 7. Some of the positive qualities of the chair: Having stated all of that, I will in fairness, explain in my estimation what some of the positive qualities of this chair are. 8. Craftsmanship: The chair is clearly crafted well and manufactured well, with good quality parts and fabric; the chair is weighs 65 pounds, and it feels solid. Furthermore, the casters that come standard with the chair, work very well--they roll well, and quietly. The arm pads of the chair work well, but I wish that they actually went a little higher than they do; I found my posture being adversely affected by having to rest my arms too low, and for a chair that seeks to be a "one size fits all ergonomic chair," I think it is an oversight to not make the arm pads go higher for people that are taller and have longer arms. Another positive quality about the chair is that it reclines extremely well; with this chair, one is able to really get a full recline, and remain in that position for as long as one feels comfortable, without feeling as though the chair is going to tip over, due to its very substantial weight. 9. Aesthetic: The chair has an exceptional aesthetic as well. Although, if you do decide to purchase this chair, I highly recommend the "Black on Black" color, and do not recommend purchasing the white colored chair. I was one of the many people who initially planned to buy one of the bright white chairs,because the do look really cool, but before I purchased my chair, I read another reviewer state that they regretted buying the white chair, as its brightness served to overwhelm the spaces in which they used it. I ultimately concurred with their recommendation and was glad that I decided to buy the black chair. The white chair looks great, but over time, it is way too much; too bright, too white, too colorful, etc. Before purchasing this chair I looked at every YouTube review video of the Embody chair that I could, to see what they were saying, and it really does seem as though the main reason that is given for purchasing this chair, is that it ostensibly has such a novel and beautiful aesthetic to it--which may be true, but in my estimation, it is not a good enough reason to spend between $1200 - $1650 on a chair that ultimately might have to be returned. When paying that kind of premium money, you're going to need a chair that you can use a lot. 10. Conclusion: I am disappointed that I will be sending this chair back to the company from whom I purchased it. This chair is not your ordinary office chair: it is unique in its objective to mimic the human spine, and it really should be experienced for very extended periods of time, before being purchased. This is a very heavy chair -- 65 pounds -- to be returning, and that combined with the cost of returning it, is why it is not in one's best interest to purchase this chair unless one plans to keep it. Even if you decide to return this chair within the 30 day time frame that is allowed, you will be charged for both ways of shipping, and in my case, a 10% restocking fee (totalling $300). Here is something interesting to keep in mind: At Herman Miller, the employees are allowed to use whatever Herman Miller chair they choose. Yet, on the several (three) different occasions that I called Herman Miller, I learned that there are plenty of employees that choose to use chairs other than the Embody chair, which are a lot more low end, as their own personal office chair. The main reason that I decided to purchase the Embody chair over the Aeron chair, is because of the fact that the Embody chair is supposed to have incorporated all of the research, development, and money that went into designing the Aeron chair, in addition to all kinds of new cutting edge research and development. I therefore concluded that the Embody chair would surely be at least as good, if not better than the Aeron chair. Well, when ones holds the aforesaid idea in mind, it is very curious that there are plenty of Herman Miller employees that choose not to use the Embody chair as their own personal office chair, given the fact that they are encouraged to use whatever Herman Miller chair they prefer the most. Furthermore, it is also interesting that there are not more positive reviews of the Embody chair than the paltry handful of reviews that have been on Amazon since the chair was created approximately five or more years ago. If the Embody chair is Herman Miller's new flagship chair, than why after all of these years of being produced, have there not been more positive reviews of the chair on Amazon? I do not doubt that this chair can be a phenomenal chair for some, if not many people. I can however, only offer my own perspective and experience with this chair. Just around each time that I thought I was finally getting to like this chair, I would then begin experiencing new forms of discomfort and/or pain from using it. Message to Herman and Miller: If any of the designers from the research and development teams from Herman Miller read this review, I want to give you some summarized recommendations: 1. Please try to fix the harshness of the lower lumbar portion of this chair, or at least design the chair so that the letter "H" portion of the lower lumbar area of the chair can be adjusted. 2. Please offer some sort of memory settings for the chair, so that it might be easier to go between settings without having to use trial and error, and lots of guess work for finding a comfortable chair setting. 3. Please consider making the arm pads go a little higher for taller people. 4. Please consider making this chair more comfortable to sit in--and by comfortable, I mean that it might be prudent to put more cushioning on this chair, which may not be as aesthetically pleasing as the current Embody chair model, but which could ultimately yield a much more inviting and rewarding sitting experience for Embody chair users. It really seems as though function in the Embody chair was compromised for the sake of the chair's novel, modern, futuristic aesthetic.