09/15/2026
Bill Stumpf called them “postural whims” – the slouching, the reclining, the leg over the armrest, the crossed legs that shift every so often. As an industrial designer, he wanted to understand what sitting does to the human body, and even in grad school he was already consulting specialists in orthopedic and vascular medicine.
By the time he and Don Chadwick designed the Aeron Chair in 1994, the two had gathered decades of research – data analysis, sitting machine tests, computer modeling, and materials research – and made several models that each solved a problem the last one had left open. Aeron was where it all landed.
Proprietary Pellicle suspension replaces foam entirely, distributing weight evenly across a surface that breathes. Three sizes allow for calibrated comfort so the chair fits the person, not the other way around. A reengineered aluminum base has made it 1.85 pounds lighter – reducing its carbon footprint – and the frame of Aeron in Onyx is now built from ocean-bound plastics to make it more sustainable than ever. In two new saturated tones, Aeron still holds up to the way we actually sit.
Discover the iconic Aeron Chair from Herman Miller: https://bit.ly/4huysRf
