Herman Miller Logitech G Embody

[Inle]

At $1,500, regardless of reputation the Herman Miller Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair is among the most expensive office chairs you can buy. We spent nearly a year in it, pushing its upper height and weight limits, to find out whether it truly lives up to the hype.

Show full review

 

[SN2716057]

Well, this or the Sharkoon?

Seriously though, I have a good chair for bulky semi-tall people.
About 2 years ago I went to a local supplier of office chairs and, after trying a couple, found one that suited me immediately. I did not experience any discomfort like you discribed at all.
Also the chair wasn't as expensive as this one, nor did it have the long warranty, I'm still happy with it. Although I do sometimes wish I went for one with a headrest.

 

[Space Lynx]

are the arm rests soft or hard? i can't tell from the pictures.

 

[_roman_]

Thanks for the review. I appreciate to see other things reviewed.

quality has it's price of course

I'm worried about my back when I see 25 kg / 55.11 lbs

I abandon those classic IT chairs and went with something cheap from IKEA. I'm surprised myself with that choice by now. Nothing can beat a 25€ IKEA IVAR chair regarding purchase price and durability.

4D marketing get on my nerves. Maybe time is the 4th dimension. Here we are talking about a 3d chair. they should named it 3d as it is.

--

Since I had to wait over a month for the chair to ship, I assumed I had plenty of time to explain to Rhenus that they must leave the chair in its box. What a mistake that was! After weeks of receiving no response to emails and messages sent via the official contact form, I tried resolving the issue by phone. That didn't work either—no one in Rhenus customer support speaks English.

That is the usual case. They will not listen regardless of the package carriers or the customer support. I ordered a lot from Germany to Austria.
Even if the text is in german they will not read it.
I returned several times at my own costs the full order because of bad or no proper customer support.

 

[Besensac]

are the arm rests soft or hard? i can't tell from the pictures.

the arm rests are soft but firm also
for some people they are too firm
I've been using mine for 3 years and they are fine for me
if not they can be replaced

 

[Space Lynx]

this is my chair, shipped and sold by amazon, $70, i love it... my back feels so much better ever since i got it.

 

[Besensac]

I abandon those classic IT chairs and went with something cheap from IKEA. I'm surprised myself with that choice by now. Nothing can beat a 25€ IKEA IVAR chair regarding purchase price and durability.

what a life hack advice
I should sell my Embody and get one of these Ivar chairs

Who needs this space ship looking Embody anyway?

 

[Solidstate89]

For my money I'd rather spend some more on the Humanscale Freedom chair. I've already got a Steelcase Leap so the Embody wouldn't be a huge upgrade.

 

[Frick]

About 2 years ago I went to a local supplier of office chairs and, after trying a couple, found one that suited me immediately. I did not experience any discomfort like you discribed at all.
Also the chair wasn't as expensive as this one, nor did it have the long warranty, I'm still happy with it. Although I do sometimes wish I went for one with a headrest.

I bought a used/refurbished Ikea Markus for €100 and it's great for tall (194) and heavy (140 probably at this point). I do use an extra pillow for the head though. Also as with everything else they've apparently gone down in quality in later years, which is a shame.

As for the chair reviewed, I ... don't understand that back. I would hate it so much.

 

[OolongGoat]

I have had my Embody for almost 3 years now. Best investment I ever made. Chair is top notch and zero issues. I did get some foam covers for the arm rests as I felt the stock ones were a bit firm as others have noted.

The adjustability and ergonomics are second to none. Literally can sit in it all day without any discomfort.

 

[dgianstefani]

I have had my Embody for almost 3 years now. Best investment I ever made. Chair is top notch and zero issues. I did get some foam covers for the arm rests as I felt the stock ones were a bit firm as others have noted.

The adjustability and ergonomics are second to none. Literally can sit in it all day without any discomfort.

I was debating between the two Aeron and Embody couple years ago. Ended up with Aeron remastered since I liked the look of the mesh. Plus the fact that a fully specced one with aftermarket leather arm rests was a solid £400 cheaper than the Embody helped. Though neither is a cheap chair by any means.

 

[pcminirace]

STYRSPEL ikea​

 

[Franzen4Real]

I was debating between the two Aeron and Embody couple years ago. Ended up with Aeron remastered since I liked the look of the mesh. Plus the fact that a fully specced one with aftermarket leather arm rests was a solid £400 cheaper than the Embody helped. Though neither is a cheap chair by any means.

After cycling through many cheaper alternatives (none of which provided much relief from hip pains beyond the first couple of hours of sitting), I was able to find a nice condition Aeron chair used for $650 with 5 years of warranty remaining. At the time, $650 sounded crazy to me for a chair... Several years later it is the only chair that has completely taken care of the hip/lower back pain after long sitting sessions. It is past the 12 year warranty at this point, and everything is still in really nice condition. If/when I have to replace it, I would absolutely drop the full new retail price without even blinking.

 

[duraz0rz]

After cycling through many cheaper alternatives (none of which provided much relief from hip pains beyond the first couple of hours of sitting), I was able to find a nice condition Aeron chair used for $650 with 5 years of warranty remaining. At the time, $650 sounded crazy to me for a chair... Several years later it is the only chair that has completely taken care of the hip/lower back pain after long sitting sessions. It is past the 12 year warranty at this point, and everything is still in really nice condition. If/when I have to replace it, I would absolutely drop the full new retail price without even blinking.

I recently swapped back to my Aeron after a year or so with the Steelcase Gesture mainly because I missed the forward tilt feature of the Aeron. The only thing I'm missing are chair arms because I thought they were overrated when I bought it ~9 years ago.

... I have chair arms coming in two weeks

 

[dgianstefani]

After cycling through many cheaper alternatives (none of which provided much relief from hip pains beyond the first couple of hours of sitting), I was able to find a nice condition Aeron chair used for $650 with 5 years of warranty remaining. At the time, $650 sounded crazy to me for a chair... Several years later it is the only chair that has completely taken care of the hip/lower back pain after long sitting sessions. It is past the 12 year warranty at this point, and everything is still in really nice condition. If/when I have to replace it, I would absolutely drop the full new retail price without even blinking.

Yeah, at 192 cm I'm right at the upper limit of Size B, would have ordered size C but would have had to wait weeks, whereas size B was in stock with the upgrades I wanted. I do recommend that you go a size up if you're on the borderline/crossover between the two sizes, as occasionally I get mild discomfort which I think wouldn't be the case if I had gotten the largest C size, slightly more appropriate for my height. But yeah, other than that, phenomenal chairs and worth every penny.

 

[Vayra86]

This type of chair (like my steelcase leap v2) can be had refurbed for just 600 ish. Will do the job admirably as they are virtually indestructible. Mine came with 5 year warranty, too.

 

[dgianstefani]

This type of chair (like my steelcase leap v2) can be had refurbed for just 600 ish. Will do the job admirably as they are virtually indestructible. Mine came with 5 year warranty, too.

The parts are individually replaceable too. For example on Aeron you can just buy the seat mesh insert, which is a good idea every five years or so anyway even if you've had since new.

 

[lilhasselhoffer]

So...if anyone here winds up in Pennsylvania, and has some free time, maybe setup a trip to East Greenville.

You're looking to book time at the on-site museum, attached to the production facility, for Knoll. I know this sounds weird, but you've got to see some of the absolutely bat crap crazy stuff that exists. We are talking chairs with two legs, that only break out near the bottom to balance.


I know this isn't the exact same model...but they have got quite a pipeline for replacement parts...and quite a few older people running their QC area. What you should know is that, for costing purposes, the arm and arm rests on a ton of those chairs used to come from China. The plastic square with the latch that activates the cylinder is composed of metal and plastic components...which are molded into a single piece to both strengthen and prevent any repairs. If the plastic breaks, you buy a new one. The backs, with the plastic mesh, are actually only two pieces. The hard plastic rim is shot with several inserts inside it molded around (or post-facto melted in). The mesh itself is an engineered resin that is shot, loaded into a stretcher, stretched past final size, and shipped. If the skins sit too long they actually spring back to their original size...which makes them a royal pain to actually get onto the hard backing. Yes, they actually tense up over time due to the engineered resin.

What matters most though is why those things cost so much. That $1500 is definitely not in the quality of the product...though they do not skimp too much there. Most of the cost is that long warranty...because if these seats ever break there's a huge investigation into why. When they give you a weight limit, and your butt it too heavy for it, they will usually kindly suggest that your warranty was one time and they will absolutely ship chairs from India back to the US to complete what may be weeks long investigations.


Surprise...one of the companies that does their components is in North Carolina...and it isn't the manufacturer or the assembler getting filthy rich off of a $1500 chair...so you do the math.


Side note...anyone remember the old McDonalds chairs? The ones that were advertised as being made out of recycled materials? Well, turns out they actually are. Paid for a certain amount of recycled PET to be used, which required glass reinforcement to make them nearly indestructible. Absolute pain in the backside to get made, but once done you could probably use one to face off against a lion and win...1920's circus style.

 

[chris.london]

I have been using an Embody for over 10 years. Still as good as on day one. Still the best chair I have ever used. It’s like sitting on a cloud.

 

[konga]

I had zero adjustment period for my Embody. It was immediately the most comfortable office chair I had ever used. And I know of very few people who had any pain adjusting to it. I know the Aeron has this reputation, but I'm surprised seeing it for an Embody review.

 

[DrSteveBrule]

I've had my regular Embody for about 4 years now. I only wish it had a headrest as I find myself slumping and resting my head on the top edge when I get tired. Yes, it was pricey but it also has a warranty that lasts until my kids graduate high school. I won't complaint about the price, it's just a great chair.

 

[Scircura]

Another 10-year Embody owner here. A few years ago I passed it to a family member since I have a cheaper, older chair that I prefer: a nondescript Herman Miller from a big-box store.

The worst part is the squeaking. Some of the "pixelated" joints creak when I move, and hell if I'm gonna grease every single one with some HM-approved lubricant. I also agree with Inle about the too-coarse armrest adjustments. The rest of the chair is nicely adjustable. The standard fabric isn't the most pleasant feeling, and the seat has some "hot spots", but the Logitech cushioned fabric might help with both. Also the chair is quite wide so it won't fit under many pedestal desks.

The chair never twisted or conformed as dramatically for me as it does in Inle's photos. I'm p50 height, p25 weight, and I don't recline much (honestly, I stand most of the time). I think I'm just too small to make optimal use of the Embody.

For me, a sit/stand desk is a better ergonomic investment than a premium office chair.

 

[boomheadshot8]

no head rest for 1500$ ?
=>big joke
You can have 2 chair with that price : full leather

 

[springs113]

I've had my embody g version for about 5 years old or so now and I love it. I think I'll get the headrest at some point but it's not a deal breaker. It's the best chair that I've bought and it's very durable.

 

[Cr4zy]

Coming up on almost 12 years with my Embody, still as good as it was, maybe the fabric is finally wearing out in a few spots but considering it's been used 8hrs a day on average over that time it's held up incredibly well. Maybe one of the best purchases I've ever made.