Mirra 2 | Hacker News Reader

Mirra 2

hermanmiller.com

106 pointslukashed66 comments

This is a good redesign.

I've had a Mirra for maybe 5 years now, best chair in the house. The only issues I had were the prongs which provide the back skeletal strength broke through the mesh. As the meshing is plastic this meant a sharp pain in one's shoulder blade. The warranty covered the fix and paid for fedex to came to my house with a giant box and ship it for repair. I cannot imagine what it must have cost to ship a full sized chair! Even still I was out a nice chair for a couple weeks. Those few weeks reminded me how much nicer the Mirra was compared to my old staples chair.

This redesign appears to address said structural weakness by spreading the point of contact. It also widens the usage space for positioning your back. In my Mirra 1.0 your body must be dead center else your back will be sitting over a pointy prong. It looks like this 2.0 will have a backing which folds into your back, hugging it so to say.

It also appears they have slimmed the box below the seat. In general the plastic casings are slimmer and less bulky. Also of note it appears the adjustable lip where your knee joints occur has been given a longer radius of rotation. Or atleast it looks longer to compared to my Mirra.

Can anyone recommend a good chair for long term sitting which costs under $300 usd? I would like to find something mesh-like; it stays cleaner and breathes nicer than foam cushiony things.

For a while I tried a medicine ball, but noticed towards the end of the day I would be in bad posture. I also found it hard to have it inflated at the right level and be at the right height.

The only thing I could find, which seems to have a cult following, is the "Euro Style" bungee chairs. Something like

http://www.gotoeurostyle.com/prod_detail.asp?product_id=835

They have a bunch, but I only got a chance to try two. The flat bungee is definitely comfortable, regular bungee had too much pressure on my skin.

Anyone else have recommendations for budget mesh all-day office chairs?

Look out for second-hand chairs. I managed to get a Steelcase Leap for around $120 second-hand, in really good condition. It's been holding me up pretty well for about 3 years now.

I also got a like-new Leap for under $200 from a used office supply store I found on Craigslist around four years ago. They usually sold larger quantities to businesses, but I came with cash and they were fine with that. They couldn't provide change, though, so I just rounded up to the nearest $20, which was still a steal.

Herman Miller's Setu isn't quite down to the sub-$300 price point, but it is still quite a bit less expensive than a lot of office chairs. I've heard good things about it from a few friends who have them.

http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/multi-use-guest...

I got my aeron for $400 on craigslist in the bay area. If you're not in the bay area, maybe have somebody in the area buy one for you and ship it?

>High-tech ergonomic chair

>Macbook Pro on a flat desk - no mouse, no external keyboard, no keyboard tray, no eye-level monitor.

Just to toss it out there, because I also drool over awesome chairs (and lament their price tag):

I recently picked up a standing desk (geekdesk). I still love my Steelcase, but the standing desk is a bigger improvement on the work day. This isn't even a close fight. I would not hesitate to drop the cash on a standing desk and buy a cheapo chair if that's what the budget dictated.

YMMV, of course. At least try the Ikea standing desk hack (http://iamnotaprogrammer.com/Ikea-Standing-desk-for-22-dolla...) before you jump.

I've always wanted a Herman Miller chair, but unfortunately I've never been able to afford one. Some day...

Have you looked at used ones?

Talk to your your local dealer before writing the idea off completely. They periodically have small business and home office pricing available. You have limited options on color/fabric, but the discounts are significant, especially on the Embody. When you factor in the warranty and long-term availability of replacement parts, the TCO of an Embody may be much lower than you think.

I'm still sitting on a former Enron-owned HM Aeron I got off of Ebay for less than $200.

The mesh seat is great for farts, but ergonomically it is crap, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The edge of the chair where the mesh attaches puts pressure on a vein or an artery and makes my legs falls asleep. I've read reports that the design was more about form over function too.

Consequently, I'm thinking about picking up a Humanscale which I've been told was designed for ergonomics first and appearances second. I'd be interested in hearing any opinions comments from people who've sat in one for over a year.

We had the Humanscale Freedom at the office, and they were kind of crappy. Not much back support (at least for me, 6'2), and they break all the time...

What part of them broke? Where they the metal framed or plastic framed versions?

> The edge of the chair where the mesh attaches puts pressure on a vein or an artery and makes my legs falls asleep.

Neither an vein, nor an artery: a nerve. The sciatic nerve, to be exact, or either/both of its main branches.

I had one of those at work. Very nice looking.

But... the best chair for my back ever has been a 20€ plastic garden chair bought at Carrefour.

I guess I'm fortunate not to have expensive ass tastes.

When was the last time that you found a car seat to be uncomfortable?

Summer 1976, when they were vinyl covered?

I just wish Johnson Controls would make seats for the office:

http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/content/us/en/products/automo...

They don't quite have a monopoly when it comes to car seats but it is close. They supply almost everyone, not that you would know unless you were really into the auto trade. Just imagine how good their office line would be if they ever decided to go into that market. The prices would be good too, plus there would be an extensive amount of dealers able to order spare parts.

I guess no chair can help me solve my problem, which is I slump. No matter what chair I sit in, I slump. I've reached the point now where my back is giving me problems, and I only realise I'm slumping in the chair when it begins to hurt.

I slump as well. I'm 21 years old and I spend most of my time sitting in front of a computer either slumped or with my feet up on the seat and my head resting on my kneecap or similarly poor posture. I'm curious what other people use chair-wise and if there's a fan favorite.

Try sitting on an exercise ball. Worth trying. Works for me.

You can also elevate your feet, which will (naturally) force you to sit more upright. In the past, I've used some books (wrapped in an old plastic garbage bag to keep them safe from mopping). But now, I'm used to it, and it's enough for me to just put my feet on the chair's wheels.

Try using a footrest, perhaps a rocking one so that your feet get to move a bit while working. It should help you maintain a better posture.

You should also try to get out of your chair and move about for a few minutes as often as possible throughout your day. Among other things, the slouching/hunching/shifting in your chair is often an attempt to alleviate the pressures placed on your spine while sitting. Forcing myself to get up with a timer made a huge difference with my back pain. Before, I was at my chiropractor's office at least once a week.

Sounds like the discs in your back are under a lot of pressure. Change your posture immediately to try and avoid a chronic condition. If you're using a laptop, then you might need to raise the screen and have a separate keyboard. Try an exercise ball, it's harder to slump in (for me anyway).

I'm always slumping and I am 40. Pretty tall, too. Surprised that I don't have a lot of back pain - sometimes I wonder if the slumping has saved me...

I'm not a doctor, but wouldn't slumping be an indication that your back muscles have atrophied too much from sitting down all day? No chair / back rest is good enough to prevent that from happening, and no chair will be comfortable enough if the problem is a weak back. In fact, the more comfy and supportive the chair, the more your back will weaken.

Go to a gym, spend less time sitting down, get a standing desk, that kinda thing.

If you're starting to get back pain, you might need to exercise more. Consider a walking or biking routine, and some back exercises[1].

Also, set an alarm to get up from your desk once an hour. Just taking a trip to the bathroom or the water cooler will help keep you active enough.

[1] I do this routine a couple times a month: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/LB00001_D

(Building some lower-back strength with deadlifts would be the next step, but might be more than you need just to avoid pain.)

If you always slump in a chair, I can think of two things you could do to help mitigate the risks:

(1) Exercise more. Many people have reported feeling a lot better once they just started exercising and strengthening up their muscles (back muscles in particular).

(2) Get a height-adjustable desk and spend part of the day standing.

I watched my dad suffer through severe back pain when I was younger. He had to have surgery twice. His was caused by football most likely, but still, what I can tell you is you don't want to let this grow into a legitimate back problem. I've witnessed the impact it can have. It's not something to be trifled with.

I've heard that the Capsico chair is a hit among lab workers who basically slump or hunch over counters all day. The chair is designed to let you sit forward or backward giving you support in the front or back.

http://www.haginc.com/products/hag-capisco/

I work in an office with a bunch of broken Mirras that have all failed by the plastic shearing off near the shoulder mount point. I wonder if they fixed that bug in the refresh - Might even consider picking one up for home. That said, I still find HM's cloth lined chairs (Aerons and Embody) more comfy than the half poly ones.

Looks like a less expensive version of the Embody, which is a good thing. I've got an Embody at home and at work and won't sit in anything else.

I think this will be a good replacement for all those Areons out there. Attractive, cheaper, and likely better quality. It seems like a winner for them.

I sit on the Embody too, man is it a choice ride. Wife has a Mira and loves it. I had an Aeron for a dozen years prior, and they are OK, but the Mirra is more comfortable. The new one looks fantastic.

I love my Embody. For the past year and a half or so, the chair has single-handedly made my work more enjoyable. A good chair is more important than perhaps anything else. You don't know what you're missing until you've found the one that fits you best.

I love my Embody chair, but i have to say my Filco mechanical keyboard made an even bigger difference. Perhaps it's just that many offices have halfway decent chairs, but few standard computer setups come with good keyboards these days.

Agreed, A good keyboard makes all the difference; clack on brother.

I just bought the Mirra 1 two weeks ago to replace an aging office chair that I'd picked up without much thinking in a furniture store for ~200 Eur. Recently I felt that my back was not feeling that good anymore after longer coding sessions and started looking for an alternative. Being a single indie dev, I didn't want to spend around 1000 Eur for an Aeron but then I stumbled upon a used Mirra in good condition (around 300 Eur) and picket it up. It is an absolutely great chair, way better than my old one. I'm really impressed with the quality of this chair.

We had a few Herman Miller chairs in our office and are now switching exclusively to them for our new digs. The reason is that despite having bought our current chairs on eBay, HM upheld their 12 year warranty and fixed any and all issues that we encountered over the past few years. That level of service has made me a convert for life!

Did you guys have receipts for them when you got them used. I picked up some on auction and they need a couple small replacement parts.

FWIW, I have the original Mirra and don't like it all that much. The seat is too stiff, and ends up cutting off blood supply in my legs (yes, I know about edge adjustment, no it doesn't help). I'm scheming for s Steelcase Leap now, but only time will tell if it's better for me, of course.

I purchased a Mirra 5 years ago and it is quite comfortable. Sturdy and never had a single problem with it, not even a loose bolt.

The Mirra has recently been commandeered by my SO, so I bought a used Aeron for $200 to replace it. Not nearly as good for my frame. Ill probably replace the Aeron with a Mirra 2.

Anybody know the pricing yet?

> The Mirra has recently been commandeered by my SO, so I bought a used Aeron for $200 to replace it. Not nearly as good for my frame. Ill probably replace the Aeron with a Mirra 2.

Miller isn't the only one making nice chairs, have you considered e.g. Humanscale's stuff? (spoiler alert: I've used a Liberty for the last 6 or 7 years and have been very happy with it, my only kind-of complaint being the gel seating which is comfortable but gets too warm/humid in hot summer, but their most recent chairs have mesh seating as well as back)

> spoiler alert

You ruined the whole... story you were already telling!

Wen't to test out the HM chairs. I've used both a Mira and have an Aeron chair now, however after trying the Sayl and the Embody I have to say both are significantly better chairs. The Embody being a bit expensive for my taste I'd take the Sayl over the Mira or Aeron after trying them out.

I haven't used a Herman Miller chair, so I don't claim to understand why they are popular, but from a purely aesthetic view of the world, that is a very nice looking chair.

Can someone enlighten me as to what the big deal is about Herman Miller chairs?

Not totally sure either, but my best guess is they're aesthetically pleasing and supposedly ergonomically great, which is I guess appreciated amongst the crowd that spends all day sitting in front of them.

They seem to have a fair amount of research to back up their ergonomics (see this blog post regarding Aeron chair design: http://www.hermanmiller.com/research/solution-essays/the-ben...)

when the aeron first came out it was panned as being ugly fwiw.

yeah... my first thought was 'orange? really?' It just seems like they are going to look very dated in a few years. I mean, I kindof like the look of the aeron, but part of that, I'm sure, is that I came of age during the dot-com, when they were super cool. I'm still kinda disappointed in myself for not getting one at a dot-com closeout. That would have been... appropriate.

I have a few '70s steelcase chairs... they are not bad chairs, they are still in pretty good shape and work okay, but the avocado green is... avocado green.

I think the color choices selected and used for their website is more to highlight the chair design and not actually a color people would choose themselves.

We just outfitted a conference room in my office and they selected a color that I've dubbed "poopacado."

I ordered my Mirra chairs with bright red upholstery. No regrets yet.

They are comfortable and extremely high quality. Not to mention the aesthetics. Cheap chairs break, and even worse they break "slowly" with weird tilts and whatnot that creep in slowly.

My first Aeron lasted 12 years of my use. The hydraulics finally died, but my son uses it now ^^

One of the best things about the Aeron chairs is that nearly every part is replaceable, so there's nothing to stop you replacing the hydraulics and reviving the chair.

Nice, ordered the gas cylinder replacement part. Looks super easy.

Thanks!

Thanks again. Got the part yesterday and installed it with ease. This chair has another 12 years in it for sure :)

herman miller: chairs that are ugly as all hell, but comfy as a cloud in heaven. Hard to tell from looking at them but you never want to leave them once you sit in one.

A lot of the ugliness comes from their "bold" color choices, the all black Embody looks quite good: http://systemsofficefurniture.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07...

I have an Aeron and it's over hyped. Simply put - not worth the money. I would not buy it again.. This new Mirra looks pretty good though, i wonder how much it will cost.

considering the Mirra costs £500-£600 I would expect it to be at least £800

It looks a bit like the Steelcase Leap. I spend more time in my chair than in my bed. The Leap chair cost more than my bed.

That is my dream chair... Unfortunately, they cost north of $1000 here in Australia.

< $3/day to be comfortable while hacking code?

Much less if you consider the life of the chair will be many years :) Also, the cost of Physio in Australia.... Well worth the price tag in my opinion.

Spending money on a good chair is totally worth it. I picked up an Aeron back in 2006 and it is still going strong today. I think I paid around $700 for it, so that breaks down to $100 a year. I know up front costs like that are hard to do all at once but if you can buy quality items such as a good chair and desk and keep them for a long time it totally pays off. I did this with my desk too. The Fit System from Anthro is bad ass, aside from having to move it.

http://www.sit4life.com/products/Herman-miller/Aeronreg-chai...

http://www.anthro.com/getdoc/406c4518-c3e1-4447-8e77-bfd5944...

Seconded. When I started my business I was sitting on a pretty ordinary Staples cheap-o office chair. Within a year I felt like I was eighty years old -- my back was killing me, especially when standing up or sitting down. It felt like how it must feel to be Grandpa Simpson.

I eventually bit the bullet and bought a better chair (a Steelcase Leap -- see http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-office-chair-is-the-st...) for around $850. Man, it hurt to spend that much money on a freaking chair. It felt like ridiculous extravagance. But it wasn't long before my back pains were completely gone.

If you make programming your profession, you're going to be spending most of your life in two pieces of furniture: your bed and your desk chair. There's lots of places where it's OK to cheap out, but don't cheap out on those.

Mirra 1: $895 incl. GST http://livingedge.com.au/shop/216-mirra-chair.html

and Living Edge has specials on from time-to-time.

I personally love the Embody… waiting the 14 week delivery time was not so fun though.

They run north of $2000 in Switzerland. I was ready to spend $1000 to replace the awful chairs the university provides.

Knoll's ReGeneration is the yin to the Mirra 2's yang.

The colors just remind me of new iPhones...

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