Herman Miller Embody

This past week, Herman Miller unveiled it’s latest office chair, called Embody. Though the Mirra and Celle chairs before it could also be considered successors to the famous Aeron chair, Embody is the first to come from the Aeron’s designer, the late Bill Stumpf.

sweet.

The chair, which is said to have been inspired by a comfortable pair of shoes, supports the body with multiple layers of suspension systems, while a mesh fabric cover allows air circulation. The really cool stuff, though, is in the back. Designed to mimic the shape of the human spine, the backrest maintains proper posture at all times, while an array of H-shaped supports eliminates pressure points. The narrow top of the backrest allows for a better range of motion than wide-backed chairs.

Chris C. Hill, senior project engineer. nice.

All this technology equates to a healthier chair, which anyone who has spent considerable time in an Aeron chair (or one of its many respectable competitors) will tell you is well worth the money. It also gives the chair a high-tech look that is sure to be more polarizing than the somewhat understated, by comparision, Aeron. By only showing Embody in bright colors like orange, lime green, and light blue, it seems Herman Miller is trying to encourage people to be a bit more adventurous in their office decor. There will be 13 fabrics and 3 finishes to choose from when it goes on sale in early 2009.

Of course, the chair befits Herman Miller’s commitment to sustainability by being 96% recyclable. Furthermore, it will be manufactured in green facilities in Michigan, China, and the UK to minimize shipping distances.

I, for one, can’t wait to take Embody for a test-sit as soon as it hits showrooms later this month. With a list-price of $1,595 and a perfectly good Mirra chair waiting for me at home, hopefully I won’t fall in love.

sources:
CNN Money
Luxist
Gizmodo
MLive
Apartment Therapy Chicago
SlashGear