The Classic Aeron, Remastered or Refurbished. What are the differences?

Differences Remastered Aeron and Classic Aeron

There are many reasons why manufacturer Herman Miller and co-designer John Chadwick thought it was time to re-examine the iconic Aeron and renew it where necessary.

That led in 2017 to the remastered version of the classic Aeron. Although this is marketing wise a clever move, it is mainly due to the fact that times are changing; There is more and more knowledge about ergonomics, some materials are becoming scarcer and with the help of technology we can now produce in different ways than half a century ago. Moreover, the needs of users have also changed.

We spend more time per day on a office chair, often only work with computers and other devices, and also crawl behind the computer in our spare time (for example, to play games).

The most notable changes:

  1. The tilt adjustment
  2. The upholstery
  3. The back support
  4. The armrest
  5. The tilt mechanism
  6. The base
  7. The color

1. Tilt adjustment: the lever becomes a rotary knob

Areon remastered vs classic tilt

The classic version has two levers with which you can adjust the tilt (inclination) of the chair; a lever for tilting forward and a lever for tilting the seat back. These two levers are replaced by a rotary knob that is easier and more intuitively operated. Also the chair can now be tilted a little further forward.

2. Upholstery: stiff where necessary, less stiff where possible

Upholstery: The Classic Aeron, remastered of refurbished

The upholstery of the Remastered Aeron has a finer structure, making the chair feel even more comfortable and ventilates even better.

But the biggest change in the covering is hardly visible. New production techniques have made it possible to give the mesh fabric in some places a little more, and in other places a little less rigidity, so that it gives less tension and therefore less pressure. This is the case in the areas of the shoulder blades in the backrest and of the seat bones in the seat. Other sections are more rigid to give more support, but also to prevent the chair from hanging (something that is often the case with cheaper office chairs). At Herman Miller, this new mesh material has been given the registered trade name 8Z Pellicle® because the backrest and seat are divided into eight different zones, which have three variations of stiffness. The mesh material of the Classic does not have these eight zones, but it does already have the registered trade name Pellicle®.

3. Back support: also under the lower back

Back support: The Classic Aeron, remastered vs refurbishe

The old version Aeron has an adjustable foam lumbar pad at the back that gives extra support to the lower back. In the remastered version, this pad has been replaced by a plastic back support that specifically supports the spine of the lower back (the lumbar spine). The PostureFit, the comprehensive back support option, has also been adjusted. The PostureFit has received two individual pads to give extra support to the lower back part; the sacrum. This new PostureFit option is called PostureFit SL (sacrum and lumbar).

4. Armrest: adjustable posture

Areon Remastered Armrest

The arm rest of the Aeron was already adjustable in two directions. Of course the support could and can be raised and lowered, but also moved inside and out. You need this to adjust the armrests to your posture. The third and new option is that the armrest of the remastered version is also adjustable forwards and backwards, so that the armrests can also be adjusted to your posture.

5. Tilt mechanism: smoother and more modern

Areon remastered vs classic Tilt mechanism: smoother and more modern

The tilting mechanism, the box under the seat, has become slimmer, giving the chair an even more modern look. Thanks to the newly designed mechanism, the chair now also tilts even more smoothly from front to back. The angle of the frame is also adjusted slightly (1.8 degrees) to the front, so that the chair also supports a straight posture.

6. Base: less heavy

Areon Remastered Base

The design of the base has been subtly adjusted. The biggest change is that the dark frame is no longer made of aluminum. This has made the chair lighter in weight.

7. Color: chic mineral, graphite and carbon

The Classic Aeron, remastered of refurbished: The Colors

The Remastered Aeron is available in three chic colors. The colors of the new Aeron have been adjusted slightly compared to the old version. The black is less dark and a new color gray – mineral (almost pearlescent) – has been introduced. The color of the black chair is called “graphite” and of the dark gray chair “carbon”.

The refurbished Aeron

Refurbished is a term that has often appeared in recent years, especially in the sale of used telephones. It means that a product has been cleaned and technically checked and that if necessary broken or malfunctioning parts have been replaced. A refurbished Aeron is therefore a used Aeron that has been cleaned and technically checked. For example, the gas spring or an arm rest may have been replaced. Of course we always refurbish all of our used design furniture.

But fair is fair; we rarely come across a broken gas spring or armrest. The Aeron office chair is of such good quality that cleaning is often sufficient.

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