Why Is The Eames Lounge Chair SO Expensive? (part 2)
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- Опубліковано 22 бер 2022
- Herman Miller is, no doubt, an impressive furniture company but $8,000 for a lounge chair is pretty intense... Watch as we ask why these pieces are so costly and, more importantly, are they worth it?
Part 1: The Furniture Company That Changed The World
• The Furniture Company ...
Part 3: Why The Aeron Chair Is So Popular
• Why The Aeron Chair Is...
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For further reading, check out the sources for this video here:
docs.google.com/document/d/e/...
Script: Holly Maley
Editor: Reid Valaitis
Animator: Zachary Kastrukoff
Project Manager: Lurana McClure Rodríguez
Host: Levi Hildebrand
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I bought a Herman miller executive chair once for $60 and flipped for $2,600. I loved that chair though. Didn’t want to get rid of it but couldn’t justify having a chair nicer than my car at the time.
🤣 this got me!!
Who in their right mind sold it for 60$?
@@henrik1743 he didn't know what he had. he said it was gifted to him a while back and he was moving.
But which one do you spend more time sitting in?
Did the right thing, just sold a cassina sessan sofa for $8000 after buying it 2 years ago for $40 with the same thinking
At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, I was spending upwards of 8 hrs/day on my shitty office chair and every night I would complain about back pain. So, I decided to give the HM Aeron a shot given that they have a 30 day return period. I can confidently say, after 2 years of use, that the Herman Miller Aeron is the best chair I have ever sat in. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I have not experienced any more back pain from sitting at my desk, and that alone is worth the $1,600 I sent at the time. I have my eyes on the Eames Lounge chair. 👀
I've sat in a super old 8 yr old since my company is cheap, still felt brand new. My previous company bought a fleet of them, it felt nearly the same. You made a great investment.
That's amazing to hear! Our final episode is all about the Aeron chair and releases two weeks from now. 👍🏻
My scoliosis and osteoarthritis riddled spine is so jealous! It sounds like a damn dream. If only I had the money!
@@jaamesfn keep an eye on craigslist and FB marketplace. I've seen them for as low as $200 on there. Depends where you live though. If you live in the middle of nowhere they might be hard to find used.
When 2020 and WFH happened, I went from a crappy dining room chair to a used Aeron and it was totally worth it. Just have to make sure you get the right size for your height and build. They have a chart on Herman Miller site.
I'm so excited for your part 3 video! My previous job in corp. America, based out of Seattle, had a brand new office that was 100% designed and furnished by Herman Miller. We were all shocked when we found out if we damaged or broke any furniture, it would come out of our paycheck, and it was F****ING insane how expensive every single item was.
Out of _your_ paycheck?! That's cold. We talk more about the Aerons and their office-design philosophy in the next one, can't wait for you to see it! Thanks for joining us here 🙌🤘
Did you guys like the furniture or prefer cheaper ones?
I would imagine as desirable as those furniture are some of you would opt to use a cheaper when in case you accidentally break it and have to pay for it. I would probably just try it for a few days and ask for a cheap one.
They can't make you pay for things you break at work. Illegal.
If they can't afford to replace it, they can't afford to furnish it in the manner to begin with 🤦
My SO and I received the Eames Lounge chair from his mother as a house warming gift. It was super generous of her to do so--and we plan on passing it down as an heirloom. We love the chair so much! It isn't easy finding a chair that can fit two tall people (5'11 and 6'6 respectively) so comfortably. We also are lucky enough to live close enough to the DWR outlet store that always has crazy sales for their Aeron chairs.
Herman Miller is definitely not the only company, who makes impressive and timeless future... They still haven't bought the companies making the Danish furniture classics. And there are lots of classics to choose from.
For example Vitra 😂
@@Avarage.Joe-David And the Republic of Fritz Hansen, and Carl Hansen & Søn...
Go on?
Some competition still remains; I'm very fond of my Steelcase Leap office chair. Also: back in the heyday of the Eames chair, there were contemporary quality knock-offs, like those made by Plycraft. These provide a more affordable vintage way to buy into the style.
Very true, we've heard fantastic things about Steelcase. Might have to do some diggin' 👀 Thanks for being a part of the team!!
Bought a steelcase chair after hearing the hype and trying one out. Definitely not a very comfy chair. It does the job ok, but can be improved. For example u can’t adjust the angle of the seat itself, and the padding is horrendous. I’d say those are two of the biggest complaints, and now that I know this, they seem to be very important.
@@FutureProofTV you should look into Steelcase as well as Haworth they both seem to have a focus on environmental impact as well as comfy chairs.
I've tried both the steelcase leap and herman Miller aeron. I can sit in the leap for an indefinite amount of time without any discomfort while the aeron wasn't very comfortable to me.
Pretty sure my current leap I bought secondhand is over 10 years old and it still feels like new
Two other curiosities from a relatively unknown company - Steelcase once owned IDEO, the well-known industrial design firm. And a former Steelcase CEO, Jim Hackett, briefly served as Ford's CEO.
Unfortunately, that price is too high. I do think it is bad that they were allowed to buy Knoll. There are already too many monopolies as it is.
I have an original eames lounge from my grandparents. I’ve always loved the chair as a kid and when I returned from college it went with me to my first apartment. Still in excellent shape.
We inherited two of these chairs from my grandfather. Initially we thought about throwing them away, since they were a bit battered. Then I did some research on them and discovered that they are probably worth more than my car. Now we are gonna restore them for sure.
edit: we found a third one with a broken bottom.
Was your GF a millionaire? lol
@@jakeifraimov3430 For sure he was well-off, but most importantly he was a fanatic of good design. My mother used to always scold him about his spending habits.
@@altus3278 Hah, your Grandfather and Myself have that in common! I'm using a HM Logitech Embody and Odyssey G9 as we speak. :D
@@jakeifraimov3430 Good on you. In the end I ended up buying a new HM Aeron. If the product built to last, then paying a premium is completely acceptable to me.
You want to sell one? ;)
I discovered your channel about a week ago and have nearly watched all your videos! They are really interesting and good quality i hope your channel keeps growing. Keep up the great content!
Welcome to the team! Thanks so much, we really appreciate it 😁 So glad to hear you're enjoying what we're creating here, stay tuned 👀👍
the eames chair is my holy grail. like, i for real fantasize about having one in an empty room with just a side table with a record player and a pair of meze classic earphones and just listening to music for hours. just sitting on one in a showroom was a formative experience. it really is crazy how something as simple as a chair can be so iconic and genuinely lifechanging.
Herman Miller's acquisition of Knoll was a super smart move!! Both have very similar design aesthetics and a huge legacy catalogue. One thing that I really think Herman Miller is going to benefit from is Knoll's amazing textiles. Not necessarily affordable but they are some of the most unique furniture coverings on the market and applying some of that to Herman Miller's offerings is going to be a huge boon for everyone involved.
Great follow up to part one! Can’t wait for the next in the series. 🔥🔥🔥
Coming soon! We have another non-Herman episode and then the final chapter drops on April 6th!
Recently discovered your channel. Love that u always try to give both sides to a story
Thanks and welcome! We're doing our best!
This video made me look into the chair that my grandfather left behind and I claimed. It is a herman miller chair too. No ottoman but still in great condition.
Enjoying this mini-series very much! Thanks ❤️
So glad you're enjoying these, thanks for being a part of the team!!
i genuinely like you style of video making! i'm wondering why don't you have a million subscribers already
Thanks so much! We're always working on improving and growing the channel, so happy to hear you're enjoying our content 😁🤗
This is an ad.
I mean my grandma’s old dining room sideboard was really nice, but I couldn’t take it at the time (it was humongous, even where I’m living now I wouldn’t know where it would fit). She was moved into a nursing home as she was no longer able to care for herself… my dad and his siblings sold her house and divided up the proceeds to invest for her (future) great grandkids. She actually lived long enough to met one of them before passing away at 94 years old. If she was still somehow alive today (she’d be 110) she would have 10 great-grandchildren (from 5 grandchildren)!
I worked for Herman Miller dealership back in 2007 called office pavilion I was the service tech and I worked on a lot Eames lounge chairs. One of the best companies I ever worked for I miss that job
Another great video! Well done to the whole team! Can't wait for part three ☺️
Glad you enjoyed it! New one in the series drops April 6th!
You guys are smashing this channel, so happy you decided to create Future Proof. ☺️
I’m going to wait for the next weeks video on the Aeron but this is really making me consider buying one, especially since I just got a big raise!
Haha glad we could be of assistance! Definitely stay tuned for the next one, it's juicy 👀😜
You are literally their target demographic lol
It’s expensive because it’s a classic design, impeccably made, and once bought will last a lifetime, and can then be passed on to the next generation. I’d love the classic chair and ottoman - and if I had the room in my home to accommodate one, I’d save up and buy one!
Well said! We agree, thanks for taking the time to tune in here 💪😀
Yes, but most mid-century modern furniture, at the time of their inception, was meant to be affordable. They weren't meant to be high-end luxury items, and it's unfortunate that that is exactly what they've become. Of course, part of that can also be attributed to stagnating wages in the U.S. over the decades.
Future Proof is so awesome. I am still going to buy my furniture second hand and maintain it, but sustainable furniture makers is clearly important to look at and support!!
Ordered mine in oak/black MCL from DWR last November which was finally delivered two months ago. It's now my Netflix chair :-). Yeah, it was pricey, but I'm more than glad to help Herman Miller pay a decent wage to its American workers.
I work at the factory that makes the molded plywood & upholsterers/builds the lounge chairs and we definitely appreciate every single chair sold. Enjoy!
I've recently succumbed to buying into HM/Eames. Spending 99.9% of my time at home has made me rethink my decor. Before I figured why spend so much on a couch or chair I only sit on for an hour or less per day when I wasn't working from home. Now I want to actually be comfortable and enjoy looking at my surroundings. Luckily there's a ton of used stuff on the market. I picked up a Mirra 2 chair for $400 and an ebony Eames LCW chair for $500 (that one stung a bit lol) but it's gorgeous and super comfortable.
Before your last video I didn't even know Herman Miller made other furniture. I thought they were an office chair company.
Haha fair enough, many people in our team were kind of the same. Our last episode is all about the Aeron chair so stay tuned!
I have a vintage 1959 Eames lounge chair that was restored by Hume in Los Angeles. Its pretty crazy, I can probably sell it for double what I paid for it because they don't use the same Rosewood veneer anymore.
I grew up near the factory and we had tons of union jobs in the 50s so old herman miller is everywhere. It used to be at every yard sale 30 years ago, now not so much. Occasionally you still see it go low at auction and hear stories of people buying some at a sale. Not everyone sees it as something special because they grew up around so much but I always looked at it as art that I could see in trailer parks and museums
I admit I want one of those lounge chairs. Other commentators say there are quality knock-offs and I'd be curious to try them too.
Generally speaking, I am not one who likes splurging, but chairs are like shoes: the better the quality, the healthier you are. I'm conflicted.
Besides, those top of the range items are not easy to find, here in Italy, and shops that keep them are usually those with stuffy shop assistants that put you off the purchase just by the way they talk.
Knockoffs look like knockoffs. You can always tell, most of the time, it's because they never get the proportions right.
Its like a store of value. You could always sell it and not loose money on it..
Thanks for this feature about the Eames chair. My mother had one in the province and i have been thinking of getting it back from the person she sold it to for merely $40. Your vlog is so timely.
It's expensive because Herman Miller can keep it expensive and rich people will buy it. They probably could make it more affordable and accessible for more people, but they chose not. I think it's a shame. If more people could afford it could be amazing for the environment.
Most people in the world don't even have enough savings to buy one of their chairs. At those prices they better last at least 50 years.
I just stumbled upon your channel. You're set to blow up my guy. Keep it up 👍
Welcome aboard! Thanks so much dude 💪🙌
Back years ago my father told me that they made Eames lounge chairs from the finest Brazilian rosewood. But once it became clear that it was bad they changed to more common high quality woods.
getting my og earmes from the 60s from my grandfather as a kind of "pre-inheritance" soon. Loved to sit in it as a kid when i visited and now i can have this in my own flat. def gonna keep it in the family and pass it on eventually
My brain has been asking this question for about 4 years! Thank you!!
Watching this video while sitting in this chair. I agree with all you say. It's not only stunning but also incredible comfortable. Not to mention all the color and veneer options. Truly remarkable design and impeccable quality.
Way to go! I'm watching while sitting in my Gaming Embody.
I'm not sure what all steelcase has but I got a steelcase amia office chair for 20 where I used to work. Amazing chair. Haworth has good chairs too.
I have had the eames lounge chair on my mental 'vision board' for a long long time. I can't justify the real deal in terms of dollars, but I don't know how good any of the knockoffs truly are, even from reading many many reviews. I will just keep pushing it back until I can afford it, but it isn't getting any cheaper and I'm already middle-aged...
Cassina’s still a giant in MCM design. People tend to overlook them when they’ve brought us great pieces such as Le Corbusier’s collections.
This is a iconic Future Proof classic
Wow, there's a chair at my partner's grandparents' home. I always loved it and never knew why. It looks similar to the chair you're showing. I'm wondering if it's a Miller chair!
The answer is always "Have you ever sat in one of them?" (I did at the Vitra Museum, and it's still the best thing I ever sat on in my life)
They're like clouds, for real ☁☁ Thanks for tuning in!!
In the Vitra Museum you sat on the Vitra lounge chair not on the Herman miller one. They look really similar but the herman miller cushion is softer (the foam they use is illegale in Europe, because it’s not fire retardant)
For me, no office chair will ever beat the Aeron. As someone who suffers from chronic back pain it is the only chair I can constantly sit in for 8+ hours. I have the embody at home and I love it as well, but if I had to do it again I probably would've got another aeron.
Great video enjoyed watching it in my Herman Miller
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love my Eames chair, extremely cozy. I had it custom made to fit my decor. Well worth the price tag!
I still want that Eames chair tho
We simp for the Eames lounge chair...
what a good quality content my frined. Keep going.
Another company I think that adopts a similar philosophy might be Vitsoe with their iconic 606 shelving...
i like these dont stop
Haha we've got the Aeron video coming up, hang in there! 😁
Big fan of the iconic Eames Chair. The 1956 prototype recliner one that is. I had a bad knock-off. Will eventually get either a good knock-off or the real licensed Herman Miller one. Big fan of the show Frasier. And I just watched the 1964 movie Sunday in New York, starring Jane Fonda, Rod Taylor, Cliff Robertson, in which an Eames chair was featured in the New York apartment. As far as I know, that was the first movie to show that Eames chair.
I also have a Barcelona chair, a Corbusier chaise lounge, a Corbusier love seat, and a Wassily chair.
I have and Eames lounge chair and a Steelcase Gesture office chair. By far the Gesture is more ergonomic and I spend way more time in it ( and it is way better than any Herman Miller office chair). But I agree with your car analogy: the gesture is a modern car, better in every way, except you don't love it, you love your classic car, you love your Eames.
My compliments to the Steelcase Gesture for having the greatest arm rest adjustments of any chair anywhere ever. However, I went with a Herman Miller Gaming Embody for my office chair. I found the pixelated support system very compelling.
I think a old chaise lounge would be amazing peace of furniture I'm on the hunt for one .. but l like the look of Mid Century mix with Eclectic like gammon old stuff is stylish .... l love your second channel the information l get and the things you talk about are helpful.
Chaise lounges are beautiful and timeless! That's great to hear that you're enjoying what we're putting out on this channel, thanks for joining us here 😀👍
Just bought a Herman Miller Embody Chair :D
While looking at the showroom, there's another brand from Norway that sells a lounge chair for 4m jpy, 40k USD! I forgot the brand but I remember it's made in Norway
This is all fine and dandy, except their products are out of reach for most people
A HM chair might cost $1000 but it will last for literally decades. While those $200-300 'gaming chairs' are so poorly made and are just uncomfortable af, you'll burn through 10 of them before you might think of replacing a HM or really any high end office chair
While everyone wants the HM chairs, you can find equivalently well made chairs from Steelcase, Humanscale, etc and if you look you can find them for cheaper because the resale market for these brands is much lower than HM chairs. My wife got a Steelcase Leap chair for $25 on clearance. I got a Humanscale Freedom chair for like $100. If you want a good chair, definitely look around for other brands. They are equally as high quality and durable as HM chairs.
I want to mention that Herman Miller still isn't even the largest office/work furniture manufacturer in the state of Michigan let alone the world. Steelcase out of nearby Grand Rapids still holds the larger market share from what I understand. Another big company in the market (probably 4th largest) is Hayworth, which is headquartered in Holland, MI. Herman Miller still has plenty of competition. That said, as someone who has worked in manufacturing for both Steelcase and Herman Miller, I can say that while both put serious effort into sustainability, Herman Miller is definitely a step ahead in walking the walk. Further, Steelcase designs don't really hold up to Herman Miller ones. For example, having gotten to sit in both the Steelcase Gesture and Herman Miller Embody chairs (the two newest top-end ergonomic office chairs from each company), I can say the Embody was more comfortable despite having far less levers and dials to adjust with. It was like floating on a cloud. Honestly, I can't imagine a better chair. Even so, in my experience, the corporate ideals of both of these companies don't always manifest as intended on the manufacturing floor.
"if you see one of these buy it" $12k +$2k shipping on EBay.
Those chairs look really cool but I think I'll take the new car or motorcycle haha
Will definitely last longer than either. But it’s your choice
Both are depreciating assets that won’t even last as long, albeit might be more fun to use lol
Will you do a video about Restoration Hardware?
I absolutely adore that your voice reminds me of Owen Wilson. Also thank you for the great content I love this
I have wanted an Eames since I was a kid and saw one on Frasier.
It's Charles and Ray Eames, not just Charles Eames. Ray's contribution to their body of work is enormous so you should make proper acknowledgement when you mentioned the Eames.
Just because Ikea's furniture is affordable does not mean they cannot last for a long time and have a long lasting design validity. I have Ikea pieces from the 90's and they are still as great as new. Attributing Ikea with a negative connotation is misinformed.
Great vid
I can't afford a ELC but I do have 2 Hans Wegners shell chairs instead. I do have the Logitech Embody and the Gaming Sayl and they are excellent chairs. I love my chairs that I've had for about 2yrs sitting in for 8+hrs per day 7 days a week and my tailbone is so comfy at all times now because I work from home full-time with my wife who uses the Gaming Sayl. Both chairs can't be beat but I would like to get a Mirra 2 and the RM Aeron.
Watching this video I'm seated in my second hand 21 yo Aeron and it's still an amazing chair.
I own a lot of vintage furniture, a lot MCM and some Herman Miller and I never liked the Eames or the Aeron and many of my friends own them. My next piece will be a Le Corbusier LC4. For office chairs I prefer Steelcase and Haworth.
Lunar Lounge Design of Winnipeg, Manitoba is a custom mid century modern furniture designer and all products handmade. Excellent stuff!
We have a black HM lounge chair (Eames) with rosewood. Love its “coolness “ 🌷💞🌷
lol great video!! my spouse gifted me a easmes lounge chair 2 weeks ago for my 40th birthday ive been wanting one for a decade 😅 and yes i live that chair
I'm lovin the Herman Miller Setu I recently got used for $100 👌😌
I've had my Aeron chair for 18 years. Still in great shape. Still very comfortable. One of the best investments I've ever made.
Arguably, 50% is the name. Earned and deserved, but only 50% is the actual product.
My husband has always wanted one of these. Very his style. Your yellow couch, that's my style. Lol
The styles can mesh! The yellow couch is iconic though 😂 Thanks for being here!
Okay I’ll buy the chair of Hermann miller since it looks like I’ll use it for a lifetime and I might as well buy a couple for my family
Always look second hand as well, but Herman Miller's definitely one of the better options if buying new! Thanks for taking the time to tune in ✌
1:44 I just watched a John Oliver bit covering Air Bud, wonder if he got that idea from this lol.
that part where he roasts grandma's floral couch with its BEAUTIFUL swan carvings 😔
My grammie had a white leather one in her den. It's where we sat and watched TV. It was HER chair and it was glorious.
Statement of an owner of the Lounge chair: no chair for reading, but rather for sitting in it for a long time, contemplating.....
And: be careful with you elbows, the wood right behind them can hurt them awfully when leaving the chair witout precaution!
Design: is timeless, like, for instance, a lot of Items by Dieter Rams.
We'll keep that in mind! Thanks for tuning in 🤗
I got a cousin in the art world. His rule of thumb between the different jobs he got "if you call it 'art' you get to add a zero to the price :)"
Hey, that's pretty accurate in a lot of cases! Thanks for joining us here 🙌
Is it just me or their logo does remind you of a swimsuit top? 😂
Thank you for another awesome discovery story. Love your channel as of 2 days ago when I found it 🦄🙈
This is the guy in the classes you're failing that loves to write reports and term papers...
I just ordered a replica for 1K, very excited to get it. Love the design but no way I can spend 8k on the original one
Herman Miller produces some awesome stuff. My butt has been sitting in an Aeron chair at work for almost 30 years. I have an Eames Lounge chair too that I almost love looking at more than sitting in. Being 6-5, it is not the best chair for me and it is a bitch to get out of. And I have the tall version. But I love looking at it.
I live in Canada. We have a designer who upholds the same contemporary here. Russell Spanner
HM has a bunch of products that while pretty damn good in the category, carry a way exaggerated price tag for what you get.
You can argue for quality all you want, but god damn if they aren't 30-200% above what their sales price should be.
I really want to save for it now.
saw the pic of that aeron chair. huh. looked at my office chair. huh. looked closely at the label on the back... i guess I'm.... sitting on a darn experience chair
what about Steelcase? I though theyre a competition too
Are you from Victoria?! That Philips sticker looks way too familiar
Yes! Levi is based in Victoria but we have a team that is scattered all across Canada. 👍🏻
I used the chair in a few of my paintings on my site
Interesting video, not much said about the chair itself though
I can understand that cost around $2500 but $7K is ridiculous
“A bit more” is doing a lot of work in this video….
I want this chair so badly .. but I can not justify the price.. maybe someday
link to part 1 please?
Here ya go! ua-cam.com/video/FSKWt3gAt4g/v-deo.html
Thanks for joining us here 👏😀
Knoll wasn't Herman Miller's biggest competitor, Steelcase (and to a lesser extent Haworth) was. Now MillerKnoll is the largest office furniture company. All these companies are based near Grand Rapids, MI, which is known as furniture city! I know people who have worked at the three local companies and I wouldn't say that Herman Miller is a monopoly even after the acquisition of Knoll.
Now i definitely need one. Better if I didn’t watch this video…
Now we're all in the same boat 😂😭
They are not the only furniture company which produce high end stuff, you have a lots of German and Italian furniture companies that make quality handmade products e.g. bed, chair, coach etc.
might as well mention them if you think they're worthy of it.
I was told some years ago that where the headrest connects to the back shell is a common point of failure on the Eames Lounge Chair. I don't know if HM has updated the design to remove the flaw yet.
I would also be interested in the European equivalent Vitra… Much of Eames‘ furniture is licensed to be produces and. sold by Vitra on the European market.
Vitra IS producing products designed by Girard, Eames etc. in Europe and Middle East. They used to be business partners with HM until 1984.
.. and HM were manufacturing (assembling) in the UK through to at least 2000s. And yes... I can confirm very very good stuff.