{"id":87138,"date":"2022-08-22T21:57:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-22T21:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arielle.com.au\/?p=87138"},"modified":"2026-01-20T07:22:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T07:22:10","slug":"herman-miller-cosm-chair-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arielle.com.au\/herman-miller-cosm-chair-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Herman Miller Cosm Chair Review: Pros, Cons & Is It Any Good?"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 7<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

Unique in that it has no adjustments (that is, no levers or knobs), the Herman Miller Cosm is one of the most unorthodox office chairs I\u2019ve ever laid my eyes on. It\u2019s one of the most highly sought-after ergonomic chairs and, consequently, one of the most expensive \u2013 retailing at around $3,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But does it live up to its hype? Will the productivity gain offset the cost?\u00a0Might it help you straighten out that Quasimodo posture you\u2019ve been developing?<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The gearhead part of my personality wants to say an emphatic “yes” to all of the above. The more measured part wants to buy a cheap office chair and spend the balance of funds on a romantic getaway with my partner instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s see which is right – and whether the Cosm the obvious successor to the critically acclaimed Herman Miller Aeron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Related: What Are The Best Office Chairs In Australia?<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Herman Miller Cosm At A Glance.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Pros<\/th>Cons<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Visually Impressive.<\/strong> The Cosm is gorgeous to look at. It’s classy, sophisticaed, loud and yet … restrained at the same time.<\/td>Quite Expensive.<\/strong> Spending $2,200 – $2,700 on an office chair during (totally not) a recession is out of reach for many.<\/td><\/tr>
Solid Ergonomic Chops.<\/strong> Weight-sensitive recline mechanism is excellent at figuring out what you need – and giving it to you.<\/td>Not For Control Freaks.<\/strong> People who feel incomplete without knobs, dials and levers will be disappointed.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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1. Ergonomics.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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If someone had asked office chair users what we wanted, we\u2019d have emphatically declared \u2018more knobs\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This would be all too reminiscent of Henry Ford\u2019s famous anecdote, where customers said \u2018faster horses\u2019 when asked about improvements to personal transport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that respect, the Herman Miller Cosm is to the office chair what the car is to the horse: an innovation ahead of its time.<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you’re hell-bent on buying an office chair with adjustable lumbar support, fully adjustable arms, and fiddly seat angle adjustments, you may click away now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Related: Sihoo Doro S300 Ergonomic Chair Review: An Aeron Killer?<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Good Is Cosm’s Reclining Mechanism<\/strong>?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Cosm leverages something called \u2018sitting force\u2019, so when you\u2019re finished moving, it reaches a fulcrum point, and the chair catches you and locks you in that position. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You feel like you\u2019re floating, and the seat locks when you find your most natural sitting position. At all times, it\u2019s adapting to you and the pressure you subject it to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your feet never<\/em> leave the ground, and your centre of gravity remains perfectly balanced. Herman Miller calls this \u2018auto-harmonic tilt’.<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is a much-improved version of a weight-sensitive mechanism first pioneered by Humanscale Freedom in 1999, and it works very well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Important!<\/h3><\/div>

One minor annoyance worth mentioning, however, is if you want to recline all the way back, you\u2019ll need to exert more effort with your legs and plant your feet firmly.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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How Comfortable Are Cosm’s Armrests?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cosm’s armrests are available in three variants:<\/p>\n\n\n\n