Herman Miller is a legendary name in office chairs, a Silicon Valley staple often brought up as an alternative to any new gaming chair. Last year though, Herman Miller announced it would be making a gaming chair of its own in cooperation with PC peripherals giant Logitech – the Herman Miller x Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair. As you might expect from the brands involved, this is a super-premium option with an eye-watering sticker price of £1195 – and it’s just one part of a three-piece set that also includes the £175 Ollin monitor arm and the £995 Nevin Gaming Desk. Is any gaming furniture worth that kind of money? I’ve been testing out all three elements to find out – and after five months, I’m prepared to deliver a verdict.
Herman Miller x Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair
Let’s just say it up front. The Embody Gaming Chair is by far the most comfortable chair I’ve ever used, particularly for long working or gaming sessions when you’re sat down for extended periods. My back feels better supported, my legs don’t ache and in general I look a lot more like that perfect posture guy you see in ergonomics infographics. This is largely down to its unique adjustability options, like a pair of handles that let you pull out more material to make the chair deeper, individual controls for adjusting the upper and lower back support and arm rests that can be splayed out or brought close to the body in addition to being pulled up or down.
1 of 4 Caption Attribution The Embody’s blue accents and ‘spinal’ design set it apart – from the back, at least.
The back’s unique design also contributes, with a central ‘spine’ attached to ‘ribs’ that expand or contract to ensure you’re always being supported, even if you’re sitting unevenly. The chair only reaches to the middle back, so I was initially worried about the lack of head and neck support – especially on a chair at this price point. However, this really hasn’t been an issue, and the better posture I seem to be adopting when sitting in the chair has meant that I don’t need something to lean back on. I do miss reclining and sinking back in my chair when I’m taking a moment to think about something or reacting to an unexpected kill in CSGO, but if this is better for me then I don’t really mind changing my habits. The shorter height also makes this chair cheaper, lighter and easier to fit under a standing desk, so there’s some nice synergy with the Nevi here.