Herman Miller is most well-known for its line of ergonomic office furniture.
Their furniture is certainly unique looking, comfortable, and high performing, but this all comes at a very high price.
If you want a Herman Miller chair, you may be quite surprised by the high cost that is charged.
However, there are some very important reasons behind these costs.
The Herman Miller brand is not charging these high prices for no reason.
Here are some of the most common and important reasons Herman Miller is so expensive.
Why Is Herman Miller So Expensive? (Top 9 Reasons)
1. Warranty
The Herman Miller products come with a very long warranty.
You will have to check the exact warranty for the product you purchase, but most are close to 12 years long.
Twelve years is a long time to have to make sure that you are protecting your initial investment.
Herman Miller is very well known for standing behind their warranty and always making sure that they handle the issues that come up.
If there are serious wear and tear or a mechanical failure in year seven or eight, you will be able to go back to the company with your issues.
There are not many products on the market today that come with a warranty that will last more than a year, let alone 12 years.
Think of the warranty as an extra cost associated with the purchase of the chair.
When you pay a bit more upfront, you are saving yourself the cost of a replacement chair in the coming months.
Although the warranty makes the Herman Miller products more expensive, the long-term costs could be cheaper because of the less frequent product replacement.
Think about when you purchase an electronic and they ask if you would like to purchase a warranty along with the product.
With Herman Miller, those costs are already built in.
2. Quality
The quality of the products that Herman Miller creates is the main reason that they are so expensive.
For those who have experienced the Herman Miller furniture, you may understand and appreciate the comfort and the feel that they have.
The quality of construction and the materials used are certainly better than most of the other choices on the market.
People tend to have a love/hate relationship with quality.
They want quality products, yet they can’t stand the price tag that goes along with the product.
When it comes to Herman Miller, the quality is certainly there, and it will increase the price.
If you are picky about your furniture and want only the best, these chairs are going to live up to their name.
3. Better Workability
One of the things that Herman Miller uses to stand out from the crowd is the concept that their chairs actually make people work better and faster.
Since the chairs come with all the comfort and health benefits that you could ever want, people will be more productive while they are using them.
Some will argue that this is a marketing tool that they use to sell more chairs to business managers and owners.
Although this could be the case, the chairs do make people want to sit in them and to complete their work.
Some people have a hard time sitting at all.
Sitting causes stress and strain for many people, and they would rather move around and stand.
Although standing desks are becoming more popular, there are still times when sitting is necessary in a workplace.
If that is the case, the Herman Miller chairs are going to be the way to go.
In general, when people are comfortable and cool, they will have an easier time completing work and may enjoy their job more.
Owners of companies are going to be happy when their employees are able to enjoy the job that they have.
The performance of the employee tends to improve quite a bit.
4. Design
If you thought the idea and design of a perfect office chair simply landed in the lap of the Herman Miller Company, you would be mistaken.
The design of these chairs has taken quite a bit of time and money.
The designers and engineers of Herman Miller furniture are very highly trained and creative.
They are capable of coming up with new concepts and designs to stay ahead of the curve and the market.
This is a company that likes to stay ahead and be the leaders.
Of course, this is going to end up costing the end user a bit of extra money.
When products are designed with premium functionality and durability in mind, the designers tend to spare no expense.
With this being the Herman Miller way, the designers will only add features and functionality that are going to last and make the products better.
5. Customizable
Herman Miller chairs are meant to be customizable.
This is something that you don’t find all that often when it comes to furniture like this.
Although you will have options to choose from, customization takes things to a completely different level.
With the Herman Miller office chairs, you can go to their website and look at all the product features and materials to find the perfect match for you.
There are many materials that you can choose from, and even though all of the options are premium, you will have more say in how the chair is made.
Of course, as soon as you add customization to a product, the end cost is going to get quite expensive.
Customization means that the company will have to make your order uniquely, and they can’t simply produce it in a line with a bunch of stock chairs.
One of the ways to look at this is that you are already paying a high cost for the Herman Miller chair, so it may pay to have it custom fit to your needs.
Setting up this custom service and allowing people to enter orders that are unique certainly was a major investment for the company.
You will see more and more high-end brands following in their customization footsteps in the coming years.
People don’t mind spending money if they are getting exactly what they want.
6. Longevity
If a company warranties their product for 12 years, they clearly believe it will last a very long time.
Sometimes people will have Herman Miller chairs lasting much longer than 12 years.
If you are a person who works in a chair five days a week for more than five hours a day, you will spend a lot of time using this product.
It makes sense to go with a product that you love and that will give you the proper back, neck, and wrist support as well.
There are truly not that many products that are built to last twelve or more years.
From a financial standpoint, it must be considered that Herman Miller is not going to make a profit from you all that often.
Since they know their chair is going to last, they will require some more money at the start, with the hope that you will return in about 15 or 20 years for another chair.
7. Investment into a Business
Many people look at Herman Miller furniture as an investment in their business.
There are a few reasons behind this, but they all lead to Herman Miller charging more for their products.
The look of the chair is the first reason.
If people come into the office, they will see that the office looks modern, clean, and high functioning.
This is a piece of furniture that certainly stands out and looks better than other choices on the market.
Another reason that the Herman Miller furniture can be an investment is that it will help workers be happier and potentially work better as well.
This makes the initial investment of the chair more justifiable, and therefore, Herman Miller can charge more.
These products will change the look, feel, and sometimes the mentality of a workplace, and there is quite a bit of value in that.
8. Reputation
It takes a long time for a company to gain a positive reputation.
When they first start out, there will be issues and concerns from skeptical customers.
As time goes on, the company still has lots of issues that need to be ironed out and fixed.
This is unfortunate, but it is just part of being a business owner.
If the company continues to put valuable products on the market, take care of customers and stay on top of its product development, the end result is a positive reputation.
Getting this positive reputation takes hard work and time, and it will not come easy.
However, once the company has gained this, they can start to charge more for their products.
People will understand that the quality is there, the customer service is there, and the warranty is going to cover any issues.
This is a trust that is hard to come by, and it will be something that people are willing to pay for.
The reputation of Herman Miller has allowed the company to increase the prices that they can charge for their products.
If you are leery of these non-brand names and how they will handle an issue, you will find that the trust in Herman Miller is worth paying for.
9. Health Benefits
Last but certainly not least are the health benefits of the Herman Miller chairs.
Since these chairs are capable of keeping people comfortable and their necks and backs less strained, they are actually healthier for the worker as well.
It is not natural to sit in a chair for our entire day.
It is more natural for our bodies to be up and moving around.
With work to get done, many people will have a hard time avoiding sitting.
The next best thing to standing and moving your body properly is to sit in a work chair that will help you remain healthier.
If you know that you need to sit for long periods, try to take care of your body and be smart about the furniture that you invest in.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many good reasons the Herman Miller chairs are so expensive.
You will have to pay quite a bit of money to get one of these chairs into your home or office, but it is a long-term purchase.
Try to consider all of the benefits of these chairs along with their cost.
If you look at the cost alone, the price will be hard to justify.
In the end, most people spend the majority of their day sitting at work.
If you are going to spend good money on a mattress for sleeping, it makes sense to spend good money on a chair you will be using all day as well.
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