Herman Miller Aeron vs Steelcase Gesture: Which Should You Buy?
The Aeron has a suspension seat and is sold in three sizes with a fixed seat depth per size. The Gesture is a foam-seat chair with an adjustable seat depth and arms that rotate 360 degrees. The sections below match each difference to a way of working.
The Aeron and the Gesture get compared because both are premium task chairs that cost well over a thousand dollars new. Herman Miller sells the current Aeron direct in a configured build, and the Gesture sells new on Amazon for somewhat less than the Aeron’s default Herman Miller configuration.
The two chairs differ in construction. The Aeron’s seat is 8Z Pellicle elastomeric suspension with no foam cushion. The Gesture uses a high-density foam seat with fabric upholstery and a 3D LiveBack flexor back.
The choice turns mainly on how much your arms move during the day and on whether you want mesh or foam under you.
Buy the Aeron if you want a suspension seat with no foam cushion in a chair built to a size matched to your frame. A remanufactured Aeron Classic, the older pre-2016 design, from Crandall costs far less than a new Aeron.
Buy the Gesture if your day involves switching between a keyboard and handheld devices, and you want arms that rotate a full 360 degrees. The Gesture also adds an adjustable seat depth, which the Aeron does not offer.
Choose Your Chair
Buy the Aeron if you…
- Want a suspension seat with no foam cushion
- Want PostureFit SL sacral support or the Adjustable Lumbar Support option
- Fit one of the three sizes, A, B or C
- Want to save money with a remanufactured Aeron Classic
- Want a tilt limiter or a forward seat tilt as configuration options
Buy the Gesture if you…
- Regularly move between keyboard, phone, tablet, or paper
- Want arms that rotate 360 degrees
- Want to adjust seat depth (15.75″ to 18.5″)
- Want a headrest, ordered with the chair from the factory
- Prefer a foam seat over mesh
Side-by-Side Specs
| Spec | Herman Miller Aeron | Steelcase Gesture |
|---|---|---|
| Price (new) | Config-priced at Herman Miller (~$2,150 default config) Configure the Aeron at Herman Miller |
~$1,510 Steelcase Gesture on Amazon (~$1,510) |
| Price (remanufactured) | Aeron Classic (pre-2016 design) from $799 at Crandall Remanufactured Aeron Classic at Crandall |
$799 at Crandall Remanufactured Gesture at Crandall |
| Seat material | 8Z Pellicle elastomeric suspension (no foam) | High-density foam + fabric |
| Back | Not listed | 3D LiveBack flexor system, shell or wrapped back |
| Lumbar support | PostureFit SL (sacral support); Adjustable Lumbar Support option (height and tension) | Core Equalizer (firmness adjusts automatically with recline); optional height-adjustable lumbar (4″ range) |
| Arm adjustability | Five arm options; fully adjustable arms set height, pad depth and pivot | 360-degree arms: height, width, pivot, depth |
| Sizes available | A, B, C | Not listed (no size range published) |
| Seat height range | A 14.4″ to 19.3″; B 14.8″ to 22.8″; C 15.8″ to 22.8″ | 16″ to 21″ |
| Seat depth | Fixed by size: A 16″, B 17″, C 18.5″ | 15.75″ to 18.5″ (adjustable slider) |
| Tilt | Harmonic 2 Tilt; tension adjustment, or a three-position tilt limiter, with forward seat tilt as an option | Synchro-tilt with tension control, 3-position back stop plus upright lock |
| Weight capacity | A 300 lb; B 350 lb; C 400 lb | 400 lb |
| Headrest option | Not listed | Optional, factory-installed only |
| Warranty | 12 years, 3-shift, through Herman Miller or an authorized reseller | Steelcase Limited Lifetime: structure for life; mechanism, cylinders, arm caps, foam and casters 12 years |
The Detailed Breakdown
Arm Adjustability: The Most Important Difference
The Aeron is ordered with one of five arm configurations: armless, fixed, height-adjustable, height-adjustable with pivot, or fully adjustable. The fully adjustable arm sets height (7.5″ to 11.5″), arm-pad depth and pivot.
The Gesture’s arms rotate 360 degrees and also adjust in height, width, pivot and depth. That range covers more arm positions than the Aeron’s arm options list.
If your day is mostly keyboard and mouse, the Aeron’s fully adjustable arm covers the positions that work needs. If you regularly shift between a laptop and handheld devices, the Gesture’s arm can reach positions the Aeron’s arm options do not list.
Lower Back: Configured vs Automatic
The Aeron’s lumbar is chosen at purchase. PostureFit SL, the configuration compared on this page, supports the sacral region to maintain the natural S-shape of the spine. The Adjustable Lumbar Support option adjusts in height and tension, and a standard configuration with no adjustable lumbar also exists.
The Gesture’s built-in Core Equalizer changes its firmness automatically as you recline. An optional height-adjustable lumbar adds 4″ of height travel for a sitter who wants to place the support by hand.
If you want to set lumbar height yourself, order either chair with its height-adjustable option. If you would rather the support change with recline and leave it alone, the Gesture’s Core Equalizer does that without a control.
Mesh vs Foam
The Aeron’s seat is 8Z Pellicle, an elastomeric suspension zoned in eight areas of tension to distribute weight. It carries no foam cushion.
The Gesture’s seat is high-density foam with fabric upholstery. For a buyer who prefers foam to a suspension seat, the Gesture is the foam option of the two.
How the Chair Tilts
The Aeron’s Harmonic 2 Tilt comes in three configurations: standard tilt with tension adjustment, a tilt limiter with three positions (fully upright, mid-recline, full recline), or the tilt limiter with forward seat tilt.
The Gesture uses a synchro-tilt with tension control, a 3-position variable back stop and an upright lock. A recline range in degrees is not listed for either chair.
The Aeron offers forward seat tilt as a configuration option. The Gesture’s listed controls cover tension, back stops and the upright lock.
Body Type Compatibility
The Aeron comes in three sizes, A, B and C, which Herman Miller sizes to fit roughly the 1st to 99th height and weight percentile. B is the broad-fit middle size Herman Miller recommends where a sitter falls between A and B or between B and C. Seat depth is fixed by size at 16″, 17″ and 18.5″, and capacity rises from 300 lb on Size A to 400 lb on Size C.
The Gesture has a 400 lb capacity, a 16″ to 21″ seat height range and a seat depth that slides from 15.75″ to 18.5″. Its seat is 20″ wide at the front of the cushion.
Price and the Remanufactured Market
New, the Gesture on Amazon costs less than the Aeron’s default Herman Miller configuration. The Aeron’s price changes with the options chosen.
Crandall Office remanufactures both chairs. The Aeron it carries is the Aeron Classic, the older pre-2016 design, which differs from the current Aeron described in the spec table above. Crandall’s remanufactured chairs carry a 12-year warranty covering parts, not labor, for the original owner in the US.
A remanufactured Gesture from Crandall costs roughly half its new Amazon price. A remanufactured Aeron Classic starts at the same Crandall figure, against a much higher new price for the current Aeron.
Prices and Where to Buy
The Bottom Line
The Aeron and the Gesture solve different problems, and the price of each makes a wrong pick expensive to undo.
The Aeron fits a buyer who wants a suspension seat with no foam cushion on a chair sized to the body. A remanufactured Aeron Classic from Crandall brings the older design in well below the new price.
The Gesture fits a buyer whose work involves frequent arm repositioning across several devices. Its 360-degree arms and adjustable seat depth cover needs the Aeron’s configurations do not list.
If you are still unsure, ask how often your arms move into positions your current chair’s arms cannot follow. If the answer is rarely, the Aeron fits. If the answer is constantly, the Gesture fits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Comparisons and Reviews
Still deciding on the Gesture? Read: Is the Steelcase Gesture Worth It?