Cheap office chairs collapse after two years. The Aeron has a 12-year warranty and actually supports your spine.
Why Not Just Buy the Cheap One?
The Aeron's pelvis-centric suspension and PostureFit lumbar support prevent the collapse that happens with cheap chairs—budget office chairs lose pneumatic pressure and tilt backward within 24 months of daily use. Herman Miller's 12-year warranty means they've engineered for actual lifespan; budget manufacturers warrant for 1 year because they know failure is inevitable.
The Buy-Once Math
You'll buy a $300 cheap chair, spend 18 months hating your back pain, then replace it (repeat 5 times = $1,500). The Aeron costs $1,400 and still supports your spine after 12 years. You're not experiencing spinal degeneration from a collapsed chair, and you're saving $100 while actually solving your problem.