Could Herman Miller And Logitech G’s $1500 Gaming Chair Become The Next Big Trend In Esports?

Gaming chairs, like most office chairs, are primarily purchased for function over style. But on July 22nd, 2020, Herman Miller (a brand best known for the iconic chairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames) challenged this notion when they unveiled the Embody Gaming Chair. The chair is just one piece in their collaboration with Logitech G, including the Motia Gaming Desk and Ollin Monitor Arm.  

This chair marks a new era at the intersection of interior design and gaming. The result of two years of research, it’s a souped-up version of Herman Miller’s original Embody office chair with an ergonomic design to support the body through hours of gameplay. 

According to Herman Miller, Esports athletes and streamers sit at their desks for three times as long as someone working in an office does. Furthermore, repetitive motion injuries can cause performance to decline. So, while this chair can’t technically make anyone a better player, it can help ease fatigue. 

According to Sonja Reid, who is best known as OMGitsfirefoxx, the brand is already popular among gamers. “I know a lot of people in the gaming space that have jumped on the Herman Miller train a long time ago. It’s cool to see their official entry into the gaming space, and people can definitely attest to the quality,” she tells me.  

Maximizing Ergonomics

Professional Major League Gaming/ESL Player Shane Kane is very impressed with the chair’s design and plans on purchasing it. “The Embody’s minimalist low profile design seems extremely sleek and I highly value that input has been provided by PHDs and physicians. The fact that the Embody chair contains 150 small supports to allow for improved blood flow to areas that usually get stressed already has me in line or rather online to purchase a chair,” he says. 

While video games aren’t a contact sport, Kane knows better than most that it can still be hard on the body. “I have personally experienced negative effects and extreme discomfort when sitting down for hours at a time, especially because of the chairs I have been sitting on. I’ve noticed tight muscles, body tension, and neck pain.”

That’s why the Embody chair goes beyond basic adjustability with a twistable knob that can change the angle of the back to lean slightly forward. “This feature will allow you to stay supported during your activity, especially when you’re sweating and at the edge of your seat during gaming. As it stands now with racing style chairs, being at the edge of your seat means you are no longer being supported and do not reap any benefits of the back, lumbar or neck support,” Kane explains.

This chair allows the user to make lots of seemingly minor adjustments that ultimately result in a more comfortable experience. For example, the knob at the back right of the chair can change the angle of back support from reclined to slightly forward, which is the optimal position for fast-paced games. The seat depth is also adjustable to alleviate extra pressure on the legs.

The Embody has four levels of recline, whereas most gaming chairs simply adjust from non-reclining to reclining. There’s also a joystick to raise and lower chair’s height through hydraulics.

“The thing that caught my eye the most was the adjustable arm rests,” says Youtuber/Twitch Streamer Salty Phish. “There are definitely times where I want to have them and others where they get in the way, so being able to remove them at any point is very helpful.” Not only can the Embody’s armrests lower to near cushion level, they can also move from side to side.

Another great feature is that the cushion is made with cooling foam that has copper-infused particles. This not only supports the ideal gaming posture, but it also keeps the body cooler, which can be beneficial for anyone sitting for a long period. The pixelated support distributes weight evenly and improves circulation, blood flow and posture.

Does It Embody Good Design?

While the answer is subjective, most gaming and functional office chairs, for that matter, generally leave much to be desired. “I hate the fact that most gaming-centric products tend to look like something out of Battlestar Galactica,” Norris J. Howard III, Head of Collegiate Esports Content for CheckpointXP/Beasley Esports tells me. 

But, Howard likes the style of the Embody “It looks great to me. Very not gamer-y, which I personally like.”

Jose Santos who is a senior graphic designer for Meta Threads agrees. “We all know that the gaming industry is saturated with overpriced gaming chairs that are designed to look fun and not much else. The ‘racing’ look, however, in my opinion, hasn’t aged well and is an eyesore in the context of surrounding office furniture. The Logitech chair is an ideal intersection of form and function, combining its refined design with just a touch of gamer flair, mated with Herman Miller’s credible and tested construction.” 

But Comfort Doesn’t Come Cheap

While comedian and actor Hal Sparks tweeted, “It looks like a great $1500 dollar $120 dollar chair,” others believe you get what you pay for. “Younger me, who was broke and didn’t value health or nice furniture, would have scoffed at the price tag. Over time you learn to invest in things like a nice bed, or in this case, a solid gaming/office chair,” says Santos.

He can easily justify the price. “Personally, I spend eleven hours each weekday (minimum) in an office chair between my job and gaming. A chair like this can last a decade, and with its deceivingly hefty $1495 price tag, the cost of ownership would really only be pennies a day in exchange for a sleek and timeless product, while taking care of my back, neck, and overall posture.”

But even Reid, who is one of the most successful women in the industry, has a bit of sticker shock. “I would love to [buy the chair], and I know it’d be worth it, but it’s hard to justify sometimes! It’s a high price, but you truly get what you pay for.”

However, when it comes to aesthetics, the Embody is still a gaming chair. It might be sleeker and far more luxurious than the average gaming chair, but the cyan accents on the back and underside along with the “G” logo likely won’t excite anyone who prioritizes style above everything else.

The chair certainly won’t appeal to the interior designers that consider Herman Miller a go-to brand. Unlike the original Embody chair, which has multiple color options for the base and upholstery, the Gaming chair can’t be customized. But overall, this collaboration is certainly a noteworthy step forward in the marriage of function and form in the world of tech.

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.