Bottom Line
The Herman Miller Setu is a sturdy, visually striking, and comfortable chair hampered by a high price tag.
If money is no object, it’s worth trying out, but if you just need a chair for work, there are many others that cost less and offer more.
Herman Miller has long been known as a high-quality chair manufacturer, but does the Setu live up to our expectations? With an expensive price of $735 MSRP, this chair has a lot to prove, but we won’t be pulling any punches. We’ll highlight the things we like and the areas in which this chair could improve.
Dimensions | 37.12-38.3 x 25.125 x 17.25” |
Weight Limit | 300 lbs |
Colors | Alpine, Berry Blue, Chino, Graphite, Java, Slate Grey |
Material | Lyris 2 |
Table of ContentsShow
Appearance
It’s immediately clear that this chair is less flashy than some of its rivals, such as the Aeron or Embody. However, it exudes an air of quality thanks to several small touches: the smooth and sophisticated shape of the arms, perfectly balanced color schemes, and, of course, the shape of the seat itself.
All of the six available colors schemes are very muted. At first glance, this might seem like a bad thing, but it actually helps maintain a professional image, even if you choose the brightest option available. Interestingly, the casters are always black, but they match every variant on offer.
Comfort
Despite the lack of padding, the Setu is actually very comfortable. Notice the indent in the backrest – this provides increased lumbar support and helps prevent back strain. The backrest itself is made from an elastomeric material called Lyris 2; while we couldn’t find out what exactly this is, we do know that it helps lower the pressure on your spine over long periods of sitting.
This chair allows the user to recline and rock, which is great, but there’s a pretty significant issue. The armrests are fixed in place and required to hold the chair together as you recline. If you’re on the wider side, you might find it a little claustrophobic, even though the chair can hold up to 300lbs.
Support
We know that not everyone will want to spend this much money on a chair. However, Herman Miller offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out and send it back if it’s not to your liking. Furthermore, if you decide to keep it, you can take advantage of a 12-year warranty. This effectively reduces the price to around $50 a year: not bad!
If you’ve got some more room in the budget, you can customize the color of the frame, add a polished base, or change the casters out. However, these extras are fairly expensive, and generally only impact the look of the chair instead of adding extra functionality.