Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsCleanly balances elegance and ergonomics (review after 2 years of home use + 1 warranty service)
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2018
This chair may not have the same icon status as some other Herman Miller designs (Aeron), but it still gets some screen time every now and then in movies with sets representing upscale offices and so on. I can't blame those set designers; this chair makes a statement that few others do in the task chair space.
I moved into a new condo in late 2016. I was making an effort to furnish it with ultra-modern looking furniture. Somehow, things fell into place and I started moving towards a white and red color scheme for the living room. Not too keen on waiting for a custom order from Herman Miller, I happened to find the perfect white and red trim of the Sayl chair here on Amazon. It was sold by (still is, at the time of this writing) OfficeDesigns. The seller here is relevant information that we'll come back to.
What I like:
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This chair has been serving me really well over the last two years, with a couple of caveats (but not dealbreakers) that I will get into later.
The Sayl is a design masterpiece, in my humble opinion. While (almost) all high end ergonomic chairs look like the same old "executive" chair - some with more flair than others - this one stands above the rest. As I mentioned earlier, I was going for an ultra-modern look for my new place, and this chair fit neatly into that vision. It not only looks modern, it looks almost futuristic.
I have been using this chair at home, in front of my gaming station for two years. It comes out to anywhere between half an hour to two hours of use every day, higher during weekends. The ergonomics are all there. This is unmistakably a Herman Miller chair. I can imagine using it for a full time job without getting too tired (but it wouldn't be my top pick; see next section). The backrest feels like a very stiff hammock - a hammock for my back - and it's glorious.
I have not experienced disintegrating armrests that some others complained about. This may have to do with how much I use this thing. I'm not too worried though, because I did experience one issue and was able to use the good ol' 12 year Herman Miller warranty to get it fixed. There's more on that later in this review.
What I dislike:
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I said earlier that the Sayl would not be my top pick for a full day of work, and it's true. I've sat in the Aeron before, but it's been some time and I don't recall all the details. In my current workplace, I use a Herman Miller Celle (which happens to be priced similarly to the Sayl by the way), and the one thing that stands out to me is that the seat is much more roomy and allows me to sit cross legged for short periods of time. It's nice, because I don't like sitting in one position for too long. It's harder to do that in a Sayl. I'd say it's 20% less roomy compared to the Celle. It's still large and comfortable, and not like a high-heeled shoe, trading comfort for looks, but it's no Celle when it comes to incredibly long sitting sessions.
If I were furnishing my place all over today, I'd more than likely still buy a Sayl, albeit a custom order with adjustable armrests. I'm not sure if I'd get too many other knick-knacks, though. I'd be happy with adjustable height, tilt control (this one is a must), the tilt tension knob and adjustable armrests. I don't think I would use the lumbar support if I had it, because I don't need it, and one of the attractive qualities of the Sayl to me is the flexible back.
The warranty service story:
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Now on to the juicy bit, at least for those curious about how "real" the 12 year warranty is.
When you pay this much for a chair, you'd be right in being demanding of its warranty. Luckily, Herman Miller offers incredibly long warranty periods on many of its products, and the Sayl is no exception.
Like some other people have mentioned in their reviews, my Sayl got a bit squeaky about 1.5 years in. It would squeak fairly loudly in certain positions, especially when un-reclining from a reclined position. Dripping some oil into what I thought were the joints did not do anything.
When I decided I was not having any more of this, I contacted Herman Miller asking what I should do. They asked me to contact the seller I purchased the thing from. I remembered that the seller was an Amazon third-party seller, so I started getting worried. Turns out OfficeDesigns has a fancy website and all, which had a convenient warranty request form for Herman Miller products.
After filling it out and linking to a video demonstrating the squeak, I didn't hear back for a few days. Just as I was about to contact Herman Miller directly once again, I heard back saying they have already shipped me a box for a warranty repair. The box came with instructions and all, and I sent the chair back to them. Shipping was not the fastest (took about a week or so each way from here in Seattle), but they finished their repair in about 2-3 days in the middle. The chair arrived back with the squeaks completely gone.
Needless to say, I was impressed by the service. If the issue returns or if a different disaster happens to strike, I will be sure to update this review.
