Herman Miller Mirra 2 review

The Mirra 2 is one of design giant Herman Miller's most popular office chairs. The company describes the Mirra 2 as "lean, light, and as responsive as your own shadow", but can a chair really live up to all that hype? I tested the Mirra 2 to find out.

I've been using the Mirra 2 for about six months now, and I've been sitting at it two-three days a week since then, for several hours at a time. I must say that at first, I didn't get the hype at all, but that was before I adjusted it properly. Once I'd tweaked the chair – even small adjustments made a big difference – I've found it to be supremely comfortable, and a easy addition to our list of the best office chairs for back pain. Is it as comfortable as my own shadow? Perhaps not. But does it do a good job of supporting me while I work, definitely yes. Though there are a few caveats, which I'll outline below.

Meanwhile, if you're wondering how the Mirra 2 compares to its closest 'rival' chair, the Aeron, also by Herman Miller, then see our Herman Miller Mirra 2 vs Aeron comparison. Or see how it stacks up to other Herman Miller chairs with our best Herman Miller chairs buying guide.

Herman Miller Mirra 2: design and features

At first look, the Mirra 2 looks like your standard office chair. It looks, in fact, quite a lot like  Herman Miller's Aeron. In terms of standing out in a lineup of office chairs, it doesn't help that I've got the Graphite version, but if you do want something that pops, then there are various colour combinations available on Herman Miller's website, including Urban Orange and Twilight. 

In terms of the design, every little detail has been thought out. Herman Miller liken its design to a good running shoe, and that does seem like a fair comparison. Every person, and every foot or shoe is different, but what the Mirra 2 does is provide enough adjustment options to make most people happy. 

In short, it's designed to support your sacrum, rather than just your lower and upper back. It's got adjustable lumbar support. fully adjustable arms, an adjustable seat (my favourite part), a tilt limiter (so you don't tilt too much or too little) plus forward tilt adjustment. The castors work on hard flooring and carpet and it comes fully assembled out of the box. 

I should note that I had to send it back originally as one of the wheels was missing, but once it arrived the second time, all was well. It's also worth noting that it doesn't come with any instructions, but I do recommend looking at Herman Miller's adjustments guides or else you might find yourself a bit overwhelmed with adjustment options.

Herman Miller Mirra 2: comfort and build

Getting comfortable in the Mirra 2 is all about learning how to adjust it to suit your body. I spent a while frustrated by the chair before finding that I just needed to turn the Harmonic Tilt Tension dial more times than I anticipated in order to get it right for me. I also needed to tweak the forward tilt dial and the lumbar height and depth, which is adjusted via levers on the back of the chair. 

The game-changing part for me was to change the FlexFront Seat Depth, which is a little tab at the front of the chair that enables you to create more distance between your knees and the front of the seat. 

The good part is that once you've adjusted your chair to you, as long as no one else is using it, your work is done. You can then sit back and enjoy the chair. And if what you want to do is sit back, then the Mirra 2 does that as well, as it will move back with you. I like to lean back on the Mirra 2 to take a phone call, for example, while I prefer to sit more upright and forward when I'm typing. 

The armrests are also very easily adjustable, they move forward and back and to the side as well. My only gripe would be that I find myself leaning forward in it, so my upper back is not really supported, but that is probably more of a problem with the way I sit rather than the chair itself. Others may also find that they're missing a headrest, but this feels like personal preference.

I spoke to Mike Rowen, EMEA Market Manager - Global Performance Seating at Herman Miller, about getting the best setup for my chair, and he told me that "95% of getting the right workstation comes down to the chair, but if the rest of the workstation isn’t the best setup, then you’re not getting the best out of the chair." 

I then realised that my desk was actually too high for me, which meant that my feet didn't touch the floor once the Mirra 2 was in the right position. So I now use a footrest, meaning that the Mirra 2 can help me be at a 90 degree angle to my desk. I'm also trying to lean back more into the chair to support my upper back more. The moral of the story? The chair isn't everything. You may need more accessories or a different desk to make your work setup really, well, work. And you might even need to change the way you sit.

Should I buy the Herman Miller Mirra 2?

The Mirra 2 is a great chair, as long as you put the effort into getting it working right for you. The price depends on various customisation options (I've got the Graphite Butterfly with a standard base), but in general it's not as expensive as the Aeron, but is more expensive than the Sayl. 

If you've been hankering after the Aeron but don't quite want to spend the money, then the Mirra 2 may be a good option for you. If you're happy with the look of the Sayl and don't want to spend so much on the Mirra 2, then you may find the Sayl suits you just fine. 

Overall, get the Mirra 2 if customisation is important to you, if you really care about ergonomics and if you like the design. The material is extremely breathable (and even survived Britain's latest heatwave without getting all smelly and gross), the design is classic and chic and your back (and sacrum!) will thank you for it.