I asked before here. Others had also asked b4. Seems like no one here is using Benel chairs.
I've been following this thread closely for quite a while now and I learnt a lot of new information thanks to the members here.
I just received my Benel Aeria (which I learnt about from here as well) last Friday and I contemplated posting here as there hasn't been much information on it in this thread. Eventually I didn't as I'm not really knowledgeable about ergonomic chairs and I didn't think I had anything useful to share.
I was using the IKEA Markus for the last 5 years and the Verner for a few years before that. They served me well but the PU on the Verner peeled really badly, which led to me looking for a better chair and eventually settling for the Markus. Back then I just wanted something that was made of mesh and had a full back.
I used them every night when I came home from work, before I went to bed on weekdays. That's probably a couple of hours per day and many more on weekends.
The Markus is solidly built and the leather lasted much longer than the PU on the Verner. It has a 10-year warranty and I can imagine it lasting that long. I love the tilt mechanism on the Markus and I took many naps on it.
I have a slipped disc and even so, the Markus was still very comfortable for me, although I must say that the Markus has minimum to negligible lumbar support. The mesh also allows a lot of dust and dirt to be trapped, I found out when I unzipped the cover after 5 years.
Like many others, I started wfh a few months back. Sitting on the Markus for 12-15 hours a day with short breaks in between was mostly manageable. I experienced only slight discomfort in my back at times. But seeing that I'll be spending more time at home in the foreseeable future, I decided to take the opportunity to get a better chair.
I knew about the Herman Miller Aeron even back when I was planning to purchase the Markus, but I wasn't really comfortable spending that much for it. I'm sure it's worth every cent as most people here have shared, but personally I just wasn't quite looking at a chair in that price range. It did cross my mind to get a second hand Aeron but I eventually decided I would prefer something new.
When I first started browsing this thread a bit more seriously to find a replacement for my Markus, it just so happened that the Chairworkers S7 was launched on UI's website. I came so close to pulling the trigger, but in the end, the cautious side of me resisted the urge as there were no reviews yet on the $699++ chair. When the first reviews appeared, they had quickly sold out.
So I looked around for other full mesh, full back (with headrest) alternatives around that price range. I learnt about the Ergotune, then the Sail and also the Aeria and the significantly cheaper Sihoo M57.
I placed an order for the M57 on TaoBao but the seller messed up and realised they couldn't afford to ship to SG for the shipping fee they collected from me. I waited for weeks before checking with the courier and that's when I learnt they weren't going to ship to me. I was disappointed as I was hoping to use the new chair sooner rather than later.
It also made me miss the restock of the S7 and the Ergotune and Sail were also sold out by then. So I looked at the Aeria again as they had stock and when I checked with them if they came with hard floor castors, someone from Benel responded to me via email within 20 minutes. Subsequent queries were all responded to promptly as well.
After considering that the Ergotune and Sail looked like rebranded OEMs, I decided to go with the Aeria. There's a promo code that they shared on their FB page if anyone's interested.
Delivery took about a week. Delivery guy was friendly and professional. The Aeria came fully assembled and wrapped up, including the wheels. He used a trolley to transport the chair. He removed the protective wrappers outside my house before carrying it in and asked if I knew how to adjust the chair. I decided to let him advise me and he patiently showed me how to adjust all the different settings.
I immediately started using the Aeria for the rest of the day, trying to see what are the optimum settings along the way. That night, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a WhatsApp message from a representative from Benel to thank me for my purchase and also a PDF instruction manual.
As for the Aeria, to be honest I am still making adjustments here and there and I can't say I have found the ideal adjustments yet. It does feel quite different from my Markus, but thus far, I have not regretted my purchase.
The mesh is a bit plasticky, while the one on the Markus is more cloth-like. The main difference is the mesh seat versus the leather one on the Markus. It's certainly more comfortable and cooler. I just hope it doesn't start sagging any time soon.
The chair itself feels quite solid even though I think it's mostly plastic including the base whereas the Markus is mostly metal. This was something that made me hesitate initially. But having seen and felt the chair, I must say the plastic feels quite premium. I even wonder if there are any metal parts encased in the plastic, but I'm not really sure.
The headrest is much better than on the Markus and the angle and height can be adjusted.
The arm rests and lumbar support can be adjusted as well, but only up and down. The material on the arm rests is semi-hard and quite comfortable. The padding on the lumbar support is made of a rubbery material which I prefer over a fabric one as the latter would probably be dirtier over time.
There is a tilt mechanism and you can lock the back rest at different angles.
Depth of the seat pan can be adjusted and I wasn't aware of this when I made the purchase so it's a pleasant surprise. The seat pan on the Markus protruded a bit too much to my liking so this is a welcomed improvement for me.
Height and tension adjustments are available as with most office chairs of this price range.
The wheel base feels really solid and the castors can be used on hard or soft surfaces according to Benel. I'm using mine on tiled flooring and it works just fine.
As for whether it causes my back any more or less discomfort, I don't think I can really comment at this point of time since it's only been a couple of days. But for now, it doesn't make my back feel any better or worse than my Markus, so I would say it is satisfactory for now. I'll check in again if things change.
All in all, I'm satisfied with my purchase and I appreciate the great service, adjustment options, the build quality and the 3-year warranty (though I'm not too sure how that works and hope I never have to find out).
Sorry for the wall of text and I hope it helps someone.
