Gaming chairs are usually large, bulky, and sometimes gaudy affairs. More often than not as well they aren’t actually the best chair to sit in for hours on end during massive gaming or streaming sessions. However, as more and more companies are looking to break into the gamer market, we’re getting higher and higher quality chairs as a result.
Herman Miller is a brand associated with comfort, but also high costs. Partnering with Logitech G for the second time, Herman Miller’s Vantum chair aims to offer the comfort the brand is known for while not being nearly as expensive as its other chairs in its lineup. But how does the Vantum actually stack up?
Specifications
- Height (in): 44.25
- Height Min (in): 40.25
- Width (in): 30.5
- Depth (in): 29
- Weight (lbs): 36.8
- Seat Height Min (in): 18
- Seat Width (in): 20
- Seat Depth (in): 17.5
- Weight Capacity (lbs): 350
- Seat Height Max (in): 22
- Proprietary elastomer and polyester suspension backrest
- Polyurethane foam headrest and seat cushion topped with 100% post-consumer recycled polyester fabric
- Glass-filled nylon frame and base
- Flexible polyurethane integral skin foam arm pads
- Warranty: 12 Years
- Price: $795 on Herman Miller website
First Thoughts
I hate assembling furniture or chairs when I get them. So I was outrageously pleased when the box for the Herman Miller Vantum showed up at my doorstep. While the box clearly showed this was unlike other Herman Miller chairs where you could simply wheel it out of the box, the Vantum was packed in three pieces: the body, the wheelbase and the headrest. Assembly was a breeze, as easy as literally 1, 2, 3.
At first glance, the Herman Miller X Logitech G Vantum doesn’t scream “gamer aesthetic,” and that’s a good thing. For someone like me who loves the gamer aesthetic in my other items, like graphics cards, for my office I typically want more understated form and function over flashy colors and discomfort. Thankfully, the Vantum itself is pretty understated in its gamery-look. By its look, you wouldn’t know it was sold as a “Gamer” chair.
The Vantum comes in three color schemes: an all-black chair, a black-and-white body, and a black-and-red body configuration. It also comes with Herman Miller’s 12-year warranty standard, though the price is higher than some other gaming chairs at $795 USD.
Fine Adjustments
I’ve used an office-style chair for over two years now, having reviewed the Autonomous AI Ergo Chair 2 back in 2020. Simply put, it was the best office chair I had ever used. However, it was insanely complicated to adjust. The Vantum, though, takes the best parts of what I liked about the Ergo Chair 2: excellent lumbar support, a breathable mesh chair body, adjustable armrests, and more.
The Herman Miller X Logitech G Vantum takes design cues from its more expensive brethren with support plates behind the chair's body - one for lumbar support and the other for your upper back. The bottom one is fully adjustable thanks to a wheel in the back on either side, meaning that whether you’re left or right-handed, you’ll be able to easily adjust the lumbar support.
The top thoracic support plates aren’t adjustable, however, they simply offer support when you’re sitting in the Vantum chair. One thing to note as well about the Vantum is its alignment. This is a chair designed to force you to sit up straight, meaning it’s going to force you upright and forward in your posture, which is supposed to help your back. This is especially so during long gaming or streaming hours where even with lumbar pillows or pads on traditional racing gaming chairs you aren’t going to have the support needed.
As a result, the Herman Miller X Logitech G Vantum can take some getting used to. This was true for me as well, going from another ergonomically minded chair like the Ergo Chair 2 to the Vantum: the forward positioning of the body does take some getting used to. I’ve found myself slouching less, though, and even have noticed my back hurts less after hours of working and gaming in this chair.
Adjusting the rest of the chair, from the amount you can lean back to the tension on that recline is done through two simple wheels on each side. I love the fact that these wheels click into place for each adjustment, meaning that I always know where I am in adjusting my chair even if I can’t look at what I’m doing. The Vantum doesn't have 180-degrees of recline, but it goes back far enough that when I’m watching YouTube, or just want to recline while playing an MMO on my Acer Predator 43” display, I can do so comfortably still.
It also goes up to an appreciable height, much higher than my Ergo Chair 2, which was a huge issue throughout the life of that chair. As such, using my standing desk, I can more easily adjust everything to where my arms are resting at a 90-degree angle versus feeling like I have to reach upwards just to hit my keyboard and mouse properly at times.
Speaking of arms, the armrests on the Herman Miller X Logitech G Vantum are my only real complaints. While I appreciate the amount of movement you do have with the armrests: they can go up and down, forward and back, and even side-to-side, I find myself missing the 4D rests from the Ergo Chair. These armrests don’t angle in, meaning that using the Vantum has forced my arms to be in very different positions than I’m used to while typing - something that isn’t a deal breaker, but definitely annoying at times.
The headrest is comfortable, and I do like how it doesn’t really move on you while using it. The adjustable rest itself tilts when I back up into it, though I do find that the posture of the chair when I’m sitting into the headrest very often. But while reclining and playing games, it’s incredibly comfortable.
Is it worth it, though?
Herman Miller chairs aren’t cheap by any stretch. As a premium product, you get what you pay for. In my three weeks using the Herman Miller Vantum, I can’t see myself going back, honestly. This is a supremely comfortable chair, whether I’m working on articles all day or simply slaying monsters in my latest FFXIV duty run. It’s made me give my Ergo Chair 2, which was my favorite chair of all time, to my fiance for good, thanks to just how comfortable this one is day in and out.
But $795 is a lot of money for a chair, no matter how you stack it up, or even how good it is. So whether it’s worth it really depends on a few factors for me. As far as I’m concerned, it’s worth the sticker price for a few reasons.
First of all, it’s comfortable and I don’t feel like it’s going to wear out anytime soon. Other chairs I own were comfortable early on, but through use, they wear out easily. Herman Miller’s brand has been known not just for how comfortable its products are, but for how long those products last. Herman Miller warranties the chair for 12 years, which is an extreme amount of time for furniture. It screams premium, even if the glass-filled nylon frame is a turn-off for those looking for something metallic.
Secondly, it’s simple to use. Assembly is a breeze and it doesn’t require a complicated mess of instructions like the Ergo Chair to fully understand how to adjust the chair - just turn a few knobs an you’re good to go. This makes using the chair day in and day out so much easier than some of the higher-end chairs on the market, and it’s much appreciated for me.
Finally, it’s just better on my back. This is the first chair in quite a while where I have sat for long periods and how had any lower back pain. It’s improved my posture in other chairs now too, as I’m just naturally sitting up straight more thanks to my time in the Vantum chair. For the price of admission, I’ll take less pain, especially as I get older, and realize that the chiropractor can only do so much each session.
As it stands, even with the high price tag, the Vantum chair by Herman Miller feels worth every penny. It’s comfortable whether in short spurts or long marathon gaming sessions, and it’s supremely easy to adjust to that perfect balance of lean, recline, and support. It’s definitely a chair to keep on your radar if you’re looking to upgrade to something that will last for a long time to come.
