Herman Miller Sayl Review

Pros: Super easy to assemble, very adjustable
Cons: Could be a lot more comfortable, design isn’t universal
Manufacturer: Herman Miller
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
![]() This Product
Herman Miller Sayl | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | |||
Price | $600 List | $998 List $782.23 at Amazon | $1,595 List | $817 List $788.40 at Amazon | $1,395 List $689.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Super easy to assemble, very adjustable | Extremely comfortable, tons of adjustability, sturdy construction | Appears quite durable, very adjustable | Appears well-built, comfortable | Above average comfort, seems very durable |
Cons | Could be a lot more comfortable, design isn’t universal | Pricey | Exceptionally expensive, harder to assemble | Could have more adjustable features, pricey | Exceptionally expensive, no seat depth adjustment |
Bottom Line | This chair definitely makes a style statement but we wish it were a bit more comfortable | Our favorite office chair that we have tested to date, the Leap is by far the best you can get | It’s hard to justify spending an exorbitant amount for a chair that isn’t the absolute best | While the Think overall did well in our review, it didn’t quite make it onto our list of favorites | If you are looking for a top-notch mesh chair, the Aeron is worth checking out but comes at a premium price |
Rating Categories | Herman Miller Sayl | Steelcase Leap | Herman Miller Embody | Steelcase Think | Herman Miller Aeron |
Comfort (50%) | |||||
Adjustability (35%) | |||||
Durability (10%) | |||||
Ease Of Assembly (5%) | |||||
Specs | Herman Miller Sayl | Steelcase Leap | Herman Miller Embody | Steelcase Think | Herman Miller Aeron |
Seat pan adjustment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Adjustable lumbar support | Option available | Yes | Yes; You can adjust the amount, but not the location | Yes | Yes |
Lumbar support | Option available | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Recline lever | No | No | No | No | No |
Tilt limiter | Yes; 3 stop points | Yes; 5 stop points | Yes; 4 stop points | Yes; 4 stop points | Yes; 3 stop points |
Armrest width adjustment | Option available as a third-party upgrade | Option available | Yes | Option available | Option available |
Swivel armrests | Option available as a third-party upgrade | Option available | No | Option available | Option available |
Armrest depth adjustment | Option available as a third-party upgrade | Option available | No | Option available | Option available |
Tension knob | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
In our crusade to find the best office chair of them all, we purchased all the most promising chairs, then compared their performance side-by-side with a panel of judges rating the comfort level, durability, adjustability, and ease of assembly of each chair. Keep reading to see their opinions of the Sayl and what it did well and where we wished it did a bit better.
Comfort
Comprising half of the overall score for each chair, comfort is king when it comes to these products. We had our judges try out each chair for a significant amount of time, then decide how long they were actually able to comfortably sit in it — whether it would work for a full workday or only for a few hours. Additionally, we aggregated the judges' opinions of the backrest, armrests, and seat cushion of each chair and took that into account when determining scores. The Sayl delivered an alright performance, earning a 6 out of 10.
All of our judges agreed that they were totally content sitting in this chair for at least 5 hours, with four of them having no problem sitting in this chair for a full 8-10 hour day. The Sayl doesn't have the tallest backrest, which may have contributed to the taller testers only wanting to sit in it for half of the day.
The backrest of this chair is a rubberized mesh, which some of our judges loved and others weren't so enamored with.
The armrests have a much more universal appeal and the seat was also regarded as quite comfortable by most of our judges.
Adjustability
Following our suite of comfort assessments, we moved on to rating and scoring how adjustable each of these office chairs is. We primarily focused on how much you can customize the backrest, armrests, and seat pan of each chair, as well as adjust the way it reclines. Finally, we combined all of this to see if we could easily get the chair into an ergonomic seating position at an average desk. Altogether, these assessments account for 35% of the total score, with the Sayl delivering a stellar performance, meriting a 9 out of 10.
The backrest on this chair does offer lumbar support and we liked that you can move it up or down. The armrests on the version we tested are fully customizable, letting you move them up and down, closer or further to you, forward and back, and pivot them, although we weren't the biggest fans of the raise and lower mechanism. We also have seen versions of this chair without the completely adjustable armrests, so make sure you double-check you are buying the one you want.
You can adjust the depth of the seat pan and move the chair height up and down. When it comes to reclining, the knob that adjusts the tension is fine and there are tilt limiters to set different angles that you can recline it.
Overall, this makes it super easy to get the chair in a position that conforms to ergonomic guidelines.
Durability
Next, we evaluated how well constructed and durable each chair felt, which is responsible for 10% of the total score. We based the score on our own assessments of each chair, on reading through tons of other user experiences, and on the length of the warranty included with each chair. The Sayl performed quite well, receiving an 8 out of 10.
We didn't really notice any major signs of damage after our testing process, though we could see the front padding of the armrests showing a bit more signs of wear than some of the other models. The height adjustment lever also seems like it is a little flimsy.
We saw a handful of user reviews that echoed this sentiment, noting that the front seat cushion padding and the armrest padding began to wear or break. However, this chair does include a 12-year warranty.
Ease of Assembly
For the last 5% of the score, we judged how long it took to build each chair and the quality and clarity of the instructions. The Sayl did very well, earning a perfect 10 out of 10.
It arrives almost completely built and we had the chair ready to go in less than 5 minutes, as you only have to set the top on the base. The directions were also very clear, as there was really only a single step.
Value
This chair isn't the best value on its own but it can be a decent bargain if you are shopping for a high-end, premium chair.
Conclusion
Overall, the Sayl is a solid chair and holds its own against much more expensive options. It's got a unique look and is fairly comfortable but might not be the best option for everyone.
— David Wise and Austin Palmer