Sohnne offers accessible, Scandinavian-inspired furniture focused on sustainability and modular design, making it a great fit for modern homes and eco-conscious shoppers. By contrast, Herman Miller is a legacy brand celebrated for its premium, research-backed ergonomic furniture that represents a long-term investment in quality and comfort.
Let's compare everything you need to know to decide which brand is the right choice for your home office.
Sohnne: The Eco-Conscious Modern Choice
Launched in 2020, Sohnne is a direct-to-consumer brand that quickly carved out a niche with its minimalist, functional, and eco-friendly furniture. It targets design-savvy younger professionals and remote workers who want stylish Danish and Japanese-inspired pieces without a luxury price tag, emphasizing sustainability through its choice of materials and manufacturing processes.
- Product mix: Primarily focused on home and office furniture, including ergonomic chairs, modular desks, stylish lighting, and storage solutions.
- Style/vibe: Minimalist and Scandinavian-inspired with a touch of Japanese design. Expect clean lines, neutral colors, and an emphasis on natural materials like wood and stone.
- Price point: Mid-range and accessible. Ergonomic chairs start around $300, and larger modular desks typically range from $600 to $1,200.
- Quality: Good for its price point, with a strong focus on sustainable materials like FSC-certified wood, recycled metals, and biodegradable fabrics. The quality is well-suited for residential home office use.
- Customization: A key feature of the brand. Many of their desks and shelving units are modular, allowing users to configure setups that fit their specific space and needs.
- Delivery & Assembly: Products are shipped directly to the consumer, usually requiring some self-assembly, which helps keep costs down. A BILT app is provided for smart 3D instructions.
- Return policy: A 100 days free trial period, making it a risk-free experience for buyers. Most items are ready to ship and arrive within 3 days of shipping for U.S customers.
Sohnne is an excellent choice for those who need functional, stylish, and adaptable furniture on a realistic budget, all while prioritizing eco-friendly materials.
Shop Sohnne: sohnne.com
Herman Miller: The Ergonomic Investment Brand
With a history dating back to 1905, Herman Miller is a titan in the world of ergonomic design and high-performance office furniture. It's the name behind iconic pieces like the Aeron and Eames Lounge Chairs, building its reputation on decades of scientific research into comfort and workplace productivity. The brand is for those who view furniture not just as an object, but as a long-term investment in their health and well-being.
- Product mix: Extensive collection of premium office and home furniture, best known for its legendary ergonomic task chairs, but also offering desks, lounge seating, storage, and healthcare solutions.
- Style/vibe: Timeless modern and contemporary. The aesthetic is clean, sophisticated, and architecturally driven, prioritizing ergonomic function above all else.
- Price point: Premium to luxury. The iconic Aeron chair starts around $1,495, and height-adjustable desks can range from $2,200 to over $3,000.
- Quality: Exceptional and built to last. Herman Miller uses high-grade, durable materials and cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, backed by some of the best warranties in the industry (often 12 years).
- Customization: Focused on ergonomic fit. Chairs like the Aeron come in three distinct sizes (A, B, C) to fit different body types, along with wide-ranging adjustments for armrests, lumbar support, and tilt mechanisms.
- Delivery & Assembly: Available through their website and a global network of authorized dealers. Often includes options for white-glove delivery and professional assembly, especially for larger orders.
- Return policy: A 30-day return policy for most items purchased directly from their site, though policies may vary by dealer.
Herman Miller is the benchmark for ergonomic excellence and durability, making it the go-to for professionals and corporations seeking top-tier performance.
Shop Herman Miller: hermanmiller.com
Sohnne vs. Herman Miller Comparison
Price Comparison
There is a significant price gap between the two brands, which reflects their different target markets. Sohnne is positioned as an affordable, stylish alternative, with task chairs priced between $300-$500 and desks under $1,200. This makes their full office setups achievable for a much wider audience.
Herman Miller operates firmly in the premium category. Their most famous ergonomic chairs go for over $1,500, a price justified by extensive research, advanced materials, and an industry-leading 12-year warranty. A Herman Miller purchase is a capital investment in a piece of furniture that is expected to perform flawlessly for over a decade.
Style & Aesthetic
Sohnne's aesthetic is warm, versatile, and heavily influenced by Scandinavian and Japanese minimalism. Its use of natural woods, light colors, and simple forms makes its furniture feel at home in residential interiors that blend life and work. It's a style that is contemporary and cozy, designed to complement a broader home decor scheme.
Herman Miller’s design ethos is more technical and corporate, though its pieces have become classics in modern homes. The look is sleek, architectural, and function-forward, often featuring a monochromatic or industrial palette with materials like mesh, aluminum, and high-performance plastics. Their designs are timeless statements of ergonomic innovation.
Quality & Construction
Herman Miller is the undisputed leader in build quality and longevity. Every component is meticulously engineered and tested for durability under constant, heavy use. Advanced materials like Pellicle mesh on the Aeron chair provide balanced support and breathability that few can match. This is commercial-grade quality designed to last.
Sohnne's quality is solid for home use, with its main strength lying in its commitment to sustainable materials. Using FSC-certified wood and recycled metals ensures an eco-friendly product. While it won't stand up to the rigorous commercial standards that a Herman Miller piece would, it offers more than enough durability for a demanding home office environment.
Customization Options
Both brands offer customization, but with different purposes. With Sohnne, customization focuses on modularity and adapting to a space. You can configure desk and storage systems to fit your exact room dimensions and layout, making it ideal for unique or small spaces.
With Herman Miller, customization focuses on adapting the product to your body. Task chairs are available in various sizes, and you can tweak nearly everything - from lumbar support tension to forward tilt - to achieve a perfect ergonomic fit. It's about personalizing the function, not just the form.
Sustainability & Ethics
Both brands have strong sustainability credentials. Sustainability is at the core of Sohnne's brand identity. Their business model revolves around using sustainable and recycled materials and providing complete transparency in their processes.
Herman Miller, as an established industry leader, has taken major strides in corporate responsibility for decades. They have robust recycling programs, source materials responsibly, and hold numerous environmental certifications like GREENGUARD and BIFMA. Their products are often designed for disassembly, making them easier to recycle at the end of their long lives.
Which One Should You Choose?
The right choice comes down to your budget, priorities, and how you view your office furniture.
Choose Sohnne if:
- Your budget is in the hundreds, not the thousands.
- You prioritize sustainability and furniture made from natural, eco-friendly materials.
- You need a modular and flexible furniture system that can adapt to your space.
- You love a warm, minimalist aesthetic that blends well with a broader home decor style.
Choose Herman Miller if:
- You're making a long-term investment in your postural health and daily comfort.
- You need a product with proven durability that can withstand heavy daily use for over a decade.
- You require precise ergonomic adjustments and size options to get a perfect personal fit.
- You want a timeless, iconic piece of design backed by an exceptional warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sohnne or Herman Miller cheaper?
Sohnne is significantly cheaper. You can often furnish an entire home office from Sohnne for less than the price of a single high-end Herman Miller chair. Sohnne focuses on accessibility, while Herman Miller is a premium, investment-level brand.
Which has better quality furniture?
Herman Miller has superior build quality, durability, and ergonomic engineering. Their furniture is designed and tested to withstand decades of heavy use and comes with warranties to match. Sohnne offers good quality for its price, with a focus on sustainable materials suitable for home use.
Is Sohnne furniture as ergonomic as Herman Miller?
While Sohnne chairs offer standard ergonomic features like adjustable height and back support, they cannot match the level of research-backed, micro-adjustable ergonomics found in a Herman Miller chair. Herman Miller's designs are the result of decades of biomedical and kinesiology studies.
Which brand is better for a small apartment?
Sohnne is generally better for small apartments. Its furniture is designed with a more residential scale in mind, and its modular systems are specifically created to maximize utility in compact or non-traditional spaces.
How do their warranties compare?
Herman Miller is famous for its comprehensive 12-year warranty on most of its seating, which covers parts and labor. Sohnne, being direct-to-consumer and more budget-focused, offers buyers a 100 days free trial period, no strings attached.
What is the biggest difference in their design styles?
The core difference is an aesthetic of warmth versus one of technical precision. Sohnne uses natural textures and simple forms for a cozy, Scandinavian feel. Herman Miller showcases its advanced engineering through sleek, architectural, and timeless modern designs.
Why is Herman Miller so expensive?
Herman Miller's prices reflect a combination of factors: extensive scientific research and development, premium and durable materials, sophisticated engineering for ergonomic support, manufacturing in high-wage countries, and a robust 12-year warranty that guarantees a long product life.
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