Herman Miller Sayl Review: The Hard Truth About the Sayl Chair!

by Andrew Smith| Last Updated: March 24, 2022

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Herman Miller Sayl Review

I know quality and comfort top the list when choosing a good ergonomic chair. But frankly, no one wants to buy a smoggy chair. We, therefore, cannot ignore the fact that eye-catching design matters, too.  It’s for this reason the Herman Miller Sayl Review comes to play.

The Sayl task chair was designed by Yves Béhar, who is a top designer of office chairs. Trying to balance durability, quality, style, and comfort, Yves came up with a unique chair highly regarded by short people.

But what exactly is a SAYL chair? Is it comfortable? Does it have lumbar support? And how do you adjust this chair? After carefully reading the review below, you’ll get all the answers to your questions.

So, grab some pop-corns as I discuss the Sayl chair, which is also suitable for gamers.

Table of Contents

What is a SAYL chair?

Herman Miller Sayl Chair, Crepe Licorice

Sayl chair is one unique product designed with professional gamers and office users in mind. With its designer picking its design from the Golden Gate Bridge, it will be ‘love at first sight’ once you see the Sayl chair. It features no frame, and the freedom you get from it is remarkable, not to mention the support it gives.

Yves Béhar invented Sayl after he attained 40 years. Remarkable! Yves wanted to design a chair that would be:

Yves was challenged after noticing how the Golden Gate Bridge carried so much weight without ever breaking down. He knew that it was possible to design a seat that would be simple, with less material but still hold 300 pounds.

Several times, Yves and his team tried to design the seat but failed time and again. Hard work pays, theirs did! Eventually, Herman Miller Sayl office chair was born. Better put, a chair with minimal material yet is expressive, gorgeous, and tactile.

Herman Miller Sayl Review: Should You Buy It?

So, apart from the sleek design, is there anything else to celebrate about the Sayl chair? Yes, there are more features than you can imagine.

Let’s discuss.

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Comfort

While it may not offer total comfort like the Herman Miller Aeron alternatives, this model is great for short dudes with a lower budget. The soft mesh is not only durable but also comfortable for short dudes.  Being a rubber mesh, the backrest doesn’t hurt when you lean on it all day. However, the seat is not what I would want to announce in this long-awaited Sayl chair review.

Why? The shallow padding is not friendly to your butts if you sit for more than 8 hours a day. So, even though the unframed 3-D intelligent back may be captivating, the seat may need some more modification by the manufacturer.

That’s not to say that the seat is a total scrap, not really. It’s fairly padded. Moreover, on average, it is firm and may not deflate even after a 365-days use. So, it’s still worth it.

Size

Since it takes the least space in your office; Sayl chair is suitable for all big and small offices.  Just push the chair under your working table and leave a well-organized office whenever you’re leaving for home.

Unfortunately, this is not the chair for the big people. Also, tall individuals may not get proper comfort from this chair. Here’s why. Its backrest could be too small for them. Consequently, they may not get enough support, which may cause body strains when working.

Not sure what measurement Sayl office chair features? The table below has the answers:

Width24.5 inches
Seat Height15.5 – 20 inches
General Height33.75 – 40.75 inches
Depth16 – 18 inches

3-D Design

Not only is the Herman Miller Sayl chair less bulky, but it also offers unlimited comfort. The tower support and the 3-D intelligent back enhance a consistent healthy sitting angle throughout the day.

A unique and most sought-for design; ventilated elastomer back, is what makes this chair a pick-and-buy product. So, there is great air circulation in your back all day long. Besides, the signature airy backrest flexes with your natural body posture. In the long run, you get the exact comfort you need to stay productive. Sayl chair back also gives you optimum freedom whenever you move without lowering the support it is meant to give you.

Colors

Herman Miller Sayl Chair, Cherry Crepe/Studio White

Commonly sold in white and red colors, HM Sayl office chair is also available in other colors. So, when making your order, be sure to specify if you want the blue, red, white, green, and grey chair.

Choose the right color based on your most favorite color or the colors of your office.

Fixed and Adjustable Model

Herman Miller Sayl Chair, Cherry Crepe/Studio White

What’s your best selection, a fixed or adjustable Sayl chair? From the Herman Miller Sayl chair review, you can find the best option according to your height. Sadly, whether you pick the fixed or adjustable model, if you’re tall, then you might still not get the right comfort from Sayl since its backrest is still too short for some users.

Short guys, though, can get the most out of both models. Even so, there is more in the adjustable model than there is in the fixed one.

With this model, you can easily adjust the back and get sufficient Sayl lumbar support. If I were to use one word to define the adjustable feature of Sayl, I would say it is versatile.

Let me explain. HM Sayl chair allows adjustment of the seat pan in many ways. You can adjust the seat pan downwards or upwards. The seat depth, too, is not fixed; change it to 18 inches from 16 inches.

What’s more? You can also pivot the small, comfortable armrests as well as move them back or forward. Else, move them up or down.

With different limiters to set different angles as you wish, the Sayl chair also titles back without much effort from you. While the adjustable model is versatile, it also comes at an extra cost.

Assembly

While we may not have any issue assembling a product we ordered, time may not allow at times. This is where a prebuilt chair means gold to us. Such is the Sayl task chair. Anyone, even those who are not mathematicians, would correctly estimate that 98 percent of the assembly is done before shipping the chair.

So, you’ll only take care of 2 percent, which is the assembly of the top of the base. That’s definitely good news, isn’t it? Therefore, with only 4 to 5 minutes in your hands, you’ll be done with the task and have the chair all well set up for work.

Besides, the manual guide is straightforward to follow, just in case you get stuck during the installation process.

Get ready, though, and expect a huge box when this chair finally arrives. And that might equally attract a higher cost during shipping. But if there’s no assembly, there is also less chance of sending the chair back due to mishandling when doing the installation. So, I would rather deal with a huge box than send the chair back for repair due to my own carelessness.

Recyclable Parts

No doubt, Herman Miller Sayl ergonomic office chair is not a throwaway chair. It is worth every coin. Take into consideration, 90 percent of this chair is recyclable. So, don’t throw it away once it gets too old to be good for office work; just think about what you can design from its parts. Especially with the mesh backrest, you could develop an excellent asset for home or office use.

As if that is not enough, Sayl chair has the Cradle to Cradle Silver Certification. This also means that even the parts you’ll use in your DIY task, they’ll have no adverse environmental impacts. Therefore, it’s safe for use.

Casters

If you use a carpet in your office, Sayl casters will do you good. The 2.5 inches casters may, however, not be ideal for hard floorings. So, in case you need hard flooring casters, you might have to incur an extra cost.

Otherwise, the carpet casters are strong and move freely without calling for an extra hand to move your seat.

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Features

What Other Customers Say

A client from the United States gave a genuine Herman Miller Sayl review after making a purchase. To him, this chair was all he needed. Being content with his purchase, he noted that the chair has an adjustable seat depth, lumbar support, and 2.5 inches casters, which are good for carpet flooring. He further indicated that a Sayl’s comfort is equivalent to that of other office chairs.

Probably, even better than some of them! Be careful, though, with the demo video; some other clients noted that the chairs in the demo have more parts than what they’re buying.  I would, therefore, recommend you consider only the features in the above Sayl review to be true.

What I Like

What I don’t Like

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How Comfortable Is The SAYL Chair?

The seat pad may be too shallow for the Sayl to beat some of the alternatives you’ll get in the market. But talking about the backrest, arms, and lumbar support, then SAYL is a comfortable chair. Considering its well-meshed back, you can’t go wrong by picking it as a gaming or office chair.

Lucy, who bought her chair in 2020, said that her Sayl chair couldn’t beat the other office chairs which she had used. She mentioned that she had used the HM alternatives and Steelcase chairs. Yet, none of them supported her entire body as the Sayl chair did. 

It felt like the chair gave her a hug that left her totally relaxed. Indeed, hers was a good Herman Miller Sayl review that is convincing enough.

How Do You Adjust A SAYL Chair?

Say, 1, 2, 3. It’s as simple as you said.

Simply follow the easy-to-do steps below:

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FAQs

Does the SAYL chair have lumbar support?

Yes, the SAYL chair has lumbar support. But not every Sayl chair has it. It all depends on your selection, and of course, the lumbar attracts a higher cost. Some customers who bought this chair without lumbar support said they were just fine with it as it still offered the support they needed. So, though the lumbar may be worth it, not everyone may need it if they get all they need in a Sayl chair that doesn’t have one.

Is SAYL lumbar support worth it?

The lumbar support is definitely worth it. Most clients have reported that it eased the pain in their backs and neck. Take, for example, ‘John’, who bought this chair in 2020 and was highly impressed by the lumbar. 

He said that the lumbar was great and the back support, too. He further said that it works just fine.

How do you lower a SAYL chair?

You lower the SAYL chair by moving the pad up or down as you want. You will see the pad behind the Y-tower of the backrest.

To ensure that you’re in the right posture; your spine should have total comfort and feel relaxed while you sit. You need to adjust the lumbar height to achieve this.

Even so, if you’re using the upholstered Herman Miller Sayl task chair, then you should see the lumbar lever right behind the Y-Tower.

Are SAYL chairs good?

SAYL chairs are good. But how did I get to this conclusion? It’s simple. The Sayl, which is known as an ergonomic chair, is comfortable and uniquely designed. While it’s not ‘good’ to everyone, most gamers and 9-5 office workers report that they loved it.

You could consider looking at the Sayl gaming chair review to see what professional games said about it. One client, not a gamer, said that her back pains began to lower after only one week of use. It’s incredibly true, Sayl chair is good!

How could I forget to mention that the chair ranks for its amazing airflow enhanced by the mesh back? I thought you should know!

Also read:

Top 3 Herman Miller Sayl Alternative
Why Are Herman Miller Chairs So Expensive?

What’s The Closing Line About The Sayl Chair?

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This is a tried and tested chair! The Herman Miller Sayl review from past customers was 100 percent genuine.  While it does not fit in the ‘low’ budget category, it is much more affordable than most chairs you will find in the market.

Even though the seat may not have thick padding, it retains its original shape even after several months of use. Sayl task chair has great lumbar support and is also customizable to benefit every user.

Besides, its catchy design gives every office a conspicuous appearance that grabs the attention of everyone. Therefore, if you’re 6 inches tall and want a chair that has a low seat back, grab this one just now!

Author

  • Andrew Smith

    Andrew Smith is the founder of CozySeating, is a father of 2, and an engineer from one of the leading furniture stores in the country. Due to his 10 years of experience, he has proved to be the best person to offer advice to clients regarding different seating furniture based on their needs and performance. Besides, he is a specialist in product reviews and always keeps up with the current trends in the market.

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