The Herman Miller has launched a new chair call Cosm. This is a special product from the brand since it’s designed to have as few adjustments as possible. Let’s see what’s unique about this chair through this Cosm chair review from FittingChairs.
Cosm chair review snapshot
Cosm chair review: What’s special about its design?
The Cosm chair was designed by Studio 7.5. The Studio is based in Berlin, Germany and has been in business since 1992.
Studio 7.5 spent years designing and refining the Cosm to get to the final version we see today.
According to Herman Miller, Cosm is “a design that creates a new reference point for instant, personalised comfort.”
Build quality
The Cosm was codenamed Flying Carpet before receiving its official name. As the aim of the project was to develop a chair that captured a feeling of weightlessness, similar to when you are flying.
The main attraction of the Cosm is its build quality and design. The shape and lines of the chair, along with the completely uniform color design, create one of the nicest looking office chairs in the market.
The Cosm uses light materials and features a minimalistic design, so it weighs only 40 pounds.
One of its key features is the ability to accommodate individual users automatically without the need for manual adjustment.
Materials
The mechanism is made from high-end aluminum. The chair frame, armrests and base are made from a combination of polymid and polypropylene materials.
The Suspension Mesh is composed of elastomeric and polyester.
All the components are high-end and fit together seamlessly. A system of teeth was implemented to blend the mesh into the frame as seamlessly as possible.
Leaf arms
Cosm’s arms also make it unique.
The use of suspension material over a solid form makes its Leaf arms an industry first.
The Leaf arms cradle the elbow, supporting its delicate nerves even in a variety of positions. Besides, the angle of the Leaf arms prevents them from colliding with work surfaces.
These arms are optional. For people who would rather have a more traditional chair arm, Cosm is also available with fixed arms and height-adjustable arms, as well as without arms.
Chair range
The Cosm is available in three height options in order to make it adaptable to the widest range of settings possible.
A low back that encourages casual conversation, and is possibly the most versatile in terms of application.
A mid back that provides the necessary shoulder support when needed.
And the popular high back, that is the total package, allowing users to relax.
Upholstery options
The Cosm is only available in Suspension Mesh with five colors to choose from: white, canyon, glacier, graphite and nightfall.
This includes the seat, back and leaf armrests.
Cosm chair review: How can it help you improve your health?
Keep reading the Cosm chair review to learn more about its features.
Seat comfort
Seat comfort is the first aspect of our Cosm chair review.
For the mesh seat, people seem to either like them or hate them. Mesh seats provide a unique feel because you are suspended but the feeling is often firm.
Some people are attracted towards this feeling while others do not.
A drawback of most mesh chairs is that the frame can be uncomfortable.
The frame on the seat of the Cosm is much better than Aeron, but it’s still a bit uncomfortable. If you lean far enough to one side, you will feel it.
Backrest support
One of the great things about the Cosm is the backrest.
Cosm is available at three back heights, making it useful in a variety of applications.
The backrest features Suspension Mesh, which is breathable, flexible and feels nice on your back.
The Cosm’s backrest has a really distinct curve, providing good lumbar support and good upper back support.
The backrest frame is made from a polymid that offers good flexibility. It allows you to shift and move around without being restricted by a rigid frame design.
The Cosm does not have a gap in between the seat and the back. It is one continuous piece instead. You can feel the support all the way through your thighs, buttocks, lower back and upper back.
Another unique feature of the Cosm chair is that the high back design gives you a nice headrest. It is flexible and soft. It offers a nice break if you want to kick back and relax.
Armrests
The next thing we want to mention in our Cosm chair review is its Leaf arms.
The Cosm is available in four arm options: standard loop arms, adjustable arms, leaf arms and without arms.
The Leaf arms’ design acts like a hammock. They allow you to rest your elbows in a few different positions.
The angle is designed the way it is for a few reasons. It allows the hammock to work for short and tall people.
They allow you to push your chair under your desk or table, without having to lower the arms or bang them into the desk.
Though they look really impressive, these arms are not adjustable. The arms on the Cosm are set pretty wide apart and they are tall. Not being able to adjust makes it difficult to task with.
The mesh material is not comfortable when it is directly on the skin of your elbow. So, the Leaf arms are not practical for tasking applications.
If you plan to use the Cosm chair for tasking or computing purposes, you should consider the fully adjustable arms instead of the Leaf arms.
Ergonomic adjustment
The Cosm was specifically designed to have as few adjustments as possible, so it did really poorly in ergonomic adjustments.
The chair only has pneumatic seat height adjustment. You cannot change the tension of the recline or lock the chair in place.
Instead, the Cosm has Auto-Harmonic Tilt, which instantly and automatically provides balanced support and movement, depending on your body and posture.
The Cosm has more of a rocking motion, similar to the Aeron and Embody.
One thing you should notice is that the Cosm will want to naturally rock you back a bit. The chair puts you in almost a mid-recline.
This is a comfortable position, but it won’t be the best choice for those who are looking to sit in a fully upright position.
You are not able to change the depth of the seat.
Cosm chair review: Customer reviews
Let’s see the Cosm chair reviews from customers on Herman Miller Store.
Positive Cosm chair reviews
A review from Lia L.: “Beautiful and comfortable.”
I work on the computer for long hours and I always have a hard time adjusting a chair, no matter what I try, something always feels wrong. I am not a tall person and I could never find a chair that was the right fit for me. I was a bit skeptical but decided to try the Cosm chair.
On the first day, I felt like there was some sort of adjusRead more about I work on the computer for long hourstment missing to make it feel right. After a couple of days, I got used to the chair and it’s not perfect! It’s hard to believe a chair with no adjustments can feel like this. It significantly alleviated my back pain and my posture is better.
I ordered my chair the leaf arm and to be honest, I am still getting used to it. The idea is great for people who don’t rely on the arms for typing, all I need is something to support my elbows. However, the arms are too far so I usually only use one at a time. While I really like how bouncy the mesh feels, it can be a bit harsh on the skin after a while (even when wearing long sleeves).
Show more +Amanda K.: “Absolutely gorgeous chair!”
Beautiful colour, extremely comfortable. Perfect ergonomic chair-superior back support.
Show more +Negative reviews
Christian K: “Great chair but those arm rests.”
The mesh arm rests are horrid if you intend to actually ever use them. Rest of the chair is fantastic.
Show more +Steven M.: “Unacceptable!”
Ship dates inaccurate and not as advertised.
Multiple delays in the orders.
Wrong chair arrived.
Getting money refunded was time consuming and labor intensive.
Customer service department cannot fix simple issues like returning your money or providing delivery estimates on back orders.
The whole experience was a nightmare.
Cosm chair review: Should you buy Herman Miller Cosm?
The Herman Miller Cosm chair has a lot of good things to go for, but it’s not a great chair if you like adjustments.
The Cosm is a chair that you buy for the look of the chair and the overall quality that you are getting. There is no chair that has the design that the Cosm has.
The chair has good support for your lower and upper back. It also comes with a great warranty ensuring that you’ll get 12 full years of use out of your Cosm chair.
If you are trying for the best looking chair and do not need to be tasking, then the leaf arms can be a great option.
But if you are going to be tasking, then go with the fully adjustable arms.
The Cosm pushes the boundaries of what a task chair is capable of. The features, functionality, and new age design are definitely something to invest in.
However, the price of the chair in the current market is expensive for many users.
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Hope that you now have a deeper look at the Cosm through this Cosm chair review. Good luck with your purchase! And don’t forget to come back to FittingChairs for more updates.
