Aero Mesh Office Chair: Flip-Up Arms, SGS Gas Lift, Five Colours
By Furniture1003 min read
The Aero is the chair for a spare room that has become an office. It is a proper mesh task chair with padded armrests that flip up, a rocking mode, and a gas lift tested by SGS, and it costs less than anything else in our office range. It is not pretending to be a piece of furniture. It is pretending to be a much more expensive office chair, and the reviews suggest it gets away with it.
What it is
A mesh-backed task chair on a heavy-duty five-point base with nylon castors. The backrest is curved polyester mesh, so air moves through it and your back does not stick to it in a warm room. The seat is a single piece of high-density foam.
The armrests are padded and flip up 90 degrees. That is the feature that matters in a small room: fold them up and the chair slides under the desk and out of the way.
The stated tests are unusual at this price. The gas lift is stated as SGS Grade 2 certified. The chair is stated to have passed a push-back test of 102kg and a static pressure test of 950kg. The page does not state a maximum user weight separately.
Who it suits
Anyone who sits at a desk for hours and wants their back to stay cool. Mesh does that and nothing else does. It suits a room that is a workspace rather than a living space, and it suits a budget.
It is the chair buyers describe rescuing them from kitchen chairs. One reviewer's husband started working from home on a dining chair and developed back pain; the Aero fixed it. Another had been "banished to the stool" while sharing one office chair and describes never having been more excited over a piece of furniture.
The five colours
The mesh and the seat are the same on all five. The frame colour is the choice.
- Black and white are the ones that fit any room.
- Blue, pink and purple are for a chair that is meant to be noticed. They are what people buy for a teenager's desk, or for a home office that is allowed a bit of colour.
What buyers say
"Firstly thanks to the manufacturers for the clear, easy to assemble instructions. Sorting the ironmongery into a clearly marked blister pack and supplying Allen keys made this a joy to build. I am 81 with arthritic hands."
"Highly recommend for anyone looking for a comfy cheap chair."
The build and the price are what come up. Nobody in the reviews describes it as a chair to admire; everybody describes it as a chair that solved a problem.
Living with it
Mesh wants a vacuum with the brush attachment; dust settles in the weave. The seat wipes. The castors are nylon and fine on carpet; on a hard floor use a mat.
Find yours
Free UK delivery and 30-day returns.
See the Aero in black, white, blue, pink or purple. If you want a chair that looks like furniture rather than equipment, read how to choose a home office chair that looks like furniture, or browse all the office chairs.
Frequently asked questions
What does the SGS Grade 2 gas lift mean?
SGS is an independent testing body, and the gas lift, the cylinder that raises and lowers the seat, is stated as certified to their Grade 2. It is the part of a cheap office chair that most often fails, so a tested one is the thing to look for at this price.
What are the 102kg and 950kg figures?
The product page states the chair passed a push-back test at 102kg and a static pressure test at 950kg. The first is the load on the backrest when someone leans hard; the second is a crush test on the structure. They are test results, not a user weight limit, and the page does not state a separate maximum user weight.
Why do the armrests flip up?
So the chair slides under a desk. Fold the arms up and the whole chair goes under a low desk or a table, which is what makes it work in a small room where the chair has to disappear when you are not working.
Is the Aero easy to build?
One reviewer, who is 81 with arthritic hands, described the build as a joy, with the fixings sorted into a labelled pack and Allen keys supplied. The instructions are consistently praised.
Which colour?
The frame colour is the difference; the mesh back and seat are the same chair. Black and white are the neutral ones. Blue, pink and purple are for a room where the chair is meant to be seen, and they are the ones that get bought for teenagers' desks.
