Sayl Chair by Herman Miller

Designed by Yves Béhar

Need a chair today? Check out the Sayl Chairs we have in stock here. If you don't see a color or option here, please call our sales team at (800) 260-8420 for additional product selections!

Designed with a nod to suspension bridges - structures that deliver the most using the least material - the Sayl office chair combines high style, responsive support, and pioneering environmental responsibility.

Inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge, the Sayl® work chair makes a big impact with a small footprint. Its unique unframed back features elastomer strands that are stretched to provide the greatest tension where support is needed and less in areas that benefit from a greater range of motion. Speaking of motion, Sayl also features Harmonic Tilt technology, offering sitters a sense of balanced movement and support as they make moves throughout the workday. Plus, with no PVCs used, Sayl is up to 90% recyclable at the end of its long life.

Available in six colors in two configurations 

• Our Adjustable model features
  • Suspension Back
  • Tilt Limiter
  • Fully Adjustable Arms
  • Adjustable Seat Depth
  • Adjustable Lumbar
  • Multi-Floor Caster
• Our Basic model features
  • Suspension Back
  • Tilt Limiter
  • Fixed Arms
  • Fixed Seat Depth
  • Multi-Floor Caster

Product Highlights

• Ventilated elastomer back flexes with your body and permits free air circulation.
• Harmonic Tilt supports the way you naturally move for a smooth and balanced recline.
• To assemble, simply lock the seat into the base – no tools required.
• 90% recyclable (shipped as two pieces in a box that’s half the chair’s size for minimal impact).
• Supportive upholstered seat.
• 12-year warranty.

Design Features

• 3D Intelligent back features elastomer strands that provide tension where support is needed, and ease of movement where you need to be more flexible.
• Ventilated back keeps you cool with exceptional airflow.
• Contoured seat pad made of supportive injection-molded foam provides lasting comfort.
• Harmonic Tilt technology offers balanced support for your body while you move.
• Seat cushion upholstered in either Rhythm or Crepe material. Call for more options!

Sayl’s unframed 3D Intelligent back features elastomer strands that are stretched to provide the greatest tension at points where support is needed and the least in areas that allow for the most expansive range of motion.

Dimensions & Measurements

• Overall Width: 24.5”
• Back Height: 33.75” to 40.75”
• Seat Width: 19.75”
• Seat Height: 15.5” to 20”
• Seat Depth: 26”
• Arm Height: 24” to 29”
• Product Weight 54 lbs

Shipping Information

Visit our Shipping and Delivery page to learn more.

• Packaging Dimensions: 40.5” x 28” x 28.5”
• Package Weight: 68 lbs

Product Options

Tilt

• Tilt Limiter limits the recline range to one of three settings: slight, mid-, and full-recline. The tilt tension control lets you adjust the amount of effort needed to recline comfortably while feeling balanced and supported.
• Tilt Limiter with Seat Angle Adjustment: Limits the recline range to one of three settings: slight, mid-, and full-recline. The tilt tension control lets you adjust the amount of effort needed to recline comfortably while feeling balanced and supported. Seat Angle Adjustment changes the angle of the seat from horizontal to a 5-degree forward tilt for people who sit at a slightly forward angle as they work.

Lumbar Support

• Fixed lumbar support offers stationary support in the lumbar region of your back and also includes built in passive PostureFit (molded into the backrest), which properly supports the base of your spine, or sacral region, helping your pelvis maintain a natural forward tilt.
• Adjustable Lumbar Support: The adjustable lumbar support adjusts vertically over a 4 inch range to support the natural curve of your midback, or lumbar region. In addition, there is built in passive PostureFit (molded into the backrest), which properly supports the base of your spine, or sacral region, helping your pelvis maintain a natural forward tilt.

Seat Depth

• Fixed Seat Depth: Seat pan is fixed at 16 inches and cannot be adjusted.
• Adjustable Seat Depth: Seat pan adjusts from a depth of 16 inches to 18 inches to fully support your thighs without putting pressure on the back of your knees.

Arm Adjustability

• Fixed Arms: Arms are set at 9.4 inches above the seat and cannot be adjusted. Ideal for short term use areas like conference rooms, multi-guest workspaces, and more.
• Height Adjustable Arms: Height Adjustable Arms adjust from 6.8 inches to 10.8 inches above the seat. This gives you the ability to support your arms at a comfortable height without straining your shoulders.
• Adjustable Arms: Adjustable Arms feature 4-way adjustable armpads that can be adjusted 4 inches vertically (6.8 inches to 10.8 inches from the seat to the top of the armpad), 1.25 inches horizontally, 2 inches front to back, and a pivot range of 11 degrees inward and 11 degrees outward.

Casters

• Casters for Carpet: Designed for use on low- to medium-pile carpet, such as commercial or Berber, this 2.5-inch diameter caster has wheels of durable black nylon.
• Casters for Hard Floor or Carpet: A versatile caster that can be used on hard surfaces such as wood, ceramic tile, vinyl tile, or carpeted floors, it is 2.5 inches in diameter and is made of durable black nylon with a soft polyurethane tread. The Soft tread gives the chair better traction and reduces noise on hard surfaces.

Product Brochure

Sayl Chair Product Brochure

DESIGNERS

Yves Béhar

Yves Béhar is a thinker. And one thing he thinks about a lot is the future. You can see it in his designs—from his reflective red-lacquered laptop for Toshiba to his elegant closed-toe Footprints for Birkenstock to his refined Aliph Jawbone Headset for cell phones. “I believe design’s purpose is not only to show us the future, but to bring us the future,” he states.

The founder of fuseproject (“dedicated to the emotional experience of brands through storytelling”), Béhar has been exploring the design world since his childhood in Switzerland. “In Europe, it is double nature to evaluate objects based on how they work and how they look,” he explains.

Béhar grew up in a bicultural home, influenced by his East German mother and Turkish father. “One is functional and modernist and the other, expressive and poetic,” he says. “I always try to marry the two in my projects."

For a relatively young designer, he has had a remarkable career. A graduate of the Art Center College of Design, he started out working with high tech Silicon Valley clients such as Apple and Hewlett Packard, eventually gravitating into the sport, apparel, technology, and furniture arenas.

“In Europe, it is double nature to evaluate objects based on how they work and how they look” - Yves Béhar

One of the countless magazine articles written about Béhar called him “the multi-disciplinary designer of our time.” His long list of awards includes the prestigious National Design Award from the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum, where his work is part of their permanent collection.

In 2004 he had two solo exhibitions, one at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the other at the Musee de Design et D’arts Appliques Contemporains in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“When working with clients, my philosophy is to connect emotionally through ideas and content rather than style,” says Béhar. “It’s less about this or that aesthetic and more about meaningful conversations where people come to agreement in terms of approach and direction.”

His collaboration with Herman Miller came about through one such conversation. An admirer of Charles and Ray Eames, Béhar decided he wanted to do something for the company himself. “Design is very much at the center of Herman Miller’s culture,” he says. “So one day I just picked up the phone, called them, and said, ‘Let’s work together.’”

Four years later, Herman Miller introduced his two brilliantly innovative lighting products, Leaf and Ardea.

Given the wide range of products he works on, it would seem that Béhar might have a hard time escaping thoughts of design. Not at all, he says. “I have many outside interests that keep me balanced. For example, I love surfing, windsurfing, and snowboarding. So I spend a lot of time in the natural world, too.”

As for his future, Béhar says he’s very content designing products for companies who are “looking for departure, change, transformation. I’m continually excited working with people who want to move forward into the future and onto the next generation.”

From all indications, this is the man who can take them there.

About Herman Miller

Founded in West Michigan in 1905, Herman Miller has grown to become a world-recognized furniture brand. As a design leader and furniture innovator, they’ve partnered with some of the most influential and iconic designers of the 20th century—designers like Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi, Alexander Girard and more. In doing so, they’ve produced pieces that have become classics of industrial design, many of which are featured on permanent display in museums like the New York Museum of Contemporary Art (MoMA).

Herman Miller continued that legacy in 1994 by partnering with designers Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick. They went about developing an office chair unlike any before it. Bringing together the latest in ergonomic research and design, they developed the legendary Classic Aeron chair, the best selling office chair in the world.

Today, Herman Miller continues that tradition of design forward thinking and innovation. Partnering with the next generation of industrial designers—such as Studio 7.5 and Yves Behar— as they tackle the ergonomic and anthropometric challenges we face in today’s modern work life.

An Official Herman Miller Retailer

We're an authorized Herman Miller retailer. This means we're official. We sell new factory-direct chairs complete with Herman Miller's own 12-year warranty. You can purchase confidently from Smart Furniture knowing you'll be receiving genuine Herman Miller product.

Herman Miller Warranty

General Warranty

Care Instructions

Normal cleaning: Wash surface with a soft cloth soaked in mild detergent and warm water. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft cloth. Do not use solvents or abrasive kitchen cleaners.

For more detailed incructions, please see the following:

Sayl Chair Care Instructions

• Is Herman Miller Sayl comfortable?
  • Sayl’s unframed 3D Intelligent back lets you stretch and move, striking a healthy balance between support, freedom and comfort.
• When did the Herman Miller Sayl come out?
  • 2010
• What is the weight capacity of Herman Miller SAYL?
  • The weight capacity for the Sayl chair is 350lbs.
• Is the Sayl chair good for tall people?
  • SAYL is best suited for users under 6.1".
• Does Herman Miller Sayl have lumbar support?
  • An optional lumbar support is available on both work chair models and provides adjustment over a 4-inch (10 cm) range.
• What is a good seat height for a tall person with the Sayl?
  • SAYL is recommended for users under 6.1".
• What is a good seat height for a short person with the Sayl?
  • Move the seat up or down until your feat are flat on the floor, giving you an anchor point.
• Why you should sit in a Sayl?
  • The Sayl office chair combines high style, responsive support, and pioneering environmental responsibility. Good design, healthy support, and exceptional value are always attractive—and Sayl delivers all three.
• Who this the Sayl good for?
  • Sayl is perfect for anyone who appreciates value, good design, comfort, and environmental responsibility.
• Testimonials from our clients about the Sayl?
  • Great chair. Highly adjustable and comfortable for all day use
  • Love my new Sayl chair. My back feels hugged and supported during many hours of work from home.
  • You can literally sit in this chair for hours and nothing starts to ache. I did buy the extra lumbar support and I'm so glad I did!