Best Office Chairs Europe

Herman Miller Embody vs Haworth Fern

A side-by-side reading of the manufacturers' own European data. Where one chair's published spec is better, it is marked; where data is missing, we say so.

Updated By The Best Office Chairs Europe editorial team28 sources

Herman Miller Embody and Haworth Fern side by side, to scaleSchematic side views at the same scale. Herman Miller Embody: seat 406–521 mm. Haworth Fern: seat 420–540 mm. Lime band: EN 1335 Type A, 400–520 mm.020040060080010001200521406AEmbodyHerman Miller · seat 406–521 mm540420BFernHaworth · seat 420–540 mmSAME SCALE · MM · LIME BAND: EN 1335 TYPE A
Schematic side views at the same scale, from each maker's published seat height, seat depth and overall height. Dashed outlines: highest seat setting.

The short answer

Both chairs have registered European EPDs.

On published specifications, the Embody leads on lowest seat (shorter users), warranty; the Fern leads on seat-height span, highest seat (taller users), max. user weight, EN 1335 declared, lowest official price found, Spec Index.

The Fern is made in Portugal and Poland and declares EN 1335-1:2020; the Embody is made in the UK and declares BIFMA testing.

Side by side

● marks the better published value on rows where "better" is measurable. Blank: not published.
SpecificationHerman Miller EmbodyHaworth Fern
Seat height406–521 mm420–540 mm
Seat-height span115 mm120 mm
Lowest seat (shorter users)406 mm420 mm
Highest seat (taller users)521 mm540 mm
EN 1335 Types spannedType B, Type CType B, Type C
Seat depth381–457 mm395–483 mm
Seat depth adjustmentStandardnot published
Max. user weight136 kg150 kg
Warranty12 years10 years
EN 1335 declaredNoYes
Third-party EPDYesYes
Made for Europe inMelksham, United KingdomQueluz de Baixo (PT) and Cyprianów (PL), Portugal / Poland
Made inside the EUNoYes
Lowest official price found€2,120 (Germany)£990 (United Kingdom)
Spec Index58/10072/100

Fit: which bodies each chair suits

Seat height decides whether your feet reach the floor with your thighs level. The bars show each chair's published range against the four EN 1335-1:2020 Types. Work out your own target with the office chair height calculator.

Seat-height range compared with EN 1335-1:2020 types EN 1335 Type Ax: 400–540 mm; EN 1335 Type A: 400–520 mm; EN 1335 Type B: 420–510 mm; EN 1335 Type C: 430–480 mm; Embody: 406–521 mm; Fern: 420–540 mm 380420460500540580620660 EN 1335 Type Ax EN 1335 Type A EN 1335 Type B EN 1335 Type C Embody 406–521 Fern 420–540
Seat height in mm, loaded seat. Grey bars: the range each EN 1335-1:2020 Type must cover. Black bars: the manufacturer’s published range.

Embody: Standard cylinder, 406–521 mm (16–20½ in) per the Herman Miller Store. The EMEA product sheet gives 432–559 mm: 'Extended Height Range' (EMEA sheet)

Fern: Haworth store; EU page: 40-53 cm (Type A), 42-54 cm (Type B); EU product sheet drawings show 400-530, 410-530 and 420-540 mm by variant

Adjustments

Adjustments
AdjustmentHerman Miller EmbodyHaworth Fern
Seat depth adjustmentStandardnot published
Backrest height adjustmentnot publishednot published
Lumbar supportnot publishedAdjustable in height
Armrestsnot publishedOption (adjustment type not published)
Recline tensionnot publishedManual adjustment
Recline lockSeveral positionsSeveral positions
Forward seat tiltnot publishedOption
Headrestnot publishedOption

Prices in Europe

Official brand-store prices by country, including VAT, for the configuration each store lists. Checked on the dates shown.

Prices by market
MarketEmbodyFern
Belgium€2,156–
Switzerland–1,350 CHF
Germany€2,120€1,250
Denmark16,650 DKK9,530 DKK
Spain€2,156€1,250
Finland€2,303–
France€2,138€1,250
Ireland–€1,250
Italy–€1,250
Netherlands€2,156€1,250
Poland–5,569 PLN
Sweden25,060 SEK14,181 SEK
United Kingdom£1,845£990

For euro conversions, VAT-free comparisons and every market at once, use the EU price comparator.

Some links on this page are commercial.

Spec Index

Points for what each maker publishes, using the same rules for every chair. A missing figure scores zero, so a low score can mean "not published" rather than "worse".

Spec Index: computed from published specifications only (rules). Not a comfort rating or a test result.
CriterionHerman Miller EmbodyHaworth Fern
Adjustability / 401217
Seat-height range vs EN 1335 type A / 201916.7
Load and standards disclosure / 15615
Warranty / 10108.3
Environmental disclosure / 151115
Spec Index / 1005872

More detail

Sources

  1. Herman Miller Store: Embody dimensions (seat height 16–20½ in): store.hermanmiller.com/office-chairs/embody-chair/4737.html
  2. Herman Miller UK - Embody: www.hermanmiller.com/en_gb/products/seating/office-chairs/embody-chairs/
  3. Embody EMEA product sheet en-GB (PDF): www.hermanmiller.com/content/dam/hermanmiller/documents/product_literature/product_sheets/
  4. Embody -EU EPD-IES-0035146: www.environdec.com/library/epd35146
  5. Haworth EU - Fern: www.haworth.com/eu/en/products/executive-chairs/fern.html
  6. Fern EU product sheet 2024 (PDF): www.haworth.com/content/dam/digital/eu/docs/products/haworth/chairs/fern/fern_product-shee
  7. Fern TÜV GS certificate 2026 (PDF): www.haworth.com/content/dam/digital/eu/docs/products/haworth/chairs/fern/fern_certificate_
  8. Fern Task Seating (EMEA) EPD-IES-0012458: www.environdec.com/library/epd12458
  9. Herman Miller Store (Belgium & Luxembourg) (BE): eustore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
  10. Herman Miller Store DE (DE): destore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
  11. Herman Miller Store FR (FR): frstore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
  12. Herman Miller Store NL (NL): nlstore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
  13. Herman Miller Store ES (ES): esstore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
  14. Herman Miller Store FI (FI): fistore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
  15. Herman Miller Store SE (SE): sestore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
  16. Herman Miller Store DK (DK): dkstore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
  17. Herman Miller Store UK (UK): ukstore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
  18. Haworth Store (DE) (DE): shopping.haworth.com/products/fern-office-chair
  19. Haworth Store (FR) (FR): shopping.haworth.com/en-fr/products/fern-office-chair
  20. Haworth Store (NL) (NL): shopping.haworth.com/en-nl/products/fern-office-chair
  21. Haworth Store (IT) (IT): shopping.haworth.com/en-it/products/fern-office-chair
  22. Haworth Store (ES) (ES): shopping.haworth.com/en-es/products/fern-office-chair
  23. Haworth Store (IE) (IE): shopping.haworth.com/en-ie/products/fern-office-chair
  24. Haworth Store (UK) (UK): shopping.haworth.com/en-gb/products/fern-ergonomic-office-chair-uk
  25. Haworth Store (SE) (SE): shopping.haworth.com/en-se/products/fern-office-chair
  26. Haworth Store (DK) (DK): shopping.haworth.com/en-dk/products/fern-office-chair
  27. Haworth Store (PL) (PL): shopping.haworth.com/en-pl/products/fern-office-chair
  28. Haworth Store (CH) (CH): shopping.haworth.com/de-ch/products/fern-ergonomischer-burostuhl

All sources checked 20 October 2026. Where a manufacturer does not publish a value, we say so rather than estimate it.

Cite this page

Best Office Chairs Europe, “Herman Miller Embody vs Haworth Fern”, https://bestofficechairs.eu/compare/embody-vs-fern/, updated .