How to Replace Herman Miller Embody Arm Pads

The Embody's arm pads are soft, and after a few years of daily use they often crack along the top or flatten at the elbow. Each pad is held on by two screws, one at the front and one at the back, and you do not need to take the arm off the chair to change it.

Which pads do I need?

We sell two Embody pads, and both fit the same way:

• Genuine Herman Miller Embody arm pads: original Herman Miller parts, supplied with four new screws.
• Embody replacement arm pads: a lower-cost compatible pad. Reuse the screws already in your chair.

Both fit the Embody only. They are shaped left and right, so check which is which before you start.

What you will need

• A Torx T20 screwdriver or bit.
• A towel or blanket, if you want to lay the chair on its side.

Step by step

1. Raise the arm to its highest setting, or lay the chair on its side on a towel, so you can see under the pad.
2. Undo the front and back screws with the T20 driver and keep them safe.
3. Lift the old pad off the arm.
4. Place the new pad on the arm. Make sure it is the correct side and that both holes line up.
5. Start both screws by hand, then tighten them.
6. Stop as soon as they are snug. Herman Miller gives a low figure for these screws (15 inch-pounds, under 2 Nm), which is about as tight as you can get with two fingers on the screwdriver. Any more and the plastic can crack.
7. Repeat on the other arm.

Good to know

• If an old screw is rusty or its head is chewed, the genuine set comes with fresh screws.
• A pad that squeaks or shifts after fitting nearly always has one screw not fully home. Undo both, line the pad up again and refit.

Not sure, or stuck?

Email a photo of your chair and the underside of the arm to info@hmchairs.co.uk and we will tell you which pads fit. If you would rather not do it yourself, our chair repair service can fit them for you.

Got a different chair? See how to replace office chair arm pads for the other models we stock pads for.