It is a very good chair. The build quality is fantastic and stylistically it still holds up.
It is truly a "lounge chair" though - almost a semi-recliner. I rarely use it if it's a social situation because it sits back so far. It's amazing for relaxing and watching TV or a movie though.
I'm assuming the quality has held up. I've never tried a knock off.
You will probably be able to tell the difference in the feel of the materials and the design details between the HM and replica. I've sat in a few different versions of replicas and the original and they are all very comfortable. The replicas are lower quality, you might not have them for 50 years, they might die earlier, they are after all a 'skin-job'.
If you're really thinking about it, do consider the resale value as part of investment, nice used examples fetch $3500-4000. If the classic Black and Walnut is your style that will probably be the easiest to recoup if you decide it's not for you.
Watch DWR or Hive they some times have 10% off sales that will at least save you the taxes or shipping depending where you live.
I like the design and it fits me, but it's worth pointing out the lack of adjustment. Unless you want a purely decorative chair, I recommend finding someone with one you can test drive.
The seller I bought the knockoff from has since evaporated, so that's another potential concern if it ever needs repairs.
But I need to have a table or some other surface nearby to place a drink and a notebook.
I ask because the lockdown has me fantasizing about distracting myself with replacement stuff for the home.
But this chair is freakin $5000. Is it that good to be worth it? Or are any of those $1000 knockoffs acceptable quality?
[1] https://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/lounge-seating...