A mesh surface is not automatically longer lasting. Quite the contrary, actually:
Mesh is “less material per surface”. This means more stress is put on the strands than for a full cover upholstery.
Mesh is open, which over time means that dirt and grime will start gathering in the cushion beneath the mesh. This can end up pretty nasty over the years of heavy usage.
In the end, it’s always about proper materials: good quality foam exists and are used by some, but obviously it’s usually more expensive. Same for the surface material: there’s super cheap PVC leather that will start flaking off in weeks, and there’s high quality PVC leather that will last a decade. Or just go for real leather if you got the money. All of the closed surfaces have the advantage of being incredibly easy to clean and maintain: simply wipe them with a wet towel. For real leather, only a tiny bit of extra care is needed ( waxing ).
the cushion beneath the mesh.
Neither my wife’s chair nor my chair has a cushion underneath the mesh. It’s just plastic underneath the mesh, and you can easily wipe dust off the plastic.
This means more stress is put on the strands than for a full cover upholstery.
While that may be true, I’ve had more issues with foam chairs than mesh chairs.
There are some foam + upholstery chairs that are very good though, like the Steelcase Gesture (which rivals the Herman Miller Aeron).
