Steelcase Leap Chair – Average User Rating: 
The Steelcase Leap chair is the most popular ergonomic chair from workplace products maker Steelcase. Price-wise, the Leap is middle of the road, at least as far as high-end ergonomic office chairs go. What really grabbed our attention, though, was the Steelcase Leap chair’s impressive feature list. We’ve spent some time with the Leap. Here’s what we thought.
Comfort & Adjustability Of The Steelcase Leap Chair
Don’t be surprised if, when you first sit down in a Steelcase Leap chair, it feels like you’re on some sort of “enhanced interrogation” device. This is because, by default, the Leap comes at its hardest, most rigid settings. With a few quick adjustments, you’ll get an idea as to just how comfortable the Leap can be.
If there’s one thing that our experience with ergonomic office chairs has taught us, it’s that adjustability is the key to comfort. The Steelcase Leap chair is the most adjustable chair we’ve come across, and therefore, although individual results may vary, we feel confident in saying that the Leap is the most comfortable chair on the market. The Leap allows you to adjust, among other things, the seat height and depth, the firmness of the lower back, the rigidity of the upper back, and the height, width, depth and angle of the arms.
Each of the adjustable areas have a large number of possible settings, and if you’re determined to find the absolute best fit, it’s likely to take a lot of tweaking. The comfort payoff is well worth the time, though.
The Steelcase Leap chair has some other really nice features that help to enhance comfort, too; the materials and design of the Leap allow it to breathe more than most other chairs, so you don’t get any major heat accumulation problems. Not unlike a high-quality mattress, the Leap’s back will adapt to the shape of your back in order to provide optimal support. Also, rather than jerking or bumping back like some chairs, the Leap reclines smoothly, and the seat moves in concert with the back when you recline, so that your line of vision and reach remain constant even as you lean back.
The Steelcase Leap chair is available in several different versions, making it appropriate for just about any situation. These include the standard work chair, a stool version with foot ring (appropriate for drafting), the work chair with headrest, and the recliner-style WorkLounge version with optional Ottoman.
The only real complaint we have about the Leap is that, unlike some other models, it doesn’t allow you to add on a headrest as an option later on, so if you think you might want a headrest, you’ll have to make sure to get the headrest-equipped version to begin with.
Quality & Reliability Of The Steelcase Leap Chair
Steelcase products are generally known for durability, and the Leap carries on in this tradition. Needless to say, we like the Steelcase lifetime warranty, but chances are, you won’t end up relying on it too much. The quality of the Steelcase leap chair is evident right out of the box, as the Leap has very few unnecessary moving parts or exposed screws or bolts. We certainly didn’t see any signs of degradation in our time with the Leap, and many consumers report that past versions of the Leap have withstood upwards of 10 years of heavy use.
Style Of The Steelcase Leap Chair
Not only is the fit of the Steelcase Leap chair deeply customizable, but so is its appearance. You can choose from a good variety of frame colors and materials – you even have the option of using your own material where available. Overall, the Leap may not be quite as sleek-looking as some more expensive chairs, but with the choices available, you’re likely to be able to come up with a combination that blends into your office setting.
Conclusion
The combination of quality, comfort, and value offered by the Steelcase Leap chair makes it the best chair on the market, in our opinion. The key feature of the Leap is its adjustability, which should allow anyone, regardless of preferences, to find the perfect fit.
Consumer Comments (from Amazon)
“Best work chair ever” – Troy J Olsen
“Better than Aeron” – Jimmy K
“The armrests are the best of any chair I know of.” – J. Wombacher
“I’ve had this chair for over a year and a half and it has never caused my any back pain.” – Travis Dockweiler
