- Natural Glide System, LiveBack technology, Lower Back Firmness, and Upper Back Force adjustment
- Rated best ergonomic office seating by Wall Street Journal.
- 10-year Steelcase warranty.
Product FeaturesColor: Black
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Product DetailsColor: Black
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Product Description
Color: Black
The streamlined, stylish contour of the Steelcase Leap® chair is just the beginning. The Leap is the first chair that actually changes shape to support your movements! With its patented Live Back® technology, it moves dynamically as your back moves, mimicking the movement of your spine; the adjustable arms of the chair move in and out, forward and back; the seat glides forward so you can recline without leaving your vision and reach zone, and stay oriented to your work. Even when leaning forward, the seat edge flexes to relieve pressure on the back of the legs. In short, the Leap chair's ergonomic advances allow you to work comfortably, and therefore more productively, in a proven healthy manner for extended periods of time.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
69 of 71 people found the following review helpful
I've been so sick and tired of cheap chairs. I've tried some from $30 all the way up to nearly $200. All of them were cheap and would break within a year. Back pain was also an issue. I work at home and often I am sitting in a chair for up to 8 hours per day.
I did a few hours of research into chairs and came across this one. Luckily I found a local seller that offered them. A big plus for me is that mine came fully assembled.
The first day was pretty terrible. It was extremely hard to get used to and somewhat painful. After the first few days I actually emailed the company to complain. Recently I even had a friend sit in it and it caused him pain too. Somehow it just takes time to adjust.
After about a week I got used to the chair and it became comfortable.
I love this chair so much that I can't imagine going without it. I've had this chair for over a year and a half and it has never caused my any back pain. The seat is not very soft, but I can sit in it all day with any pain.
Worth noting is that it can take a long time to get the seat perfect. There are so many adjustments and it took me awhile to figure out everything.
I would give this chair five stars, but there is one negative. The armrests will move around a lot. Very rare, but it does happen. It seems like Steelcase would be smart enough to allow them to lock in place. They do not! If you use your hand, you can move the arm rest left and right easily.
I rarely buy anything this expensive ever. $700 for a chair? I must be crazy! To me, I feel it is totally worth it because I don't have to deal with any back pain and having to replace my office chair every year.
I don't really know how long this product will last. I've been using it for 1 1/2 years, so hopefully I can use it for 5 years possibly.
Even if this breaks down in 3, i'll probably still get a replacement. I do think that a lot of the chair uses plastic in some areas, so it's even harder to justify the price of it at first.
My suggestion is to buy this chair and try it out. See if you can get a refund if you don't like it after the first week.
BTW I am 6'4" and own the product and do NOT work for Steelcase or any company selling this! It's perfectly fine for taller people and anyone that weights up to 300lbs.
3/2/2010 UPDATE:
I don't know if anyone actually reads a review of a..chair, but I just wanted to make a quick update for anyone that cares.
The chair is holding up very well. Since i've had it, some screws fell off (couldn't find them) and the back rest kept falling down. I called the place I ordered it from and they came out and fixed it. It was under warranty! They didn't seem to be common bolts/screws so I don't think I would have been able to fix it myself. The chair cost me what seems like a fortune (I'm not rich!) but it's been worth the 75,000 pennies i've spent on it. When my warranty runs out and it eventually breaks i'd probably by another. No I don't work for Steelcase.
When using this chair for up to 10 hours a day I never have any back pain at all. That's the main reason I got it other then having all those cheap chairs constantly falling apart on me every year!
10/2/2011 UPDATE:
Still holding up very well. No problems since last year. Love this chair.
I did a few hours of research into chairs and came across this one. Luckily I found a local seller that offered them. A big plus for me is that mine came fully assembled.
The first day was pretty terrible. It was extremely hard to get used to and somewhat painful. After the first few days I actually emailed the company to complain. Recently I even had a friend sit in it and it caused him pain too. Somehow it just takes time to adjust.
After about a week I got used to the chair and it became comfortable.
I love this chair so much that I can't imagine going without it. I've had this chair for over a year and a half and it has never caused my any back pain. The seat is not very soft, but I can sit in it all day with any pain.
Worth noting is that it can take a long time to get the seat perfect. There are so many adjustments and it took me awhile to figure out everything.
I would give this chair five stars, but there is one negative. The armrests will move around a lot. Very rare, but it does happen. It seems like Steelcase would be smart enough to allow them to lock in place. They do not! If you use your hand, you can move the arm rest left and right easily.
I rarely buy anything this expensive ever. $700 for a chair? I must be crazy! To me, I feel it is totally worth it because I don't have to deal with any back pain and having to replace my office chair every year.
I don't really know how long this product will last. I've been using it for 1 1/2 years, so hopefully I can use it for 5 years possibly.
Even if this breaks down in 3, i'll probably still get a replacement. I do think that a lot of the chair uses plastic in some areas, so it's even harder to justify the price of it at first.
My suggestion is to buy this chair and try it out. See if you can get a refund if you don't like it after the first week.
BTW I am 6'4" and own the product and do NOT work for Steelcase or any company selling this! It's perfectly fine for taller people and anyone that weights up to 300lbs.
3/2/2010 UPDATE:
I don't know if anyone actually reads a review of a..chair, but I just wanted to make a quick update for anyone that cares.
The chair is holding up very well. Since i've had it, some screws fell off (couldn't find them) and the back rest kept falling down. I called the place I ordered it from and they came out and fixed it. It was under warranty! They didn't seem to be common bolts/screws so I don't think I would have been able to fix it myself. The chair cost me what seems like a fortune (I'm not rich!) but it's been worth the 75,000 pennies i've spent on it. When my warranty runs out and it eventually breaks i'd probably by another. No I don't work for Steelcase.
When using this chair for up to 10 hours a day I never have any back pain at all. That's the main reason I got it other then having all those cheap chairs constantly falling apart on me every year!
10/2/2011 UPDATE:
Still holding up very well. No problems since last year. Love this chair.
50 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Color Name:Black
The good:
1) The backrest does conform to the back in a way no other chair does, it is a remarkable feature that will do wonders for your back. It is, however, very difficult to find the correct setting. I played around with the settings for months before I felt I had the right one.
2) Adjustments are very easy to make, and you don't have to get up and bend over to make any of them. There are numerous adjustments available, and they are simple to figure out. One downside to this is that you will spend a lot of time looking for the right combo.
3) You can lean way back in the chair. The backrest will recline without any tilt in the seat base (which has no tilt option whatsoever). This can relieve the back in a way that few other chairs can. Most other chairs tilt in sync with the backrest, which does nothing to relieve back stress.
4) The armrests are the best of any chair I know of.
5) The lumbar support adjustment is unobtrusive, effective, simple to use, and does not give the chair that weird space-age appearance as in other well-known ergo chairs.
The bad:
1) This chair is HARD HARD HARD on the tush. It is like sitting on a park bench. I weigh 185. My wife is much lighter and doesn't mind it at all, but I cannot sit in it more than two hours per day. I have tried 8 different cushions for sale on the market, none help (if you bottom out, they make no difference). You cannot buy good cushy foam anywhere, don't even bother trying. You'll need so much that it renders the chair pointless.
2) The recline resistance tension works in a way such that the backrest will stick-and-hold in a position based on the amount of pressure you put on it while reclining. It can be adjusted to require more or less pressure to give way. The result is a jerky as opposed to a fluid motion. It takes much getting used to. But once I figured it out, I rather liked it. There is no locking-in-place of the recline position, yet there are five recline-limit-stops. The problem is that the backrest will always push you forward as you lean forward, no matter what setting. Again, this can be viewed as a good feature once you get used to it - it is just very different from most chairs.
1) The backrest does conform to the back in a way no other chair does, it is a remarkable feature that will do wonders for your back. It is, however, very difficult to find the correct setting. I played around with the settings for months before I felt I had the right one.
2) Adjustments are very easy to make, and you don't have to get up and bend over to make any of them. There are numerous adjustments available, and they are simple to figure out. One downside to this is that you will spend a lot of time looking for the right combo.
3) You can lean way back in the chair. The backrest will recline without any tilt in the seat base (which has no tilt option whatsoever). This can relieve the back in a way that few other chairs can. Most other chairs tilt in sync with the backrest, which does nothing to relieve back stress.
4) The armrests are the best of any chair I know of.
5) The lumbar support adjustment is unobtrusive, effective, simple to use, and does not give the chair that weird space-age appearance as in other well-known ergo chairs.
The bad:
1) This chair is HARD HARD HARD on the tush. It is like sitting on a park bench. I weigh 185. My wife is much lighter and doesn't mind it at all, but I cannot sit in it more than two hours per day. I have tried 8 different cushions for sale on the market, none help (if you bottom out, they make no difference). You cannot buy good cushy foam anywhere, don't even bother trying. You'll need so much that it renders the chair pointless.
2) The recline resistance tension works in a way such that the backrest will stick-and-hold in a position based on the amount of pressure you put on it while reclining. It can be adjusted to require more or less pressure to give way. The result is a jerky as opposed to a fluid motion. It takes much getting used to. But once I figured it out, I rather liked it. There is no locking-in-place of the recline position, yet there are five recline-limit-stops. The problem is that the backrest will always push you forward as you lean forward, no matter what setting. Again, this can be viewed as a good feature once you get used to it - it is just very different from most chairs.
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
This chair arrives with all the settings torqued down low, closed, and tight. When you first sit down your reaction is going to be "This thing is about as comfortable as a rock!"
But don't worry, you just need to personalize your new seat. Loosen up the back tilt and find the right seat depth that feels most natural.
The most important thing is to move the lumbar height bar to the right position, and loosen up the lumbar flex so it has some give and conforms to your back. Properly adjusted, the lumbar section should accommodate the natural curve of your spine comfortably. Not poke out too strongly, and not allow your back to flatten out too much.
Apart from that it's going to be down to personal preference. I like having the tilt tension tight enough so I can lean back a little while typing but not bottom out all the way back. Of course you can also set the tilt stop, but I like leaving that at click #4 so I can tilt most of the way back if I want to stretch.
Now, as other posters have mentioned, the seat and back cushions are pretty dense. So far it hasn't been uncomfortable for me. But if it bothers me in the future I think a cushion of soft foam sheeting would distribute my weight a little more comfortably.
I find the arm rests brilliant. I wasn't sure how they were going to be able to glide-adjust without feeling cheap, but they seem to have found a way. We'll see how they hold up over the years....
So, should *you* get this super expensive chair? It absolutely depends on your needs. I.e. why are you looking at chairs in this price range? If you are hale and hearty and care more about whether your seat has leather than lumbar, or you mainly want a neat status symbol for your office, then I'd say skip this chair and go for something more ostentatious, plush, and classically designed.
But if you have back problems and have to sit in front of a screen all day to work, then this very customizable chair could make a big difference. I have disc herniation in my lumbar spine, so a properly fitting seat is pretty much the most important thing in my working life.
Here's a good litmus test: Imagine you could have a perfectly fitting, totally comfortable chair *except* the cushions are too hard, and you would have to put a pad on it. What would your reaction be? "What a rip off!" or "Awesome! Foam is cheap". Answer that question for yourself and you will know whether the leap is right for you. (Disclaimer: You may not need foam, it's just a thought experiment)
Seating history: I find aerons uncomfortable. Prior to this leap, I have been using a quality high-back seat from Global, bought circa `98 for the upper $400 range. It was very robustly constructed but it doesn't have nearly the adjustability of the leap-- permanent uncomfortable arm rests and no way to customize the lumbar. But it served me well and I look forward to this leap lasting me at least a decade too :)
But don't worry, you just need to personalize your new seat. Loosen up the back tilt and find the right seat depth that feels most natural.
The most important thing is to move the lumbar height bar to the right position, and loosen up the lumbar flex so it has some give and conforms to your back. Properly adjusted, the lumbar section should accommodate the natural curve of your spine comfortably. Not poke out too strongly, and not allow your back to flatten out too much.
Apart from that it's going to be down to personal preference. I like having the tilt tension tight enough so I can lean back a little while typing but not bottom out all the way back. Of course you can also set the tilt stop, but I like leaving that at click #4 so I can tilt most of the way back if I want to stretch.
Now, as other posters have mentioned, the seat and back cushions are pretty dense. So far it hasn't been uncomfortable for me. But if it bothers me in the future I think a cushion of soft foam sheeting would distribute my weight a little more comfortably.
I find the arm rests brilliant. I wasn't sure how they were going to be able to glide-adjust without feeling cheap, but they seem to have found a way. We'll see how they hold up over the years....
So, should *you* get this super expensive chair? It absolutely depends on your needs. I.e. why are you looking at chairs in this price range? If you are hale and hearty and care more about whether your seat has leather than lumbar, or you mainly want a neat status symbol for your office, then I'd say skip this chair and go for something more ostentatious, plush, and classically designed.
But if you have back problems and have to sit in front of a screen all day to work, then this very customizable chair could make a big difference. I have disc herniation in my lumbar spine, so a properly fitting seat is pretty much the most important thing in my working life.
Here's a good litmus test: Imagine you could have a perfectly fitting, totally comfortable chair *except* the cushions are too hard, and you would have to put a pad on it. What would your reaction be? "What a rip off!" or "Awesome! Foam is cheap". Answer that question for yourself and you will know whether the leap is right for you. (Disclaimer: You may not need foam, it's just a thought experiment)
Seating history: I find aerons uncomfortable. Prior to this leap, I have been using a quality high-back seat from Global, bought circa `98 for the upper $400 range. It was very robustly constructed but it doesn't have nearly the adjustability of the leap-- permanent uncomfortable arm rests and no way to customize the lumbar. But it served me well and I look forward to this leap lasting me at least a decade too :)
Most Recent Customer Reviews
most comfortable chair
Leather option makes a very comfortable seat. This gives better lumbar support than Aeron, Embody, or lower end (Lane) office chairs. Highly recommended.
Published 17 days ago by Philo Calhoun
Awesome chair, not for everyone
Background: I am a computer consultant. I regularly work 60+ hours per week at a computer. I'm 35, 190 lbs, in very good health. About 5 years ago, I started having back "issues". Read more
Published 8 months ago by Jeremy K
Painful
I have owned this chair for 5 years. I have shoulder, elbow, and wrist pains. I have sat in another steelcase ergonomic chair, the Criterion, in another office and it felt... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Ummm....
Don't Believe the Experts
The Steel Case Leap Chair is supposedly one of the top ergonomically designed chairs for comfort. This is absolute rubbish ! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Chris
Flexible, very comfortable, but not as stylish as the competition
I've been using a Leap chair for nearly two months, and overall have been very pleased with it. Very helpful in helping me manage my sciatica pain. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Comdet
One of the worst chairs I've ever sat in
I've had this chair at work for about 3 years now. I'm a computer programmer and sit in this chair for almost the entire 8.5 hours that I am at work. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Dan D
Lots of adjustments, none of them work.
I've had the pleasure of sitting in one of these for 4 years. They look nice and have lots of knobs and dials and levers. Read more
Published 22 months ago by labbadabba
My back doesn't hurt anymore!
I needed a new office chair because the one I had was a hand me down that was not very adjustable. I didn't realize until after I got my Leap Chair exactly how bad my old chair was... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Andrea Whalen Stone
Can be an excellent chair
WHEN PROPERLY ADJUSTED, I found the version two of the Leap to be the most comfortable chair I ever sat in. Read more
Published on May 18, 2010 by Mark G. Woodruff
Very comfortable, consider the headrest at purchase time
This is by far the most expensive office chair I've ever purchased. I've used many of the usual $250 - $400 varieties by other leading office supply companies, and while they are... Read more
Published on February 24, 2010 by mw
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