| Ergonomics 101
 What makes a chair truly ergonomic?
Do ergonomic chairs help with back pain?
Why are ergonomic chairs more comfortable?
Which are the best ergonomic chairs?
How much do I need to spend for an ergonomic chair?
What is "neutral posture" sitting position?
How can I make my workspace more ergonomic?
Can I prevent carpal tunnel syndrome with ergonomic accessories?
How often should I adjust my ergonomic chair?
Does more adjustability mean more ergonomic?
| |  | Leather Chairs | Home » » Leap Chair by Steelcase - Fully Featured - Authorized Steelcase Retailer | | | | | | Colors: | | | | | Description: | | The V2 Leap Chair by Steelcase retains all the patented features of the original, plus some significant advancements: its seat back is higher, the seat edge angle has become intuitive and the arms adjust fluidly in four directions. | | | Features: | |
• Awarded Best Overall ERGONOMIC CHAIR by Wall Street Journal
• Changes shape as it imitates the curvature of your spine and supports its movement
• 10-year Steelcase warranty.
| | | Product Details: | | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 19 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 Lots of adjustments, none of them work.Jul 20, 2010
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. However the one thing for me that can't be adjusted is the seat itself. Some models may allow you to adjust the tilt of the seat bottom but even if there were such an adjustment the shape of the seat doesn't allow you to sit straight. Here's what can happen:
1) Adjust the seatback to be firm so you can use it to sit up straight. After a while the seatback will push you forward and the downward sloping seat will cause your pelvis to roll under and put a lot of pressure on your lower back.
2) Adjust the seatback to be loose so that you can lean back and let gravity support you. Invariably, the downward sloping seat will cause your backside to slide down the seat which will cause your pelvis to roll under and put a lot of pressure on your lower back.
Either way, you end up looking like some kid playing a computer video game. For those of us who have a natural lumbar curve there's no place to put our backside without having it slip. If you're looking for a bucket-style seat where your legs and hips and lower back are supported, this is not the chair. What's more, I can't believe my company paid $850 so I can have the pleasure of enjoying this wonderful product for 40 hours a week.
I am currently sitting on an overturned office trash bin and a mouse pad....
 My back doesn't hurt anymore!Jun 30, 2010
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 hurting my back. I got my chair about five business days ago. My back no longer hurts. I was amazed. I love the lumbar support in this chair. It forces you to sit up straight but with a ton of support. If you are looking for a chair that will alleviate lower back pain, this is the one.
I was anticipating having to get use to my chair, but I never had any problems. Maybe my older chair was just that bad! It took a couple hours of messing with the settings every 20 minutes or so to get it to fit me, but after that, it was perfect. I also saw reviews about how the seat is too hard, but I didn't even remember that complaint until I came back to review the chair. I don't find the seat uncomfortable at all. I don't bottom out the foam at all. I work on a computer most of the day, so I am sitting a lot. I didn't notice any problems.
The leather is beautiful, but my company wouldn't spring for that. The cloth is fine. It is a deep black, but the chair doesn't quite look like an expensive chair. For me that is a good thing because in my position, showing off that I got an expensive chair isn't good for business.
Overall, this is far and away the best office chair I have ever had. Now everyone in my office wants to get one. They are pricey, but I feel like the chair helps enough with my back that I am avoiding future problems that will cost more to fix than the chair. It also positions me in a way that I have made other more ergonomic adjustments to my hand positions and monitors.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Can be an excellent chairMay 19, 2010
WHEN PROPERLY ADJUSTED, I found the version two of the Leap to be the most comfortable chair I ever sat in. That said, it's VERY difficult to get it adjusted correctly, not only because there are so many adjustments, but also because Steelcase didn't put any markings on the knobs. If someone moves one of them, you can spend weeks trying to figure out which one was changed and how it should be set. Very frustrating and painful. Go to a dealer, have a salesman adjust it for you, then sit in it for a few hours. If you find the right settings, move them around and count the clicks to the stops, then write down the settings before you leave.
After owning one for a couple years:
The seat is too hard. Period. It can also be too narrow, forcing your hips to curl in a way that doesn't become painful until you sit in it for hours. A piece of cheap foam can do wonders for both, but it also makes it hot.
If the back motion seems jerky, increase the upper back pressure (turn big knob on the front right side clockwise).
The arms move around a lot. Even so, they're comfortable.
The seat adjustment doesn't go quite high enough. Another 2-4" would be welcome.
The back doesn't come forward at all. If you're working at a keyboard, there are often times when you lean forward. You get no support in this position.
The version one of this chair doesn't have the adjustable lumbar support. If you're thinking about buying a used one, look for a version two. (I bought a used version one and regretted not getting the version two for this reason.)
If you sit and can lean back frequently, this can be a great chair. If you're programming all day, or have wide hips, borrow or rent one for a few weeks before you commit.
Definitely has its flaws, but I haven't found a more comfortable chair yet.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Very comfortable, consider the headrest at purchase timeFeb 24, 2010
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 good, this chair really shows in the amount of time and ergonomic research that went into it. I'm 5'8" and weigh 157 pounds and this chair fits me perfectly. the lumbar support is very good and while it feels too stiff at first, you quickly realize how the support moves with you instead of being a rigid section like on other chairs. The seat support took about a week to get used to, as it feels very springy under in the center, but after a while, you don't notice this as much. I especially like the way the seat slides slightly forward when you lean your back and recline and how the front seat edge bends down as your legs apply pressure. The arm design is really exceptional, and has the most user customization that I've ever seen.
I'm now wishing I had splurged and thrown in the additional $150 to get the headrest. As a word of caution, you can add a headrest later, but it will mean replacing the entire back of the chair.
As others have suggested, it would be nice if Steelcase had used higher grade materials for the cloth chairs as well (e.g. metal framing instead of all the plastic), but then again, I don't plan on banging this thing down the hallways anytime soon.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Better than AeronFeb 10, 2010
I have been using Steelcase Leap chair for past 3 years. Previously, I used Herman Miller Aeron at work. Plus, I tested out Steelcase Think, Herman Miller Mirra and Celle when I shopped for the chair.
Bottomline, Steelcase Leap chair is more comfortable than Aeron. Main difference is that Leap is more flexible and comfortable in many positions, while Aeron is more rigid and you have to sit in a single position.
Comfort: Leap is comfortable when you sit straight up, lean back, or slouch. On the Leap, when you lean back (tilt back) or slouch (I know it is bad to slouch but we all do it to some degree), the seat bottom slides forward with your butt. In addition, the seat back stays in contact with your lower back and still provides support. On the Aeron, the seat back and bottom is always 90 deg to each other. And you have to sit perfectly straight. Even when you lean back, the seat back to seat bottom remain in same angle. And it forces your body to remain in same posture as you try to lean back. Not as comfortable as the Leap. Also, I find the Aeron to be uncomfortable in the lower thigh area, where the front edge of seat is hard plastic and digs into the back of my thighs. The Leap seat front is flexible (but not adjustable) and can bend down.
Fit: I'm 5'10" and 175 lbs. Leap chair has only 1 single size, but it fits me better than Aeron's 3 sizes. The Leap chair's seat size and back height fits me perfectly. On Aeron's size B(medium), seat back is too low and digs into my should blade. On Aeron's size C (large), the seat bottom is way too big for my butt.
Adjustments: Leap and Aeron have similar adjustments: seat height, tilt, tilt tension, tilt limiter, arm-rest height, lumbar support. Couple adjustments I like about the Leap are the tilt limiter and arm-rest. Leap's tilt limiter has 5 stops and it is easy to tell which setting it is at. Aeron's tilt limiter has less stops and harder to control. Also, Leap's arm-rest can move forward/back and sideways. Aeron's arm-rest can only be angled in/out but can not moved forward/back. Leap has seat size adjustment, where the seat can slide forward and back to match the length of users' thigh and butt length. However, I'm 5'10" and the seat is set all the way forward. One thing Leap doesn't have is forward tilt. Although I never used this feature for computer use, but it is available on Aeron and on many less expensive office chairs. Not sure why Leap excluded this feature.
Material: Leap uses cushion, whereas Aeron uses mesh. I prefer the mesh over cushion. Mesh is cooler, comforms to the body, and it seems to be more durable. On the other hand, cushion should be softer than mesh. I say should, because the cushion on Leap is still too hard. It almost feels like the cushion is not thick enough.
Build: This is the biggest negative I find about the Leap. Steelcase needs to improve the build quality for $800+ chair. The seat bottom and arm rest have a small (fraction of inch) free play. They are lose and jiggle back and forth. Leap's tilt is spongy. After you lean back and then lean forward, the seat returns to original position slowly with spongy feel. I don't think Leap uses spring for the tilt mechanism. Also, tilt tension's rotational control on the Leap feels like it is broken. As I rotate it, I cannot tell if it is working or has reached the limit or what. Good thing once I have the right tension set, I don't have to touch it.
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