Steelcase Leap

I am an early owner of the V1 Leap chair, which as noted above, is built like a tank. Mine, unfortunately, gradually broke down -- the seat height adjustment lever broke off, the left arm adjustment stopped… working, and the plastic on the right arm cracked. So, after years and years of use it was still comfortable but not really enough chair. I figured I'd get a V2 Leap to replace it. Big mistake. The V2 is more cheaply built, lighter, with less padding in the seat pan. To sit in it for any length of time I must have a seat cushion. The V2 "adjustable lumbar support" cannot -- for me -- be positioned in a way that's comfortable for my spine. I've tried everything I can think of but it's a disaster. The V1 had no such "adjustable" feature, instead relying upon a much more robust "live back" technology, which actually works. About the only improvement in the V2 is that the plastic in the arm rests is softer. Now I'm trying to find a Leap dealer in my area who might be able to repair the old chair. I feel so sorry for Steelcase that I won't send the new one back to them, but it's a crap chair... One half star, if it were possible.

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The chair seems to be comparable to an Aeron, Mirra, or Liberty, though it seems to fit smaller frames a little better. The Leap has the usual set of adjustments that are necessary to make a decent quality… chair. The armests can adjust inward quite a bit which is good for folks with narrow shoulders. The seatpan can also slide back quite far. The recline mechanism is quite different than other chairs. As another reviewer commented, the back reclines and the seatpan stays flat (this is not unusual and nor is it bad), but the seatpan slides forward just a bit. It has not caused me any problems/injuries and I find the recline mechanism to be quite comfortable. You should try it and see if it works before you buy it (if you are given that choice). The seat has an adequate amount of cushion and is much "cushier" than an Aeron or Mirra, but not as cushy as the gel-seat on a Freedom. The back lacks much cushion, but I find it to be softer (i.e. comfortable) than the Aeron/Mirra. The three major complaints is that the chair curves back a bit too much and lacks upper back/shoulder support. The second complaint is the recline is really an all-or-nothing thing. Either you turn off the recline to sit up straight or you lean back until you hit the stop (adjustable) and sit that way. Lumbar support is pretty wimpy--it pretty much depends on the curve in the chair which puts my shoulders/upper back in a bit of a reclined position--I don't like that at all. With the recline enabled, it's hard to sit up straight and get enough back support... if you turn up the tension high enough to sit up straight, then it's really too hard to lean back. As far as quality, the v2 does feel lighter and "cheaper" than the v1. The claim is because its using more environmentally friendly parts, recyclable, etc. I haven't had any problems and expect it'll last as long as my Freedom and Mirra. Personally, I prefer the Freedom for reclining. I has a much better mechanism and provides proper head support.

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I have the v1 of the Leap and it's a great chair. Since I now have two workstations I'm going to be working at regularly, I figured I'd get another. I was sent the v2 of the Leap, which is what Amazon is… selling. v1 of the chair is built a bit like a tank. It's heavy, but an awesome chair. v2 is a much lower quality product. After less than a day of use the left side of the lumbar support snapped when I leaned back in it to stretch. The Seat adjustment also stopped working after a couple uses. Maybe I just got a complete lemon, but the v2 Leap seems to use cheaper materials and is not as sturdy. Comfort-wise it was about the same as the v1 (before the Lumbar support broke). For an $800 chair, I expect much higher quality and will not be purchasing anything from Steelcase again.

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I moved to a new office where they took away my Herman Miller and gave me a Leap chair. After two days I pushed it out the door and sat on a stool. You cannot lean back properly in this chair. When you do,… the back tilts, but the pan moves forward which curls your back in the absolutely wrong direction. I could not maintain proper posture in this chair. Several painful days later I'm still trying to get my back to recover.

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