REASONS TO BUY
Extremely comfortable
Tons of adjustability
Sturdy construction
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Steelcase Leap Review
The absolute best of the best, thanks to its incredible comfort, adjustability, and construction
This chair required almost no assembly at all and was ready to go in less than five minutes.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
By David Wise ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ November 7, 2024
Contributions From: Austin Palmer
RELATED: The Best Office Chairs of 2025
Our Verdict
Finishing at the top of the group, the Steelcase Leap is our favorite office chair and has remained so for years. Our panel of testers found this was one of the most comfortable and adjustable in the entire fleet, allowing you to perfectly match the contours and curves of your back and spine. It's also very well-built and hasn't shown any signs of wear and tear after more than a year of testing and beyond, with no issues arising during our dedicated testing and ongoing evaluations. While this chair is one of the more expensive models, it's hard to put a price on comfort. The Leap is a great option if you spend 40+ hours a week at a desk.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Sturdy and comfortable, the Leap is a fantastic chair. Steelcase says this is their most adjustable model, offering a customized experience for a broad range of body sizes and types of work. If you need to stay both productive and comfortable, this is our favorite option.
The Steelcase offered very little resistance as we slid around in it.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Comfort
Almost all of our testers agreed that the seat of the Leap was one of the most comfortable of the entire group, with only a single judge dissenting. That individual still found the seat adequate, and no one felt dissatisfied or uncomfortable. However, all of our judges agreed that the backrest is exceptionally comfortable. We tested the standard back, which went up at least to the shoulders of every tester. An additional headrest is available for those who require even higher support. The Leap also received a favorable response from our team for its armrests, with it ranking at the top of the group.
We particularly like the backrest on the Leap.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Despite one member of our test team feeling that other chairs had more comfortable seats and armrests, he was still more than happy to sit in the Leap for 10-12 hours, which is highly impressive. The four-way adjustable arms allow you to adjust the height, width, and depth, and you can also swivel. You can go with an armless or height-only adjust version of this chair to save some cash, but it likely won't offer the same level of comfort that we experienced.
All but our tallest tester are big fans of the armrests on the Leap.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Adjustability
The Leap offers excellent adjustable lumbar support. You can adjust the overall height of the support, although the mechanism can be somewhat finicky. There is also the option to adjust the firmness of the support to match your preferences and the curvature of your spine perfectly.
We appreciate that the height of the lumbar support on the Leap is adjustable.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
This chair lacks a reclining lever and instead offers a set of tilt limiters. You can choose between five discreet levels and freely move back and forth between an upright position and your selected reclined position. The backrest also goes up quite high and reached the top of the shoulder for almost all of our testers. The armrests are highly movable and allow you to adjust the height of each one to reach a comfortable level, as well as move them in and out and forward and back. They also swivel to match the natural angle of your forearm while sitting and typing at a standard keyboard and have plenty of supportive padding.
The seat on the Leap is well-padded to keep you sitting in comfort for the long haul. The seat height can be adjusted, and you can also move the seat pan forward and back to customize to the length of your legs, which is a unique adjustment we haven't seen on many other chairs.
Most of the adjustments are easily reached without moving from your normal seated position.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The reclining tension knob is located under the seat on the right side and is easily accessible while sitting. This easy-to-use knob sets the amount of resistance for when you lean back in the chair and is very responsive. Given the multitude of ways you can adjust the Leap, it's easy to find an ergonomic position that suits most desks and bodies.
The myriad of adjustable controls allows you to perfectly match the Leap to your spine shape.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Ease of Assembly
The Leap arrives almost fully assembled, albeit in a massive box. We only had to remove the packaging, but you may have to add the wheels, depending on your selected options. Our testers were able to assemble this chair in 5-10 minutes.
Value
While the Leap isn't the most expensive model out there, it provides lasting quality, making the initial investment a bit more palatable. This chair is an exceptional value, provided you can afford the price point.
Conclusion
Earning top marks across the board, the Steelcase Leap is the top chair in our fleet and one that many of us have chosen to continue using well after our official testing period concluded.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Steelcase Leap versus top competing products:
—David Wise and Austin Palmer
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