Is The Steelcase Leap Ergonomic Chair Really A One-Size-Fits-All, Highly Comfortable Office Chair?
The Steelcase Leap Chair looks like your average office chair with casters, plastic case and coloured cushioning in a choice of navy, black, camel, burgundy or grey. But it has plenty of extra features to make it more comfortable and beneficial than that.
These features include the LiveBack system, thermal comfort feature, adjustable depth, arm, lumber and back firmness settings and a natural glide system.
This Leap chair is a “one size” option but apparently that is all that is needed and it has become Steelcase’s number one selling ergonomic chair. It sounds promising but is this title deserved?
What benefits have buyers noted in their user reviews for this Steelcase Adjustable Leap Chair?
Adjustability is a key notion with this ergonomic chair because not only is it mentioned a lot in the product description, making it appear to be the product’s biggest strength, there are some mixed reviews about it in customer testimonials. There are some that find it difficult, saying that the settings could be more varied or simply that it takes some time to get used to them, and other feel that the arm supports could be more secure.
Despite this, there are plenty of users that appreciate the ease of use and the different options, such the separate controls for the lower back and upper back to suit the movement of the spine, and some particularly like the style of the armrests because they provide great support when trying to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome.
The other key benefit that Steelcase wish to emphasize is that this Leap Chair is a one-size-fits-all product that anyone can use because of the apparent benefits of its flexibility, such as the LiveBack feature, which “changes shape to mimic and support the movement of the spine”.
Again not everyone agrees here and there is a suggestion that the height of the Steelcase chair and depth of the seat can have limitations for certain users, such as the very tall. However, there are reports that when the lumbar system and this LiveBack flexibility work properly, it seems to conform well to people’s bodies and provide the relief that is desired.
The reviews for this Steelcase Leap Chair appear to be very mixed and contradictory so what downsides should prospective buyers be watching out for?
Unfortunately, it seems that this Leap Chair is one of those “love it or hate it” products because even though the majority of reviewers are quite positive about this chair, some of which can be quite alarming with their use of the word “painful”.
One of the biggest issues, which goes back to this idea of adjustability, is the use of the Natural Glide System, a feature that this meant to provide a comfortable position without you putting strain on your eyes, arms and neck. Clearly this has been achieved to a degree but there are too many buyers saying that the seat is too rigid and lacks adequate reclining options.
Another key area of dispute is the use of materials because while the use of 30% recycled content is commendable, there are complaints about the amount of hard plastic, the lack of padding on the seat and the way that the materials trap the heat. The thermal comfort feature is supposed to prevent this from happening by letting the chair breathe but perhaps this is not working to its design.
Summary: there are some harsh words for this Steelcase Flexible One-size Leap Chair so does this mean it cannot be recommended?
There are clearly lots of potential, positive points that buyers have appreciated with this chair, plenty of contrasting views and a worrying amount of highly negative vocabulary. One important, final point to bear in mind when weighing up these positive comments against the highly negative ones.
However, is that there are a lot of buyers that love this product – they are in the majority – and many have had no regrets on paying such a hefty price tag for this chair, which suggests that it really can be worthwhile when it works as advertised.
You may be unlucky and find that the set-up, the use of/lack of adjustments (depending on which way you look at the issue) and the one-size-fits-all approach causes pain and the chair not what you need. On the other hand, you could find that the design of the arms, the flexibility of the lumbar support and the general shape of this ergonomic Steelcase Leap Chair really help on those long days in the office.
You can check out more reviews about the Steelcase Leap Chair on Amazon here.