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Steelcase Leap Office Chair

By Steelcase · Office Chairs · Home & Workspace · More from Steelcase

  • 400 lb weight capacity
  • LiveBack technology
  • 4D adjustable arms
  • Adjustable lumbar support
  • Seat glides forward/back

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Summary

The Steelcase Leap is a premium ergonomic office chair built around a backrest that flexes with your spine, a lumbar pad that adjusts in height and firmness, 4D arms and a seat that glides forward as you recline. Check the seat before you buy: the cushion is firm, takes weeks to break in, and heavier owners report it runs thin.

Strengths

  • LiveBack lets the backrest change shape with the spine and keeps lower-back support through the recline.
  • Lumbar support adjusts in height, depth and firmness, and the removable pad fixes most contact complaints.
  • 4D arms come standard on current configurations, with some of the widest adjustment ranges in the class.
  • The seat glides forward as you recline, keeping you close to your work.
  • Assembly takes about a minute, and the 400 lb capacity covers larger users.
  • BTOD reports chairs regularly lasting 15+ years, and Steelcase backs it with a 12-year 24/7 warranty.

Weaknesses

  • The seat is firm and needs weeks to break in; owners over about 220 lbs find the stock cushion thin.
  • The recline glides rather than rocks, with plastic-on-plastic friction and a catch some users dislike.
  • The optional headrest is rigid and limits the backrest’s natural movement.
  • Lumbar support jabs into some backs; the suggested fix is removing the pad and lowering backrest tension.
  • Steelcase lists the base chair at $979, with fully loaded builds around $2,167.

Verified specifications

Overall dimensions38.5" H × 27" W × 21.75"–24.75" D.
Seat height15.5"–20.5".
Seat depth15.75"–18.75".
Seat width19.25".
Back heightabout 24.06", thinner and taller than the original Leap.
Arm height range22"–31" from the floor.
Chair weight46.7 lbs; ships at 68 lbs in a 35" H × 27" W × 22.75" D box.
Weight limit400 lbs for the standard chair; 300 lbs for the stool variant.
Warranty12-year multi-shift 24/7 parts and labor.
Full research notes and sources

LiveBack and lumbar support

The signature feature is LiveBack: the backrest changes shape to follow the spine instead of holding one fixed curve, so lower-back support stays put as you lean back. The lumbar pad adjusts in height and firmness and can be removed. BTOD’s long-term testing, run over 5+ years, calls the lumbar system the most adjustable on any high-end chair and rates the backrest’s S-curve as near perfect while running cool.

Seat, recline and arms

The seat glides forward as you recline, which keeps you close to the desk but means the motion feels like a glide rather than a rock. BTOD notes plastic-on-plastic friction and a catch in the mechanism, and says the design suits people who sit still. The 4D arms adjust in height, width, depth and pivot; the base model on Steelcase.com has height adjustment only, and the full 4D set costs $65 more. The seat itself is firm: TechGearLab’s panel sat up to 10 hours without complaints, while owners over about 220 lbs say the cushion is thin and some buy aftermarket pads.

Refurbished chairs, parts and warranty

Steelcase gives the Leap a 12-year multi-shift 24/7 warranty on parts and labor. BTOD, a refurbisher, says it still receives Leap V2 chairs built in 2006 in working order, and sells refurbished units starting around $735.99 with new upholstery, casters, cylinder and arm pads; Crandall Office sells refurbished Leaps from about $533 with a new 12-year warranty. Replacement seat pans, back foam, arm pads and upholstery are available through Steelcase and third-party refurbishers.

Is it worth it?

New, the Leap starts at $979 on Steelcase.com and reaches about $2,167 fully loaded, with list prices of $1,440 at TechGearLab, $1,398.91 at Wayfair and $1,499 at UPLIFT Desk. Refurbished it is a different proposition: $533 to $735.99 for the same chair with a fresh warranty. Upgrades add up too — 4D arms $65, the depth-adjustable lumbar pad $41, a headrest $166, hardwood casters $18, leather $578 and the stool configuration $165.

Which model this is

This is the Steelcase Leap, current generation, usually called the Leap V2. The V2 has a thinner, taller back and flatter armrests than the original. The Leap Plus is a separate, larger chair tested to 500 lbs with a roughly 18% larger seat and 12% larger back. The Amazon listing for this chair is ASIN B01MTDIXWA.

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