
Steelcase office chairs are from top ergonomic office chairs. Steelcase Leap and Gesture are their 2 premium chairs that have many ergonomic features.
Premium features of these two office chairs, often start a debate between buyers that which one is best Steelcase Leap or Gesture?
Today we are going to end this long debate as we will do a review of both Steelcase Leap and Gesture and will tell which one you should buy. Today in this Steelcase Leap VS Gesture Blog we will do-
- Steelcase Leap and Gesture Review.
- A detailed comparison between them.
So to know all this read this Steelcase Leap VS Gesture Blog from start to end.
Table of Contents
Specifications of Steelcase Gesture VS Leap
Steelcase Leap | Steelcase Gesture | |
Overall Height | 38.5″-43.5″ | 39¼” – 44¼” |
Overall Dimensions | 24.75” D x 27” W x 38.5” – 43.5” H | 24.75” D x 27” W x 38.5” – 43.5” H |
Seat height from Floor | 15.5″-20.5″ | 16″ – 21″ |
Seat depth | 18.4 inches | 15.75″-18.75 Inches |
Headrest available | Yes | No |
Seats | 3 Edge | 3 Edge |
Size available | 1 | 1 |
4 way adjustable arms | Yes | Yes |
Backrest Recline | Recline with Lock | Recline with Lock |
Weight | 45 Lbs | 73 Lbs |
Weight Capacity | 400 Lbs | 400 Lbs |
Warranty | 12 Years | 12 Years |
Casters | Both Hardwood and Carpet | Both Hardwood and Carpet |
Check On Amazon | Check On Amazon |
Not have Time to Read Full Blog? Then Here is Quick Answer ( Leap is Overall Winner )
Steelcase Leap | Steelcase Gesture | |
Comfort | Winner ( Has Softer Seats then Gesture ) | |
Build Quality | Winner | |
Look and Design | Winner ( Slim and Stylish Look ) | |
Value For Money | Winner ( Budget-Friendly ) | |
Adjustability | Winner ( More Adjustable Headrest ) | Winner ( More Adjustable Seats, Armrests) |
Comparison between Steelcase Leap and Gesture
Materials and Build Quality
Both Steelcase office chairs have fabric Upholstery which is called 3D knit fabric. Both the seat and back of the chair are covered with this fabric.
The quality of the 3D knit fabric is way better than normal fabric. That is why the softness and breathability of both Steelcase chairs are great and feel soft to the body.
Leather upholstery is also available in both Steelcase chairs. You can choose these leather options if you want your Steelcase if you want a leather chair.
The quality of the leather is also top-notch. The casters of both chairs are made up of the same material, so their build quality is also the same.
Both Steelcase chairs bases are made up of strong aluminum and hard plastic. The backrest of both Gesture and leap are also made from hard plastic.
No need to worry as the plastic is very durable and strong than normal plastic. This type of plastic dont bear or broke easily. Not to forget that the plastic is of high build quality.
Size
So both Steelcase chairs come only in 1 size. Like Herman Miller chairs and Secretlab chairs, you will not find this chair to support different size users. But the chair size is made to support most size users.
The chair can be used by 95% body size users. And will fit you surely. No matter you are big or small you can use this chair comfortably by adjusting the chair features according to your body size.
Comfort level
Comfort is one of the most important things that a user looks at in a chair. Both Steelcase Leap and Gesture are comfortable office chairs.
That is able to provide a level of comfort that a user will need. There is not a major difference in their comfort level but still, a leap wins over the Gesture chair.
1. Seat Comfort–

Its reason is that you will get seat cushion seats that are more comfortable than the gesture chair that is less thin than the leap chair seat cushion. that is why you will have more comfortable sitting than the gesture chair.
But you need to note that the difference is not very big. Both chairs have edge seats that will prevent you from having hips and butts pains.
The blood flow within his area will not stop in both office chairs.
2. Armrests Comfort–
The armrests of the leap chair are in a curved shape, whereas the gesture armrests are straight.
Due to this, you get better support to your elbows in the leap chair. And thus comfort also increases in the leap office chair. But again, the difference is not big.
And many users may also not find the difference.
3. Back Comfort–
Both chairs provide equal level comfort to the back. On both chairs, you dont have back pain due to the ergonomic design back. If you want an office chair for long hours sitting, then both chairs are best in this.
Adjustability
Adjustability is an important thing for people and it’s sure that you would surely want to compare Steelcase Leap and Gesture in terms of adjustability. So let’s do it!! But to understand it more easily we will divide this paragraph into parts.
1. Headrest and Lumbar Support
Both Headrest and Lumbar Support are 2 important features of any office chair. Let us clean that no headrest is given in the Steelcase gesture chair.
The base model of leap also does not come with a headrest, but you can adjust the headrest by giving an extra price. But still, the headrest of the leap chair is not adjustable and is fixed.
So what’s about lumbar support? Both chair backrests are equipped with adjustable lumbar support. Steelcase Gesture lumbar support is called LiveBack technology.
The lumbar support of the leap is more adjustable and supportive than the gesture lumbar.
The lumbar support of the Steelcase leap chair provides support to the back area properly and helps to relieve pressure from the backrest.
It dont means that your back will not get support in the gesture chair. The lumbar support of gesture will also help you in sitting straight.
2. Armrests Adjustability
After headrest and lumbar, armrests are important for ergonomics and support. Both Steelcase gesture and leap have 4D armrests that can be adjusted- height, width, depth, and pivot.
Due to high adjustability, you have great freedom to adjust their armrests position according to your choice.
By adjusting them according to the position that gives your shoulders and elbows better support you can improve your sitting and working experience.
In terms of armrests, adjustability Gesture has more in-depth width adjustments than the leap one. Which you can clearly see in the video.
3. Seat Adjustment
The height and depth of both Steelcase Leap and Gesture are adjustable. The process of adjusting both chair seat depths is different.
In Gesture, you will find a rotating knob near the seat which you have to rotate to adjust the seat depth. Whereas as in the leap chair, there is a lever given that allows the sure to adjust their seat depth.
Seat adjusting of the gesture is much easier and looks more premium to do than a leap chair. In order to adjust both seat heights, you will see a lever/knob.
The height adjustment if the gesture is much easier than the leap one. Seats of gesture can be adjusted between 16″ – 21″ and of a leap, they can move up-down by 15 1/2″ to 20 1/2″. Overall gesture chair wins easily in terms of seat adjustability.
4. Backrest Adjustability
Both Steelcase chairs have high adjustability backrest. The backrest of both chairs can recline back fully. Not just that you will also find the locking feature in both Steelcase chairs.
This lock feature allows the user to lock the chair back at any angle he wants. By trying different back angles you can find the angle that is more comfortable to your back.
Also, you can tilt the chair back. You will find a knob just near the seat. After rotating the knob you can tilt the chair back.
This feature comes in both Steelcase leap and gesture office chairs. So if you are thinking that can you adjust the back height of both chairs too? like it is in Herman miller?
Then no, you won’t mind this feature in Steelcase chairs. Backrest adjustability allows the user to adjust the back to get more support to the spine.
Design and Color Options
Both Steelcase leap and Gestures have look and attractive design. Both chairs’ cool look will increase the look of the office room too.
But I like the look of the gesture better than the leap one. You will see no designs on the back and seat of both chairs.
As the chair has fabric upholstery the colors on the chair look more charming. Steelcase Leap comes in 17 upholstery colors and the gesture is in 18 colors. Some cool colors of gesture are-
- Red
- Light Yellow
- Graphite
- ERA
And Some cool colors of Leap are-
- Pink Lemonade
- Cobalt
- Saffron
- Onyx
You can choose the frame of gesture in 3 colors and a base in 2 colors. On the other hand, you only have 3 color options to choose both frame and the base color.
Durability
Both Steelcase leap and Gestures are highly durable chairs. The high-quality material is used to make both Steelcase office chairs.
Both chairs have a long warranty which shows the durability of Steelcase both chairs. But as the gesture is an upgraded version of the leap chair, the leap is a bit more durable than the leap has material of gesture is of a bit high quality than the leap one.
Both Steelcase chairs are made up of high-quality material that provides durability to these chairs.
The strong, frame, base, and upholstery make the Steelcase chair high durability and allow them to last for decades.
Weight & Weight Capacity
Steelcase leap chair has a weight of 48 pounds, whereas gesture weight 78 Pounds. So yes, the Steelcase leap chair is much more lightweight than the gesture chair.
But in the weight capacity of both chairs, you will not find any difference. But chairs are made to bear 400Lbs of weight.
Due to the heavyweight capacity, the chair becomes a good option for heavy-weight users. The product dimensions of leap are 24.75 x 27 x 43.5 inches and of gesture chair, it is 23.63 x 34.63 x 44.25 inches.
Casters
Both Steelcase chairs come with smooth-rolling casters. You will see 5 casters that are given to make the movement of both chairs.
Due to smooth-rolling casters, it becomes easy to roll heavy-weight gesture chairs. You can choose between carpet and hardwood casters.
On the base model of both chairs, you will get carpet casters. But if you want your Steelcase chair with hardwood casters then you can also get them by paying extra.
These casters make moving Steelcase chairs from one place to another easy. You won’t have to put the effort into moving both chairs.
We like that Steelcase gives both casters options as it solves rolling problems on floors that can come by using the wrong casters type.
Warranty
There is no difference in the warranty period of both Steelcase chairs. You will get a long warranty of 12 years on both chars.
Which is the longest warranty that you will find on an office chair after Herman miller. The long warranty also shows how much sure Steelcase is about their chair’s durability and build quality.
Price
Price is a very important factor and has a great effect on buying decision of a person. Steelcase Leap comes much cheaper in price than the gesture one.
The Gesture office chair comes hundreds of dollars cheaper than the leap chair. The price of both chairs can go up, according to the feature you add to the chair.
The lumbar support, upholstery, and casters will add price to both Steelcase chairs. Not to forget that both chairs also come in stool type.
In gesture chair, you need to pay 182$ to get the chair on the stool. But in a leap, you can get the stool type for 175$. So overall, the leap chair is much more affordable than the gesture one.
Steelcase Leap | Steelcase Gesture | |
---|---|---|
Base Price | 1037.00$ | 1217$ |
Headrest | $176.00 | Not Comes |
Lumbar Support | $43.00 | $25.00 |
Leather Upholstery | $613 | $579 |
4D Adjustable Armrests | $214 | Already Have |
Stool Style | $175 | $182 |
Hardwood Casters | $18 | $19 |
Pros of Steelcase Leap Chair
- The chair has fully adjustable armrests that are padded well.
- Has a heavyweight capacity of 400 Lbs.
- Comes with 12 years long warranty.
- Have high-density padded seats that are very comfortable.
- Comes in multiple colors.
- Most parts come preassembled, which makes assembly very easy.
- Reclining is very smooth and easy to do. And you can lock back in 5 angles.
- The backrest has S-Shape that supports the spine properly.
- The chair is highly breathable with its fabric back and seats.
Cons of Steelcase Leap Chair
- The adjustable 4D armrests and headrests do not come in the base model and need to pay extra for them.
- The chair can be hard to clean as it has fabric upholstery.
Pros of Steelcase Gesture Chair
- The chair has high adjustability features like adjustable seats, back, armrests.
- The gesture is backed by 12 years warranty.
- The assembly of the chair is easy and is not time-consuming too.
- The chair can fit all sizes and weights of users.
- The build quality of the chair is premium.
- Comes with an edge seat design that prevents butts and hips pain.
- Has 3D LiveBack® technology that supports the back, even when you do movements.
Cons of Steelcase Gesture Chair
- The gesture chair comes very expensive and can be hard to afford for many people.
- The gesture chair dont come with a headrest. Nor you can add by paying extra.
Steelcase Leap VS Gesture: Which One is Better?
Both Steelcase Leap and Gesture are premium office chairs. But I will choose Steelcase to leap over the gesture. The first reason for this is the price of the gesture.
The gesture may be an upgraded version of a leap but still with some upgrades, the price of the gesture comes much higher than the leap.
But if you are looking for a highly adjustable armrests chair then go with Gesture, as it has high adjustable armrests.
But even though the leap comes much cheaper than the gesture, but still the chair has soft seats, a headrest, and good lumbar support than the gesture chair.
That is the reason that leap wins over the gesture chair. But dont assume that gesture is not a good chair. It is, as the chair also has highly adjustable features, high material and build quality, and then the leap chair.
So overall both chairs have many similar features but with some differences. It can also depend on your choice that which chair you will love Steelcase Leap or Gesture.
Conclusion
So overall, you can choose any of these chairs- Steelcase leap and gesture. But the leap is much better as it has both ergonomic features and less price.
But as different users have different choices you may also like the gesture chair as it also has many unique features.
In order to make better decisions make sure to read this Steelcase Leap Vs Gesture Blog as by this you will be able to make better decisions.