Steelcase Leap V2 Review

You’re looking for a dependable, quality office chair and you’ve heard good things about the Steelcase Leap V2. You’ve also read online that this is among the more expensive office chairs outside of those from Herman Miller. 

Before you proceed with your purchasing decision, you need more information. Allow this review to serve as your buying guide. In it, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Steelcase Leap V2, from its features, benefits, pricing, and pros and cons. 

By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be able to determine with confidence whether the Leap V2 is the right office chair for you or if you’re better off spending less money on your chair. 

About Steelcase Office Chairs

First, let’s talk about the Steelcase brand. Steelcase is actually an amalgamation of two main brands, Coalesse and Steelcase. Other brands associated with Steelcase include Orangebox, Smith System, AMQ, and Designtex. 

Founded in 1912, Steelcase’s products are quite varied. You know them for their office chairs, but Steelcase also manufactures dining chairs, ottomans, benches, conference chairs, lounge chairs, and guest chairs. They  produce tables, benches, desks, carts, shelving, cabinets, credenzas, and all nature of office décor and accessories too.

In Steelcase’s office chair collection is the Leap, Think, Gesture, Amia, SILQ, cobi, JAKU, SIYA, ZILO, BODI, Turnstone Jack, Criterion, Siento, Jersey, and Protégé. 

Steelcase Leap V2 Review Highlights

The Steelcase Leap V2 is the successor to the best-selling Leap V1, but with several crucial differences that we’ll delve deeper into later. For now, what you need to know is that the Leap V2 has better base construction, more adjustments, and it’s taller.  

With the Leap V2’s Natural Glide System, reclining and staying in position becomes seamless. LiveBack technology supports your spine whether you’re sitting up straight or leaning back. The armrests are incredibly adjustable, as are many other parts of this office chair. 

What We Liked

• With no assembly required, you can start using your Steelcase Leap V2 as soon as the package arrives.  
• Steelcase’s LiveBack technology rivals the ergonomics in a Herman Miller chair but for hundreds of dollars less.
• The range of armrest adjustability is fantastic. 
• The seat cushions are supposed to lessen thigh pressure so you can work all day without interruptions.
• The Natural Glide System provides smooth adjustments. 

What We Didn’t Like

• The price of the Leap V2 is nearly $1,000, which means you’d need a big budget for an office chair.
• The Buzz 2 fabric could be more breathable. It’s also polyester, which is a bit cheap.
• Plastic parts throughout this chair also come across as cheap. 

Steelcase Leap V2 Review: Specifications & Features

Next, let’s take a closer look at the multitude of features included with the Steelcase Leap V2. 

Dimensions	Back width – 18 inchesSeat width – 19.25 inchesSeat depth – 15.75 to 18.75 inchesOverall width – 27 inchesOverall depth – 21.75 to 24.75 inchesOverall height – 38.5 to 43.5 inchesHeight of back from the seat – 25 inchesArm height to the floor – 22 to 31 inchesHeight of seat from the floor – 15.5 to 20.5 inches
Product Weight	48 pounds
Material	Plastic, aluminum, polyester
Weight Capacity	400 pounds

LiveBack Technology

The average workweek seems to get longer and longer anymore, with 40 hours per week no longer the norm for many occupations. Spending that much time at the office requires a chair that’s going to support your back.

The Steelcase Leap V2 includes LiveBack technology in the backrest. The contouring throughout the backrest can subtly alter its shape as your body moves. Whether you’re sitting up straight, slouching but still upright, or you’re leaning way back in this office chair, the LiveBack technology can accommodate your natural posture and the S-shape of your spine.

As we said earlier, the LiveBack technology is on par with Herman Miller’s BackFit backrest as featured in their award-winning Aeron chair. Both backrests are very similar, but the price points between these two chairs are not. You’re saving money with the Leap V2 and saving your spine as well. 

Ergonomics

The LiveBack technology is the crown jewel of the Leap V2’s ergonomics, but it’s not the only feature for better support. A lower back firmness control lets you adjust how much tension the bottom half of the Leap V2’s seat has. If you need more firmness and support, then crank up this feature. You can also relax your lower back by reducing firmness.

The lumbar support knob is adjustable to your height. You can even set the amount of upper back force, which is like the lower back firmness control but for your shoulder blades and the rest of your upper back. 

4D Adjustable Armrests

The Steelcase Leap V2 boasts 4D armrests, which have the highest degree of adjustability on the market at current. When Steelcase designed the Leap V2, they did so knowing that an office chair’s armrests should stay parallel to your desk or workstation. 

That’s why the Leap V2’s armrests can go from one side to another or shift backward or forward. You can also pivot the armrests in or out, raise their height, or lower the arms. This kind of armrest freedom will support your arms whether you’re working or relaxing. 

Natural Glide System

Speaking of relaxing, when the workday is done, you’ll want to kick back in the Steelcase Leap V2 thanks to its easy, breezy Natural Glide System. This adjustment lets you glide your seat into a natural reclining position. Your optimal zone remains the same so you feel balanced and can easily get back to work if duty calls.  

Pneumatic Adjustments 

Raising the height of the Leap V2 occurs via whisper-quiet pneumatic adjustments that move smoothly like the Natural Glide System. You can also adjust the seat pan depth so if you feel like sitting deeper in your chair while crossing off tasks on your to-do list, you can adjust that positioning.  

Fabric Upholstery 

The Steelcase Leap V2, like the Leap V1 before it, is a fabric office chair. Steelcase’s Buzz 2 fabric is made of pure polyester and comes in a variety of colors, from fun rainbow shades to modern hues like black or gray that would better suit an office environment. 

Steelcase designed the seat cushion of the Leap V2 with air pockets throughout that will shift around your body as you sit. You’ll feel like the Leap V2’s seat is made just for you. Flexible edges along the seat can lessen the uncomfortable pressure that builds up below your thighs and makes it hard to get through the day. 

Casters

Whether you’re rolling on hard linoleum flooring or light carpeting at the office, the Leap V2 has casters that can travel with you. You can even upgrade to deep carpet casters that can handle plusher, thicker carpeting. 

Steelcase Leap V2 Review: Our Insights 

Let’s continue our review by spotlighting elements of the Steelcase Leap V2, including its value and quality. 

Build Quality 

Starting with the build quality, the Steelcase Leap V2 is solid, although some of its materials could be better. The base of this chair is plastic by default. Upgrading to aluminum costs extra, and this is already an expensive office chair to begin with. 

Users have said that the plastic knobs and levers tend to wear down fast. Many other features are plastic too, such as the contoured backrest and the armrest supports. For what you’re paying, you’d expect more durable materials to go into the construction of the Leap V2. 

The Buzz 2 fabric, as we mentioned earlier, is pure polyester. This is a low-cost material that, while comfortable, can look and feel a bit cheap. The Buzz 2 fabric should be breathable enough, but compared to a mesh office chair, the Leap V2 is lacking in breathability. 

Ergonomics

The Steelcase Leap V2 has incredible ergonomics. You’d be hard-pressed to find an office chair with more lumbar adjustments and features outside of those by Herman Miller. Between the lower back firmness control, height-dependent lumbar support, the upper back force control, and the flexible seat edge for less thigh pressure, you’ll practically feel pampered sitting in the Leap V2.

Then there’s the LiveBack technology for spinal support from the top of your back to the bottom. This technology allows the contoured backrest to move subtly or more overtly with your body as you go about your business from day to day. 

Adjustability 

The Leap V2 is no stranger to adjustments, so let’s talk about them more specifically. 

• Height adjustment: The pneumatics that allow you to raise or lower the height of your seat have great ease of use. You can adjust the height of the Leap V2 from 38.5 inches to 43.5 inches, which is a difference of 5 inches. 
• 4D adjustable armrests: 4D armrests are the future of office and gaming chairs alike. Whether you want your armrests right under your arms or out of the way, the range of motion in the Leap V2’s arms gives you awesome freedom. 
• Seat pan depth adjustment: Smooth adjustments make setting your depth and angle of recline an effortless experience so you’re ready to get started with your day. 
• Lumbar adjustment: We just touched on the lumbar adjustments, but our favorite part about this feature is how you can tweak the firmness and support for your lower back to your upper back.

Comfort 

Even if you’re not the biggest fan of some of its materials, the lumbar and ergonomic features of the Steelcase Leap V2 make this one comfortable chair. You can adjust so much of this chair for a custom fit that should keep you cozy for hours of consecutive use.  

Value

The Steelcase Leap V2 retails for $890 new. Considering that you can buy an office chair for under $100 (albeit not a particularly high-quality one), the Leap is quite expensive. If you’re someone who contests with back pain while working, the lumbar features and ergonomics of the Leap V2 make it worth the money.

Steelcase Leap V2 Review: Policies and Additional Info

Here is some of the technical information on the Steelcase Leap V2 that can also influence your purchasing decision. 

Shipping

Steelcase offers quick shipping that promises to get your product out to you within two to five business days of your order being processed.  

Assembly

The Leap V2, as we discussed earlier, comes out of the box ready to use. You may have to do some minor assembly depending on where you buy the chair, but this won’t be a situation where you have to set aside a whole afternoon to install your office chair. 

Warranty

Should you decide to buy the Steelcase Leap V2, you’re backed by the brand’s 12-year warranty. That warranty covers glides, casters, foam, arm caps, pneumatic cylinders, the headrest, lumbar mechanisms, and other mechanisms.

However, the damage must not have come from wear and tear, modifying your chair, misusing it, or incorrect installation. 

Return Policy

Steelcase promises hassle-free returns if you don’t like the Leap V2 (or any of their other products) for any reason. You’ll receive a full refund for the purchase price of your chair when you request a return. 

Steelcase Leap V1 vs. V2: What’s the Difference?

As we said we would, let’s now compare the differences between the original Leap V1 and the new and improved Leap V2. 

Lighter Base

When the Leap V1 came out, you didn’t get an option to choose the base material. It was made of tough, heavy steel that admittedly made the chair difficult to use. The nylon base that forms the skeleton of the Leap V2 weighs far less without sacrificing the max allowable weight of this office chair, which is an impressive 400 pounds. 

Thinner Profile

To also help reduce weight between the Leap V1 and the V2, Steelcase made the V2 ever so thinner compared to its predecessor. It’s less curvy as well with straighter lines that give this office chair a sleek appearance. The V2’s base is interestingly somewhat taller than that of the V1.

Less Armrest Padding

The armrests between the Leap V1 and V2 are both padded, but the latter has less padding. This wouldn’t really make a difference in how much the chair weighs, so we’re not sure what Steelcase’s logic was for this decision. The Leap V2 also doesn’t have the elbow rest that the V1’s arms do. We’d say the changes to the armrest padding and shape were probably unnecessary.

That said, the V1 has only 3D armrests, so what you’re gaining in padding and comfort, you’re losing in adjustability. 

Steelcase Leap V2 Alternatives

If you’re still on the fence about whether the Steelcase Leap V2 will be your next office chair, it doesn’t hurt to look at some other options. In this section, we’ll compare the Leap V2 to the Steelcase Gesture and the Steelcase Amia as well as the oft-mentioned Herman Miller Aeron. 

Steelcase Leap V2 vs. Steelcase Gesture

Yes, it’s a battle of Steelcase versus Steelcase chairs. The Gesture and Leap V2 share some features, such as LiveBack technology, fabric upholstery, air pockets in the seat for comfort, adjustments, and the flexible seat edge, but then the deviations begin.

For one, the Gesture doesn’t have 4D arms. The arms have a huge range of motion, but not as much compared to the Leap V2. You can recline the Gesture and lock it in four different positions. You can also set the recline tension. However, the Gesture does not have any back tension settings. 

The look of the Gesture is certainly attention-grabbing. This Steelcase creation has an almost futuristic look that’s still somehow totally modern. It certainly stands out more than the Leap V2. The Gesture is moderately more expensive, retailing for around $1,000. 

Steelcase Leap V2 vs. Herman Miller Aeron

The Herman Miller Aeron, a chair that has a permanent spot at MoMA, is a worthy contender for the Steelcase Leap V2. Its PostureFit SL backrest, as we talked about earlier, is akin to the Steelcase LiveBack. The PostureFit features dual pads that you can adjust individually or in tandem for spinal stabilization and awesome lumbar support. 

The Aeron has a metal base and fewer plastic parts, so it’s more visually impressive than the Leap V2. Then again, this chair is in a museum for a reason. 

The arms are rather simple for an office chair, and that’s especially true when compared to the Leap V2. The arms have some adjustability, but nowhere near 4D range.

Another significant difference between the Aeron and the Leap V2 is the base material. The Leap V2 features Buzz 2 polyester fabric while the Aeron is outfitted in Herman Miller’s 8Z Pellicle fabric. This mesh fabric has superior breathability. Not only that, but it’s its own form of lumbar support with more tension along the seat edges and less in the center.

The Aeron comes in several sizes while the Steelcase Leap V2 is available in only one. For all these great features though, the Herman Miller Aeron starts at $1,395. That’s significantly more than even the Leap V2! 

Check out my in-depth comparison of the Herman Miller Aeron vs Steelcase Leap

Steelcase Leap V2 vs. Steelcase Amia

Let’s also pit the Leap V2 against the Steelcase Amia. This chair looks like a cousin of the Leap, but there are many differences between these two office chairs. Rather than including LiveBack technology, Amia has LiveLumbar technology, which can flex as your back moves for spinal support. LiveLumbar also features lumbar settings through dual handles that let you set the curve of this seat. 

LiveLumbar is definitely great, but it’s more for your lower back. LiveBack technology and its accompanying adjustments support your entire back. That said, the Amia lets you lock the LiveLumbar setting and you can adjust the back tension too. Still, LiveBack technology is the better of the two.

You can set the seat depth, and the flexible seat edge makes a return in the Amia. Its arms will pivot and can be adjusted for depth, width, and height, but Steelcase doesn’t out and out call the armrests 4D. 

The Amia comes in many colors like the Leap V2, and it’s also upholstered. This chair costs $700, so it’s not too much less costly than the Leap. 

The Bottom Line 

The Steelcase Leap V2 is an office chair that rivals even the beloved Herman Miller Aeron. It has LiveBack technology and an assortment of lower, mid, and upper back adjustments. The armrests are 4D and you can also set this chair in a variety of ways for a comfortable fit.

There are some downsides, of course. The materials of the Leap V2 could be better, and some other Steelcase chairs have more appealing profiles than this one, including the Amia and the Gesture. The $800 price tag is also a tough pill to swallow.

If you have a bigger budget for an office chair but the Aeron is outside of your price range, the Steelcase Leap V2 won’t let you down. v