TL;DR – Quick Comparison
Steelcase Leap V2
The Traditional Option
Steelcase Leap office chair is a popular model with features and adjustments that help people of all sizes and heights. Compared to most chairs in this price range, this Steelcase chair offers more ergonomic adjustments in both the variety and the depth of adjustment to each component.
Steelcase Gesture V2
The Sleeker Choice
The Steelcase Gesture office chair is a new design that offers those looking for a stylish chair with premium features. This improved design includes new adjustable armrests and backrest as well as a more attractive look for those who want to make a statement with their new ergonomic chair.
How Do These Office Chairs Stack Up?
Steelcase Leap V2
Pricing & Warranty
TIE
Build Quality
Features & Adjustability
Steelcase Gesture
Design & Size
Steelcase Leap vs Gesture – Similarities
Steelcase Leap vs Gesture – Differences
Steelcase Leap V2 versus Steelcase Gesture – Technical Specifications
Pricing & Warranty
One of the major buying decisions when buying an office chair comes down to how much does it cost and how good is the warranty? Let's dive into the specifics of each of these aspects of these popular Steelcase chairs below:
Steelcase Leap Chair
The Steelcase Leap V2 comes in at an MSRP of $979 for the base model which includes basic fabric upholstery, only height adjustable arms, no lumbar support, carpet casters, and it does not include a headrest. If you are okay with getting a pre-owned or gently used chair for a discounted rate, you might want to look into buying a refurbished or used Steelcase Leap as you can save some serious cash.
If you want to upgrade, you have the option to add 4-way adjustable arms (+$65), additional lumbar support (+$41), a fabric-matched headrest (+$166), and hard floor caster wheels (+$18). If you were to add all of these optional upgrades up, the total chair would come up to $1,269 plus any tax and shipping fees.
When buying a new Steelcase Leap V2, you get the standard 12-year Steelcase warranty. Similar to Herman Miller and other high-end office furniture brands, this warranty is worth its weight in gold as you are basically ensuring that your expensive investment in an ergonomic office chair will be secured and safe for more than a decade of consistent use.
Steelcase Gesture Chair
The price of the Steelcase Gesture chair is $1,159 directly from the manufacturer. Unlike the Leap V2, the Gesture is designed with much of the ergonomic adjustments built into the chair so your options for paid add-ons are limited with the choices of additional lumbar support (+$24), hard floor wheels (+$19), upholstered wrap back (+$20) and a headrest (+$194). Fully upgraded you are looking at around $1,416 before adding any shipping fees or taxes.
As you'd expected with any of the ergonomic chairs by Steelcase, you get the same 12-year warranty as to the Leap V2. As stated earlier, the warranty is one of the biggest selling points of such a premium offering as you are locking in the value of the chair over a decade of use.
This is especially important when comparing to other office chairs which may be cheaper as they likely won't last a twelve-year period and will typically only offer a warranty of a year or two thus making you need to replace your chair every five years or so at full cost.
Winner: Steelcase Leap V2
Design & Size
The design of an office chair is often a critical aspect to many buyers as they want their workstations to look as professional and high-end as possible. Sizing on the other hand usually isn't the biggest factor, but one that some buyers may be interested in comparing, particularly if you are planning to use one of the Steelcase office chairs in a tight space or cubicle.
Steelcase Leap Chair
Compared to the Gesture, the Steelcase Leap V2 takes a more traditional office chair design approach which allows it to fit into any office environment without directing too much attention while still offering maximum comfort.
From a sizing perspective, the Leap is a fairly oversized chair although this allows it to give a very rigid and secure seating experience. At maximum dimensions, the Steelcase Leap V2 is 24.75″ deep, 27″ wide, and 43.5″ in height. The shipping weight of the Leap V2 chair comes in at 66 lbs with a weight capacity of 400 lbs.
Steelcase Gesture Chair
The Steelcase Gesture is the more appealing of these two ergonomic office chairs with a modern and sleek design that will likely get some compliments and praise. I much prefer the look of the Gesture compared to the Leap as it is similar to the difference in the look of the Herman Miller's Embody over the Herman Miller Aeron chair offering a modern versus a traditional design.
With this sleeker design, comes some design elements that can affect comfort though such as a significantly smaller back at just 16.25″ (compared to the Leap's 18″ sizing). In comparison, the Gesture has a larger footprint overall at 24″ deep, 34″ wide, and 44″ in height. It also weighs 10 lbs more at 78 lbs compared to its older Leap sibling, but both the Steelcase Gesture and the Leap V2 office chair offer a 400 lbs weight capacity.
Winner: Steelcase Gesture
Build Quality
Both Steelcase Leap and Gesture chairs utilize high-quality build materials to construct their premium office chairs and this is one of the contributing reasons for such a high price tag. If you want an ergonomic chair that will last, you'll need to spend the extra cash on a premium option that is built with components that are meant to last years of consistent daily use.
The high build quality of the two chairs extends everywhere from the seat's foam padding, polished aluminum starbase, and the high quality plastic components such as the outer back shell and wheel casters.
I don't see any reason to believe the Steelcase Gesture or Leap chairs will run into any issues with defects or worn components over time as the build quality is so great. However, if it does occur for whatever reason, you'll still have the stellar 12-year Steelcase warranty to fall back on to help get your chair back into working order.
Winner: Tie
Features & Adjustability
How adjustable are the Steelcase Gesture and Leap chairs? Both the Leap and Gesture offer a wide range of ergonomic adjustments which make them enticing to buy for consumers and despite their difference in design and look, they offer a very similar set of features overall.
Steelcase Leap Chair
The Steelcase Leap has been designed with tons of features and adjustable elements integrated. Virtually all aspects of the ergonomic office chair are adjustable including aspects like height-adjustable lumbar support, seat depth adjustment, pivot adjustments, armrest adjustments, and of course, a height adjustment.
Steelcase's liveback technology is found within the Steelcase Leap V2 and it is one of the first chair models from the company which harnesses this feature. For those unaware of the liveback technology, it is a flexible architecture that reflects the arc of the spine to help offer exceptional lower back support.
Compared to most chairs in this price range, this Steelcase chair offers more ergonomic adjustments in both the variety and the depth of adjustment to each component. This makes this ergonomic chair a versatile option for people of all heights and body types.
Steelcase Gesture Chair
Similarly, the Steelcase Gesture offers a lot of functionality and adjustability for such a premium office chair. While it is the better looking of the two chairs to most, the adjustable components are present but often implemented in a different way than the Leap V2.
For example, while the armrests while still offer 4-way adjustment, are a completely different design that involves moving the entire chair arm up and down or left and right rather than just the top piece like you do on the Leap V2.
The Steelcase Gesture also offers their signature liveback technology so you'll benefit from the same ergonomic design coupled with the additional support to the lumbar area in which so many users suffer related back pain.
Winner: Tie
Ending Conclusion
In the end, the best Steelcase chair for your needs may differ from the next person. Both the Steelcase Leap V2 and Gesture office chairs are excellent ergonomic chairs for your everyday work use.
The Steelcase Gesture is a great choice especially for those that wish to have the sleekest design to match the exceptional functionality. However, if you are looking to make an investment in a chair that will last years to come, the Leap V2 offers similar features as the Steelcase Gesture but at a lower price point.
I would recommend it both models if you are seeking a new office chair for home, your office, or simply a gaming chair to sit in those long streaming or casual sessions with friends.
