The Steelcase brand make a lot of different types of office chair.
Their Leap ergonomic chair is a best seller for them thanks to its lumbar support system. But that may not be what you are looking for as a necessity.
We know that looking for your best office chair can be difficult, which is why we have compared two for you here.
We are going to compare the Steelcase Think with the Steelcase Leap Office Chair.
Below you will find our comparisons of these two chairs from the same manufacturer, and hopefully you can decide which one to buy.
Steelcase Think
Steelcase Leap Office Chair
Aesthetics
Think
The Steelcase Think chair has a silhousette comprised of straight edge and ergonomic curves. The back of the chair is made of a mesh material making it see-through. The frame is clearly visible through the back panel of the chair, making the Think a striking office chair of any work setting.
The upholstery is available in an extremely vast array of colors, from standard, sleek darker colors to the more vibrant and statement friendly colors like deep greens and bright mustards.
From behind, the Think office chair has a back panel filled with horizontal strips of framework that keep the mesh material taut. And give the chair an interesting look that injects a fresh design to an otherwise standard shape.
There is also a large panel that sits across the lower back of the chair. This is the lumbar support system and will make an appearance in the ergonomics category.
Leap
The Steelcase Leap Office Chair has a different silhouette to the Think, with a smooth back and seat and no real harsh angles or edges in its design. But the framework of the Leap is more visible and protruding, an interesting design feature.
The colorway options are less extensive than the Think, there are only fifteen different color options. But just like the Think, all color options of the Leap come with black framework and a black wheelbase.
Ergonomics
Think
The Steelcase’s Think office chair has a shape that fits to the contours of your back whilst you work throughout the day. The livelumbar technology (the panel on the back of the chair) is the ergonomic lumbar support.
The seat of the chair is padded and upholstered in a 3D knit fabric, the same as the back of the chair. This has a light breathable feeling that keeps you cool during stressful workdays.
Leap
The Leap model is Steelcase’s number one selling ergonomic chair. It has livelumbar technology that flexes with your every movement throughout the workday to keep you supported and comfortable.
This livelumbar system mimics the shape of your natural spine, changing its shape to support your contours.
Adjustability
Think
When it comes to adjustable features, the Steelcase Think has the basics that you would want in an office chair, as well as some other added features. The gas lift allows you to alter the overall height of the chair in relation to the ground.
A very useful ergonomic feature of this chair is the ability to alter the back tension. You can change the comfort dial to one of the four comfort settings: weight activated seating, weight activated with 20% boost, mid-stop recline, or upright back lock.
The armrests of the Steelcase Think chair are classed a 4D, like most of Steelcase’s designs, meaning they can be adjusted in four different ways. They can move up and down to change the height, the distance between them can be altered, the depth of them can be changed, and finally the armrests can pivot.
The lumbar support that is visible from the back of the chair is adjustable. Whilst sitting on the chair you can use your hands to slide the lumbar support up or down the back of the chair to fit your specific measurements. this makes the chair extremely customizable, not only to you in general, but to you on each new workday.
Leap
With a natural glide system, the Leap model of the Steelcase chairs allows the chair to recline smoothly whilst the seat slides forward. This means you are able to recline whilst working and still easily see the work on your computer screen.
This can encourage many more active and varied seating positions, thus promoting movement at work and avoiding stationary seating for hours on end.
The Leap, like the Think has 4D armrests that can be adjusted in four different ways. The Leap also has a dial that can be used to adjust the firmness of the lower back lumbar support feature. This controls the precise amount that the chair back can resist you reclining.
Framework and Wheelbase
Think
The framework of the Think chair is fully visible and acts as another design feature with a cool unique shape. The flexors that flex across the back of the chair horizontally are visible through the 3D knit mesh fabric.
The main supportive framework of the chair spans the outer edge of the back, provided the housing for the adjustable lumbar support. The wheelbase is the standard 5-star wheelbase with castor wheels that Steelbase uses.
Leap
The Leap’s framework is not visible in the same way as the Think’s. The plastic back of the chair has slits that act like a human spine when the back of the chair is adjusted.
There are more pieces of framework that protrude from the back and allow the lumbar support to be adjustable. The wheelbase is the same as the Think’s.
Eco conscious
Think
The Think model chair is made up of 28% recycled content, and low-emitting materials.
Leap
The Leap model chair is made up of 35% recycled content, and low-emitting materials.
This makes the Leap model significantly more conscious than the Think in terms of recycled content.
Should this be an important factor for you when you are choosing a chair, we think the stats speak for themselves, but since they both come from the same manufacturer, you could also argue that the brand itself is eco conscious, so the difference in percentage may not make a huge impact.
Frequent Asked Questions
Here we have brought together some frequently asked questions that prospective customers may have, we hope that they help:
Which chair has the best lumbar support?
Since the Steelcase Leap is the brand’s number one best seller for ergonomic chairs, it is definitely the winner for lumbar support.
The unique spine-like design of the back of the chair allows you to adjust it whilst sitting and working so that you can find the perfect position for your lower back with ease.
The Think’s lumbar support is still great, but since the Think’s is a separate panel that you can adjust manually, and the Leap’s is fully integrated, the Leap still wins.
Are the armrests comfortable?
For both the Think and the Leap, they are not padded, the armrests are wide so have a large surface area.
This means they won’t put pressure on your elbows, and if you adjust the 4D armrests to fit your personal specifications, they will be comfortable.
What are the dimensions of the seats on these chairs?
Think
- The Steelcase Think’s seat width is 20 1/4 inches, and the depth is 18 1/2 inches.
Leap
- The Steelcase Leap’s seat width is 20 inches, and the depth is 18 ¼ inches.
Overall Thoughts
So, which chair is best for you? Based on the comparisons we have drawn your attention to, we hope you can make an informed decision now about which chair would suit you best out of the Steelcase Think and the Steelcase Leap.
In analysing both the Steelcase Think and the Steelcase Leap, we have come to some decisions ourselves. The Leap is Steelcase’s number one best-selling ergonomic office chair for its lumbar support design.
Although the Think chair is still designed with ergonomics at its center, the Leap still takes the win. However, if you are buying a chair based more so on the aesthetics of it, we think that the Think is the winner.
Both chairs will look the part in an office space in any colorway, and both are available in many different colors. The Leap chair has more adjustability than the
Think since the seat slides forward when the back of the chair is being reclined. So, the Leap is more adjustable and ergonomic than the Think overall.
You should definitely consider whether the Leap’s astounding lumbar support is something that you find a necessity, or if the Think’s ergonomic and aesthetic blend is something that strikes you as more important.
It fully depends on the type of office space you are trying to fill, as well as the lumbar support desires that you have.
