Steelcase Leap V2 Vs Aeron: Which One Is the Best?
Sitting for hours in the office may lead you to extra strain on your spine’s structures. For that reason, it is crucial to possess an ergonomic office chair that can assist your lower back and encourage proper posture.
In this article of FittingChairs, we will provide you with interesting insights into the difference between Steelcase leap v2 vs Aeron – the two well-known ergonomic chairs around the world, in order to help you choose the best ergonomic chair for yourself.
Steelcase Leap
The best ergonomic office chair from Steelcase will be worth your investment. Its great features make you comfortable and supportive when sitting in a chair throughout the day, even when you change positions. Don’t miss this ideal choice!
Herman Miller Aeron
Can’t deny many ergonomic benefits of this Herman Miller office chair. It’s really the most iconic model in the office furniture world. Its supporting capacity makes it stand out and all defends its comfort and design until the bitter end.
Steelcase Leap v2 vs Aeron – The Story Behind
The birth of each ergonomic chair has its unique story behind it, which can reveal the process from the original concept to the final design. Especially when it comes from the most standout brand in this market – Herman Miller and Steelcase.
- Steelcase Leap v2
Steelcase is an ergonomic chair brand born to bring the most comfortable sitting posture for people. Its past, present, and future all revolve around translating ideas into breakthroughs that unleash people’s potential at work and improve the world.
After the appearance of Steelcase Leap V1 in 1999, Steelcase renovated this product in 2006. This new version is named Steelcase leap V2.
The design modifications of Steelcase is not only obvious, it is but also becoming more subtle than the Leap V1.
- Herman Miller Aeron
Herman Miller is a well-known developer in the fields of modern interior furnishings, healthcare solutions, and associated technology and services.
This brand is a publicly-traded traded corporation with manufacturing facilities in the United States, China, Italy, and the United Kingdom, as well as sales offices, dealers, licensees, and customers in more than 100 countries.
Herman Miller is also one of the market leaders in the ergonomic office chair field.
When it initially came out in 1994, the Aeron chair was an ergonomic breakthrough, and it rapidly became such a top choice in offices chair all around the world. Then, in 2016, Herman Miller thought it was time to update the chair to keep up with modern life and science.
Being designed by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick – the two famous experts in the ergonomic chair industry, the Aeron chair excellently achieved the gold prize for “Design of the Decade” in an award ceremony that was sponsored by American Business Week magazine and the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA).
This is one of the reasons why Aeron chair is known as the king of ergonomic chairs.
Having gained a high reputation for centuries, the Aeron chair has currently become one of the most vogue ergonomic chairs in the world. Moreover, the Aeron chair is now used by successful businessmen, especially Mark Zuckerberg – the king of the social networking site (Facebook).
Steelcase leap v2 vs Aeron – What’s The Same?
Both the seat and backrest of the Steelcase Leap v2 versus Aeron are constructed of standard materials, which will be comfortable for most people.
Both of these products include specific features that can meet the demand of consumers for an ergonomic chair with full ergonomic adjustability. To be more specific, these functions comprise adjustable lumbar, rocking feature, 4D arms, really comfortable foam seat, and neck rest.
One of the most key features of these two chairs is the lumbar support, which helps to alleviate lower back discomfort, as well as the ability to modify the seat height and tilt.
Steelcase Leap v2 and Aeron are both extremely adaptable. Such chairs will be sufficient to facilitate each position equally effectively without sacrificing comfort if you transition between numerous sorts of duties throughout your working hours.
In terms of price, Steelcase Leap v2 vs Herman Miller Aeron are both quite expensive, and the Aeron is the most expensive of the two.
Steelcase Leap v2 vs Aeron – What’s The Difference?
We will give you deep insights into the difference between Steelcase Leap v2 vs Aeron through these key points.
Build quality
The Aeron has the greatest build quality in the ergonomic chair industry. On the Aeron, a lot of attention went into the design. Everything about the Aeron’s construction is top-notch.
It’s built in the United States and features high-quality components throughout. The mesh upholstery is the finest I’ve seen on a chair, and the plastic used is of exceptional quality.
The Aeron chair is well-made overall, with high-quality steel, molded aluminum, and plastic components.
With the Tilt Limiter, you may adjust the reclining range to one of three positions. You can vary the pressure required to recline comfortably using tension control. Seat Angle Adjustment allows you to change the angle of the seat from neutral to engaged.
The Steelcase Leap v2 has a lot of high-quality polymers used throughout the design, which can help the producer make the chair lightweight and flexible.
The Leap’s design is centered on creating a chair that allows for mobility. All of the plastic components on the Leap are well-made, fitting together neatly and without any loose parts.
You will receive a good and solid 5-star foundation with the Steelcase Leap v2, which comes in either regular black plastic or polished metal. It also has dual-wheel casters and a secure and smooth pneumatic height adjustment.
Design
One of the most obvious characteristics to distinguish Steelcase Leap v2 vs Aeron is design.
- Design details
The structure of this chair is significantly massive because it plays the role of supporting the whole back of it.
You have three choices in 8Z upholstery chair including graphite (nearly black), carbon (a neutral tone – almost grey ), and mineral (brighter look with white color). The satin on the metal frame gives it a very sleek and professional appearance.
While the color of the Aeron is towards neutrality, the Leap is actually working with the dynamic working environment with many vibrant colors choices.
Except for the mesh material, the Steelcase Leap Office Chair has a similar shape to the Herman Miller Aeron, with a smooth back and seat.
The Leap’s structure, on the other hand, is less visible. It’s basically a tough black plastic. The color possibilities are more comprehensive than the Aeron, as previously stated.
In terms of design, the Aeron chair may be likely more stylish than the Steelcase Leap v2.
- Dimensions
| Product | Herman Miller Aeron | Steelcase Leap V2 |
| Height | 34.25″ – 45.38″ | 38.5″-43.5″ |
| Seat height | 14.4″ – 22.8″ | 15.5″-20.5″ |
| Seat Depth | 16″ – 18.5″ | 15.75″-18.75″ |
| Width | 27.5″ – 31.6″ | 27″ |
| Depth | 27″ – 28.3″ | 21.75″-24.75″ |
| Maximum weight | 350 lb | 400 lb |
| Seat material | Pellicle 8Z mesh | 3D knit fabric |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Adjustment
In general, the Leap chairs have a lot more adjustment options than the Aeron.
With Aeron chair, you can select three different reclining limiters on this office chair including straight up, halfway reclined, and fully reclined. The reclining resistance knob is conveniently located behind the front of the chair, making it simple to select the correct level of resistance.
The Aeron’s backrest and lumbar support can be adjusted easily. It comes with “PostureFit SL Lumbar Support,” which is made up of two pads that should mold to your body, which is very healthy for your lower back.
The armrests can swivel and move up and down as well as front and back, however they cannot narrow or widen. Although the seat is well-padded, the seat pan depth cannot be altered.
The Steelcase Leap v2 chair has all of the ergonomic adjustments beyond your expectation on a $1000 chair including seat height, seat depth, arm height, width, depth, pivot, lumbar with the exception of back height adjustment.
The Leap chair allows you to change the seat height and depth, as well as the lumbar and 4D arms.
The lumbar mechanism of the Leap features two different settings. To begin, you may adjust the lumbar support by moving it up and down the backrest. Second, you may alter the backrest’s tightness, depending on your demand.
What’s Customer Say?
Here are some customer’s reviews about the experience of using Steelcase Leap v2 vs Aeron chair on Amazon.
Steelcase Leap reviews
Katawomba: “Great for smaller frames and chronic pain issues“
I bought a refurbished Leap V2 elsewhere but wanted to review it for anyone considering. It’s a great chair. I usually struggle with office chairs being too deep, or too tall, or the arms being too wide, or, for mesh “ergonomic” chairs, the mesh causing nerve pain in my mid back or making my legs fall asleep. Lightweight chairs roll around and I find myself holding my muscles tense all day to keep them in place. I’m a chair wimp, in other words.
I went to a used office furniture store to try an Aeron (again, despite multiple attempts that left me underwhelmed) and happened to sit down in a Steelcase Leap V2. Decided I wasn’t leaving without it. The 4-way adjustable arms are game-changing for smaller people. The chair has enough heft that it isn’t trying to roll away at the slightest movement. Adjustable lumbar actually works and feels supportive. You can adjust seat depth and recline. It’s a great chair.
Show more +Kim: “I love this chair“
I bought a refurbished Leap V2 elsewhere but wanted to review it for anyone considering. It’s a great chair. I usually struggle with office chairs being too deep, or too tall, or the arms being too wide, or, for mesh “ergonomic” chairs, the mesh causing nerve pain in my mid back or making my legs fall asleep. Lightweight chairs roll around and I find myself holding my muscles tense all day to keep them in place. I’m a chair wimp, in other words.
I went to a used office furniture store to try an Aeron (again, despite multiple attempts that left me underwhelmed) and happened to sit down in a Steelcase Leap V2. Decided I wasn’t leaving without it. The 4-way adjustable arms are game-changing for smaller people. The chair has enough heft that it isn’t trying to roll away at the slightest movement. Adjustable lumbar actually works and feels supportive. You can adjust seat depth and recline. It’s a great chair.
Show more +Aeron reviews
Houmi: “Almost perfect“
So I decided to write a review, after I saw some negative reviews here, first of all I don’t work for HM nor Amazon and have no association with them.
I used the first Aeron chair about 20 years ago at a job for about 9.5 years, I am big/tall (6’4″ / 290lb) and I thought that was one of the most comfortable chair I ever had at a work place, especially for the 40-80 hours / week job as a programmer.
Fast forward today, I’ve been looking for a home office chair since my $200 office-depot chair I have been using for the past 15+ years has been taking a beating, is missing an armrest, and has got some serious noise issues, but I had kept it since I had got used to it over the years, but it’s very uncomfortable since I started working from home.
I looked at many online reviews (wirecutter, reddit and youtube) and narrowed down to the Steelcase Gesture and Leap and HM Aeron and Embody, but since I couldn’t find any local dealer to test them, I decided to get/try the Aeron directly from amazon since I know I could trust them.
First of all, I didn’t want to assemble the chair and when you buy from amazon directly, it’s assembled already and comes with a big box, you just open it up and roll the chair out!
By buying via amazon directly, you also do get peace of mind in terms of warranty from HM (I called them to make sure of that) and the chair was brand new and never used.
So this chair comes with the Posturefit support, the one I used back during my work days was with the lumbar support. I liked the lumbar support quite a bit since I could adjust it up/down, the only downer for that was if you pushed it up too high up, it could fall off and come out, so that was annoying.
The Posturefit on the other hand is fixed and doesn’t move up or down (I wish it did, and for that reason I drop 1/2 star), but you can change its support engagement with knobs. I personally pushed them out and I am not using them as they feel a little bit weird on my back. But the basic support is there if you leave them as is.
The other adjustment settings are simple enough to follow via their printed guide or youtube video (which I watched)
As far as the cost, this isn’t an inexpensive chair and I am not going to remove stars based on that. It’s like removing stars from a fully loaded Audi because it doesn’t cost as much as a Volkswagen, or a Ford.
What you get though is a Made in the USA chair, excellent/courteous customer service with very good repair service stories I’ve read online, and a chair that will last a long time that is definitely good for your posture / health.
Though unfortunately I’d have to drop another 1/2 star, that even though this is a V2 remastered version of the original chair I had, they did not make it with a headrest which would have been totally amazing for this chair, and I actually had to buy one separately (I chose an Atlas headrest) to go with this. I wish HM had actually gone this way, since having a headrest by default would have made this chair totally perfect!
Still this is an amazing buy for such a chair and I would totally recommend it. Though if you have never sat on one, it’s probably best to find a local dealer to try it first.
Show more +Bryan1970: “Solved serious lower back issues“
Ok yes, it’s a $1300 chair, but I was desperate from serious lower back pain and I was willing to try anything. Perhaps it being so expensive made me think it must be THE best. Well…. I almost hate to say it but it must be. I’ve never been more comfortable (for long periods of time) in a chair than I am in this thing.
I’m 6’1″ 275 pounds. “Big guy”. And it’s super roomy and supportive. I’m at my computer for sometimes 12 hours a day writing code and in my other Serta chair which in all fairness was an executive chair (this being a ‘task’ chair) I was literally having to go for physical therapy after long weeks of work. It was awful.
Within two weeks of having this chair I have had NO back pain. NONE! In fact I worked 12 hours in it yesterday and thought for sure I’d wake up in crazy pain this morning but instead I felt completely normal. Which is why I’m writing this review. The chair really is amazing. It sucks that the it’s so expensive but looking back I don’t have any regrets now that I can work as hard as I need to without suffering physical detriment after ever session.
Finally, I will say that my only two gripes about the chair is that,
1. It has one squeak that kinda drives me crazy but it’s probably because I’m seriously overweight. Even so, for this kind of money I would expect it to hold an elephant without squeaking. Just sayin.
2. The optional head-rest should not cost $180. C’mon guys. The chair? I get it. It’s a lot of math to figure out how to support the (body) correctly but leaning my head back to rest for a minute can’t possibly be rocket science. That’s a bit of a price gouge in my opinion.
Hope this helps someone considering going this route. I personally had anxiety about buying a chair this expensive without ever having sat in one but desperation won the day and I went for it. Extremely pleasantly surprised and satisfied.
Best of luck
Show more +Steelcase leap v2 vs Aeron – Pros and cons
Great back support
Posture and spine health tech
Three size options
8Z Pellicle soft mesh
Tilt limiter
No seat depth adjustment
High price
Fewer aesthetics options
Various premium features
5-position reclination
Comes pre-assembled
No neck support
Steelcase Leap v2 vs Aeron: Final Thought
The Aeron is a perfect chair in general. Its materials are outstanding, and the chair’s overall appearance is incomparable. However, the price and occasionally unpleasant pressure points would make a Steelcase Leap V2 a better choice.
So, the answer for Herman Miller Aeron vs Steelcase Leap v2 – which one is the best will depend a lot on your own demand.
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We hope the above information will assist you in getting deep insights into the differences between Steelcase Leap v2 vs Aeron, then you can totally make up your mind which one is the most suitable for yourself.
