The Steelcase Leap meets
the Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro
The only chair Forbes' panel rated 8 or higher on build, comfort, and support. We tested it head-to-head against the Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro across 6 key dimensions.
Steelcase Leap
“The only chair Forbes' panel rated 8 or higher on build, comfort, and support”
Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro
“WIRED's pick for most people, with 14 adjustments for a third of the Leap's price”
Head-to-Head Breakdown
Strengths & Weaknesses
Steelcase Leap
- Forbes Vetted's Best Upgrade and the only chair its panel rated 8 or higher on build, comfort, and support
- TechRadar: "No other chair my team has tested is as good for relieving lower back pain"
- 12-year warranty, and refurbished units from dealers like BTOD cost about half of new
- Base configuration lists at $1,499 on Steelcase's store, and CNN noted it costs over twice the Series 1
- TechRadar's panel found the thick cushion runs warm and the recline feels sticky
- Forbes suggests skipping it if you want a more modern look
Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro
- WIRED's best home office chair for most people
- Forbes Vetted found it comparable in comfort, support, adjustability, and sturdiness to models twice the price
- Lumbar adjusts in height and depth, with 5D armrests and forward seat tilt at $499
- Forbes noticed slight armrest wobble, and TechRadar called the armrests flimsy
- 275 lb capacity, and taller users need the optional tall cylinder
- Assembly takes a significant amount of effort, per Forbes
The Verdict
Our Bottom Line
The Steelcase Leap has the deepest reviewer support of any chair we looked at. BTODtv's Ryan, who has tested dozens of chairs across years of content, gave it his only S+ rating, calling it his "unicorn of office chairs" and the one he'd choose if he could only sit in one chair for the rest of his life. He has sat in every major chair on the market, and this is the one he settled on.
Steelcase Leap
The Steelcase Leap has the deepest reviewer support of any chair we looked at. BTODtv's Ryan, who has tested dozens of chairs across years of content, gave it his only S+ rating, calling it his "unicorn of office chairs" and the one he'd choose if he could only sit in one chair for the rest of his life. He has sat in every major chair on the market, and this is the one he settled on.
- You sit 8 or more hours a day and want a chair built to last past its 12-year warranty
- Lower back pain is your main reason for upgrading
- Several people of different heights will share the chair
- You would consider a refurbished unit to bring the price down
Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro
Branch's Ergonomic Chair Pro is the chair that kept beating more expensive ones. WIRED, whose Julian Chokkattu has sat in more than 60 chairs for at least two weeks each, named it the best home office chair for most people and found the mesh back followed the curve of his spine. Forbes Vetted put it through a month with a seven-person panel and ranked it runner-up overall, calling it comparable in comfort, support, adjustability, and sturdiness to models twice the price.
- Your budget is around $500 and you still want adjustable lumbar and seat depth
- You prefer a breathable mesh back
- You are between 5'2" and 6'2" and under 275 lb
- You don't lean hard on the armrests all day