Steelcase Leap Office Chair, Onyx

What this listing is

This is the Steelcase Leap task chair in a colour the listing calls Onyx, with a model number field of Leap and a manufacturer part number of 46216179. The listing carries five different UPCs. Steelcase's Leap page describes it as the chair designed with its LiveBack technology, available as a chair, a stool, or a Leap Plus version for users up to 500 pounds.

Onyx does not appear in the frame finish list on Steelcase's page as we read it, which names Black 6205, Midnight 6259, Platinum 6249 and a polished aluminium frame and base. Steelcase's page does not decode the part number either. Use the listing photos to confirm the frame and fabric colour you are getting, because no Steelcase document we read confirms them.

Eight controls, and four the hang tag calls optional

The Leap hang tag supplied on the listing explains each control. Seat height uses a lever. A back-stop paddle sets the recline angle at any of five positions, and full recline is available with the paddle horizontal. An upper back force knob sets recline tension, turned forward for more, and a separate lower back firmness knob sets how firm the lower back feels.

The hang tag marks the height, width, pivot and depth arms, the headrest, the sliding lumbar and the seat-depth slide as optional features that may not be included in your chair. Steelcase's current page lists height-adjustable lumbar, the lower back firmness dial and four-dimensional arms as standard. The listing's description names adjustable seat depth and height and adjustable arms, and its included-components field lists only the office chair.

For seat depth, the hang tag asks you to sit back and leave two to three inches between the back of your knees and the seat edge. That is the only fitting guidance the tag gives, so use it as the check when you first sit in the chair.

The seat moves as you recline

Steelcase's page names a Natural Glide System, and the listing's description repeats the name. Neither document we read explains how it works in detail, so we do not describe it further. The page also says adjustments are labelled in English and Braille.

Steelcase's page describes the recline range as full recline with four recline angle stop settings and an upright back lock. The 2011 hang tag says five positions on the paddle, and the listing's reclining position count is five. The two maker documents describe the same control in different terms, so check the paddle positions on the chair you receive rather than relying on either number.

Size and weight figures are retail-only and inconsistent

Amazon's table gives three different overall sizes: 22.75 by 27 by 35 inches, 21.75 by 27 by 38.5 inches, and 24.75 by 27 by 43.5 inches. It also lists an item weight of 22 pounds, a seat height of 20.5 inches, a seat depth of 18.75 inches and a seat back interior height of 10.25 inches, which does not fit alongside the other size fields.

We did not read a Steelcase dimension table for Leap, so none of these figures is confirmed by the maker. Width is the one number all three listing sizes agree on, at 27 inches. Measure the space under your desk and ask the seller for the maker's dimensions before relying on height or depth. The listing says no assembly is required.

Load rating and what the hang tag says about care

Steelcase's page says the Leap chair is durable enough for users up to 400 pounds and the Leap stool up to 300 pounds, and the listing's maximum weight field says 400 pounds. Leap Plus is the separate model Steelcase rates to 500 pounds, so do not assume that figure applies to this listing.

The hang tag says wrinkles on leather upholstery are natural and expected, and it points care and maintenance questions to a Steelcase dealer or Steelcase's phone line. It gives no cleaning method, so ask Steelcase or the dealer before treating the fabric. The listing's own care field says spot clean.

Which Steelcase warranty covers an Amazon purchase

Steelcase's Leap page promises a Limited Lifetime warranty of 12 years, multi-shift, 24/7 parts and labour, and the listing's warranty field says Standard Steelcase factory 12 year warranty. The Americas warranty PDF gives seating mechanisms, lumbar mechanisms, headrests, cylinders, arm caps, foam and casters a 12-year term, and replacement parts two years or the balance of the original term.

That PDF also says it does not apply to products sold at retail to consumers, who are pointed to a separate consumer warranty we could not find. Steelcase's store FAQ says the consumer warranty applies only to purchases from store.steelcase.com or a Steelcase Authorized Retailer by buyers in the United States or Canada.

The Americas PDF lets Steelcase reject claims on products bought from unauthorised sellers, including unauthorised internet sites. Before buying, check who the seller is on the offer you select, and ask Steelcase whether that seller is authorised.