Matt's Leap Week

Day Two

…of sitting in the Leap Chair was a far greater test than day one - a solid nine hours and change of chair time was in the works. Now that time is closer to two hours and I have to say that Leap has performed very well. I picked up on a couple of subtleties that I missed yesterday, and they do make a difference when spending an entire day in the chair.

The first is the cushioning effect you feel when you sit down in the chair with all your weight. The cylinder (the part that attaches the chair to the base) has some shock-absorbing mechanism so you never really feel the impact of your backside hitting the seat. It reminds me of when you’re driving your car and you stop at a red light. When you see the light turn red you can do one of two things - you can really hit the brakes until your car comes to a complete stop, which causes your torso to lean forward for a second before your back returns to the car seat in a jarring fashion, or you can gently hit the breaks and lightly release them the moment before your car stops, which accomplishes the goal of the complete stop without any jarring movement of your person.

The former technique is favored by most seventeen-year olds, taxi-drivers, and many, many Europeans. The latter technique is favored by, well, sensible people who enjoy a comfortable halt in their automobile. I know sitting down in a chair is a different movement than leaning forward in your automobile, but the sensation is similar. So if you fall into the latter category of sensible drivers you might like the Steelcase Leap Chair. It really does reduce the amount of force your back and butt experience when you sit down. No lie - if it didn’t I wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of the red light analogy. It looks like I’ve written sufficiently about this one benefit of Leap for today. Until tomorrow …

Matt's Leap Week

Day One

So it's Thursday at Smart Furniture and I've been rocking spreadsheets like it's my job. Rocking spreadsheets *is* my job (or part of it), so no surprises there. What was a surprise was the opportunity to test one of our new office chairs from Steelcase - the Leap Chair. Not only does this give me the chance to sit in what I can already tell is a pretty sweet office chair for at least a week, it also gives me the opportunity to show off my creative writing skills! That doesn't mean I have any experience writing commentary of this sort or imply that my creative writing skills are above average, nor does it ensure that I have the capability to deliver to you, the reader, an unbiased review of a chair that I would love for you to buy. But it does mean that I get the chance to share my thoughts in a candid forum as honestly as I can and hopefully assist some shoppers in their chair-purchasing decisions. It also means that when I’m writing I’m not looking at any spreadsheets! Already, the Leap Chair makes a difference.

I usually sit in the Bungie Chair, which seems to be the default at the Smart Furniture office. It's a great chair; but it's definitely lacking in some areas. Most notably, there's no pivoting mechanism between the seat and the back, so when you lean back your legs go up in the air, which means that your legs aren't supported, and your knees start to feel weird. I love to
lean back, and I have bad knees, so that's a problem.

As you may have guessed, this is not an issue with the Leap Chair. When I first sat down in it, I noticed that the back flexes while your legs stay parallel to the ground. Of course I had to make some adjustments; as I mentioned earlier, I love to lean back, so I adjusted the lower back
firmness to a very relaxed setting. This let me tilt as far back as I wanted, but my butt started to slip over the edge of the seat when I was fully reclined. Fortunately, this was quickly remedied when I adjusted the seat depth. Most office chairs that have this option rely on a rolling
mechanism at the front of the seat that actually increases how long the seat is, but not with Steelcase. The Leap Chair’s seat actually slides forward and backward, and you can make adjustments even when sitting down in it (with one hand, no less). The only downside is that when you’re sliding backwards, you have to grip the casters with your feet to prevent the entire chair from moving. With the seat depth adjusted to fit yours truly, the Leap Chair felt great in a reclined position. So I stayed that way for a good chunk of the afternoon. My back feels good as the day is drawing to a close, and I’m looking forward to spending the entire workday with Leap
tomorrow.

Geneva, meet Amia. Amia, Geneva.

Final Day

I will be parting with Amia as my week is over, and I am very, very sad. It's back to flimsy, unsupportive, sticky leather, generic office chairs for me. My experience with this amazing chair has opened my eyes to the possibilities of office chairs being comfortable and adjustable. It also makes me acutely aware of just how regretful of having to give it up I will be next week when I stand up and grab my back, hobble a few steps, then stand upright.
Yes, it is possible to miss a chair. I know, because I miss my green, cushy, sturdy, flexible Amia already. Good bye Amia. You have a special place in my heart.

Day Five

The strain of moving office equipment with my colleague yesterday took more of a toll on my back than I had thought, because I could not walk properly after I got home. I felt as if I had an eighty year-old's body. In light of that, I spent most of the evening seated. When I tried to stand up it took me (I kid you not) three minutes to get vertical. It hurt. A lot. On the ride to work this morning, I had some lingering pain issues and riding took a lot longer than usual. I was heavily anticipating being able to sit in Amia, having previously experienced its helpful qualities.
Now that I have been sitting in it for a while, I feel worlds better. I can get out of my chair with a spring in my step, instead of meandering along at a granny's pace ... which is decidedly unbecoming for an eighteen year-old.

Day Four
I missed my Amia last night! I was sitting in this terrifically uncomfortable chair while I was working at home and that chair had barely any cush, no arms, back was rail straight and diamond hard - needless to say, I am spoiled in the Amia. My standards are higher now. On a one-to-ten scale (judging office chairs, home office included), I give it a nine. Most other office chairs tag in at a measly three. Ponder that; better yet, find out what I mean.
Today I had the opportunity to sit in a Leap Chair, another fine member of the Steelcase family, and I think at this point that I prefer the Amia. Amia is a weightier chair and I like that - it is a good, sturdy, comfortable chair.

A little later in the day I helped one of my co-workers change offices and I strained my back in a rather bad way and have been sitting down ever since. There is such a difference even after about half an hour; I can twist, sit back all the way, lean forward - really, it makes a difference.

Geneva, meet Amia. Amia, Geneva.

Day Three
The Amia is Amia-zing. Pardon the stretch for a pun, but we all know by now what a sucker I am for cheesiness. I can hardly find anything I do not like about the chair. So far, the only negative thing I can think of is the fact that I can easily pull the arm rests forwards when I do not want to. Not a bad thing at all, especially if you like armrests that move easily!
Also, I am discovering that the Amia will lean very far back. It's not one of those tippy sorts of leans, either; you put pressure on the back and lean, and then you are stretching. It's a good feeling.
Strangely enough, and to my relief, my back pain is lessening. Imagine that! A chair can affect the way your body feels in three days. I am notably less discomfited when I stand up than I was when I was using my old chair. The Amia is not a miracle cure-all, but it's helping. I am so grateful!

Geneva, meet Amia. Amia, Geneva.

Day Two

Let's talk fabric. My old chairs were leather, or something like it. You know, the kind that sticks to your skin until the last possible second when you are standing up? Yeah, that kind. Not the Amia though. It's a very nice comfy fabric. I wasn't sure at first, because when I first touched it, I thought it was a bit rough. Once I sat down I was reassured by the fact that I felt swathed. Comfortable. Snug. Not one ounce of an itch or annoying cling in this fabric.

Over the course of the day I move around in my chair a lot, even going so far as to sit cross-legged. The Amia copes with it! I can adjust the lumbar support to my back no matter how I am sitting, leaving me always supported, provided I remember to change it. So far, this chair rocks it! And by "it," I mean my comfort. This green, comfortable, mobile chair ... rocks my comfortability.