Customer Ratings & Reviews

It's an excellent chair, very comfortable, easy to use, solid construction. Very good chair.

INTRO: I am a software developer. I don’t have the best back, but I often rotate between sitting and standing at my height-adjustable desk. For over 4 years, I’ve been using a generic mesh task chair that cost me $200. The seat was comfortable and breathable, and my arm rests had a fair amount of adjustability. So to migrate from an affordable task chair to a flagship chair like the Steelcase Gesture, you could imagine my excitement. And while overall I do like the Steelcase Gesture, you shouldn’t expect it to be perfect right out of the box. This chair is really meant for those who are committed to developing their seating posture, and that can take time. UNBOXING & SETUP: I had the Gesture shipped to my house, and it came in a 34x27x21 inch box. It was a little unwieldy for me, but I was able to get a grasp on it and bring it into my home. Opening the box, the chair was separated into 3 separate pieces—the wheelbase (with wheels assembled), the seat, and the pneumatic cylinder to connect the two. The easiest way to set up the chair is perhaps to connect the pneumatic cylinder to the wheelbase, then place the seat on its side or back, then connect the other side of the pneumatic cylinder to the seat. At that point, you’ll want to make sure you apply pressure to ensure both the seat and wheelbase are connected. This took me only about a minute or so to assemble. BUILD: In terms of build, the Gesture is well-made. Although it is plastic like most chairs, the rigidity of the plastic is quite good. It’s not rickety like cheaper chairs, and the control mechanisms instill confidence in their build. The fabric is also well-knit without any rips or tears in the seams. ADJUSTMENTS: The Gesture has the most number of adjustments I’ve seen on an office chair. Like all pneumatic chairs these days, you have the height adjustment which can be done simply by adjusting your pressure on the seat and pressing/pulling on the height lever on the front-most knob on the right of the chair. You can also adjust the seat forward and backward by rotating the front-most knob, and you can even do it while seated. So there’s no need to stand up to adjust the seat. Additionally, the backrest can be adjusted via the other knob on the right of the chair. Rotating the knob can adjust the tension required to move the backrest backwards, which is very helpful if you want to sit in an upright 90 degree position, or laxen it up to make it easier to lean back in the chair. This knob also has an adjustable tilt lock that can prevent the backrest from moving beyond a certain point. However, one downside about this mechanism is that the backrest cannot be locked into a specific position—it always returns to a 90 degree upright position when you’re not applying force to lean it backwards. So if you’re used to leaning back into a specific position, the Gesture will not help you do that, and it caught me off guard. There is also a lumbar adjustment slider on the sides of the backrest that can help provide some rigidity, although it doesn’t have the ability to adjust how much rigidity you want to apply at any given position. Lastly, the arms and armrests are probably one of the best features about this chair. The arms can be lifted up and down, they can swivel inward or outward, and the armrests can slide forward and backward as well as rotate, giving you a lot of options to suit your posture. COMFORT: In terms of comfort, I think the Steelcase Gesture is only as good as you can make it. It provides many of the adjustments to create a comfortable seating position, but it doesn’t inherently tell you what those might be. So you really have to dial in each of those parameters and spend some time doing trial and error to achieve good results. While I don’t feel as though I had issues with the seat, my first hour sitting in the chair was not that great for my lower back. And this is really because of the point I just mentioned—you need to find what works for you, and that can take time. As I’ve slowly made more and more adjustments, I’ve begun to find better typing posture thanks to the flexibility of the armrests. And my lower back discomfort has begun to diminish as I’ve worked towards determining what posture is most comfortable for my body. I’ve had experiences where I tried a chair at a store for a limited time, then brought it home to realize that the short-term usage was really not enough to help make a good judgment call. But a chair with as much adjustability as the Steelcase Gesture is likely to be a more confident pick when you bring it home. However, you’ll still need to put in the time to find the best posture for you. CONCLUSION: I’ve used the Gesture for long hours of mixed use (14+ hours) at my desk for work and even gaming and felt quite comfortable in it, overall. But I didn’t come away with the impression that it’s a life-changing chair. People tend to hype up these expensive flagship chairs or say that they “swear by x chair”. But there’s really a lot of companies making well-designed ergonomic chairs, and I don’t think the Steelcase Gesture is necessarily designed for ergonomics as much as it is designed to facilitate different postures—even poor postures. I think many people can appreciate the versatility that the Gesture provides, and if you need a chair where different people are going to sit, it’s nice to choose a chair that can fit the needs of many different body types. So while I think this is a great chair for the right person, it has gotten significantly more expensive over the past several years while competition has become more fierce. So while this is undoubtedly a great chair with a 12-year warranty, I do think it’s at least worth considering other brands before looking to pay this very high price.

If you had asked me a few years ago, I would have said the most I would spend on an office chair was $500. That changed in 2020 when I started working from home regularly. My seldom used $200 chair, that seemed good enough, quickly became uncomfortable and started to fall apart. My next "upgraded" $400 chair was almost done after just over a year. Even after that, I was still skeptical about this Steelcase Gesture chair. After using it for a week, I am really impressed with how well built it is and with all the adjustment it offers. Pros - Build quality and finish are great. It is very quiet, rolls easily and feels very solid/stable. The seat fabric is wrapped neatly and tightly. Plastic components are thick and nicely textured. All of the adjustment levers and joints have a solid action. - This is the easiest and quickest chair I have ever assembled (it took only a few minutes). It comes in three pieces (wheeled base, piston, and chair) that just fit together (no tools). - Controls and adjustments are easy to figure out and within easy reach when seated. - The design is very clean and professional. It is modest, but the back design and materials make this stand out from other chairs. - Armrest height and position are adjustable in every way. I was able to perfectly align the armrest with my keyboard tray to support my arms and reduce strain on my wrist from being at an awkward angle. - The adjustable backrest/recline stops are perfect. You don't have to keep the tension on the backrest super high or lock it straight up and down. I keep the backrest set on the first recline setting, allowing me to lean back just the right amount when I want. - The curved back and lumbar adjustment make a real difference in comfort after a few hours of use (my old chair's rigid back was killing me) - The warranty is 12 years long - just in case something does go wrong. Things to Consider - Compared to many inexpensive chairs I have owned or used this chair is heavy. It rolls easily on a hard surface or mat, but it is awkward to lift and might drag on some carpets. Make sure you get the recommended wheels for your surface type and some help if you need to lift it. - This chair is a good fit for me at 5'9" and a little over 200lbs, but I have the adjustable seat bottom extended almost all the way forward for my legs and my shoulder blades are near the top of the back rest. The chair is rated for people up to 400lbs, but it my might not be for you if you are close to 6' or have long legs. - Only the back reclines and there is no adjustment for bottom seat angle. - I love the adjustable arms, but height is the only adjustment that locks in place (via a lever on the armrest). You should be careful if you are normally use the arms to get out of a chair, because they will swing in or out on you if push on them. - The seat and back cushions/padding are on the firm side. They are supportive but may not be for you if you prefer a soft/plush feel.

Having a quality office chair is very important for our well being as most workers/gamers/creators are in one all day! I am happy to say that after using the Steelcase Gesture Shell Back Chair, I am a believer in what they offer. PROS: - Unboxing and setup is super easy! No tools are needed and the Chair comes pre assembled in 3 different pieces. The chair, legs/wheels, and the bar connecting the two. You just set the legs down, put the bar in the hole, and set the chair on top. Boom you are done! Very simple and easy. - I instantly loved the look of this chair. It has a modern office look while not being too abstract and the gray is a nice mix between dark and light. It also has a very sturdy build to it! Nothing seems cheap on this whatsoever, and the parts are quite dense. - The chair is very comfy too! It has some nice support on the base with the back being high enough to give you support with that gentle curve in the middle. - The customizable adjustments you can make on this chair are really great to change up how you sit! It can of course raise and lower the height, you can adjust the position of the lumbar support, can lean the chair back and forth while changing the settings on how far back you want it to lean, and…. - My favorite feature is the customizable arm rests! They can go up and down, side to side, extend out further out or go back in. Really a nice custom feature that lets you adapt better to how you want to sit for various reasons. - Lastly the tall back is nice for extra support, and even if you have it locked to the most upright position it still will tilt back about 1 inch which is a nice ergonomic design so you are not in a stiff chair all day! CONS: - I really do not have any cons about this chair! It performs well in every area I want it too. BOTTOM LINE: - Having a high quality office chair is important and Steelcase truly delivers with the Gesture Shell Back chair. It is high end, sturdy, has a lot of customizable options to fit your sitting needs, and is a comfy chair you can be in for hours at a time. For something most people sit in for 40 hours a week, I think it is well worth the purchase!

Absolutely the most comfortable office chair I have ever owned. Easily adjustable, great back support, comfortable seat even when sitting for long periods of time. Highly recommend!

Priced at around $1400, the Steelcase Gesture is intended for the high-end market. I’ve been using a Steelcase Leap chair for at least 12 years and have yet to find a better office chair. Even after that amount of time, it remains as good as the first day of use and looks nearly as good. That’s impressive quality and service. How does the new Gesture compare? Is it worth the price? Is it an improvement? Those were my questions when I decided to give the Gesture a try. First, typical of Steelcase products, the build quality is not just good, it’s near perfect. The fit, finish, and fabrics are without flaw, which is what should be expected for the price. If it’s like my previous chair, this quality results in unmatched durability. Steelcase products are built to last and keep looking as good as new. The design has evolved to be even more classic and minimalist than previous products. Even though there are a host of adjustments, this chair doesn’t have levers sprouting out in all directions. The only controls are two knobs on the right side. The forward one turns to slide the seat fore and aft to adjust its depth, and there’s also a flipper to adjust the height. The rear knob adjusts the pressure needed to recline the back and a flipper to set how far back it can lean. There is one more subtle control that you must hunt for. A slider on the back to adjust the position of the lumbar support. Beyond the seat settings, the Gesture has the most adjustments I’ve ever seen for armrests. Check out a video to appreciate the height, width, and positioning range. It’s too versatile to describe in words. The big test is comfort, and this chair is designed to keep you comfy for long hours of work. As is the trend with high-end seating, comfort is provided by adjustments, quality seat padding, and shape. It’s not done by giving you a thick pillow to sit on. The seat front has a subtle give to it, preventing leg pressure as you change your position. I like how the highly adjustable armrests allow me to perfectly position them to support my arm while using a mouse … which is most of the time. All this said you must realize that this is a workstation/office chair, not a high-back lounger. It’s about posture and comfort and is not intended for those who like to rock back, curl up, or take a nap in their chair. The comparatively low back reclines but the seat stays in position. After using this chair for a few days, I can attest it’s an improvement over the Leap. If you want a first-class, high-end, elegant desk chair, you can’t miss with the Gesture. Whether it’s worth the price is up to you to determine. It should be noted that Steelcase has a liberal money-back guarantee to back up its products. I’ll be sitting on this chair for many years.

Having to work from home time to time is the new norm of society. With that, being seated for hours at home can begin to take a toll on my body, especially if the chair I have is not the best. That is until now. Enter the Steelcase Gesture Home Office Chair. This is probably the most comfortable home office chair I have ever had. This is also probably the most durable and environmental friendly one as well. Getting this out of the box before assembly was a Herculean effort because of the sheer weight of this chair. I was amazed again at the durability and premium materials used in this design. Setting up was a breeze and felt that Gesture has your body in mind throughout the whole design. This is the most ergonomic chair I have ever sat in. The key is the lumbar support knowing you will need it if you are working at home (or office). The lumbar matches the curve of your back. This made sense to why the chair posture is very ‘stiff’. I feel that my back is fully supported when I am sitting. You can manually adjust the settings to match what you like. The arm rests have full range of motion, can swing outward and inwards height and depth to how you like to be position when at the desk. This is advantageous if you are operating multiple devices on your desk, switching directions and altering movements. And this is also environmentally sustainable product. It is made of 21% recyclable material, with the aim of reducing climate change and being 97% recyclable at the end. Even though almost a quarter of this is made of recycled material, the quality feels very premium and durable. The only con that I have (and it’s a small con) is the weight. This is a heavy chair so you would need that plastic floor mat for this. Overall, the best chair for your back that is ergonomically in tune with you, and sustainable to the environment.

Horrible, the backrest is misaligned with respect to the rest of the chair. I ordered a replacement and it’s worse than the first one. I have it all documented. The chair feels like it’s made out of grade D recycled materials.

I just picked this chair up from best buy and not only is it not the same model number as in the description. It is severely damaged and seems like it has been sat in for a year

Everybody wants a comfy office chair to relax in while working on playing... I've seen my fair share of some nice and expensive chair, but this chair by Steelcase takes the grand prize. First of all, the chair comes in fairly large box, and is quite heavy. The contents in the box is the seat and lumbar, the pneumatic cylinder, and the base/wheels. That's it. I think part of the cost is that it doesn't require lots of assembly. I literally put it together in less than 2 minutes. (Including removing it from the box and unwrapping it) It comes with a installation sheet which is helpful in case you've never assembled anything before. You have three points of movement. You have the armrest which move up and down, they have laterally for people who like to flare their elbows out. You have move the seat outward or inward for custom support, and finally you can recline. The seat movement and reclining are done via two knobs on the right hand of the seat. It's a little cumbersome to have to roll the knob. Most office chairs have lifts and handles to perform the same tasks. After using it for a few hours, I am trouble understanding where it justifies the $1500 price tag. As I mentioned earlier, I think you can include $75 to the installation since it requires assembly of three separate parts. The cushions for the seat and lumbar are pretty comfortable, but the rest feel like cheap plastic. I thought I would see more metal components considering the price. All in all, it's a comfy chair, but I would put it in the same class as chairs that cost around $500. I would recommend this chair, but not at that price... maybe after a year when it's on discount.

This chair is incredible. First off it comes in a huge box so you may need another person to help you move it. The reason this comes in such a big box is because the chair is darn near fully assembled. 3 pieces in the box. The base with casters already attached. The seat, back, and arms already assembled and the hydraulic cylinder that is used to raise and lower the chair. It took 2 minutes literally to throw this together. Unlike other chairs you get that require everybit to be assembled. The first thing I noticed was the firm seat. Its firm but comfortable and doesn't feel like it will start to break down anytime soon. This seat is height and depth adjustable and you can adjust it depending on the length of your legs with a knob on the right side which you turn. Im tall so I have the knob turned all the way forward for best comfort. The backrest tension is also adjustable with a similar knob. this allows the back to easily recline or have some tension, whichever you prefer. The is also a lever that can be moved to stop the recline in 3 different positions The armrests are able to adjust in and out, up and down and the angle can also be adjusted. Steelcase is calling it 360* arms. The casters are super smooth to roll on and appear that they will stand the test of time. This chair is so ergonomic, I love it. I have a bad back and sitting in this chair is a dream. The many many adjustments makes this the perfect chair for me. Id also like to point out that this is marketed as an Office chair but I could sit in it all day and Game for sure.

Been using this chair for a few days and really enjoying it when working from home. It has about every adjustment you can imagine, the standout feature being the armrests which move almost any direction you can think of with ease. I switch between multiple computers at different height desks around my workstation or use a tablet, so I can easily adjust the armrests to match what I am doing. In addition to the usual seat height adjustment, it has a height adjustable lumbar and the seat itself can be moved forward or backward. I find this setting in particular incredibly helpful as I can get my taibone lined up evenly with my spine which helps promote good posture. Prior to this chair I was using an expensive gaming chair but after 10–12-hour days my back was feeling it. The best part of this chair is that it comes almost fully assembled in the box. No tools needed, all you need to do is throw away some packaging material and put the gas lift cylinder into the base and then the chair on top of that. Then sit and enjoy! Pros Easy to Assemble 360 adjustable armrest Seat is height and depth adjustable Height adjustable lumbar support Breathable fabric Cons: None! Overall, this is an excellent chair for office or home office environments. If you are someone who works from home or is in an office chair all day you should do yourself and health a favor and get a quality chair such as the Steelcase Gesture.

I’ve never owned a “nice” computer chair before (first one was Goodwill, then a 2nd hand from a friend, and the one I’ve had for the past 8ish years was given when my office replaced all of our chairs) so everything you’re about to read take with a grain of salt as your mileage may vary. Steelback isn’t a company I was familiar with before but when the box arrived with the Gesture shellback chair it was huge and heavy. I opened the box and began to catalog parts to make sure nothing was missing: star shaped wheel base, metal tube, and chair top. I actually started to check in the box and under the packaging as I was sure there had to be hardware to put it together with. My favorite thing about this chair is how basic the assembly is. All you do is put the lift cylinder in the chair seat then put that into the base. Simple! It doesn’t come apart either, I moved it from upstairs to downstairs and while it was heavy and awkward in the narrow stairway it held and has never given any indication any of the three parts would fall off. Features are a slider you grip on both sides of the seat back to move your lumbar support up and down so you can properly support your spine while sitting and working. There arm rests move up and down to accommodate height but also swing in and out to allow for personalized comfort for how you sit. You can adjust the tension, somewhat, for how easy it is to lean back. And finally there is a knob to adjust the seat position forward or backward to properly support you and help with posture. It's a great chair, pretty comfortable and obviously designed to help me sit better than I do by default. I didn't like how slippery the arm rests were, if I leaned I tended to slip right off the side. I didn't feel there was enough tension adjustment to prevent the chair leaning back when I wanted to sit upright. Overall though it's mostly comfortable and rolls nicely, and I always assume some of the problems I encounter in products like this are due to being very tall and being overweight (perhaps a thin person will enjoy the tension setting easier). Hopefully it's as durable as my other office chairs given the price outweighs the good intensions of the features they built in and if it only lasts a couple years that would drop my rating significantly.

Assembly of the chair was simple. I put the base down, inserted the gas cylinder into the base, and inserted the chair portion into the cylinder. This chair feels well constructed with super high quality materials. The 3d knit fabric used for the cushions feels to be of a super high quality. Moreover the padding is super comfortable. I can sit for a full day of work and not be fatigued by the chair at all. This chair is also aesthetically pleasing. The “night owl” colorway is a perfect neutral color to match the rest of my office. The casters work as intended; i used them on a hardwood floor and they performed great. The level of adjustment on this chair is amazing and the controls are intuitive to use. The arms have a 360 degree range of motion which is great for adjustability. The seat is height and depth adjustable to get precise comfort. The recline is satisfying. There’s also a slider on the back cushion to get the perfect support for your spine. One other thing I liked about this chair is that it is partially made from recycled materials and the majority of it is recyclable. Overall, I’m really happy with this chair. It is comfortable, functional, and full featured.

Very nice looking chair. I like the adjustable seat length, lumbar and adjustable armrests. It’s heavy and easy to move around. I selected the hard floors casters, which are great on my textured tile floors.

SteelCase is a leader in office furniture, I've been using their chairs for about 15 years, mostly the Think model and was excited to try Gesture. Chair comes almost fully assembled, you just have 3 pieces to put together - base, piston and seat. Seat is pretty hefty! Most adjustments are made using 2 knobs on the right side - first one controls the seat cushion depth (how close or far away from the back rest you want the seat cushion to be) and height of the seat, second knob controls the reclining - how far back you want the reclining limit to be (4 settings) and variable recline force adjustment. Arm rests are easily adjusted closer or further away from the chair center and can turn left or right to match your elbow angle. Height adjustment is pretty fancy as the whole arm moves up or down by pivoting on it's mount point. One point that I would like to make is that if you order your chair from the SteelCase direct - you can custom build it - for example fabric and base color, wheels for carpet or hardwood, add optional headrest, lumbar support (which this model does have). Comparing to the Think model - I definitely prefer Gesture's arm rests - they can be adjusted closer to my body so my elbows can rest naturally. I did get my "Think" with a mesh back for a better ventilation though. Would absolutely recommend trying the chair first to see which features you might want!

I am comparing this to Steelcase Leap V2. it is a bit more expensive. It has more adjustment options. The main difference is the armrests. Leap V2 allows you to adjust armrest height and forward-backward position. Gesture additionally allows you to adjust outward or inwards. If this is important to you, Gesture is what you want. Other than that, I do not notice any difference. Comfort level is the same to me.

I waited to write this review until I had sat in the chair for quite some time and now I can say without doubt this is a fantastic chair. I sit in this chair 8-10 hours, 5 days a week and I have never felt uncomfortable nor experienced any type of back pain since having this chair. Yes, it is expensive but if you are going to use it for long periods of time it is definitely worth the investment.

I have had this chair for just about 2 years and I will say that this is the best office chair I have ever had. Now, does that mean that this chair is life changing? No, its still a chair. But I spent 8+ hours per day in it and I hardly notice it, which I think is a big win. Is it worth the money? Probably, long term. We will ultimately see how many more years it gets, but it pretty much looks and feels brand new after 2 years.

I've been using this chair at home for a couple months now, but I've used Steelcase Leaps, Gestures, and various Herman Miller chairs at work for years. Being taller, it's hard to find an office chair that actually has all the adjustments I need. This one does, and then some. The seat and back have the right level of stiffness to be comfortable but still allow good blood flow. The price is a bit much, but I know these chairs can last for decades, so if you think of it as an investment in your body it's well worth the cost.