We Tried It: Steelcase Gesture Office Chair Review (2023)

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Steelcase is a leading manufacturer of premium office furniture and their Gesture office chair is one of their most popular models. But is it any good? And, maybe more importantly, is it worth the hefty price tag?

We’ll go into detail about the variety of features the Gesture chair offers and how they benefit you. I’ll share my experience with the chair and provide an in-depth analysis of its features and performance. By the end of this Steelcase gesture office chair review, you’ll find out just why this office chair is considered one of the best ones on the market right now.

Why Trust Us

Overheard on Conference Calls spends hundreds of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products so we can recommend the best products for you. Accurate information and editorial integrity are our commitments to our readers. Read more about our research and testing here.

Our Take

As someone who spends a lot of time sitting at a desk, finding the right office chair was essential for my comfort and productivity. We recently had the opportunity to test out the Steelcase Gesture office chair, and I was amazed by its design and functionality. The amount of adjustable ergonomic features alone was impressive.

My initial impression was quite high, with the outstanding build quality, premium comfort, and even the style. The only issue is the price – it’s usually above $1500. With few other chairs competing against the Steelcase Gesture in terms of sheer functionality and design, Steelcase earns its price tag.

Overall	9. 5
Comfort	9.6
Durability	9.4
Features	9.3
Adjustability	9.5

What We Like

Lumbar support: The Gesture office chair incorporates a proprietary ‘3D LiveBack’ mechanism that was excellent at mimicking the natural motion of my spine, contouring to my back at all times. This feature allows the Gesture office chair to provide you with a healthy posture by providing a natural s-curve that snugly fits your back.
Adjustable armrests: We loved the armrests. The Gesture chair offers a full range of motion, 360 degrees to be precise. They’re great when you work with multiple tech devices at the same time as you move with your arm a lot.
Warranty: Steelcase is the leading office chair manufacturer when it comes to warranty. They’re so confident in their product that they offer a whopping 12 years. When something breaks simply return it for a repair.
Ergonomics: The Gesture office chair has many features working together to create an all-in-one ergonomic office chair. The adjustable seat, reclining options, lumbar support, and s-curved backrest give you the best posture possible.
Comfort: The Gesture’s seat and back move as a synchronized system, following your body as you move about, requiring little to no effort from you. Additionally, the padding is soft and deforms and retracts fairly quickly.

What We Don't Like

Price: The Gesture is a premium office chair, and it comes with a premium price tag. It may not be within everyone’s budget, especially for those looking for affordable options.
Weight: While the chair is sturdy and durable, it does make it heavy. This can make it difficult to move around or adjust, particularly for people with limited mobility.

Specifications

Material	Fabric (woolen)
Dimensions	H: 39.5” – 44.5” x W: 22.25” x D: 21.75”
Seat Height	39.5” – 44.5”
Weight Capacity	400 lbs
Color Options	Black, Cloud, Gray, Mocca
Warranty	12-Year

Features and Adjustability

Lumbar Support

The lumbar support in the Steelcase Gesture is probably the most impressive feature of them all. The lumbar support automatically contours to my back’s shape no matter how ridiculously I try to sit in it. Ultimately, the point of this lumbar support is accomplished, since it can maintain my back in the most natural posture to reduce back pain. The quality itself seems to be adequate, though we’ve only been using it for a couple of months.

Backrest

The backrest is another feature that goes above and beyond compared to most of the competitors. The backrest and seat work together, which follows your body as you move throughout the day. This system has been helpful since it allowed me to squeeze in those couple extra hours of sitting.

The backrest itself has a system in place where the more pressure you apply to it the more it reclines instead of your typical leave. That said it does include one too for more precise adjustment.

This system is great for preventing blood circulation problems which can become harmful in the long term.

Armrests

Given the price tag of this model, it comes as no surprise to find armrests that are both adjustable and comfortable. The armrests have padding on the top with a slight difference in texture compared to the rest of the chair. At first, it seems like it’s just a slab of plastic. We were happy to discover soft, comfortable padding, which was able to withstand constant heavy pressure during our testing.

Adjustability

During my several years of experiencing different kinds of office chairs with a varying range of adjustable features, I’ve never come across one like the Steelcase Gesture. Not only does it allow almost every part of the chair to be adjustable exactly to your specifications, but they work together in a way where sitting on a Gesture has been an experience like no other.

With the handy position of the control, being able to tweak the office chair based on the given task on the fly without much effort has been a blessing. All of this while feeling great build quality around it.

Headrest (Optional)

You may have noticed that I haven’t talked about the headrest up until now. That’s because there are two models of this chair, one with an attached headrest and one without. We’ve tested with and without it.

If you have the luxury of getting a headrest as well, rest assured that you get a great piece of kit. The headrest allows for depth, height, and rotation to be adjusted, to allow you plenty of customizability. No matter which position we set it to, it always remained sturdy.

Final Thoughts

After months of using the Gesture, we’ve finally managed to come to a decision and conclude this Steelcase Gesture office chair review. The Steelcase Gesture offers some industry-leading and unique features with adjustability beyond most competitors at the price range.

We at Overheard On Conference Calls love this chair with one caveat which you might’ve guessed. The price. However, while the price is beyond most people’s budget it comes with many justifying benefits. The 12-year warranty and excellent customer service are just some of them. The best part of owning a Gesture is the security. If it breaks just get it replaced or fixed.

If you have any questions regarding the Steelcase Gesture don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Email us or drop a comment below to give your thoughts on this chair.

FAQs

Is a Steelcase Gesture worth it?

This ultimately depends on individual needs, preferences, and budget. Consider whether its features and benefits align with your needs. If they do, we highly recommend the Steelcase Gesture.

Is the Steelcase Gesture good for posture?

The Steelcase Gesture is one of the best office chairs for posture which is great news as this study shows healthy issues related to posture can be prevented with proper sitting. The unique features and their synchronized systems work great together and create the best office workstation experiences.

Does the Steelcase Gesture need the lumbar support?

The lumbar support the chairs comes with is built-in and can’t be removed. A lumbar support is always good as it allows you to tune the chair to your needs. Steelcase Gesture is also available with an option lumbar support cushion if needed.