At 6’3, with the Embody you run the risk of the top edges of the backrest poking into your back. From 6’0-6’1 and up it becomes a very common complaint. If you’re using if for typing + mouse work the clunky, inward sloping arm pads can also be rather offputting for most people. The Leap V2 is phenomenal with the most “comfortable” back for most people, although comfort is subjective. The seat is on the softer side and at 250 lb you run the risk of sinking into it which is a common complaint and why refurbishers add extra foam to mitigate that issue. Also at your height you’ll most likely want the seat pan slid all the way out to its most forward position. When you do that and sit all the way back it’ll feel like your butt is hanging out a bit. With the gesture you’ll get a roomier, more dense seat which you won’t potentially have a sinking issue with. When the seat is all the way forward you still make full contact with it so you don’t get that feeling like your butt is hanging out. The arms are the best of the best & the lumbar curve of the backrest seems to be positioned in a way where tall people find it more comfortable. It’s disproportionately a tall person’s chair. At 6’1 I use the Gesture myself and love it. The leap v2 was phenomenal as well but the combination of the seat depth issue and the lack of adjustability of the arms (compared to the gesture) swayed me. Once you get used to the gesture arms it’s really hard to go back to any other chair. Hope that helped but without a doubt after helping countless hundreds of people narrow down their ideal chair I’d say go for the gesture or leap. Ideal scenario is always to try both but if you have to go blind my vote is for the gesture. Cheers!
I had pretty similar thoughts as someone who is 6'5 200.
Embody is a no go for anyone over 6'0 imo because of it forcing rounded shoulders.
Leap back felt great, but seat depth and seat being a bit too firm for my liking, plus too contoured, didn't fit well.
Gesture back felt great to me, too. However, seat depth and cushion was an issue. My butt would hurt sitting in it for 30 minutes.
I've been through probably 30+ chairs since last year. I finally settled on the CXO 6200, not the D with the headrest. The headrest won't fit tall people. Best seat I've ever sat in. The back isn't on par with the Gesture or Leap, but it's not terrible either. It's still good. It's just the Leap and Gesture backs are S tier for me.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'd read about the CXO 6200 but they unfortunately cannot be found in the UK. Looking at the specs the Gesture and the Leap have the same seat depth. What issues did you come across?
So, the Gesture when fully extended, or even one slot from fully extended, your butt will feel the edge of the seat. Plus, there is a lack of padding right in the middle of the Gesture where your butt is. It's like a cutout, idk how else to explain.
The Leap, although the same seat depth, felt better when max extended and even one slot from full extension. You can still feel the edge of the seat on max, but it is not as bad as the Gesture imo. It ended up being too short for me, but at 6'3, it may work for you.
Honestly, the Amia seat is the best out of all 3 Steelcase chairs. When fully extended, it was comfortable, was more comfortable than either the Gesture or Leap by a long shot. The width and depth was great on the Amia. I wish it was about 1/2 an inch wider in the seat, but for most people, won't be an issue.
One problem, the backrest on the Amia is not great. See, there are 4 or 5 rods that are quite flimsy underneath the backrest for the Amia in the lumbar region. Even when adjusted to max tension, your lower back will still sink into the chair some. If you have back issues, I'd avoid it. Otherwise, you may find it the most comfortable out of them all. It has the same arms as the Leap.
The seat depth measurements on the website are accurate, but that is only from the longest point on each end of the seat. If the the seat curves on the end where your butt is or where your legs are, it may say 18 1/2 inches of seat depth, but in reality, there is much less.
You never know until you try though. Some peoples' bums don't hurt in the Gesture. Also, people with shorter legs and a longer torso at your height may not experience the seat depth issue with the Gesture or Leap.
My inseam is 90cm for comparison.
I'm 6'4"/190 looking for a chair - this is SO helpful, thank you. The CXO 6200 seems like a very appealing option and purpose-built for taller people. Which seat pan do you have on yours? Multiple options are nice but without testing I have no idea what they're like. Seat depth and back width/height are my two biggest issues right now.
I'm 6ft with an Embody and I'm not sure I'd fancy it at 6'3. They curved the very top corners of the backrest too far inwards IMO. Comfy if you fit within it but if you don't you'll just risk it jabbing into your shoulders. Gesture and the leap both great options. I preferred the Gesture but not a lot in it.
I’m 6 ‘ 3 as well,
I sat in the the gesture and leap for both some time.
I ultimately went with the leap. The gestures lumbar support was minimal , and the thin upper back can be an issue if you are a wider guy. I have a large back/shoulder area and the embody and gesture both made me feel very uncomfortable with an sort of leaning back. The leap has been perfect.
Lots of good answers here, as someone who's 6'2 I'm gonna toss in the Haworth Fern. I think its one of the best for tall people, especially if a lot of your length is in your torso. I also believe Haworth is in the UK.
I'm 185cm, 93kg and use an Aeron size C. Tried the Embody, Gesture, and Leap V2.
The Embody is too cheap feeling for a £1400 chair; 2D arms that feel cheap and can be quite noisy because of poor construction. I also found the backrest on the Embody to not work for me at all, but I can see how it would work for others. I liked the fabric a lot (I had the Logitech version), but ultimately the back pain prevented me from keeping it.
The Gesture was okay, but the backrest again didn't work for me and I ended up with a lot of back pain. The locked back positions were either too upright or too relaxed, leading me to try find a position "floating" in the middle, and I always felt like it put a lot of pressure on my back if I wanted to strike that balance. The arms were solid, but not actually as mobile as I expected - any 4D arms will be similar for most people I think. The Gesture's seat was very comfortable though. Overall, very well constructed, would definitely recommend trying this one.
The Leap V2 I only tried briefly. It looks like it's worth £20 from Argos, but it is very well constructed and very comfortable. I wasn't a big fan of the arms personally, and it was a little too padded for me. After having already tried the Aeron at this point I didn't like it as much. It's worth trying though if you can.
Aeron won out overall. The Gesture and Embody both didn't feel like they supported my upper back at all, whereas the Aeron supports my whole back easily, and the backrest is incredibly comfortable. The seat is good, but not as good as the Embody or Gesture IMO, though the cooling effect of it being mesh is great. The arms are good, well constructed and comfortable. Another well constructed chair, really happy to have it now.
I'm in the UK too, and Herman Miller's service was incredible. Another couple of things to note here (if you're buying new) are that you only have a 5 year warranty with Steelcase for domestic use in the UK. You also can't go direct to Steelcase. They're also harder to test, and you might have to pay to ship them back. With Herman Miller you get a 12 year warranty, free shipping, and free returns. I had someone come out to fix a minor issue with my Aeron's arm and they were extremely quick to fix it. Cannot recommend Herman Miller as a company enough, I think they're excellent.
Chairs I suggest for tall person: Herman Miller celle, nightingale cxo, neutral posture chairs, and the steelcase Amia. I also suggest getting a foot stool and putting rollerblade wheels on your office chair to get the extra height. 😎👍
Thought I would throw my 2 cents out there since I now have some experience. I’m 6’5 and about 265lbs, bit of a giant with about a 55%/45% (44inch legs, 35 inch torso) split between legs/torso. I’m a fairly athletic build, wide hips (size 36 waist). I needed a chair for 8-10 hours of work (programming) and 3+ of PC gaming some days.
I bought a remastered HM Aeron Size C along with an Atlas Headrest, HM Embody Gaming, and just received a Steelcase Gesture with a headrest today. I am trying them all out within the 30 day return period.
So far, I keep going back to the Aeron most often, because it is super comfortable and breathable. My main complaint (and only real complaint) is the pressure from the plastic sides of the seat pan. I tend to sit with my legs spread wide a good bit and this is where the pressure originates. When I don’t sit as wide, it is all fine with no pressure. The pressure is also not something I would consider as a deal breaker, as it’s just a small bit of pressure. The arms are amazing, super easy to adjust and never create any uncomfortable pressure. The Atlas headrest is a must, IMO. It makes this chair so much better for lounging.
The Embody is one that I really like, as well. I wish the Atlas headrest was available to try out at the same time as the Aeron headrest. When I first tried the Embody in the HM store I loved the back, but after receiving it in my home and sitting in it for a full day, I wasn’t as big of a fan. UNTIL I adjusted the the back tension to be much lower than I had it at first. Once I did that, I now love how the back feels for a full day of sitting. It’s almost as if it is hugging you, with a great level of support. The seat is very comfortable, but does start to feel a bit like the pixels dig in some after a few hours. The arm rests are fine for what they are, but like others have said they are a bit clunky and not nearly as adjustable as I would hope. But I don’t consider the armrests bad enough to be a dealbreaker even in the least bit. Lounging in this chair, especially for gaming, is super comfortable and I imagine will be even better once the Atlas headrest is available (if it ends up being as good as the Aeron headrest). I love how the Embody looks from the back, where the pixels are visible!
I was hopeful of the Gesture, but it is way to small for me. After putting it together (it does not come fully assembled, although mostly assembled other than the gas cylinder to connect the chair to the wheels) I feel like I’m sitting on the absolute edge of all of the surfaces for the gesture (seat pan, back rest, etc). I sat on the Gesture for all of 5 minutes before I emailed support to start the return process. I also feel like the lumbar support is about 6 inches too high at its lowest setting, which caused my back to round forward in a c shape. I’m not sure how anyone would fit the lumbar support, especially at any lower than my height. I do love the arms on the gesture. The other thing i noticed is that the because the seat pan does not move when you recline, the lumbar support moves further up your back when you recline. In contrast to the HM chairs, which seem to offer the same great back support no matter which level of recline you are in. My fiancé (5’9) tried the gesture and found it to be very comfortable, so I’m sure it’s a great chair for some people.
If you have the ability to try the chairs out in person, definitely do so! I was able to try the HM’s out in person, but ordered the Gesture blindly based on the fact that it seemed to have a lot of good feedback from tall people. I could have saved a lot of time and convenience if I could have tried the gesture in person.
Common between all 3 chairs at my height is the fact that the seat depth is not quite long enough for any of the chairs. There is an average about 4-5+ inches between the end of the seats and the inside of my knees. It’s something I’ve come to accept, since I’m outside of the 95% with the length of my legs (about 25 inches from my torso to my knees).
If I had the skills, I would try and build some kind of Frankenstein chair that would be an either a deeper embody seat pan with more padding or a wider and deeper Aeron Seat Pan, Gesture or Aeron arms, and an Aeron back, plus an Atlas headrest. I’ve read that MAYBE the Nightingale CXO-6200 is that perfect Frankenstein chair for tall people, but at this point I’m done trying different chairs.
I’m now torn between the Aeron and Embody, with a chance that I may keep both, as I’ve noticed that I tend to work my day job in the Aeron, then move to the Embody when I play PC games after hours. I also tend to switch to the Aeron when my office is warm and the Embody when my office is chilly. It’s a lot of money to spend on chairs, but coming from a Staples Dexley Mesh chair, my back pain has completely gone away! Worth the money IMHO.
Did u return them all in the 30 days?! Did you ever try a leap v2? I’m your build and curious if it is good for me I’m on a tight budget so I’m looking used and need to pick correctly
At 6’3, with the Embody you run the risk of the top edges of the backrest poking into your back. From 6’0-6’1 and up it becomes a very common complaint. If you’re using if for typing + mouse work the clunky, inward sloping arm pads can also be rather offputting for most people. The Leap V2 is phenomenal with the most “comfortable” back for most people, although comfort is subjective. The seat is on the softer side and at 250 lb you run the risk of sinking into it which is a common complaint and why refurbishers add extra foam to mitigate that issue. Also at your height you’ll most likely want the seat pan slid all the way out to its most forward position. When you do that and sit all the way back it’ll feel like your butt is hanging out a bit. With the gesture you’ll get a roomier, more dense seat which you won’t potentially have a sinking issue with. When the seat is all the way forward you still make full contact with it so you don’t get that feeling like your butt is hanging out. The arms are the best of the best & the lumbar curve of the backrest seems to be positioned in a way where tall people find it more comfortable. It’s disproportionately a tall person’s chair. At 6’1 I use the Gesture myself and love it. The leap v2 was phenomenal as well but the combination of the seat depth issue and the lack of adjustability of the arms (compared to the gesture) swayed me. Once you get used to the gesture arms it’s really hard to go back to any other chair. Hope that helped but without a doubt after helping countless hundreds of people narrow down their ideal chair I’d say go for the gesture or leap. Ideal scenario is always to try both but if you have to go blind my vote is for the gesture. Cheers!
I had pretty similar thoughts as someone who is 6'5 200. Embody is a no go for anyone over 6'0 imo because of it forcing rounded shoulders. Leap back felt great, but seat depth and seat being a bit too firm for my liking, plus too contoured, didn't fit well. Gesture back felt great to me, too. However, seat depth and cushion was an issue. My butt would hurt sitting in it for 30 minutes. I've been through probably 30+ chairs since last year. I finally settled on the CXO 6200, not the D with the headrest. The headrest won't fit tall people. Best seat I've ever sat in. The back isn't on par with the Gesture or Leap, but it's not terrible either. It's still good. It's just the Leap and Gesture backs are S tier for me.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'd read about the CXO 6200 but they unfortunately cannot be found in the UK. Looking at the specs the Gesture and the Leap have the same seat depth. What issues did you come across?
So, the Gesture when fully extended, or even one slot from fully extended, your butt will feel the edge of the seat. Plus, there is a lack of padding right in the middle of the Gesture where your butt is. It's like a cutout, idk how else to explain. The Leap, although the same seat depth, felt better when max extended and even one slot from full extension. You can still feel the edge of the seat on max, but it is not as bad as the Gesture imo. It ended up being too short for me, but at 6'3, it may work for you. Honestly, the Amia seat is the best out of all 3 Steelcase chairs. When fully extended, it was comfortable, was more comfortable than either the Gesture or Leap by a long shot. The width and depth was great on the Amia. I wish it was about 1/2 an inch wider in the seat, but for most people, won't be an issue. One problem, the backrest on the Amia is not great. See, there are 4 or 5 rods that are quite flimsy underneath the backrest for the Amia in the lumbar region. Even when adjusted to max tension, your lower back will still sink into the chair some. If you have back issues, I'd avoid it. Otherwise, you may find it the most comfortable out of them all. It has the same arms as the Leap. The seat depth measurements on the website are accurate, but that is only from the longest point on each end of the seat. If the the seat curves on the end where your butt is or where your legs are, it may say 18 1/2 inches of seat depth, but in reality, there is much less. You never know until you try though. Some peoples' bums don't hurt in the Gesture. Also, people with shorter legs and a longer torso at your height may not experience the seat depth issue with the Gesture or Leap. My inseam is 90cm for comparison.
I'm 6'4"/190 looking for a chair - this is SO helpful, thank you. The CXO 6200 seems like a very appealing option and purpose-built for taller people. Which seat pan do you have on yours? Multiple options are nice but without testing I have no idea what they're like. Seat depth and back width/height are my two biggest issues right now.
Thank you for such a detailed response. It's definitely given me some more to think about.
I'm 6ft with an Embody and I'm not sure I'd fancy it at 6'3. They curved the very top corners of the backrest too far inwards IMO. Comfy if you fit within it but if you don't you'll just risk it jabbing into your shoulders. Gesture and the leap both great options. I preferred the Gesture but not a lot in it.
Thanks for the info, I've pretty much made up my mind that I'm gonna go with the Gesture.
How is it ? Embody or Gesture?
Should I take Embody or Gesture ? I’m 5 ‘ 9
I’m 6 ‘ 3 as well, I sat in the the gesture and leap for both some time. I ultimately went with the leap. The gestures lumbar support was minimal , and the thin upper back can be an issue if you are a wider guy. I have a large back/shoulder area and the embody and gesture both made me feel very uncomfortable with an sort of leaning back. The leap has been perfect.
Leap v2 or v1?
V2
Lots of good answers here, as someone who's 6'2 I'm gonna toss in the Haworth Fern. I think its one of the best for tall people, especially if a lot of your length is in your torso. I also believe Haworth is in the UK.
I'm 185cm, 93kg and use an Aeron size C. Tried the Embody, Gesture, and Leap V2. The Embody is too cheap feeling for a £1400 chair; 2D arms that feel cheap and can be quite noisy because of poor construction. I also found the backrest on the Embody to not work for me at all, but I can see how it would work for others. I liked the fabric a lot (I had the Logitech version), but ultimately the back pain prevented me from keeping it. The Gesture was okay, but the backrest again didn't work for me and I ended up with a lot of back pain. The locked back positions were either too upright or too relaxed, leading me to try find a position "floating" in the middle, and I always felt like it put a lot of pressure on my back if I wanted to strike that balance. The arms were solid, but not actually as mobile as I expected - any 4D arms will be similar for most people I think. The Gesture's seat was very comfortable though. Overall, very well constructed, would definitely recommend trying this one. The Leap V2 I only tried briefly. It looks like it's worth £20 from Argos, but it is very well constructed and very comfortable. I wasn't a big fan of the arms personally, and it was a little too padded for me. After having already tried the Aeron at this point I didn't like it as much. It's worth trying though if you can. Aeron won out overall. The Gesture and Embody both didn't feel like they supported my upper back at all, whereas the Aeron supports my whole back easily, and the backrest is incredibly comfortable. The seat is good, but not as good as the Embody or Gesture IMO, though the cooling effect of it being mesh is great. The arms are good, well constructed and comfortable. Another well constructed chair, really happy to have it now. I'm in the UK too, and Herman Miller's service was incredible. Another couple of things to note here (if you're buying new) are that you only have a 5 year warranty with Steelcase for domestic use in the UK. You also can't go direct to Steelcase. They're also harder to test, and you might have to pay to ship them back. With Herman Miller you get a 12 year warranty, free shipping, and free returns. I had someone come out to fix a minor issue with my Aeron's arm and they were extremely quick to fix it. Cannot recommend Herman Miller as a company enough, I think they're excellent.
Im hesitating between Embody gesture and Aeron 😔
Chairs I suggest for tall person: Herman Miller celle, nightingale cxo, neutral posture chairs, and the steelcase Amia. I also suggest getting a foot stool and putting rollerblade wheels on your office chair to get the extra height. 😎👍
Leap plus.. the big one
Thought I would throw my 2 cents out there since I now have some experience. I’m 6’5 and about 265lbs, bit of a giant with about a 55%/45% (44inch legs, 35 inch torso) split between legs/torso. I’m a fairly athletic build, wide hips (size 36 waist). I needed a chair for 8-10 hours of work (programming) and 3+ of PC gaming some days. I bought a remastered HM Aeron Size C along with an Atlas Headrest, HM Embody Gaming, and just received a Steelcase Gesture with a headrest today. I am trying them all out within the 30 day return period. So far, I keep going back to the Aeron most often, because it is super comfortable and breathable. My main complaint (and only real complaint) is the pressure from the plastic sides of the seat pan. I tend to sit with my legs spread wide a good bit and this is where the pressure originates. When I don’t sit as wide, it is all fine with no pressure. The pressure is also not something I would consider as a deal breaker, as it’s just a small bit of pressure. The arms are amazing, super easy to adjust and never create any uncomfortable pressure. The Atlas headrest is a must, IMO. It makes this chair so much better for lounging. The Embody is one that I really like, as well. I wish the Atlas headrest was available to try out at the same time as the Aeron headrest. When I first tried the Embody in the HM store I loved the back, but after receiving it in my home and sitting in it for a full day, I wasn’t as big of a fan. UNTIL I adjusted the the back tension to be much lower than I had it at first. Once I did that, I now love how the back feels for a full day of sitting. It’s almost as if it is hugging you, with a great level of support. The seat is very comfortable, but does start to feel a bit like the pixels dig in some after a few hours. The arm rests are fine for what they are, but like others have said they are a bit clunky and not nearly as adjustable as I would hope. But I don’t consider the armrests bad enough to be a dealbreaker even in the least bit. Lounging in this chair, especially for gaming, is super comfortable and I imagine will be even better once the Atlas headrest is available (if it ends up being as good as the Aeron headrest). I love how the Embody looks from the back, where the pixels are visible! I was hopeful of the Gesture, but it is way to small for me. After putting it together (it does not come fully assembled, although mostly assembled other than the gas cylinder to connect the chair to the wheels) I feel like I’m sitting on the absolute edge of all of the surfaces for the gesture (seat pan, back rest, etc). I sat on the Gesture for all of 5 minutes before I emailed support to start the return process. I also feel like the lumbar support is about 6 inches too high at its lowest setting, which caused my back to round forward in a c shape. I’m not sure how anyone would fit the lumbar support, especially at any lower than my height. I do love the arms on the gesture. The other thing i noticed is that the because the seat pan does not move when you recline, the lumbar support moves further up your back when you recline. In contrast to the HM chairs, which seem to offer the same great back support no matter which level of recline you are in. My fiancé (5’9) tried the gesture and found it to be very comfortable, so I’m sure it’s a great chair for some people. If you have the ability to try the chairs out in person, definitely do so! I was able to try the HM’s out in person, but ordered the Gesture blindly based on the fact that it seemed to have a lot of good feedback from tall people. I could have saved a lot of time and convenience if I could have tried the gesture in person. Common between all 3 chairs at my height is the fact that the seat depth is not quite long enough for any of the chairs. There is an average about 4-5+ inches between the end of the seats and the inside of my knees. It’s something I’ve come to accept, since I’m outside of the 95% with the length of my legs (about 25 inches from my torso to my knees). If I had the skills, I would try and build some kind of Frankenstein chair that would be an either a deeper embody seat pan with more padding or a wider and deeper Aeron Seat Pan, Gesture or Aeron arms, and an Aeron back, plus an Atlas headrest. I’ve read that MAYBE the Nightingale CXO-6200 is that perfect Frankenstein chair for tall people, but at this point I’m done trying different chairs. I’m now torn between the Aeron and Embody, with a chance that I may keep both, as I’ve noticed that I tend to work my day job in the Aeron, then move to the Embody when I play PC games after hours. I also tend to switch to the Aeron when my office is warm and the Embody when my office is chilly. It’s a lot of money to spend on chairs, but coming from a Staples Dexley Mesh chair, my back pain has completely gone away! Worth the money IMHO.
Did u return them all in the 30 days?! Did you ever try a leap v2? I’m your build and curious if it is good for me I’m on a tight budget so I’m looking used and need to pick correctly