We all know Amazon has everything and anything. Many of us use Amazon for all of our purchases because there is such an assortment of things. Today I bought the cheapest renewed Steelcase Leap V2 I could find to see how good it truly is. It was 65% off retail price.
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Steelcase Leap on Amazon Links
- Amazon Process of Used Products
- Used Steelcase Leap V2
- Open Box Experience
- True Test of the Used Steelcase Leap
- Taking Apart the Steelcase Leap V2
1. Amazon Process of Used Products
Products with the renewed label have gone through diagnostic tests, thorough cleanings and inspections according to Amazon. The pictures really showcase it as brand new. This is not the first used office chair I have bought; I have bought many others in the past from both Amazon and Ebay. Ultimately, each new chair was just an older refurbished office chair mislabeled as a new open box, in an attempt to make you feel like the deal was too good to pass up.
In this instance, the seller properly labeled the Steelcase Leap V2 as renewed which is just a different word for refurbished. Let’s see what this chair has to offer knowing what this label means.
2. Used Steelcase Leap V2
The first thing I noticed about the pictures that were displayed on Amazon was a bright orange upholstery and platinum frame. This is a very specific look that I’ve seen before. Prior to seeing this listing, we were approached to purchase a large quantity of these chairs from California, but these were from 2007. We ended up passing on this deal for other opportunities. I’m sure they can’t be the same chairs though, but it got me thinking. It would be impossible to keep that bright upholstery clean for 15 or so years.
3. Open Box Experience
I started to open the box to see what I could find. I was surprised when I saw the base had the cylinder already pre-assembled. I’m wondering if they were trying to make the assembly process easier or hide the fact that older cylinders tend to break when you try to remove them from the base. The cylinder itself was from a brand called Suspa, now this is a top activated cylinder likely from 2006-2008. Suspa no longer makes office chair cylinders in the US because of the cost. It really was impossible to compete with the Chinese manufacturers.
I was curious to see if the chair would work properly once fully assembled. I began assembling the chair and it was a breeze by simply popping in the casters to the base and attaching the base to the chair. Within minutes, it was finished. The first thing I wanted to know was how good the cylinder worked. I also wanted to check on the spin of the seat.
4. True Test of the Used Steelcase Leap
I found the Steelcase Leap seat did have trouble spinning at its lowest height setting. It was trying to rotate with the base in unison. As I adjusted the seat higher, the seat spun really smooth. The cylinder didn’t seem to have any issues, it worked exactly as it was supposed to. I still wasn’t convinced that this chair would last super long. I checked the other functions on the chair and they also worked as you would expect, no defects from what I could see.
I did see some scuff marks on the cylinder which was normal since it was from around 2006. The lumbar tension knob also had some markings from running into the desk overtime. The upholstery too was a bit worn and you could tell someone sat in it for over a decade. The arms pads on the other hand looked brand new. I was told all the arm pads were replaced on the Steelcase chairs from the batch I mentioned earlier.
I would consider the new arm pads a win because the old puffy armrests were not good. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get over the smell and stains the upholstery had. It was like a mildew smell and overall unattractive.
5. Taking Apart the Steelcase Leap V2
I really wanted to know when the chair was manufactured and how clean it was so I started taking it apart. In order for a product to be considered in the Amazon used program, sellers have to do a thorough cleaning. I took the seat pad off completely and underneath was a nightmare. It was well worn with plenty of stains and the color difference was very obvious on the upholstery. There was also natural buildup of dust and dirt on the frame. I went through all the dates on the chair and I found it was from 2007.
The seat and back were all original components to the chair. It was just hard for me to believe that a chair this old could be resold as renewed without more accurate pictures describing the condition. After looking at some reviews for other used chairs, others felt the same way. Pictures can be deceiving and in this instance the pictures looked better than the actual chair itself.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, if you plan to buy used products off Amazon, be sure to read the reviews to help you understand what you will be getting. Not everything is as it seems online.
