The Steelcase Amia and Leap v2 are two very popular chairs made by one of the most well-known office furniture brands in the industry. While the Amia chair costs less, there are a few things you’ll miss out on in comparison to a high-end chair like the Leap v2. In this blog, we’ll go over what you’ll get with the increased price of the Leap v2 versus saving money buying the Amia.
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Steelcase Leap v2 vs. Steelcase Amia Links
1. 2025 Price
When comparing the prices of these chairs you will immediately notice the price gap. Even when completely knocked down to no arms, no adjustments, and basic fabric, the Leap v2 will still cost around $1006. When fully loaded with adjustable lumbar, fully adjustable arms, headrest, leather, etc., this chair will be as expensive as $2300. Typically, you should expect spending around $1000 for the average user.
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Depending on how you configure the Amia, you’ll find a price range of $820-$1643. While you’ll get the same upholstery and finish options as the Leap, you won’t have some of the added options like the headrest.
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2. Policies
All of the policies will be the same when ordering from Steelcase, so whether you order the Leap or Amia, they’ll arrive via FedEx Ground to your door. They feature a 14-day return policy but be sure to keep your original packaging to get it back to them in new condition to prevent any sort of stocking fees. Both chairs will come with a 12-year warranty covering people weighing up to 400 lbs. and 24/7 usage. They will both arrived fully assembled and ready to sit in once you get the chair out of the box, or if you chose to return the chair, you can simply put it back in the box and ship it off without any disassembly.
3. Build Quality
There have been very few chairs that we’ve reviewed that scored 90 or above on build quality. The Amia received a 90 and the Leap v2 received a 94. Both of these chairs use high-end components that are built to last and work together smoothly. The reason the Leap scored slightly higher, is because it features extra functionality, higher-end technology, and more of a design aesthetic.
4. Seat Comfort
When looking at the comfort of the chairs we test, we use a well-rounded group of employees at BTOD who test the chairs and have the opportunity to score each chair on a scale of 100, on seat, back, and armrest comfort. In this case, the Amia and Leap did very well, testing near the top of the list for seat comfort. The Amia scored a 79 and the Leap v2 scored a 83 for overall seat comfort.
Both of these chairs feature thinner seat pads, flexible seat designs, and are comfortable for extended hours of seating because the foam doesn’t bottom out. The reason the Leap scored higher than the Amia in our office is due to the contoured design and that it allows more flexibility in the seat pan design, providing more room for movement while seated. With that being said, the Amia does a little bit more padding than the Leap. If you like the idea of purchasing a Steelcase Chair, but don’t want something thinly padded, the Amia may be the right choice for you because it’s a bit more padded.\
5. Back Comfort
The comparison between these two chairs for back comfort is very similar to what was discussed about seat comfort. Both the Amia and the Leap received high scores, near the top of our list for most comfortable backrest. The Amia scored a 79 and the Leap scored a 82, almost for the exact reasons as the scores for seat comfort.
As compared to the Amia, the Leap’s backrest is a little bit more flexible because of its plastic design. You also get the extra ability to adjust the lumbar depth, which you don’t get on the Amia chair. With that being said, the Amia still provides a flexible backrest, just not quite as much as the Leap.
Both chairs have nicely padded backrests that are built to last, but you’re going to get a little more lumbar support and added flexibility with the Leap. If you’re not concerned with lumbar support or don’t need extra flexibility for depth control, the Amia may be a good option. If you like having full control of your chair and like to move around a lot while seated, the Leap is probably the best option for you.
6. Armrest Comfort
Once again atop our lists, the Leap v2 and Amia we’re some of our highest rated chairs for armrest comfort. Both chairs share the exact same arm package, so there isn’t any difference between the two when it comes to armrests. Both sets of arm pads feature height adjustments, width adjustments, depth adjustments, articulating motion, and comfortable arm pads.
While these chairs have the same arm pads, they did test a little differently in our office as the Amia received an 82 and the Leap received an 85. This is due to the way the arms work for the individual chair. Some people may have found the arms on the Amia setup to be less comfortable than the leap, but at the end of the day you’re getting the exact same armrests.
7. Ergonomics
Since our previous list, we’ve changed the way we rate the ergonomics of every chair. We now combine comfort scores with adjustments to get a well-rounded score. This way we don’t have chairs placed at the top of the list that are loaded with adjustments but not comfortable.
Both the Leap and Amia tested near the top of our ergonomics list with the Amia scoring 81 and Leap scoring 85. The reason for the difference in scoring is due to slight differences in comfort scores and the Leap featuring a few more adjustments.
Looking at the adjustment package on both chairs, you’re going to get seat height adjustment, with a range of 16-21 inches. You’ll also get seat depth adjustment, four-way adjustable armrests, height adjustable lumbar support, and tension adjustment.
You’ll start to see differences in the chairs when you get to locking positions. The Amia is only capable of locking in the fully upright position and the Leap has five different tilt limiter positions available. Another big difference is the lumbar depth adjustment upgrade available from the Leap that isn’t available for the Amia. Lastly, the Leap has a headrest option that you can add on. From an adjustment standup the Leap is a slightly more proficient chair than the Amia.
Final Thoughts
Comparing these two chairs with basic fabric, basic finish, fully adjustable arms, and an adjustable lumbar on the leap, there is about a $299 difference. With the Leap you’ll get a slightly better design, build quality, extra tilt positions, lumbar depth adjustment, and the ability to add a headrest. The Leap does provide more value and is an overall better chair for the price that it’s listed at. However, if you don’t need extra adjustments and don’t care about the high-end aesthetic, the Amia is a great way to save some money and still get into a Steelcase chair.
