Steelcase Series 2 Office Chair Review: Pros, Cons & Verdict

The Steelcase Series 2 office chair is the second cheapest option within the Steelcase lineup, priced at approximately $1200 in Australia. It competes in a difficult price segment, because it’s home to some of the best office chairs in Australia that cost as little as $350-$750.

The Series 2 is attractive, highly adjustable and backed by Steelcase’s legendary 12-year warranty. What’s not to like?

Reasons To Buy The Steelcase Series 2.

Above: Series 2 is an attractive chair. In Australia, it’s available in a choice of 9 colours.

The Steelcase Series 2 offers a reasonably good (but not excellent) range of adjustments.

Seat pan depth adjustment with a waterfall seat edge will appeal to taller specimens among us.

The decent seat height adjustment range of 42cm to 55cm will work well for people between 155cm and 185cm in height, but taller folks will struggle.

Adjustable armrests, meanwhile, are excellent.

Adjustable in four dimensions – reach, width, height and angle – and supremely comfortable, they’re carried over from the more expensive Steelcase products (e.g., the Leap and the Amia).

Series 2’s lumbar support adjusts in height only while the curvature of the backrest provides fixed support in the horizontal plane.

How does it feel?

It’s about on par with the Herman Miller Cosm and more gentle than the ErgoTune Supreme.

Above: The lumbar support mechanism is hidden within the attractive backrest. Small tabs on either side adjust the height. Lack of depth adjustment means there are no unsightly knobs.

The chair’s build quality is very good. Even though the chair is made from plastic and fabric, the materials don’t feel cheap to the touch.

This is a fairly expensive chair, and it feels like one.

It’s Steelcase’s attempt to create a material that combines the benefits of mesh and fabric, without the tradeoffs of either.

It works, mostly.

Unlike hard-framed office chairs like the Herman Miller Aeron, the Series 2 doesn’t insist on keeping your back locked in. You can twist and stretch, making the backrest yield and mould to the shape of your back.

(Related: Steelcase Gesture Office Chair: Worth $1900?)

A cool side benefit is that it looks very attractive. The cool detailing on the rear makes the Series 2 look less boring than other Steelcase office chairs (e.g., the Leap).

It’s also breathable, which is handy in hot environments.

Assembly is very easy.

People who live outside these two major city centres will receive the Series 2 knocked down, with ~30 minute assembly required.

Steelcase offers a lifetime warranty on the frame and 12 years on mechanisms, adjustable lumbar support mechanisms, headrests, pneumatic cylinders, foam, arm caps, casters, and glides.

This warranty is comparable to what you get from other top-tier brands such as Haworth, Knoll, and Herman Miller. You can expect the Series 2 to last for 12 years.

Reasons To Avoid The Steelcase Series 2.

Above: Series 2’s armrests are excellent as they are stolen from the more expensive Leap.

I wish the Series 2’s backrest was taller. People taller than 185cm will find their back “spilling” over the top, and their shoulder blades unsupported. It’s also not height-adjustable.

Fabric cushion is also not ideal for taller (and larger) people.

If you weigh more than 95kg, it may bottom out, and your tailbone will get sore from hitting the plastic layer under the cushion.

Above: Seat cushion is definitely on the firm side. If you like softer seating and want to stick with Steelcase, opt for the Leap.

It’s probably the firmest seat of all Steelcase office chairs on the market; if you prefer a softer seating experience but you want to stick with Steelcase, go for the Leap.

Armrests, while ergonomically excellent, are also somewhat flimsy when extended to full height, which is not ideal in a $1,100 premium ergonomic chair.

Steelcase Series 2’s recline mechanism is carried over from the much cheaper Steelcase Series 1 office chair.

In fact, everything from under the seat down to the wheels is borrowed from the Series 1.

As a result, the reclined position and the motion are nowhere near as good as what you’d get on the $400 more expensive Leap.

(Related: Herman Miller Embody Office Chair: Worth $3,000?)

How The Steelcase Series 2 Stacks Up.

The Series 2 office chair is in a difficult position. While technically a budget office chair in the Steelcase lineup, it’s still quite expensive, at $1,213.

My Verdict On The Steelcase Series 2 Office Chair.

The Steelcase Series 2 is a mut.

It borrows parts from the entire Steelcase lineup.

The superb armrests are hand-me-downs from the more expensive Leap, while the recline mechanism and wheels are carried over from the cheaper Series 1.

The relatively firm seat cushion is OK for petite people, but suboptimal for folks like me, who weigh over 95kg.

I wouldn’t buy this chair because I’m heavy and work long hours.

But it’s a perfect tasking chair for petite folks, people who spend less than 7 hours per day sitting and don’t recline a lot.

Think of it as a high-performance, attractive task chair for smaller people, with great build quality and an outstanding warranty.

Steven