The New Chair Arrives
Posted on July 31, 2020 Posted by John Scalzi 28 Comments
I wrote last week about my need to purchase a new office chair, and lo and behold, as if by magic (and by “magic” I mean “by means of ordering it online and paying for it to be delivered by the retailer”), it has arrived at the house and is ensconced at my desk. It is indeed a Steelcase Leap chair, and it is indeed reasonably comfortable, although it is also clear to me that a chair with so many potential adjustments requires actual adjusting before I am completely comfortable with it. So I expect to be fiddling with it for the next few days to get it just exactly how I want it.
I am taking a picture of it now, not only to commemorate the momentous occasion of its arrival, but also because this will be the very last time in its history that there will be no cat hair anywhere on it. Please enjoy its pristine state with me, while it lasts, which won’t be long at all.
Forget the hair, think of the holes as your cats consider Daddy’s generosity in providing them with a new scratching post!
This is why there is an actual scratching post right next to my desk. You can even see it in the picture!
Impressive. Very impressive. I’m looking forward to your opinion. Just how wide are those armrests? They look like they’re six inches wide!
Congratulations on the new chair! I hope it proves exceedingly comfortable. After the cats have broken it in for you, of course.
If I may recommend, you might wish to check out some videos for getting the chair set up correctly, to maximize comfort and minimize stress, discomfort, and so on. My former employer, before my retirement, actually had staff whose job it was (among other things) to come to employee workstations (desks at which they sat all day doing computer stuff) to adjust the desk height, monitor height, and all aspects of the chair. The point, from the employer’s point of view, was to minimize workers’ compensation injuries (which is to say, workers’ comp claims), but of course it was good for the employee, too.
I rest my fanny in a Leap, too. Mine is about 15 years older-looking, though, because it is about that much older.
Cat hair, sure…just ignore the human dander that will be ever on your chair as soon as a waft of air and an electric field cross gravitons with the effluent of your sorry carcass.
Cats, nothing.
When you think about it, despite the high cost, your ‘cost per use’ will be very low. Congrats. A good chair and an ergonomic setup makes a huge difference.
So why the Leap and not the Gesture as I’ve been looking at both? It looks pretty good.
And your Zen question of the day is:
What is the sound of one cat shedding??
Just out of curiosity: Do you share your chair with a cat (or two), or do you take turns using it?
MMMMMmmmm. Pristine. (for two minutes……)
Steelcase, thanks for contributing to the West Michigan economy where I live. They make a good product. Good luck sitting in it after the cats discover how comfortable it is.
I’ll be interested in hearing about your review I’d this chair after you’ve had time with it. With my husband working from home and having upper back issues, I’m seriously thinking that investing in a (tax deductible) good solid chair is a good idea.
How are the armrests? The main question for me is that I tend to put my weight on them. I’d be worried about getting one with fiddly bits like tilt that it might break.
For an additional 50 bucks or so, you can get rollerblade casters. Less likely to scratch the floor and you can have Kristen pull you down the road behind her tractor.
Dang autocorrect. I swear I typed Krissy not “Kristen”.
No chair is complete without a few cat hairs and a fart blossom or two. Gotta claim your space.
But does Athena, as a new employee, get a fancy new chair, too? Inquiring minds want to know.
Ey, nice choice. I have a leap as well. I bought it from some guy behind a warehouse.
https://imgur.com/bKkoGfO
And … what about Naomi?
Work remodeled a few years ago. I got a Leap as part of that along with a height adjustable desk. It took about ten minutes to get the desk height correct.
I was still adjusting things on the chair months later. I finally found the right settings and haven’t changed anything for years.
Enjoy.
‘…and by “magic” I mean “by means of ordering it online and paying for it to be delivered by the retailer”‘
Insert Arthur C. Clarke quote.
Did you have to assemble it? And if so, how hard/easy was that?
Solid choice. We’ve got one in the office for my wife (who’s also my office manager), and I may just get one for my desk. Less impressive looking than my Big Lawyer Chair, but damned comfortable.
Small Pond:
It came assembled.
I would have gone with the green one. Wasabi. Love that.
I recently bought a Steelcase Gesture, which is quite similar to your Leap, and I couldn’t be happier with it, despite the eye-popping price. I think you will find it well worth your time and money — after all, it will probably be your second most used piece of furniture for the next 10-20 years.
I am surprised that unlike my previous leather chair, my two cats, Buffy and Waffles, have not found the Gesture at all interesting for claw-sharpening. I’m hopeful Smudge, Sugar, Spice, and Zeus treat your chair with similar disdain.