The Ultimate Showdown: Steelcase Amia vs Gesture

Steelcase is no doubt one of the world’s leading office furniture companies. The company is quite famous for its lineup of ergonomic office chairs. In this review, our focus is on these two: steelcase amia vs gesture.

These two chairs are undoubtedly one of the best on the market. Still, they have their differences. The main difference between Steelcase Amia and Gesture is that Amia has LiveLumbar and no headrest. But Gesture has a headrest and 3D LiveBack Technology.

This review will be a detailed comparison between Steelcase Amia and Gesture chairs. We will look at both chairs separately and then compare them side by side.

So, let’s get started!

Steelcase Amia

The Amia is one of the most basic chairs in Steelcase’s lineup. But that doesn’t mean it is unimpressive. Far from it!

The Amia sports a versatile design for any work environment. It fits perfectly in your home office, workstation, and even the conference room. It is the perfect everyday chair that you can always rely on.

Let’s start with the LiveLumbar feature in the chair’s backrest. It is not your typical lumbar cushion. The LiveLumbar is a unit that flexes as your back moves on the chair. You can expect consistent low back support with this chair.

The chair is built for comfort with its highly adjustable armrest, seat depth and height, and flexible seat edge. The best part? Steelcase Amia has a lifetime warranty and a 10-year warranty on parts.

The Amia delivers the consistency and comfort you need as a full-time worker. If you are going long hours on your PC, you will do well with the Amia.

Pros of Steelcase Amia

1. Comfort: You’ll find the steelcase amia handy if you pull all-nighters regularly. The chair has a fully upholstered back and arms and a cozy foam that helps you relax better. It has a depth and height adjustment, so you can sit however you want

2. LiveLumbar Technology: This gives you a nice flex when you lean against the backrest. The LiveLumbar provides consistent, dynamic support for your lower back. To get your ideal position, slide the two handles on the backrest to control the LiveLumbar.

3. 4-way Adjustable Arms: The Amia chair features height, width, and depth adjustable arms. You can adjust the armrests in and out, back and forward, and up and down. With the adjustable arms, you can comfortably find the best position for your arms.

4. Flexible Seat Edge: The outer seat edge is flexible. This means that the edges will flex to support your legs, regardless of your sitting position.

5. Fabric Upholstery: Unlike most office chairs covered with leather, steelcase amia has a fabric covering. The fabric covering retains minimal heat, making you more comfortable all day. Say goodbye to the stickiness of your chair in the summer.

6. Price: The Steelcase Amia offers excellent value for money. It is not your everyday regular-priced chair. Still coming from Steelcase with its handy features, the Amia is an affordable office chair.

Cons of Steelcase Amia

1. The chair does not come with a headrest, nor is there an option to attach one to the chair.

2. It has a limited recline function. You can’t lock the recline at different angles. It can only lock in a fully upright position.

Steelcase Gesture

The Gesture is a premium Steelcase office chair. It is a chair made for any task, anyone, and everyone. It has a wide range of adjustments to support long periods of PC work. And if you are a full-time computer user, you will discover what I’m talking about.

The Gesture is designed with a high-density, contoured seat foam with built-in air pockets. The air pockets reduce the pressure that comes with long-term sitting. So you won’t get that sinking feeling when you sit for a long time. The chair’s premium foam and air pockets work to prop you up for hours comfortably.

The Gesture’s 3D LiveBack Technology is arguably the best ultimate lumbar support on the market. This adaptive technology flexes and mimics your spine’s movement as you change postures.

Also, the backrest has a contoured shape that helps to align your spine in its natural S-shape. Just know that you will get plenty of back support with this chair.

The chair is designed with 4D articulating arms with a full range of motion. This is perfect if you spend long hours on your computer or switching between devices. The armrests will provide a lot of support to keep your arms up comfortably.

Pros of Steelcase Gesture

1. Comfort/Back Support: The Gesture’s backrest and seat provide long-term back as they move synchronously to your body throughout the day.

2. Casters: The Gesture is available in two options, carpet casters, and hard-floor casters. This means you can get a Gesture chair based on the type of flooring in your home. So, you can get wheels for carpet flooring or hard flooring.

3. Recline Tension Control: Steelcase’s Gesture has a 4-position recline lock, meaning you can ‘lock’ the recline position in 4 stops. Now you can relax in any position you desire.

4. Flexible Seat Edge: The entire outer edge of the seat is flexible. It has a bit of a bend that makes the edges flex to relieve pressure points under your thighs caused by hard plastic and wood edges. With this, you get leg support no matter your sitting position.
5. 4D 360-Degree Rotating Armrests: The Gesture has 4D highly adjustable arms. They can be adjusted in any dimension; up and down, forward and back, and sideways. Apart from that, you can rotate them 360 degrees to get the ideal position for your arms.

6. Height and Depth Adjustment: You can adjust this chair to your desired height and depth. It will accommodate you however you wish.

7. Headrest: The Gesture comes with a headrest, perfect for anyone looking for extra support for their neck and head.

8. Warranty: The Gesture is fully backed by Steelcase’s 12-year warranty.

Cons of Steelcase Gesture

1. Weighing 76 pounds, the Steelcase Gesture may be harder to assemble as it is quite heavy.

Here is a glance at the Steelcase Amia and Gesture.

Specifications	Steelcase Amia	Steelcase Gesture
Dimensions	24.75 x 26.63 x 42.5	23.63 x 34.63 x57
Ergonomics	LiveLumbar System, 4 Way Adjustable Arms.	Headrest, 3D LiveBack Technology, 360 Degree Rotating Arms, 4-Position Recline Lock.
Item Weight	54.5 pounds	76 pounds
Material	Textile	Textile
Weight Capacity	400 pounds	400 pounds
Seat Material Type	Plastic	Wood
Warranty	10 years	12 years
Assembly Required	Yes	No

Steelcase Amia vs Gesture: A Comparison

So, we have talked about the Steelcase Amia and Gesture and seen their specs and workings. Now, let’s get down to comparing them in detail.

Ergonomics

Steelcase does not cut corners when it comes to the ergonomic build of its products. The Amia and Gesture are no different. Both chairs are equipped with solid features that set them apart from their peers on the market.

Looking at functionality, both chairs are pretty similar. Both have height adjustments with good ranges, so adjusting any chair to your height preference is no problem.

Both chairs have seat depth adjustment, tension control, and adjustable lumbar control. They also have highly rated armrest adjustability.

What sets Steelcase Amia and Gesture apart is the tilt lock. The Gesture features four ‘stops’ of recline. So, you have a lot of flexibility in whatever recline position you stop.

Amia does not have this feature. While it does have the option to lock the chair fully upright, it cannot recline at different stops. The Gesture wins in this case.

Seat Comfort

Steelcase does not compromise on the comfort of its office chairs. And this is the case with the Amia and Gesture.

Both seats sport thinner seat foams that are firm but not hard. They also offer a lot of space to move around while you sit.

Steelcase opted for flexible seat edges against the usual plastic or wood. Both chairs eliminated hard edges that could cause pain to your legs. You now have a flexible outer rim that relieves pressure from under your thighs and knees.

However, the Amia’s foam is a bit softer as it is slightly more padded than the Gesture. The Gesture, however, has more flexibility in the seat pan, which allows you to move around in the seat comfortably.

The Amia and Gesture each have an advantage over each other here. So, both chairs are winners in this category.

Back Comfort

The Steelcase Amia and Gesture offer top-of-the-line back comfort. They have similar backrest designs, albeit slightly different functions.

Both have LiveBack Technology, as well as highly adjustable lumbar support. The similarities end here. The Amia features LiveLumbar System, a basic lumbar support system. It works well enough to provide consistent low-back support.

The Gesture features 3D LiveBack Technology, a more advanced adaptive technology, for better lumbar support. As an advanced technology, it does not have a manual operation like the Amia with its handles on the backrest.

Rather than operating it manually, the Gesture mimics your spine movement to ensure that you’re always comfortable at all times.

Another difference between both chairs is flexibility. The Gesture supports a more fantastic range of technologies, allowing for a broader range of movement. So it is easier to stay comfortable while seated. But this is where the Gesture falls short.

The backrest tends to be a little too flexible, so you have to recline even if slightly. You can’t sit completely upright. On the other hand, the Amia is no doubt lacking compared to the Gesture. Yet, it allows you to sit totally upright.

Armrest Comfort

Steelcase Amia and Gesture have highly adjustable arms to offer you the best comfort. The Amia has fully adjustable arms with height, width, depth, and pivot adjustments. The armrests also have an articulating motion.

With the Gesture, things take a turn. With its state-of-the-art technologies, the Gesture allows for a wider range of movement, far more advanced than the Amia. If you like to have your arms in different positions as you work, you may want to look to the Gesture.

Both chairs offer some of the softest, most comfortable arms with solid adjustments in the market. But I’ll have to give it to the Gesture in this category.

The 360 Degree Rotating 4D arms make a lot of difference to computer, PC, and mobile device users.

Weight

The Steelcase Amia weighs 54.5 pounds. The Gesture, on the other hand, is heavier, weighing 76 pounds.

While the Gesture weighs more, do take into account the headrest. The Gesture has a headrest, but the Amia doesn’t. So, this also adds to the weight I’m of the chair.

You may want someone to assist you when hauling and putting the Gesture together.

Warranty

Steelcase Amia comes with a 10-year warranty, while the Gesture comes with a 12-year manufacturer warranty. Both chairs will last you a long time. But the Gesture takes the crown in this category.

Price

The Amia is a much more simple chair. Still, thanks to Steelcase, you can expect it to be of a high-quality build.

The Gesture is of a more premium build with its cutting-edge technologies. In comparison to the Amia, it will be more expensive.

Based on market demand, the prices of both chairs change regularly. You can check the price of Steelcase Amia by clicking here.

Also, check the price of Steelcase Gesture by clicking here.

My Recommendation

So, we have talked about the Steelcase Amia and Gesture office chairs. We have looked at their features, similarities, and differences. After going through all that, it all boils down to one question: which chair should you get?

Well, there is no static answer to that, as what you want is based on your needs and preferences. But if you still don’t know which one to go for, let me help you out.

If you want a versatile, comfortable chair that is as simple as it gets, you may want to look to Steelcase Amia.

The Amia is a basic office chair with solid functionality. You’ve got adjustable arms, high and depth adjustment, lumbar support, flexible front seat edge, and slightly thicker padding for more comfort.

If you want a revolutionary office chair, then the Amia may not be for you. Steelcase Amia offers simplicity, versatility, and comfort.

If you have occasional back pain, often switch between devices, change postures frequently, or want something more tech-savvy, you may want to consider Steelcase Gesture.

It has 3D LiveBack Technology, a contoured backrest, 360 Degrees Rotating Arms, a headrest, and 12 years warranty.

The Steelcase Gesture may be perfect if you want something radically different from your regular office chair.

Final verdict

Depending on your needs or preferences, both chairs are high-quality products that will serve you well. Gesture’s advanced technologies and premium look make it stand out from Amia’s simplicity.

Price will also be a factor in determining the chair you should get. The Amia comes at a lower price. But with the newer technologies of the Gesture, I think it is a worthy long-term investment.