Leap vs. Fern: My Opinion 1 Year Later 

My first ever chair was secret lab. Then I transited to this local brand call Ergotune supreme. After which I change to fern, man this is the best ever.

Hi! One thing that has been commented on in the video regarding recline caught my attention, so I would like to tell you my views on the matter and take the opportunity to ask you advice if you are so kind. I have an Embody and its behavior when reclining is that the seat drops TOO far down, that causes the front of the seat to collide with the back of my thighs and makes my legs very tired after sitting for a while, and I have to get up and go lie down for a while, I guess because of the lack of circulation. I also have a Leap and I don't have this problem with it, because as you said, the seat stays stable when reclining, plus it leans forward a bit like you mention in the video. I don't know what Herman Miller was thinking when designing the Embody. They should have made the backrest move independently of the seat (which I think gaming chairs do well, and that's the only thing they do well), and allow the hip angle to open up, instead of forcing you into that 90º position lengthwise of all recline. This would sacrifice the rocking effect, but I don't see it as important as opening the hip angle, and above all, not cutting off circulation to the legs. Dropping the back of the seat just a little would have been enough not to slide the user out of the chair. I also had an Aeron for a while and it was just as bad if not worse because of the hard plastic lip on the seat frame. So, I have this problem with the Embody, a problem that the Leap does not have, although I can't use the Leap because the seat padding it's so bad that it gives me horrible irritation on my tailbone and sitting on it for more than half an hour makes every muscle in my body ache. I'm evaluating getting a Gesture. I've seen in your videos that when reclining the seat drops back apparently a bit, but certainly not as much as on the Embody. You who have tried the Gesture long enough (I never) would you recommend the Gesture to recline comfortably without cutting off the circulation of the legs, considering the problem I describe? Another chair that comes on my radar is the Humanscale Freedom, although the headrest also has its drawbacks. Sorry for the length of the message. Thank you very much and kind regards!

How do these chairs compare to the embody?

I'm still in love with my Fern chair. It's fit me perfectly from new t'il now. The seat has indeed softened up a bit over time, and thus even better now than before, still feeling very supportive yet a bit more forgiving with butt comfort.

You are the best in this field. I got a refurbished Amia, and so happy with that. Thanks a lot! A little question. Is it possible to attach a headrest somehow to Amia?

Any info about those pyramid sound diffusers on the wall...? :)

I looked at both of these chairs before ordering the Leap. Can't wait, it's due in next week. Maybe this is a tip for dealers of the Fern, but what turned me off was the massive amount of dust/lint that accumulated inside the seat back. It was very noticeable with the large opening. Hopefully other dealers clean their demos better. It looked to me like the seatback material constantly moves/rubs against the plastic gridding and creates a lot of dust. I'd be curious to know how that holds up after years of use.

is this headrest on the fern easily removable?

Can you recommend a plush leatherette executive chair that is adjustable with a headrest? I also need arm rests that move out of the way so I can pull up close to my desk. I am looking at the era galaxy chair but there is almost no information available on the chair.

What color is the base? Metallic silver or metallic champagne? I’m having a hard time choosing based on the images provided from the Haworth website.

Hi @BTODtv, I'm 6'0 tall, which one do you think would be better for me, Amia or Fern? Thanks

I just got my fern a few days ago. I have to say I'm pretty impressed with the overall chair. Have to agree with you about the arms being a bit flimsy, but the overall build quality is amazing. I got the one with lumber support and a metal base for under $950.

I know that this is rather specific but could your recommend a chair around 500$/€ that has detachable or no armrests? I play guitar and need the space that these armrests occupy.

pls do a razer iskur review, it looks to be more comfortable than titan evo 2022

Once again a great video, have been watching you guys for weeks now. Ultimately my decision now boils down to either the Leap V2 or a brand new Sayl (gaming variant, full option except lumbar add on). Price is roughly the same though the Leap V2 will be refurbished (around $600). Considering all of this, is the Leap V2 the obvious choice in your guys' opinion?

This is probably out of your score of coverage, but I'd love to know if you have any tips for cleaning chairs. My Aeron gets all kinds of dust in the mesh and I'm not sure if I should hose it down or just vacuum it.

had leap chairs about 2 years, really enjoy the chair, and cushion is firm & supportive ,, ,, dislike soft seat make me feel sleep kind of lowing my productivity,,,,, adjustability is great and very robust built, my gf sometime sit on the armrest while standing working, and armrest didn't break lolz,,,,only problem is fabric easy to get dirty .

Great video. One of the things that I have been struggling with and do not see a lot of commentary around is the actual size of the seat pan (depth specifically) and then the range of the pan if it is adjustable. As note, I am 6’2” and weigh about 185lbs. What I have found is that it seems as though most chairs are designed for people up to around 5’11”. If your height exceeds that, choices become somewhat limited. I currently use a Leap V2. By and large, I love the Leap with one exception, the seat is just not quite deep enough. I think that one of the issues is that front of the seat is curved. If the seat were square I think that it would be great. I have been considering the Fern and the Steelcase Gesture as a replacement for my Leap. Any suggestions will be much appreciated. FYI, I have ruled out most brands because of other requirements (example, Herman Miller).

Good video. I'm slowly getting around to buy a great chair as I'm transitioning into full work from home and want only the best for my home office setup.

Have you ever tried a Vitra ID chair? Curious on how you would rate that one. There are pretty much no reviews at all online.

I'd love for you check out a base fern as they do not have lumbar nor the headrest options, as these both seem to be problematic for you. Could really be a S tier chair for you!

Idk why this test is so much focused on balancing your chair the whole time. Ergonomic chairs are made at first to avoid back problem lol..

My Amia is coming in a few days and I'm incredibly excited to sit in a high quality chair. Would you say the Amia has similar breath-ability to the Leap? One thing I think would improve your videos even more is having people of differing heights give an opinion on the chairs. A lot of your videos have people who are over 6 foot, I think if you had someone on the shorter side and in between, give their thoughts on whatever chair you're reviewing would be a huge help in understanding if a chair would fit better (I'm 5' 7"). Anyways thanks for these vids, keep it up!

How tall are you? Would these chairs work for someone who is 6'5"?

I know this is 6 months old, but from my chair research recently, it seems the lumbar add-on is actually pretty easy to remove from the Fern, as well.

Do either of these chairs have a tilt limiter like the Herman Miller chairs? I need a new chair since the Embody is causing me to have pain in my back/ribcage and really don't want to give up having a tilt limiter and this feature is really hard to discern from description pages and reviews.

We just need a Leap v3 that has a thicker seat.

Do you have any recommendations for larger people. I am looking to replace my current chair (I have a Titan XL, and may I say that chair is utter crap), and am considering the leap, but the thin pad makes me nervous. I am 6' 6" and around 340 lbs, so any chair I get has to be able to handle both height and weight. I have also considered the some of CXO's offerings, but have not been able to find a place near by in which I can actually sit in any of these chairs. Do you have a direction I might look for something that will be comfortable, and not wear out in a few months?

A few months ago I thought end-of-July would be comparing the Karman to the Cosm or Humanscales... When did Karman's release get delayed to the fall?

I think I saw that you guys mentioned you're getting another fern without the lumbar or headrest. Really interested to see if your opinion of the chair changes.

The back curve of Fern is not suitable for everyone. If you have a long torso, the hard top edge of the backrest may press into your shoulders and cause pain. You should definitely try it out before buying.

it looks like your Fern has the plastic base. do you think the plastic is less prone to creaks/squeaks than the aluminum base?

A few weeks ago a guy on Facebook Marketplace had a beautiful chocolate and white Fern for sale but ultimately I passed on it because I have never sat in one and don't know much about it. Still kind of wish I bought it, oh well.

BTod! The Branch Verve just released, will you be reviewing it? I’m 5’0 and would love to see a video for short people setups with desk/footrests/chair combos!

great video but the sound is too small.

I think I saw a video of people disassembling fern and the lumbar support is removable.

Where is that Best chairs under $500 vid?

I'm stuck trying to choose between Leap v2 vs Fern with digital mesh and lumbar and aluminum base 😅. Ridiculously hard.

I love my Leap chair!! It gives me the maximum comfort that i need.

For the Leap, since the cushion is thinner, how long does it last, would it thin out and become painful?

I've been using the fern for a year without lumbar and the shape of the backrest pushes my shoulders forward while my lower back gets no support, the seat also hurts after an hour

I tried both and the leap sucks! Fern all the way!!

The seat cushion on the Fern doesn't have a rounded rear edge for your tail bone like the leap. Total shame because it's otherwise great.

Logitech g703 , great mouse

Grrr… how can I trust it when you sell the leap on your site.

Let me make it easy for everyone reading this: Buy a very good condition used Leap V2 from a reputable wholesaler and call it a day! I got mine for $450 locally on Craigslist and I could have cheaped out and gotten one as cheap as $300. Mine is in excellent "like new" condition with ALL the features. I love this chair.

So the most expensive chairs are the best chairs? Oh and you guys sell chairs? Got it. Good thing I enjoy sitting on a 2"x4" stood up on its end because I am poor.

First!

Maybe the reason the Leap is always their #1 chair is because they sell refurbished Leap chairs. :)