Steelcase Leap V2 resale value — what your used Leap is actually worth in 2026
The Steelcase Leap V2 is the workhorse of the UK office — there are more of them in British offices than almost any other premium task chair, which makes them one of the most common chairs in any clearance. Individually they are worth less than a Herman Miller, but in the volumes most offices hold them, they add up fast. Here is what a used Leap V2 is genuinely worth in 2026, from our live UK buyback rates, updated quarterly.
The short answer
A Grade A Steelcase Leap V2 is worth £100 per chair on collection. Grade B (light wear, all functions working, cosmetic issues only) sits around £60–£80. Grade C — heavy upholstery wear, staining, or a non-functional mechanism — still holds £30–£40 for parts. We buy all three grades.
The Leap’s value lives in volume. A single Leap nets you less than a single Aeron, but most offices hold them in the dozens or hundreds, and they clear in one collection. A floor of 120 Grade A Leaps is £12,000 — often more than the Herman Millers in the same building.
Why the Leap V2 holds its value
Two reasons, and they are different from the Herman Miller story. First: install base. Steelcase sold the Leap into UK banks, law firms, call centres and corporate HQs by the tens of thousands. That means a deep, reliable second-hand market — businesses that want proven, fully-adjustable seating at a fraction of the £400–£900 new price, and know the Leap is a safe choice. Second: durability. The Leap is built to survive 24/7 shift use. A ten-year-old Leap with a clean reupholster is genuinely good for another decade, and buyers know it.
The flip side: because so many exist, prices do not spike. The Leap is a steady £100, not a chair that appreciates. But steady is good when you are clearing 200 of them.
Leap V1 vs Leap V2 — which do you have, and does it matter?
It matters. The Leap V2 (the version sold from around 2006 onward) is the one with broad second-hand demand and the £100 rate. The original Leap V1 is older, rarer, and worth materially less to us — typically £40–£60 — because parts and matching upholstery are harder to source.
Quick way to tell them apart: the V2 has the lower-back firmness dial on the side of the backrest and a flatter, wider seat profile. The V1’s back is more sculpted and lacks the separate lumbar-firmness control. If you are unsure, send a side-on photo and we will identify it.
How we grade Leaps
Grade A — clean and fully working. Upholstery unstained and un-torn, LiveBack flexes through its full range, Natural Glide (the seat slide on recline) moves freely, all four arm adjustments hold, lumbar firmness dial works, gas lift holds height. Castors rolling, base un-cracked.
Grade B — light wear. Some fabric fade or a small mark, an arm that needs a nudge to hold, or a slightly stiff recline. Functional, sellable after a clean and light refurb.
Grade C — heavy wear or a fault. Torn or stained seat fabric, a dead gas lift, a seized recline, or missing arm parts. We strip these for parts and pay a parts rate.
What affects a Leap’s price (in order of impact)
1. Upholstery condition — this is the big one. Unlike a mesh Aeron, the Leap is fully fabric-upholstered, so stains, tears and heavy fading on the seat and back hit value harder. A clean black Leap is worth a lot more than a stained one.
2. Gas lift and recline — the LiveBack and Natural Glide are the Leap’s selling points. If height will not hold or the recline is seized, you drop a grade.
3. Arms — the 4D arms are a common wear point; they should hold position in all directions.
4. Fabric colour — black resells fastest and to the widest market. Corporate greys and blues are fine. Unusual colours sit slightly longer but do not change the headline rate.
5. Base and castors — cosmetic scuffs are minor; a cracked base is structural.
Should you reupholster or clean before selling?
Clean, yes — a vacuum and a wipe of the seat can lift a borderline Leap a grade and costs you nothing. Reupholster, no. A professional reupholster costs more than the grade difference you would earn, and we have the upholstery supply and labour in-house at trade cost. Send the chairs as they are; our rate already accounts for the refurb we will do.
Leap V2 vs Steelcase Gesture — what each is worth
If your estate is a mix of Steelcase chairs, the Gesture is the more valuable of the two at buyback — £150 versus the Leap’s £100. The Gesture is newer, designed around devices and varied postures, and has thinner second-hand supply, so it commands more. Both clear in the same collection, so there is no need to separate them — we price each line at its own rate in one quote.
Pricing table — by condition
Leap V2, Grade A (clean, fully working): £100 per chair.
Leap V2, Grade B (light wear, functional, cosmetic only): £60–£80 per chair.
Leap V2, Grade C / parts (stained or torn fabric, dead lift, seized recline): £30–£40 per chair.
Leap V1 (original, pre-2006): £40–£60 per chair, Grade A — lower demand and harder-to-source parts.
How to get a quote on your Leaps
Send a couple of photos and a count. We confirm a per-chair rate against the photos, book a collection — weekly runs cover most of the UK, larger lots within the week — and pay by same-day BACS, or cash on collection. Leaps almost always clear as part of a mixed quote: bundle them with Aerons, Embodies, Gestures or a full office clearance into one pickup and one payment.
Get a quote on yours
Use the homepage calculator. Indicative quote in 30 seconds. Firm quote within the hour.