Steelcase Gesture vs Series 1: Which Should You Buy?
A new Series 1 costs about a third of a new Gesture on Amazon. The Gesture adds a manual tilt tension control, a three-position back stop and a remanufactured route at Crandall.
The Steelcase Gesture and the Steelcase Series 1 both carry 400-pound capacity ratings and seat depth sliders. The Gesture holds a 4.5 out of 5 SeatedLab rating and the Series 1 holds 4.0. The widest gaps between them are price and tilt control.
Buy the Series 1 new if the budget sits near the bottom of the Steelcase range. On Amazon it costs about a third of a new Gesture and keeps the 400-pound rating and a 12-year Steelcase warranty.
Buy the Gesture remanufactured if a manual tilt tension control and a three-position back stop matter more than the lowest price. Crandall’s remanufactured Gesture costs a little over half the new Amazon price. The Series 1 has no Crandall remanufactured route.
| Spec | Steelcase Gesture | Steelcase Series 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Price (new) | ~$1,510 New Steelcase Gesture on Amazon (~$1,510) |
~$499 New Steelcase Series 1 on Amazon (~$499) |
| Remanufactured | $799 Crandall Remanufactured Gesture at Crandall |
Not remanufactured by Crandall |
| Seat depth | 15.75 to 18.5 in (slider) | Slider; range not listed |
| Seat height | 16 to 21 in | 15.5 to 20 in |
| Seat width | 20 in at the front of the cushion | Not listed |
| Lumbar support | Core Equalizer, firmness adjusts with recline; optional height-adjustable lumbar (4 in range) | Height-adjustable, fixed firmness |
| Arms | 360-degree arms (height, width, depth, pivot) | 4D (height, width, depth, pivot) |
| Tilt | Synchro-tilt, tension control, 3-position back stop, upright lock | Weight-activated synchro-tilt, boost setting, upright lock |
| Back | 3D LiveBack, shell back or wrapped back | LiveBack in 3D Microknit or Air Back mesh |
| Headrest | Optional, factory-installed only | Optional add-on |
| Weight capacity | 400 lb | 400 lb |
| Warranty | Structural parts for life; mechanism, cylinder, foam, casters 12 years (Steelcase); 12 years remanufactured (Crandall) | 12 years, multi-shift, parts and labor (Steelcase Limited Lifetime) |
| SeatedLab rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
Choose the Gesture or the Series 1?
Choose the Gesture if you…
- Want to set tilt tension by hand and stop the recline at one of three positions
- Will buy remanufactured and want a 12-year Crandall warranty
- Want a seat depth range stated in inches, 15.75 to 18.5
- Need a seat that rises to 21 inches for a taller desk
- Will order a headrest with the chair, since it cannot be added later
Choose the Series 1 if you…
- Want a new Steelcase at the lowest price of the two
- Want Steelcase’s 12-year parts-and-labor warranty on a new chair
- Need a seat that drops to 15.5 inches
- Prefer a recline that sets its resistance from body weight
How They Compare
The Series 1 Costs About a Third as Much New
New on Amazon, the Series 1 costs about a third of the Gesture’s price. For that figure the Series 1 matches the Gesture’s 400-pound capacity and comes with a 12-year Steelcase parts-and-labor warranty.
Crandall Office remanufactures the Gesture and sells it for a little over half the Gesture’s new Amazon price. That is still about 60 percent more than a new Series 1. Crandall does not remanufacture the Series 1, so a buyer who wants a restored Steelcase with a dealer warranty has only the Gesture in this pair.
Both Slide, Only the Gesture Publishes the Range
The Gesture’s seat depth slider runs from 15.75 to 18.5 inches, about 2.75 inches of travel. Steelcase also lists its seat width at 20 inches across the front of the cushion. A buyer can compare the depth range with a measured thigh length before ordering, which the seat depth guide explains how to do.
The Series 1 has a seat depth slider as well, with its range not listed. The Series 1 seat runs from 15.5 to 20 inches in height, against 16 to 21 inches on the Gesture.
Automatic Firmness or Manual Height
The Gesture’s Core Equalizer is built into the back and changes its firmness with the recline angle, so it needs no adjustment. Steelcase sells an optional height-adjustable lumbar for the Gesture with a 4-inch range. The back is a 3D LiveBack flexor system, offered as a shell back or a wrapped back.
The Series 1 lumbar adjusts in height, and its firmness is fixed. Its LiveBack comes in 3D Microknit or Air Back mesh.
Manual Control on the Gesture
The Gesture uses a synchro-tilt with a tension control, a variable back stop with three positions and an upright lock. A sitter can set the resistance by hand and stop the recline partway back.
The Series 1 uses a weight-activated synchro-tilt, which takes its resistance from the sitter’s weight, with a boost setting and an upright lock.
Same Four Arm Adjustments, Different Headrest Rules
Steelcase calls the Gesture’s arms 360-degree arms. Like the Series 1’s 4D arms, they adjust in four directions. Per-axis travel in inches is not listed for either chair.
The Gesture’s optional headrest is installed at the factory only, so it has to be ordered with the chair. The Series 1 headrest is sold as an add-on.
Where to Buy and What Is Covered
A new Gesture carries the Steelcase Limited Lifetime warranty. Structural parts such as the frame and base are covered for life, and wear parts such as the mechanism and cylinders for 12 years. A new Series 1 carries a 12-year multi-shift parts-and-labor warranty. A remanufactured Gesture from Crandall carries Crandall’s 12-year warranty, which covers parts for the original owner and comes with free returns.
The Gesture has two buying routes on this page, new on Amazon and remanufactured at Crandall. The Series 1 has one, new on Amazon.
Final Verdict
The Series 1 is the pick for a new chair at the lowest price, and the remanufactured Gesture is the pick for a buyer who wants manual tilt control without paying the new price. Both chairs are rated to 400 pounds, and the Gesture holds the higher rating at 4.5 out of 5.
Choose the Gesture if…
You want tilt tension and a three-position back stop, a published seat depth range, or a seat that rises to 21 inches, and you are open to a remanufactured chair from Crandall.
Choose the Series 1 if…
You want a new Steelcase with a 12-year parts-and-labor warranty at about a third of the Gesture’s new price, or a seat that drops to 15.5 inches.
A new Gesture makes sense for a buyer who wants a factory-installed headrest or a specific configuration new-in-box. Most buyers land on either the new Series 1 or the remanufactured Gesture.
Keep Reading
Each of these pages covers one of the two chairs in more depth or against another model:
- Steelcase Gesture Review. The full review of the Gesture
- Steelcase Series 1 Review. The full review of the Series 1
- Series 1 vs Series 2. The Series 1 against its higher-priced sibling
- Gesture vs Series 2. The Gesture against the Series 2
- Steelcase Leap vs Gesture. The Gesture against the Leap V2
- Gesture vs Branch. The Gesture against the Branch Ergonomic Chair
- Branch vs Series 1. The Series 1 against the Branch Ergonomic Chair
- Is the Steelcase Gesture Worth It?. The case for and against the Gesture’s new price
- Best Remanufactured Office Chairs. Where the Crandall Gesture fits among restored chairs