Embody vs Gesture: EU specs, warranty, prices

Schematic side views at the same scale, from each maker's published seat height, seat depth and overall height. Dashed outlines: highest seat setting.

The short answer

The Gesture is made in France and declares EN 1335; the Embody is made in the UK, with a Europe-scope EPD and BIFMA testing.

On published specifications, the Embody leads on seat-height span, lowest seat (shorter users), highest seat (taller users), third-party EPD; the Gesture leads on EN 1335 declared, lowest official price found, Spec Index.

Side by side

● marks the better published value on rows where "better" is measurable. Blank: not published.
Specification	Herman Miller Embody	Steelcase Gesture
Seat height	406–521 mm	415–518 mm
Seat-height span	115 mm	103 mm
Lowest seat (shorter users)	406 mm	415 mm
Highest seat (taller users)	521 mm	518 mm
EN 1335 Types spanned	Type B, Type C	Type B, Type C
Seat depth	381–457 mm	395–460 mm
Seat depth adjustment	Standard	Standard
Max. user weight	136 kg	not published
Warranty	12 years	12 years
EN 1335 declared	No	Yes
Third-party EPD	Yes	No
Made for Europe in	Melksham, United Kingdom	Sarrebourg, France
Made inside the EU	No	Yes
Lowest official price found	€2,120 (Germany)	€1,169 (Germany)
Spec Index	58/100	71/100

Fit: which bodies each chair suits

Seat height decides whether your feet reach the floor with your thighs level. The bars show each chair's published range against the four EN 1335-1:2020 Types. Work out your own target with the office chair height calculator.

Seat height in mm, loaded seat. Grey bars: the range each EN 1335-1:2020 Type must cover. Black bars: the manufacturer’s published range.

Embody: Standard cylinder, 406–521 mm (16–20½ in) per the Herman Miller Store. The EMEA product sheet gives 432–559 mm: 'Extended Height Range' (EMEA sheet)

Gesture: Task chair (EN 1335-1:2020 measurement); draughtsman 580-780 mm

Adjustments

Adjustments
Adjustment	Herman Miller Embody	Steelcase Gesture
Seat depth adjustment	Standard	Standard
Backrest height adjustment	not published	not published
Lumbar support	not published	Option
Armrests	not published	4D (height, width, depth, pivot)
Recline tension	not published	Manual adjustment
Recline lock	Several positions	Several positions
Forward seat tilt	not published	not published
Headrest	not published	Option

Prices in Europe

Official brand-store prices by country, including VAT, for the configuration each store lists. Checked on the dates shown.

Prices by market
Market	Embody	Gesture
Belgium	€2,156	–
Germany	€2,120	€1,169
Denmark	16,650 DKK	–
Spain	€2,156	€1,169
Finland	€2,303	–
France	€2,138	€1,169
Netherlands	€2,156	€1,169
Sweden	25,060 SEK	–
United Kingdom	£1,845	£1,089

For euro conversions, VAT-free comparisons and every market at once, use the EU price comparator.

Some links on this page are commercial.

Spec Index

Points for what each maker publishes, using the same rules for every chair. A missing figure scores zero, so a low score can mean "not published" rather than "worse".

Spec Index: computed from published specifications only (rules). Not a comfort rating or a test result.
Criterion	Herman Miller Embody	Steelcase Gesture
Adjustability / 40	12	28
Seat-height range vs EN 1335 type A / 20	19	17.2
Load and standards disclosure / 15	6	7
Warranty / 10	10	10
Environmental disclosure / 15	11	9
Spec Index / 100	58	71

More detail

Sources

Herman Miller Store: Embody dimensions (seat height 16–20½ in): store.hermanmiller.com/office-chairs/embody-chair/4737.html
Herman Miller UK - Embody: www.hermanmiller.com/en_gb/products/seating/office-chairs/embody-chairs/
Embody EMEA product sheet en-GB (PDF): www.hermanmiller.com/content/dam/hermanmiller/documents/product_literature/product_sheets/
Embody -EU EPD-IES-0035146: www.environdec.com/library/epd35146
Steelcase EU - Gesture: www.steelcase.com/eu-en/products/office-chairs/gesture/
Gesture brochure EMEA 09/2026 (PDF): www.steelcase.com/content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/EN-Gesture-Brochure-2026.pdf
Steelcase Global Products Warranty 2026 (PDF): www.steelcase.com/content/uploads/2026/02/2026_SC_GlobalProduct_Warranty-upd-Feb-2026.pdf
Herman Miller Store (Belgium & Luxembourg) (BE): eustore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
Herman Miller Store DE (DE): destore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
Herman Miller Store FR (FR): frstore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
Herman Miller Store NL (NL): nlstore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
Herman Miller Store ES (ES): esstore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
Herman Miller Store FI (FI): fistore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
Herman Miller Store SE (SE): sestore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
Herman Miller Store DK (DK): dkstore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
Herman Miller Store UK (UK): ukstore.hermanmiller.com/products/embody-office-chair
Steelcase Online Store DE (DE): de.steelcase.com/products/gesture
Steelcase Online Store FR (FR): fr.steelcase.com/products/gesture
Steelcase Online Store NL (NL): nl.steelcase.com/products/gesture
Steelcase Online Store ES (ES): es.steelcase.com/products/gesture
Steelcase Online Store UK (UK): uk.steelcase.com/products/gesture

All sources checked 20 October 2026. Where a manufacturer does not publish a value, we say so rather than estimate it.

Cite this page

Best Office Chairs Europe, “Herman Miller Embody vs Steelcase Gesture”, https://bestofficechairs.eu/compare/embody-vs-gesture/, updated 20 October 2026.