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HON Ignition 2.0vsSteelcase Series 1

Steelcase Series 1 edges HON Ignition 2.0, 8.4 to 7.9. The 4 axes split 3-1, widest on Design at 1.2.

HON Ignition 2.0

HON

7.9

The chair that fills school and office buildings, which is the most honest durability test there is.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Steelcase Series 1

Steelcase

8.4

Contract-grade adjustment and warranty at a price that does not require a spreadsheet.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Design, Steelcase Series 1 ahead 8.0 to 6.8. They come closest on Value, 9.0 to 8.4. Left of center is HON Ignition 2.0, right is Steelcase Series 1.

HON Ignition 2.0 versus Steelcase Series 1 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 4 axes. Bars for HON Ignition 2.0 run left from the axis labels, bars for Steelcase Series 1 run right. HON Ignition 2.0: Value 9.0, Durability 8.0, Ease of use 7.8, Design 6.8. Steelcase Series 1: Value 8.4, Durability 8.8, Ease of use 8.4, Design 8.0.HON Ignition 2.0 (left)Steelcase Series 1 (right)ValueHON Ignition 2.0 — Value 9.0 out of 109.0Steelcase Series 1 — Value 8.4 out of 108.4DurabilityHON Ignition 2.0 — Durability 8.0 out of 108.0Steelcase Series 1 — Durability 8.8 out of 108.8Ease of useHON Ignition 2.0 — Ease of use 7.8 out of 107.8Steelcase Series 1 — Ease of use 8.4 out of 108.4DesignHON Ignition 2.0 — Design 6.8 out of 106.8Steelcase Series 1 — Design 8.0 out of 108.0Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the HON Ignition 2.0

Leads on Value.

  • Volume matters — kitting out more than one desk
  • Parts availability years from now is a real concern
  • You want a warranty measured in decades, not years

Take the Steelcase Series 1

Leads on Durability, Ease of use and Design.

  • You want the office-furniture warranty without the flagship outlay
  • 4D arms — the adjustment most cheap chairs skip
  • A chair that will not look out of place in a home office

What each one gets wrong

HON Ignition 2.0

  • The chair is visible in a living space you care about
  • You want the refinement of the contract flagships

Steelcase Series 1

  • You are very tall or very short — one frame size fits most, not all
  • You want the seat depth range of the higher Steelcase lines

Specs, side by side

SpecHON Ignition 2.0Steelcase Series 1
BackMesh with adjustable lumbarFlexible LiveBack frame
WarrantyLimited lifetime on most componentsTwelve years
ArmsHeight and width adjustable4D adjustable

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

HON Ignition 2.0 or Steelcase Series 1 — which should I buy?
Steelcase Series 1 leads on Durability, Ease of use and Design. If Value matters more to you, take the HON Ignition 2.0 instead.
Is 0.5 a real difference?
Barely. HON Ignition 2.0 averages 7.9 and Steelcase Series 1 averages 8.4, and the total is the plain average of 4 axes, so 0.5 is what one axis moving 2.0 looks like after averaging. The axis split, 3-1, tells you more.
Which one ranks higher in "Twelve years on everything beats a limited lifetime"?
Steelcase Series 1 sits at #2 in "Twelve years on everything beats a limited lifetime", HON Ignition 2.0 at #4.