Office · Head-to-head
Steelcase Series 1 Stool vs HON Ignition Task Stool
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Drafting Chairs: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Series 1 Stool gets the fundamentals right: a 7.75 inch pneumatic range, a 20 inch foot ring that unlocks and slides on the column, and a documented caster choice for carpet or hard floors. The HON Ignition Task Stool climbs higher and costs less, which makes it the better buy for tall benches even though its spec sheet is thinner.
Steelcase Series 1 Stool
Buy itA contract task stool with a genuinely adjustable foot ring and specs Steelcase actually publishes.
- Seat height runs 23 to 30.75 inches on a 7.75 inch pneumatic cylinder, which Steelcase states in its own specification guide.
- The 20 inch foot ring unlocks by rotating counterclockwise and slides up or down the column, so you can set it to your leg length.
- Steelcase lists it as meeting BIFMA and carrying BIFMA LEVEL 3, and backs it with a limited lifetime warranty rated 12 years for multi-shift, 24/7 use.
- It is the most expensive stool here by a wide margin.
- Capacity is 300 pounds for the stool, lower than the 400 pounds Steelcase quotes for the Series 1 chair.
- Hard dual-wheel casters are standard and Steelcase says they are for carpet, so hard floor users need to pay for the soft roll-control option.
HON Ignition Task Stool
Buy itThe tallest stool here, with an adjustable footring and a lifetime warranty, for a fraction of the contract-premium price.
- HON publishes a 24 to 33 inch seat height with a 9.75 inch adjustment range, the longest published stroke in this group.
- HON's own product copy describes an adjustable footring, and the stool carries a 300 pound weight capacity.
- It rolls on casters and is covered by HON's lifetime warranty program; confirm the exact terms for your SKU with the dealer.
- HON's SKU spec pages do not state a BIFMA test standard, so you have to ask the dealer for the test documentation.
- It is a low back stool, so there is no upper back or headrest support for leaning back.
- Buying it usually means going through a dealer or a reseller rather than a simple checkout.
Side by side
The 8 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Steelcase Series 1 Stool Our pick | HON Ignition Task Stool | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Someone who wants one stool that will still be adjustable and repairable in ten years. | Anyone whose work surface is genuinely high and who wants a real footring without paying contract-premium money. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$ · mid-range |
| Seat height range | 23 in to 30.75 in | 24 in to 33 in |
| Published cylinder stroke | 7.75 in | 9.75 in |
| Footring | Adjustable, 20 in diameter | Adjustable |
| Weight capacity | 300 lb | 300 lb |
| BIFMA on the spec sheet | Meets BIFMA, BIFMA LEVEL 3 | Not stated on SKU page |
| Casters and floors | 2.5 in hard dual-wheel for carpet, soft roll-control optional for hard floors | Casters, confirm type with dealer |
| Overall width | 23.5 in to 27 in | Confirm with dealer |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime, 12 years, 24/7 | HON lifetime warranty, confirm terms |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Steelcase Series 1 Stool if
someone who wants one stool that will still be adjustable and repairable in ten years.
Know before buying: it is the most expensive stool here by a wide margin.
Pick the HON Ignition Task Stool if
anyone whose work surface is genuinely high and who wants a real footring without paying contract-premium money.
Know before buying: hON's SKU spec pages do not state a BIFMA test standard, so you have to ask the dealer for the test documentation.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Steelcase Series 1 Stool - A contract task stool with a genuinely adjustable foot ring and specs Steelcase actually publishes. Choose the HON Ignition Task Stool instead if anyone whose work surface is genuinely high and who wants a real footring without paying contract-premium money.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Drafting Chairs: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).