noblechairs EPIC Series Chair Review

Introduction

Picking the right chair to go with your desk, so you can kick back and enjoy your games, or even just feel comfortable for those long work hours, can be a demanding task. The market is packed with options, ranging from the budget offerings, to hundreds, even thousands of pounds. Gaming chairs are big business these days, and while the market is flooded with affordable products ranging from £100-200, there’s not a growing market for premium products, and that’s where noblechairs come in.

“Avant-garde office chair brand noblechairs raises the bar up high by bringing you its impressive EPIC series swivel chairs pioneering the world’s first gaming chair featuring valuable and exceedingly durable real leather covering. Their equally well-equipped faux leather siblings are made of 100% vegan polyurethane (PU) with similarly outstanding characteristics and a 25 per cent higher material thickness of 1.5 millimetres. The entire range of noblechairs’ classy gamer seats shares the same stellar German design that strikes a perfect balance between luxury car-inspired appearance and materials as well as idiosyncratic gamer chair styling and ergonomics descended from racing car seats. The resulting discreet design without garish colouring creates an air of noblesse and renders the noblechairs gaming chairs simply beautiful.” – noblechairs

Today, we’ll be taking a look at the noblechairs EPIC, their PU leather covered model which clocks in a little over £300, and while that’s not exactly loose change, it’s still noticeably cheaper than their genuine leather version of the same chair, which comes in at a wallet-busting £490. Of course, for those familiar with high-quality chairs, this isn’t even close to really expensive desktop chairs, but it’s certainly the upper end for most consumers and the general gaming chair market.

“High-precision manufacturing for superb ergonomics noblechairs’ enviable sitting comfort is fabled due to its dimensionally stable high-class upholstery made of freshly moulded cold foam with 55 per cent density straight from the factory instead of recycled waste scraps used in many lesser, competing products. Its open-cell cold foam structure delivers optimal breathability in conjunction with the luxurious cover materials employed, which allows for a pleasant climate regulation and brings along increased robustness and longevity. The gaming chairs are perfected with fully automated manufacturing processes akin to those applied by car manufacturers that warrant a flawlessly pristine build quality.”

Only choice materials and advanced features:

• Timeless and classy luxury car look “Designed in Germany”
• Covering made of 100% vegan polyurethane (PU) imitation leather
• Coloured seams, fine embroidery and perforated contact zones for best aeration
• A sturdy frame that consists of solid steel
• Height-adjustable safety class 4 gas lift
• Comfy & breathable high-density cold foam upholstery straight from the factory
• Durable five-star base and logo emblem made of pure aluminium
• 60 mm casters with nylon core and PU coating for soft and hard floors
• Softly cushioned 4D armrests made of PU
• Advanced rocking mechanism up to 14°
• Flexible adjustment options for individual adaptability
• Two pillows included for the lumbar and neck area
• Reinforced outer packaging for safe and sound delivery
• 2 years manufacturer warranty most obligingly handled by OCUK

Specifications:

• Appearance:
  Main colour: Black
  Side strip colour: Black (suede feel)
  Stitchings colour: Green
  Logo segment colour: Green
  Logo embroidery colour: Gold
  Pillow colour: Black with green embroidery
• Measurements:
  Total height (with base): ca. 131 – 141 cm
  Height adjustability: ca. 49.5 – 59.5 cm
  Width backrest (shoulder level): ca. 54.5 cm
  Width backrest (pelvis level): ca. 52 cm
  Width backrest (point of contact): ca. 29.5 cm
  Length backrest: ca. 87 cm
  Backrest adjustability (static): 90° – 135°
  Width seat (total): ca. 56 cm
  Width seat (point of contact): ca. 35 cm
  Depth seat (total): ca. 56.5 cm
  Depth seat (point of contact): ca. 49.5 cm
  Width armrests: ca. 10.5 cm
  Depth armrests: ca. 27 cm
  Rocking mechanism: max. 14°
• Armrests adjustable: Yes (four-dimensional)
• Maximum weight (user): 180 kg
• Net weight (chair): ca. 27 kg
• Gross weight (chair): ca. 29 kg
• Package dimensions: ca. 84 * 38 * 70 cm
• UK Fire safety compliance: BS 5852
• Manufacturer warranty: 2 years

Packaging

The box for this chair is huge, and clocking in at 29KG it’s something you’re going to want help with moving.

Open the box, and you’ll find extensive plastic wrapping, protective foam, cardboard, and sheets of padding throughout to protect all components during transit.

All leather materials are sealed in plastic bags to keep them fresh and dry.

All metals are covered to prevent scratches. So, let’s get this out of the box and see what we’ve got.

A Closer Look

Obviously, the chair comes in parts, so you’ll have to build it yourself, so let’s take a closer look at each of the components. The base of the chair is a single piece of aluminium, with a 5-point star design and it’s damn heavy too, so should provide a nice sturdy building point for the EPIC.

There are push-click slots to mount five wheels on the base, and a hole in the middle to mount the gas lift.

There are two cushions included, one for the headrest and one for the lumbar support. They’re optional too, so you can put them on and take them off as needed.

The stitching on both chairs is colour matched too, and there are other colours of the stitching available to pick from.

The head rest cushion uses an elastic strap to mount it to the chair, while the lumbar uses two release clips on elastic straps to fit it through the back of the chair.

The tilt mechanism is extremely durable and heavy, and very nicely finished too. There’s a tilt force adjustment dial in the middle, and two levers for tilt lock and height adjustment; the handles for those are included too, don’t worry.

Next up, we have a height-adjustable safety class 4 gas lift and extending cover, two handles for the silver bars (see above), two side covers, and some high-quality screws and a multi-tool for installation.

There are five 60 mm casters with nylon cores and polyurethane coating, which makes them well suited to both hard and soft flooring.

The backrest comes luxuriously padded and covered with thick PU leather, detailed stitching, shoulder cut-outs and side wings. It measures in at 87cm, so should provide full back and head support.

The leather is perforated for good airflow, and there’s more padding in the head rest area to ensure you’re nice and comfortable during those long gaming sessions.

The side of the wings on the backrest and the seat cushion are suede finished, giving them a lovely soft and premium quality looks and feel.

On the back, a much cleaner finish with a smooth leather covering and less visible stiching.

The seat is huge, noticeably larger than those of chairs we’ve reviewed in the past. It feels pretty hard, but it’s new leather material will no doubt take a little white to settle in. There are low small and wide wings at the sides, which are very nicely padded too.

The suade edging is gorgeous, really nice to the touch and breaks up the overall design with different finishes to keep it from looking bland. Plus, you get that lovely colour coordinated green patch which matches the colour of the stiching.

Two 4-D adjustable wrist rests. These look hard plastic, but they’re actually soft on the top, so they should be pretty kind to your elbows while you’re working.

A small leaver on the right side for the backrest adjustment.

On the underside, you’ll find that the arm rests can be width adjusted, handy if your desk is a little narrow… or you have wide shoulders. So that’s all the components covered, let’s try put this beast together!

Setup and Performance

The EPIC comes with a large piece of glossy card with large images and simple step-by-step instructions on how to assemble the chair, so let’s do just that!

First up, we need to screw the tilt adjustment panel to the bottom of the seat, four simple bolts are all that are needed and the Allan key required was included in the box. Then, slip on the two plastic paddles for the adjustment bars.

Clip the feet on and drop the gas lift and the cover onto the 5-point base; so far, this has all been very easy.

Have another person help you lift the seat, as recommended in the instructions. This means you can easily line up the gas lift with the bottom of the chair, and it’s pretty heavy anyway. Once that’s done, just push it down and it’ll snap into place.

This humble picture doesn’t do justice the nightmare that is attaching the backrest to the two sidebars, although that’s true of every gaming chair I’ve built; it’s always a pain in the backside. I suggest you get the help of a friend to hold the backrest up while you try line up the bolts and screw it in place, doing it on your own won’t be fun at all.

That’s the hard part done, now just screw on the two plastic covers to hide all those unsightly bolts and bars.

Once done, you can apply the optional headrest and lumbar cushions, which look epic on the EPIC, so we’ll take full advantage of those luxuries.

The head rest cushion is super soft, and at the perfect height to sit just above your shoulders and across the back of your neck.

Plus it looks really nice with the embroidered logo on it.

The lumbar cushion is a little firmer than the head rest, but given it has to survive more pressure when you’re sitting back, that makes sense. The strap mounting system makes it fairly easy to add or remove, but also means you can adjust the height to suit your needs.

For those who’ve sat in cheaper gaming chairs, the noblechairs feels quite hard. The thicker and higher quality padding, as well as the thick leather covering, don’t feel particularly forgiving, but given a few days usage it breaks in nicely and should last a hell of a lot longer than many gaming chairs that seem to wear out in less than a year.

Comfort is a big player for the EPIC and to get the best possition, you can obviously height adjust the chair, angle adjust the backrest, and even lock the tilt system. However, you can also height adjust the arm rests. Here it is at the lower setting.

And here it is jacked all the way up.

You can move them further forwards.

Or you can move them all the back.

Finally, you can pull them closer to your sides.

Or you can move them further out. Don’t forget, you can even more the whole arm closer or further away by a larger degree using the bolts on the underside.

The chair looks quite large, but it’s no bigger under my desk than any other gaming chair, with a fairly standard size wheel base. The only difference is that this chair can gas lift much higher than most, so much so that my feet dangle two inches off the ground and I’m 6ft tall!

It certainly looks impressive and it’s mighty comfortable to sit in all day, having had it under my desk for a week now, I’m confident that I won’t be wanting to swap it out any time soon.

Drop the gas lift a little and lower the arms if needed and it fits snug under your desk; as a chair should.

Final Thoughts

Price

The noblechairs EPIC black/green which we reviewed today is available from Overclockers UK for £309.95, not exactly loose change, and more than twice the price of entry level models from rival brands, but when it comes down to it, you’re getting far more than twice the level of build quality and design for your investment. There is a range of colour available here. There’s also a real leather model available for £489.95.

Overview

The noblechairs EPIC is certainly an impressive bit of kit, and a noticeable step up from the bulk of chairs that are on the market today. It seems every brand under the sun is sticking their name on cheap imports, and while that’s absolutely fine given that they’re often priced to reflect that, they just don’t have the same quality you get with the noble. Again, double-edged sword here, as if you want this level of quality and design, you’re going to have to turn out your pockets and throw down a fair lump of money.

When I first saw the price, I was immediately thinking this is too expensive for a “gaming chair”, but now that I’ve spent time with it, I’ve completely flipped my opinion. You only have to spend twenty minutes putting this chair together to realise you’ve made a fine investment. The build quality is flawless, all the small components are very nicely manufactured, everything bolts together with precision, and the finish on the materials looks and feels fantastic.

Having owned quite a few gaming chairs over the years, even having reviewed a couple of them too, it’s safe to say this is the best one we’ve had in the office to date. I’ve had some time in the leather model at gaming events too, and while it is a lot more expensive than the PU leather model, you can see and feel the difference. Is it worth that much extra? Not really, but I can appreciate that some people have their preferences and that’s cool. For me, £300 is my upper limit for a gaming chair, and when it comes down to it, I’ve yet to find one better than the EPIC at that price range.

Pros

• Class-leading design
• Flawless build quality
• 4D adjustable armrests
• Lumber and neck support cushions included
• Range of colour options for stitching
• Nicely weighted base and great stability
• Expensive, but a worthy investment

Cons

• None

“The noblechairs EPIC certainly lives up to its name, being one of the best designed and made gaming chairs on the market today. You might feel it’s expensive, but all will be forgiven the moment you build it and roll it up to your desk to play some games.”

noblechairs EPIC Series Chair Review