noblechairs LEGEND Black Edition review

Introduction

We've reviewed a few noblechairs already and found them to score well in our reviews, and while my colleague Robbie Khan has been using a few different models since 2016, this is my first. noblechairs UK sent me the LEGEND Black Edition via their Germany warehouse. It's among the newest in its lineup and is available in "High-tech synthetic leather" (which is what I have) and "Textile".

The PU + PVC hybrid material (also developed in Germany), at least on paper, offers a much improved experience when using the chair for long periods or heated gaming sessions in hot weather where moisture may be an issue. The seat and backrest surface are finely grained up close but not as textured as the ICON which has what noblechairs call Top Grain leather.

At this point, it is worth mentioning that the features of this new LEGEND Black Edition are essentially the same as the HERO Black Edition that we reviewed a year ago. At the time, the "High-tech synthetic leather" was a new material and noblechairs had just introduced lumbar adjustment built right into the backrest, making the loose pillow obsolete, although they still include it in the box.

The LEGEND Black Edition is priced at $689 (excl sales tax + shipping) in the U.S., £459.95 at Overclockers UK or €539.30 at noblechairs Europe. noblechairs has an extensive list of resellers in other parts of the world too.

Let's get things rolling with a closer look at the specifications and features.

Specifications

Materials and Assembly

The chair comes in a large mini-pallet sized box, and it took roughly 30 minutes to put together. In fact, some of the time was taken up by having to unbolt the six bolts from the seat base for the arm rests. This saves on having to put those bolts in a plastic mould, saving on plastic, but oddly enough, all of the other bolts and screws that were needed for the back rest were in a plastic mould.

Once assembled, as is the norm for most gaming chairs we've reviewed, it kind of looks like an oversized car bucket seat. The seat itself feels wider although it is actually smaller (by 6cm) in overall width compared to the AndaSeat I reviewed at the end of 2021. This is mainly because the noblechairs LEGEND Black Edition does not have raised sides on the seat like the AndaSeat does, without the sides the seat base is only 42cm compared to the full 52cm width of the LEGEND.

Another important part of a seat that's used as a daily driver are the wheels. The company says they are made from a "nylon core with a polyurethane coating" which leaves me wondering if that's just a fancy way to say "plastic." However, as you can see from the above photo, they look great and are sturdy. If you have had a seat where one wheel constantly gets stuck, or the wheels do not freely wheel you in the direction you want to go, that becomes a huge frustration. I'm pleased to say I have not become stuck or lacking in the direction I want to wheel myself, and they are as the company claims, very quiet. You won't hear any strange noises when rolling back and forth over a rug or a laminated floor. But as with any chair with wheels, to avoid scuffing laminated floors, a carpet or rug under your chair is a must.

I am 6'2 myself and a big guy, I work from home and gained a few pandemic pounds from mostly staying in and the hell away from other people, however the LEGEND Black Edition chair is rated for up to 150kg (330lbs) which is used comfortably within its max rating.

Ergonomics

The number of adjustments you can make, right up to setting it in nap mode — which I haven't fully tested yet — is what you'd expect from a premium chair. Yes, you can go up and down (max 10 cm adjustment), rock back and forth (with tilt adjustment) and lock the chair between 90 - 125° which is not quite as flat as the AndaSeat is capable of at 160°.

Every thought has also gone into the "4D" arm rests too which are cushioned but quite firm, you'll only know it if you press hard into the PU covered tops, which give about half a centimeter, but it's enough to ensure your skin won't get awkwardly stuck to it in warmer (or sweatier) conditions. It almost feels like plastic, and is very easy to keep clean.

There are four levels of adjustment for the armrests: backwards, forwards, swing left/right, and in height up and down which can be handy for desk clearance. The fourth level of adjustment is both fixed, because you set it while putting the chair together, and adjustable in and out by about an inch. I opted to place the arm rests the most furthest apart for a wider seating, but you can also opt to push them in for a tighter sitting, I'd say (from doing a rough measurement) about 2 cm each side.

One cool feature of this chair is that the forward/backwards and swing in and outward position of the armrests are locked into position by default. To adjust them, you have to press a button on the side — a pretty cool feature that avoids the armrests moving when you're shifting your full weight on the chair.

Comfort

This is ultimately what it boils down to at the end of the day, right? I don't disagree that the "Deform resistant cold foam" is doing its job, as the seat is quite firm but comfortable at the same time. It has a kind of bounce feel to it, that is down to the firmness of the seat. As I mentioned, I work from home and although I purposely try to set goals of getting up and have a walk around, sometimes work gets in the way and before you know it, I have been sitting down for four hours straight.

Again, as with my previous chair review, this chair is also rated for tall people at 200 cm or 6'5. Being 6'2 myself, I'm happy to say that the backrest is tall and wide enough and thought has been given to being able to place the neck pillow all the way to the top of the backrest if needed.

I actually did not need to use the lumbar pillow because of the built in lumbar adjustment. It's cool that they included it, but it makes me wonder why they did since the lumbar adjustment in the backrest is quite good. It's good not to have to mess around with a loose pillow that keeps falling over in the seat when I sit down, which is really frustrating!

On the left, no lumbar support with the dial completely turned to the left and flat. On the right, the dial is turned to the right as far as it can go just to give you an idea how it looks. It's subtle in the photos, but I don't need that much support. It's there if you need it, or you can turn it all the way in and use your favorite cushion instead!

Conclusion

After a few weeks of use, it still looks new, and did I mention it's easy to clean? This means any spills wipe straight off the synthetic leather. The stitching and the lines look great, not a fray to be seen or stitch out of place. This Black Edition actually looks cool too.

Thanks to the style of the construction of the back rest, this means there is an opening between the seat and backrest. Although it cannot be seen, you can poke your fingers through from the seat to the back. This way, gunk and dust won't accumulate and it makes for easy cleaning.

And my favorite feature of gaming seats is the nap mode. While you're not lying completely flat, it is far back enough to make you easily doze off after a heavy gaming session.

Overall, this chair is well-constructed and offers plenty of comfort features. The price does vary quite a bit depending on the region at only €539.30 in Europe, and $689 before tax and shipping in the U.S., which works out to €630.80 making it almost €100 more expensive across the pond. My contact told me that additional cost is due to import and tax costs from Germany to the U.S., as all chairs are manufactured in Europe. Even so, I think it's a bargain when compared to similar offerings.

I'd say that this is definitely worth its €539.30 (~$631) price tag. noblechairs also offer a two year warranty on all their chairs, so you can factor that into the cost too, and although I am definitely not speaking for noblechairs here, another firm out of Germany sent me a free replacement hydraulic gas spring for a chair that failed after almost four years, so it was well outside its two year warranty. My advice is to always try, as you might have the luck I did.

The noblechairs LEGEND Black Edition is also available on Amazon US for $729 in several colors, and optional "expert assembly" is also available for $90 for those of us with two left hands.

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