The noblechairs family have received a substantial upgrade with a greener, cleaner and meaner appearance. Today we’re looking at the EPIC Black Edition.
Product on Review: noblechairs EPIC Black Edition
Manufacturer: noblechairs
Street Price: UK £374.99
noblechairs have been producing gaming chairs since 2016, starting with the EPIC, and have amassed many awards for the quality and comfort of their releases since then. We’ve praised them highly here at Vortez for many reasons, but today we’re looking at the next evolution of noblechairs, the Black Edition.
The biggest change with the Black Edition is a whole new type of fabric, designed and made in Germany, which is superior to the previous faux leather in several ways, chief amongst which is the improved breathability, which removes the need for perforations, as well as increased abrasion resistance.
Other improvements include a low emission footprint in the production of the fabric, largely thanks to a lack of phthalates and petroleum products used. It’s 100% vegan-friendly, it’s light-fast (which means it won’t fade when exposed to sunlight), and produces a soft, nappa-leather like feel which helps to improve comfort while also being relatively cost-effective when compared to expensive leathers.
The only improvements aren’t strictly resigned to the fabric; smaller, subtle changes have been made elsewhere to improve the chair, with adjustments made to the cushions, wheel-base, reclining lever and arm rests to name but a few.
With the market currently awash with gaming chair models of all shapes, sizes, colours and brands, is a noblechairs EPIC Black Edition really worth the asking price? Let’s delve in a little deeper and find out.
noblechairs on the EPIC Black Edition:
With the arrival of the Black Edition, the noblechairs EPIC range is receiving a visual and material upgrade. The new and unique upholstery belongs to the next generation of breathable seating materials. This innovative hybrid material from Germany that consists of an ingenious blend of vinyl and polyurethane manages to offer the very best characteristics of both. The end result is an ultra-soft surface that is exceptionally durable. Additionally, the new stainless steel grips, the visually more stunning wheelbase, the improved armrests and metallic-look belt pass-throughs help round out this premium upgrade to an already high-quality gaming chair.
Technical Specifications
Specifications:
Practical tilting function (max. 11°)
4D Armrests with maximum adjustability
Adjustable angle of the backrest (90° to 135°)
Adjustable seat height (approx. 48 – 58 cm)
Two comfortable cushions included
Deformation resistant cold foam
Durable hydraulic gas lift (Class 4)
Robust aluminium base
60mm Casters for hard- and soft flooring
Durable steel core
Max load of up to 120kg
Manufacturer’s guarantee: 2 Years
Weight: approx. 28 kg
Material:
Steel (frame)
Cold foam (upholstery)
Vinyl / PU hybrid leather (cover)
Aluminium (base)
Nylon / polyurethane (casters)
Polyurethane (armrests)
Practical tilting function (max. 11°)
4D Armrests with maximum adjustability
Adjustable angle of the backrest (90° to 135°)
Adjustable seat height (approx. 48 – 58 cm)
Two comfortable cushions included
Deformation resistant cold foam
Durable hydraulic gas lift (Class 4)
Robust aluminium base
60mm Casters for hard- and soft flooring
Durable steel core
Max load of up to 120kg
Manufacturer’s guarantee: 2 Years
Weight: approx. 28 kg
Material:
Steel (frame)
Cold foam (upholstery)
Vinyl / PU hybrid leather (cover)
Aluminium (base)
Nylon / polyurethane (casters)
Polyurethane (armrests)
Packaging & Included Parts
The packaging for the Black Edition hasn’t changed much, other than being completely black with the writing in the boxes usual colour. It’s also still just as heavy and awkward to move so try and get a friend or family member to help you shift it about.Inside the box is ample protective foam, locking things in place during transit.
One of the first changes we noticed, compared to the original EPIC, is the 5-prong base. This is much less curvy, instead going with a flatter, more modern styling. This is made from cast aluminium and offers plenty of strength.
Included in a nifty little box inside are your accessories. The 60mm castor wheels, class-4 gas piston, adjustment handles, hinge covers and all the fixings you need in a handy little, reuseable blister package.
Another change from the previous chairs are on the included cushions. The cushions themselves are the same as far as we can tell, but the fixings are changed. The EPIC has cut-outs behind where your shoulders would be which allows the lumbar cushion to be suspended on lengths of elastic, but that then doesn’t allow you to use it freely as a cushion, which you get on the HERO and ICON. Making the straps removeable is a cheap and easy fix to that solution.
There’s a subtle but brilliant change to the neck cushion to, with a buckle in the centre. You can still extend it over the top of the chair or you can thread the straps through the harness holes so it sits lower down, especially useful for shorter users.
Included Parts (Continued)
Produced from a single piece of cold-formed foam, used for it’s resistance to deformation and ability to remain largely the same shape no matter how long you sit on it, the base of the chair will support you all day. The arm rests and hinges are attached from the factory, thanks to some clever packaging within the box.
Flipping over the base, the steel structure is somewhat exposed from the underside, with elastic pieces and metal plating plainly visible. The armrests themselves offer plenty of adjustability but you’re also able to tweak things further from here, by undoing the three Allen-key bolts and shifting things around slightly. Any additional degree of customisability is welcome if you’re going to be sat in the chair for hours at a time.
The back piece is built around a complex, stiff steel structure that maintains the chair’s shape for years to come. Plenty of padding is added in strategic places to ensure the best possible comfort while also helping the leather to look full and plump, helping the premium appearance of the chair even further.
New to the Black Edition are the metallic harness slots, which are made from black plastic on the previous version.
Finished Look
Not a lot needs to be said here, just look at the images and move onto the next page.
Performance & Comfort Testing
One fairly considerable change is the arm rests, the top pieces have been updated, now they not only look better but are softer and slightly larger for more comfort. The uprights have been angled forwards too, leaving less gap between your desk and the top of the arm rests, you might find that’s not ideal if you tend to sit further backwards, particularly when using a controller, but overall we felt it adds to the chair.The armrests maintain their full 4D adjustability. Up and down, left and right, angled inwards and outwards and slide forwards and backwards.
To match the metallic harness slots, the backrest adjustment handle has been given a stainless-steel lever, this feels and looks infinitely better than the plastic that’s been used so far on other noblechairs models.
This lever, along with the rocker mechanism under the base of the chair, allows the back to be angled almost flat. Adjustments are made in small increments.
Thanks to a buckle within the strap, the neck pillow can now be adjusted to suit, instead of being forced to hang the pillow over the top of the chair, limiting how low it could hang.
Perhaps the most important, and definitely the most noticeable, change is the material. noblechairs have invested time and effort into developing the new material which is superior in a lot of ways, mainly the ability to breathe much more effectively than PU leather. It still features the “grain” of leather and feels lovely to the touch but is easier to clean and maintain, stands up to sunlight better, is tear-proof and doesn’t require perforations where dirt can become trapped.
Conclusion
We’ve been a fan of noblechairs since they started in 2016, constantly impressed by the design, build-quality and their eager nature to offer customers what they want. Listening to the community and developing solutions to some niggly flaws is exactly what companies should be doing; it’s something noblechairs particularly excel at.Swapping out the perforated leather for the all new Black Edition material is the single best thing noblechairs have done so far, the fabric feels much nicer, is more comfortable for long periods, easier to clean, more robust and much better for the environment. The only downside being that it’s slightly more expensive to produce which increases the price of the chair by £75-£100.
The further improvements are very welcome, particularly the buckle on the neck pillow and the removeable straps on the lumbar cushion, they’re small additions but they make a massive difference to some users, allowing the chair to be better-suited to more shapes and sizes. The larger, angled arm rests improve comfort and the metallic accents further the premium appeal.
All things considered, noblechairs already had a fantastic recipe with the EPIC, but the improvements we’ve seen here have taken it to the next level, it’s just a shame about the large price jump. Perhaps noblechairs can find a way of bringing the cost of the new material down to suit more budgets.
What we’d like to see now, which will mess up the “Black Edition” completely, is the same fabric used for different coloured chairs, or even just some vibrant stitching, really anything to change things up a bit. Black is awesome, and so is a bit of colour, but having the choice is awesomer.
We asked the question at the start “is this worth the extra price over other, cheaper alternatives?” – we believe so. The build quality, after-sales service, design and appearance all add up into one excellent product that’ll look after your posture for years to come.
The Black Edition is now a firm favourite here at Vortez, the material is truly amazing. Paired with your choice of the HERO, ICON or EPIC, you’re bound to find yourself in love with your new chair.
Pros
+ Looks amazing
+ Comfortable
+ No perforations to trap dirt
+ Vastly adjustable
+ New cushion mounting methods
+ Easier to clean
Cons
– Pricey
+ Looks amazing
+ Comfortable
+ No perforations to trap dirt
+ Vastly adjustable
+ New cushion mounting methods
+ Easier to clean
Cons
– Pricey
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
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