Today we sit down with Noblechair’s highly anticipated Hero gaming chair, a product that Noblechairs say is the most feature-complete chair they’ve built to date. We put the Hero through its paces to see whether it can hold it’s own in a market that is currently overpopulated with numerous competitor offerings.
The gaming chair market has exploded over the last couple of years thanks to both high-end manufacturers and cheap alternative company’s flooding it with luxury and budget options. Luckily for you, we’ve been able to sift through and select some of the best gaming chairs money can buy.
Long gone are the days of boxy office chairs which offer little to no lumbar and back support. We now find ourselves in a time where bucket chairs and rockers are the norm and come equipped with some superb features and benefits.
Noblechairs take their premium gaming chairs very seriously and work closely with some of the top European Esports athletes to make sure their products not only pass their own tests but are approved by professionals as well.
They pride themselves on their design and believe promoting good posture and back support should be a top priority for all manufacturers across the board.
The guys at Noblechairs spent a long time perfecting the Hero so let’s spend no more time procrastinating and jump straight into what this beast has to offer.
Noblechairs Hero
Pros
- Fantastic lumbar and back support
- Ergonomic design which looks hugely impressive
- Excellent build quality
- Premium materials used throughout the chair
- 4 directional armrests
Cons
- Lumbar support pillow isn’t fixed and quite un-supportive
- Arms feel quite flimsy
- The quite firm sitting experience
Verdict
In short, the Hero gaming chair from Noblechairs is a premium tier, the luxury chair which offers superb back support and fantastic aesthetics from top to bottom. It does come at a price but with cool features such as inbuilt adjustable lumbar support, we feel it is justified.
The Specs
- Chair Type: Racer
- Maximum Load:150kg
- Gross Weight: 30Kg
- Sitting Height: 19” – 22”
What’s In The Box?
Un-boxing a new product is always fun but can be stressful when purchasing something premium. You want your new accessory to be in pristine condition and undamaged. This being said, the Hero box was solid and gave excellent protection for the chair itself. Everything was packed in tightly and had been wrapped with a layer or 2 of foam for additional security.
In the box you will find the following:
- Backrest
- Seat
- Armrests
- Wheelbase
- Tilt mechanism
- Hydraulic piston
- Hydraulic sleeve
- Tilt levers
- 5 x PU casters
- Side covers
- Screw set
- Head pillow
- Lumbar pillow
Assembly
The assembly process for most of the latest gaming chairs has been engineered into the simplest form possible. The Hero was no different.
Un-boxing was easy and everything came well packaged and was securely fitted within the box leaving little room for damage during delivery. The Hero comes with an easy to follow user manual with step-by-step instruction on how to assemble it but isn’t really required.
All the tools and screws come in a little plastic toolbox, for lack of a better word, and from box to completion took roughly 15-20 minutes. A very simple process that requires little effort.
How Does It Compare?
Putting this chair up against your standard office chair is like comparing hot and cold. What you get with a premium gaming chair is something that can not be replicated in a cheap office chair.
The design has been carefully thought over to promote good back support and posture. It just looks well built, quality materials have been used throughout this chair meaning longevity is something you won’t be worrying about any time soon.
Comparing this with the infamous Secretlab Omega was a difficult task as they’re both extremely well built, premium gaming chairs. However, I would point out that the build quality does feel slightly better on the Noblechairs Hero.
Overall comfort probably goes to the Secretlab however with the Noblechairs offering a firmer sitting experience. The Pu leather on both chairs is extremely similar but the Secretlab is definitely softer.
Back support and functionality on both gaming chairs are pretty similar as are the armrests which, for me personally, could be more solid. The cushions on the Secretlab are considerably better thanks to its memory foam make up whereas the Noblechair feels a little neglected in terms of quality. Ultimately, both have their pros and con’s and it’s hard to separate them at the top of a very competitive market place.
Design
The design of a gaming chair is ultimately one of the biggest aspects a manufacturer has to consider when bringing a new model to fruition. The design will ultimately make or break whether the chair does well at the market and is why developers spend so much timing perfecting it. The team at Noblechairs has taken a fine-tooth comb when engineering the Hero and it really shows.
The PU leather feels quality and made to last, however, the chair does have the option of a real leather finish if that is more to your taste. Be aware though, that will add a whopping $200+ to your final bill.
Leather aside, the stitching is again finishing with the highest quality and looks pristine. You have the choice of 5 different colored stitching designs that range from your standard black and blue to your luxury looking gold.
The chair has a diamond pattern stitch across both the backrest and seat only enhancing the aesthetics further. The signature Noblechairs crown has been debossed onto the headrest and a polished aluminum logo sits below it adding a touch of class.
The racer-style bucket seat is taller than some of its stablemates (ICON for E.g) and lends itself to both short and tall people. The gentle curves of the seat give off a mature style, saying this, the design still has enough edge promoting a cool look as well.
The arms and seat of the Hero are slightly wider than other chairs in the market meaning it caters to bigger gamers respectively.
The arms, like most gaming chairs, feel built to last but are on the rickety side. They’re made up of quality materials such as padded PU leather which has been finished with a textured skin for added grip.
The armrest has 4D functionality, up, down, left, right, side to side and swivel feature which is fairly standard with modern gaming chairs.
The base is comprised of 5-star certified aluminum which is solid but not too heavy. The hydraulic class 4 gas lift gives a really smooth transition when altering the height. Similarly, the tilt mechanism is superb and hugely smooth when in use.
Ultimately, the design is aesthetically very well done and the quality of the materials should never be in question. Overall an area that gets a big thumbs up from our team.
Features
Your top tier, premium gaming chairs usually comes with a whole plethora of cool features and benefits. The Noblechair Hero was no different. Let’s dive into some of our favorite features and see how they perform:
Armrest
The armrest’s on any gaming chair can be an area for concern because right out the box they feel a bit flimsy and unstable. You just don’t know how long they’re going to last.
With the Noblechair Hero the story stays the same, unfortunately, however, comparing them to the Secretlab Omega which we’ve had in the office, the Hero certainly feels a little more robust and built to last.
They have 4D technology built-in meaning they can be altered up, down, left, right, side to side and swiveled. The functionality feels solid and a bit of pressure needs to be applied to alter in certain directions which would lead me to believe the build process was well thought out. Overall, a tick for armrests.
Adjustable Lumbar Support
As mentioned above, the design of this chair just screams luxury and class, which can only be heightened by one of its best features which are built directly into the backrest.
Its an adjustable lumbar support feature. Use the dial on the right-hand side of the backrest, just behind the armrest, to tighten them or loosen the bar to your specific needs. It gives additional support but isn’t too overpowering, it’s quite a subtle feature but definitely works if you have the backrest positioned at the right angle.
Tilt Mechanism & Backrest
The tilt mechanism is extremely robust and made from quality materials for longevity and usability. The mechanism feels like it’s set at the perfect sensitivity straight out of the box, however, if you aren’t pleased you are able to adjust it with the dial underneath with relative ease. The backrest has one lever which operates well and gives you a full 45-degree window to find the perfect working and gaming angle.
Pillows
Lastly are the 2 added support pillows, one for the head with a handy strap and one for lumbar support which comes with no support straps. The head pillow is quite nice and has been designed with soft comfort in mind.
It straps to the top of the backrest with total ease and can be maneuvered slightly. The lumbar pillow is free running and can go pretty much anywhere.
Annoyingly it does manage to end up on the floor pretty regularly and doesn’t have the quality memory foam innards like the Secretlab. I was a little disappointed with the lumbar pillow but something I will get over.
Verdict – Should You Buy One?
Well, that’s the $400 question, whether or not this chair is worth your hard-earned cash.
I suppose that all comes down to personal preference at the end of the day. In all honesty, this chair doesn’t offer the absolute pinnacle of what is considered comfort, but it does offer a brilliant ergonomic design which provides superb back and lumbar support.
The build quality and materials used are of the highest quality so it certainly falls into the premium, luxury style category at a relatively reasonable price tag.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a stylish gaming chair that is going to provide you with years of service and improve posture, it’s hard to see past this one.
However, if comfort is more your cup of tea, maybe go have a look at the Secretlab Omega which is much more qualified in this department. Either chair is going to provide a fantastic sitting experience none the less.
