Noblechairs Epic Series review: does it make a good office chair?

When the virus-thingy lockdown started, office chairs were almost as hard to find as bog roll. This, unfortunately, coincided with my office chair of 15-odd years suddenly becoming more uncomfortable than Nigel Farage on a gap year. I took a gamble, deciding to forego a conventional office chair for the Noblechairs Epic Series. Almost a month on, was it a good choice?

Noblechairs Epic Series: assembly

The first thing to state is this thing is heavy. So heavy, it almost gave the poor Amazon courier a hernia getting it out of the van.

The chair arrives in pieces, but as you can see from the photo below, not so many pieces that you’ll need to book a week off work.

All the screws and the hybrid Allen key/screwdriver that you’ll need to fit the thing together come in the box, and the whole job took less than 20 minutes and very little swearing. Do get someone to help, though. There are a couple of bits where it’s really handy to have someone hold the chair straight/still while you get busy with the screwdriver.

The Noblechairs website includes an assembly guide video if you want to get a feel for the manual labour involved.

Noblechairs Epic Series: features

So what’s this chair got going for it? I plumped for the PU-Leather version, which is a posh way of saying plastic. You genuinely would struggle to tell it wasn’t genuine cow’s backside, though.

The PU-Leather has a soft, grippy touch, both on the main covering and the suede-like elements on the sides. It also has that new car smell. My office reeked for days, but in a nice way.

The chair comes with two removable cushions, one for the headrest and a lumber cushion for your back. The lumber cushion is my one notable criticism of the chair – the elastic straps that are meant to hold it in place don’t do a great job and it tends to slide down to the base of the chair by the end of the day.

One of the metal clips on the strap has already deformed and I wouldn’t be shocked if it snapped before long. Not a major drama for me, as I could live without the pillow being strapped to the chair, but it’s something to note if you have back problems and need a cushion in a specific position.

There are two levers to adjust the tilt and height of the chair, as well as a lever that lets you recline the seat back. Why anyone would want to fully recline in an office/gaming chair is beyond me, but if you’re one such pervert, have at it. Just don’t lean back into the chair as you’re pulling that lever, as the mechanism is more of a jolt than a smooth recline.

Crucially for me, the height and angle of the armrests are also adjustable, allowing me to keep my arms perpendicular to the keyboard for RSI brownie points.

Noblechairs Epic Series: comfort

After the best part of a month with my backside perched on this thing for up to 14 hours a day, I’m a happy owner. The chair is firm, perhaps a little too firm for some, but it’s fine for me. If you’re after a big cushioned cuddle, look elsewhere.

Even on the days when the office mercury has been tipped close to 30°C during the sweatier parts of June, the chair has never felt uncomfortably warm, either. The fabric is breathable and you can wear shorts or trousers without having to peel your legs off like a strip of Sellotape when you stand up.

That mangled cushion clip aside, there are no obvious signs of wear after three weeks of being sat on by 15-stone, six-foot-something me. I’ve no concerns that this chair won’t be around for many years to come, which is just as well given it set me back £315.99 from Amazon.

It’s out of stock on Amazon now, but is available for £299.99 direct from Noblechairs. Make haste and buy one if you need a new office chair or gaming throne. It’s a solid investment.

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