New Chair time for home office

davetherave2

davetherave2

davetherave2

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27 Mar 2003
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So after many faithful years of service I think it really is about time to replace my cheap and cheerful IKEA £50 chair that I got 10 years ago as at times it sometimes feels like I am sitting on a bed of nails for any length of time/ extended gaming sessions.

So having got myself a maxnomic seat (ESL Office Comfort) for work 2 1/2 years ago which has been a wonderful experience and is still comfy to this day. I have been looking into the chair market and a lot of new companies seemed to have sprung up since I last gave it some serious thought, so before I decide on my home replacement I am just looking for honest feedback from fellow gamers/ long time sitting down professionals on the current models from:

1) Maxnomic
2) Noble Chairs
3) Secret Labs
4) A.N.Other

I am looking at more the office comfort style ranges rather than the more angular chairs from the likes of DX Racer etc.

I love the padding used in the Maxnomic, after 2 years of me sitting in this thing for over 6 hours a day average it feels as firm and comfy now as it did when I first purchased it.

Given the 3 brands are in a similar price bracket other than the top end leather versions which I'm not really interested in, I just want to know if I should just go with the brand I know or go with an alternative?
 
davetherave2 said:
That's all fine and dandy but why would you choose them over the others? (Apart from your fine establishment stocking them ;p)
Click to expand...

As far as I am aware Maxnomic are not UKFR, so I personally would avoid. noblechairs are extremely popular due to the thicker materials used, cold cured foam, and they look more professional. Secret Labs I am not too sure about.
 
UKFR? (I'm assuming UK Fire Regulations i.e. safety standards??) fiveub

I have a Maxnomic chair now which came from Germany and from what I can tell both the Maxnomic and Noble's seem to use the same types of material for their chair constructions.

Just as simple comparison of each of the main features of the chairs there doesn't seem to be a lot between them:

listed key features as below:
  • Frame
  • Cover Material
  • Arm Rests
  • Back Rest
  • Lumber Support
  • Tilt Mechanism
  • Gas Spring
  • Base
  • Head Rest
  • Saftey



Secret Labs (Titan Series)
  • Thick steel tubular frame with elastic strap supports
  • PRIME PU leather upholstery and precisely cut cold-cure foam
  • 4D soft PU coated armrests
  • Adjustable full-length backrest recline
  • Integrated lumbar adjustment system
  • Multi-functional tilt mechanism
  • Class 4 hydraulics
  • Sturdy 70cm diameter aluminium base with XL PU casters
  • FREE velour head pillow
  • UK Fire safety compliant (BS 5852)
Maxnomics (Pro Gaming/Office)
  • Sturdy tubular steel frame with elastic strap supports
  • High quality faux leather (durable vinyl / PU) Durable PU and cold cured foam components
  • “4D” Soft Padded Armrests
  • Freely adjustable backrest that tilts up to 67 degrees
  • Non-built in - Lumbar cushion (cannot be fastened)
  • Comfortable tilt mechanism with five possible positions
  • Small/Medium/Large Gas Spring
  • Sturdy, long-lasting aluminum base, 70cm (27.5”) diameter/ Standard Casters (option to change)
  • Head pillow with anti-slip coating
  • Conforms to EU Safety Standards

Noble Chairs (Icon Series)
  • Steel Frame
  • Top Grain Leather or PU Imitation Leather (cover)/Deform-resistant cold foam
  • 4D Armrests with maximum adjustability
  • Adjustable backrest angle (90 to 135 degrees)
  • Non- Built in (Lumber cushion) ????
  • Multi-functional tilt mechanism
  • Durable hydraulic gas lift (class 4)
  • 67cm Strong full aluminium five-point base with 60 mm casters for hard and soft flooring
  • Head Pillow
  • ??? But would imagine it is same as other two

So looking at them purely from a feature only view the only difference really seems to be the lumber support (built in with the SL - cushion feature with the other two?)
 
noblechairs are UKFR approved, meaning that the materials are fire retardant and will not ignite when exposed to a naked flame. As far as I can see, Maxnomic does not have this certification. Whilst the materials may look the same visually, they will not have the same fire retardant properties. Furthermore, noblechairs is the only chair of the three to have the DIN EN 1335 certification & BIFMA accreditation, relating to long term office use and ergonomic standards.
 
I guess the proof is in the pudding as they say. Maybe I will have to pop over to OcUK HQ and try a sit down in one of the Nobles to see how I get on. Maybe a few new pc parts may be purchased at the same time ;p
 
Well just thought I would update this thread and say my final decision was the Secret Labs Titan (Ash).

It came down really to two factors I guess:

1) Style, As nice as the noble chairs look I just couldn't get over the styling of them. The back rest of the Icon's just didn't seem right to me. I think it maybe the narrowing towards the head rest that just seemed odd. As much as I have loved my Maxnomic chair over these years I just didn't find a style/colour scheme that appealed to me. The SL Titan although more plain in colour scheme than what I would go with looked really nice, reviewed well and having seen several different versions of it in the "flesh" so to speak via various streamers and you tube videos. (obviously trying to take out the paid reviewer bias out of the equation as much as possible)
2) Cost. Although the SL Titan was marginally more expensive than both the other chairs I was happy to pay the extra £20 as in the grand scheme of things this was a relatively small amount to pay over the lifetime of the product.

Having had the chair now for a little over a week I am more than happy with my purchase.

I'll do a more in depth write up later today/tomorrow with a few snaps.
 
Yeah I am really liking it.

The main takeaway's that I have comparing the maxnomic I have and this are the following:

1) construction of the titan was pretty much the same as the maxnomic although the washers that are inserted into the back seat section did come out and were tricky to stay in place when bolting to the seat base.
2) Yes you can construct them both by yourself but having a second pair of hands doesn't hurt when trying to attach the back to the seat base.
3) The instructions were easy to follow but there were for the maxnomic as well.
4) The seat depth is longer than the maxnomic so I think I could have got away with getting the SL Omega which I think has a shallower seat depth.
5) The inbuilt lumber support took me a bit of adjusting to get it to a setting that I was comfortable with as the Maxnomic only has a "back cushion" like many of them.
6) The head rest pillow is pretty much the same for both with the SL one being slightly bigger I think and maybe a little softer but I think that is probably purely down to it being newer and the maxnomic going through the washing machine a few times.
7) Both seating experiences for long periods of time are pretty much the same both very comfy and i'm not wiggling about like a worm like i used to in my old home chair.
8) Due to the slightly longer seat depth on the titan it seems I am gripping the end of the seat with my legs so it has created a couple of crease lines on the seat base but I am sure these can be smoothed out.

Overall I am really happy with it. I am sure I have some pic's of it constructed so I will try and upload a couple for you to see it in the "flesh" so to speak.
 
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