Man of Honour
For years I had the pleasure of owning a hand-me-down fabric chair from who-knows-which high street retailer. While it was certainly comfortable enough, to say it had seen better days would be a polite understatement, and I never felt like it was doing my posture any good. When I finally got around to choosing a replacement I had a particularly hard time making up my mind, and in this madness I endured a long, hard, 9 month stint on a wooden kitchen chair. To spare others on similar quests that pain, I thought I’d share my thoughts on what I went for in the end - the Noblechairs Icon - in the form of a little review.
For those that are of a nervous disposition when they see walls of text, the TL;DR is that I forget the chair exists, and that’s a good thing! It simply satisfies my requirements; from aesthetics to comfort it does what it should, becoming quite literally “part of the furniture”. The fact that it’s taken me so long to write this (I started when I got the chair in December 2017) shows just how much it enters my head, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Ten years ago “gaming chairs” didn’t exist, but if they did there’s a good chance I would have been happy with any of them. As someone who just turned 31, I don't feel like much of the market is really aimed at me. I now spend more time at my desk studying than anything else, so I’d feel a little odd settling down on what is essentially a racing seat complete with go-faster stripes, not to mention how that aesthetic would go down with the wife. I did consider going down the second hand office chair route, but I’d really rather not come home to bland office furniture when I’ve spent a day in a workplace filled with the stuff. Eventually, I narrowed it down to Noblechairs, picking the Icon over the Epic as it was the larger of the two and sports slightly more subtle styling. For me it looked like it was the bang:buck sweet spot I desired; designed with ergonomics in mind and providing superior quality compared with lesser brands, looking classy all the while. The fact that the Black/Platinum PU Leather version I liked most of all went on special offer at OcUK - reduced to £289.99 - helped matters quite a bit too.
As soon as it arrived it was obvious that Noblechairs takes pride in their brand. The box - which was a little worse for wear due to storage and transit - came well adorned with the name and logo on all sides, and was reassuringly heavy, a sign of things to come!
Attention to detail was apparent from the moment I opened the box. The branding was again front and centre, and everything looked like it had been packed “just so”, with plenty of packaging material between the hard and soft components to prevent any damage in transit.
Upon looking at the bottom of the seat, I was really glad to see three chunky looking bolts securing the thick steel arm rest in place. I’ve known more than one chair meet its end due to someone putting their entire bodyweight through a less than robust arm rest so this is a welcome sight. After testing I can confirm there is no sign of flex when supporting 40KG on each arm rest.
All components unpacked and ready for assembly, which I expected to be troublesome or require two people.
My plan was to do you all a service here and give a step-by-step assembly guide, but to my delight the glossy instruction book does all the explaining you really need. The combination of text and graphic assembly instructions is a welcome inclusion, and they were easy to follow to completion on my own. The only part of the build worthy of note is a part where you’re required to actually pierce the fabric on the side of the chair with a screw, which locates in to a thread behind. The last thing you want to be doing when building your new expensive chair is poking holes in it, however thankfully the point where the screw meets the fabric is hidden by a plastic cover, so the pain is only temporary. For the – dare I say it – ultimate in instruction experience, take a look this video from our very own FiveUB, where he takes viewers through the assembly of an Icon from start to finish.
The final product standing proud, albeit without the cushions. I really like the way the stitching contrasts against the material in this picture, it’s why I went for the Black/Platinum version.
They just can’t help themselves! Noblechairs really do take every opportunity to get their brand in. Historically, I’ve been put off by this sort of thing, however it’s a testament to their design that I don’t mind it here at all. Some of the other gaming chairs would make me feel a little embarrassed to own, but I can invite all and sundry in to my dedicated corner of the house with pride. The perforations in the material pictured here help the chair breath when in use, which seems effective at preventing any uncomfortable build up of heat. The material actually stands proud of the backrest by a few millimetres, creating an air gap which I can only assume also helps matters.
My initial impression upon sitting on the Icon was, “Yeah, pretty firm”. From my obsessive review reading I had heard this and worried it would be uncomfortable, however I can safely say that it’s more of a “supportive” feeling than anything. You certainly do not sink in to the chair, however it provides a great base for using the provided cushions or any others you might have about if you for some reason desire something actually soft. Speaking of the cushions, they are a pleasant inclusion but I’ve felt no need to use them. My feline friend, on the other hand, feels quite differently.
Adjustment of the armrests is great, although I’ve not found myself putting much of it to use in anger. They offer 4 degrees of movement: up and down (3-4 inches), inwards and outwards (1 inch), forward and back (2 inches), and rotating to point in or out (30° either way), I leave it all on the middle except for height, as I tend to tuck myself under a desk, forearms resting on the surface with the chair underneath. Despite the fact that I’ve only made use of one of the degrees of movement, I’m pleased with the adjustment options included here. I’ve previously written off chairs based on their lack of adjustable arms, and a multitude of options is always welcome.
The chair features both a tilt and a recline mechanism, which allows the seat and backrest to lean back as one fixed piece, as well as separately. The tilt is locked and unlocked with the lever under the left of the seat, and then requires the user to sit back, shifting their weight to initiate the tilt. The amount of weight required can be adjusted by turning a dial through a very wide range underneath, which I’ve found takes the tilt weight from “requires only the slightest lean backwards”, to “requires conscious pushing with my feet to begin the movement”. It isn’t a sensitive adjustment, requiring many turns to go from one end-stop to the other, which means you can very finely tune the tilt weight to your exact requirements.
The recline feature is a simpler affair, activated by a lever on the right hand side of the seat. Unfortunately, due to what I can only assume is the design of the mechanism used, pulling this while there is any weight on the backrest causes quite a large “clunk”, as the mechanism disengages with the backrest and allows it to move. This is easily avoided by simply sitting forward and taking the weight off the backrest before adjusting the recline, however it is worth noting as it’s something I feel is not in keeping with the rest of the product. The recline goes from a few degrees forwards beyond vertical – not a position I’ve ever wanted to be in – to around 45° backwards. The combination of these two features allows all the real chair connoisseurs among you to rest assured, you’ll finally be able to answer yes to this question:
The casters are of a decent quality and run freely. The room I use is home to a relatively tatty rug atop original, gappy and uneven Victorian floorboards, but I’ve never had any problem wheeling around.
After 18 months of use, I’ve taken a good look over the chair and I can’t see any real sign of wear. I put this down to the fact that the material is of a high enough quality to last longer than cheaper alternatives, but also down to the design choices made. Some competitors that use similar parts are reported as being much softer (to the point where heavier users could feel the frame through the cushioning), and are also reported to have problems with their PU leather coating coming off after 12 months of use. I can only assume it’s caused by either lower quality materials being used, the increased flex in the material stretching and fatiguing over time, or a combination of the two. Whatever Noblechairs did instead, they did it right, as it looks as fresh as the day it arrived. When it comes to comfort, I can’t fault it. It definitely is not a lounging chair, it encourages you to be more active at your desk rather than sink in for a long nap. Although everyone is different, I see this as a positive, as it seems that it will have an extended lifespan compared with other chairs I’ve owned in the past.
And that’s it. I hope, either way, I’ve helped you in your quest for a suitable chair. Good luck.
For those that are of a nervous disposition when they see walls of text, the TL;DR is that I forget the chair exists, and that’s a good thing! It simply satisfies my requirements; from aesthetics to comfort it does what it should, becoming quite literally “part of the furniture”. The fact that it’s taken me so long to write this (I started when I got the chair in December 2017) shows just how much it enters my head, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Ten years ago “gaming chairs” didn’t exist, but if they did there’s a good chance I would have been happy with any of them. As someone who just turned 31, I don't feel like much of the market is really aimed at me. I now spend more time at my desk studying than anything else, so I’d feel a little odd settling down on what is essentially a racing seat complete with go-faster stripes, not to mention how that aesthetic would go down with the wife. I did consider going down the second hand office chair route, but I’d really rather not come home to bland office furniture when I’ve spent a day in a workplace filled with the stuff. Eventually, I narrowed it down to Noblechairs, picking the Icon over the Epic as it was the larger of the two and sports slightly more subtle styling. For me it looked like it was the bang:buck sweet spot I desired; designed with ergonomics in mind and providing superior quality compared with lesser brands, looking classy all the while. The fact that the Black/Platinum PU Leather version I liked most of all went on special offer at OcUK - reduced to £289.99 - helped matters quite a bit too.
As soon as it arrived it was obvious that Noblechairs takes pride in their brand. The box - which was a little worse for wear due to storage and transit - came well adorned with the name and logo on all sides, and was reassuringly heavy, a sign of things to come!
Attention to detail was apparent from the moment I opened the box. The branding was again front and centre, and everything looked like it had been packed “just so”, with plenty of packaging material between the hard and soft components to prevent any damage in transit.
Upon looking at the bottom of the seat, I was really glad to see three chunky looking bolts securing the thick steel arm rest in place. I’ve known more than one chair meet its end due to someone putting their entire bodyweight through a less than robust arm rest so this is a welcome sight. After testing I can confirm there is no sign of flex when supporting 40KG on each arm rest.
All components unpacked and ready for assembly, which I expected to be troublesome or require two people.
My plan was to do you all a service here and give a step-by-step assembly guide, but to my delight the glossy instruction book does all the explaining you really need. The combination of text and graphic assembly instructions is a welcome inclusion, and they were easy to follow to completion on my own. The only part of the build worthy of note is a part where you’re required to actually pierce the fabric on the side of the chair with a screw, which locates in to a thread behind. The last thing you want to be doing when building your new expensive chair is poking holes in it, however thankfully the point where the screw meets the fabric is hidden by a plastic cover, so the pain is only temporary. For the – dare I say it – ultimate in instruction experience, take a look this video from our very own FiveUB, where he takes viewers through the assembly of an Icon from start to finish.
The final product standing proud, albeit without the cushions. I really like the way the stitching contrasts against the material in this picture, it’s why I went for the Black/Platinum version.
They just can’t help themselves! Noblechairs really do take every opportunity to get their brand in. Historically, I’ve been put off by this sort of thing, however it’s a testament to their design that I don’t mind it here at all. Some of the other gaming chairs would make me feel a little embarrassed to own, but I can invite all and sundry in to my dedicated corner of the house with pride. The perforations in the material pictured here help the chair breath when in use, which seems effective at preventing any uncomfortable build up of heat. The material actually stands proud of the backrest by a few millimetres, creating an air gap which I can only assume also helps matters.
My initial impression upon sitting on the Icon was, “Yeah, pretty firm”. From my obsessive review reading I had heard this and worried it would be uncomfortable, however I can safely say that it’s more of a “supportive” feeling than anything. You certainly do not sink in to the chair, however it provides a great base for using the provided cushions or any others you might have about if you for some reason desire something actually soft. Speaking of the cushions, they are a pleasant inclusion but I’ve felt no need to use them. My feline friend, on the other hand, feels quite differently.
Adjustment of the armrests is great, although I’ve not found myself putting much of it to use in anger. They offer 4 degrees of movement: up and down (3-4 inches), inwards and outwards (1 inch), forward and back (2 inches), and rotating to point in or out (30° either way), I leave it all on the middle except for height, as I tend to tuck myself under a desk, forearms resting on the surface with the chair underneath. Despite the fact that I’ve only made use of one of the degrees of movement, I’m pleased with the adjustment options included here. I’ve previously written off chairs based on their lack of adjustable arms, and a multitude of options is always welcome.
The chair features both a tilt and a recline mechanism, which allows the seat and backrest to lean back as one fixed piece, as well as separately. The tilt is locked and unlocked with the lever under the left of the seat, and then requires the user to sit back, shifting their weight to initiate the tilt. The amount of weight required can be adjusted by turning a dial through a very wide range underneath, which I’ve found takes the tilt weight from “requires only the slightest lean backwards”, to “requires conscious pushing with my feet to begin the movement”. It isn’t a sensitive adjustment, requiring many turns to go from one end-stop to the other, which means you can very finely tune the tilt weight to your exact requirements.
The recline feature is a simpler affair, activated by a lever on the right hand side of the seat. Unfortunately, due to what I can only assume is the design of the mechanism used, pulling this while there is any weight on the backrest causes quite a large “clunk”, as the mechanism disengages with the backrest and allows it to move. This is easily avoided by simply sitting forward and taking the weight off the backrest before adjusting the recline, however it is worth noting as it’s something I feel is not in keeping with the rest of the product. The recline goes from a few degrees forwards beyond vertical – not a position I’ve ever wanted to be in – to around 45° backwards. The combination of these two features allows all the real chair connoisseurs among you to rest assured, you’ll finally be able to answer yes to this question:
The casters are of a decent quality and run freely. The room I use is home to a relatively tatty rug atop original, gappy and uneven Victorian floorboards, but I’ve never had any problem wheeling around.
After 18 months of use, I’ve taken a good look over the chair and I can’t see any real sign of wear. I put this down to the fact that the material is of a high enough quality to last longer than cheaper alternatives, but also down to the design choices made. Some competitors that use similar parts are reported as being much softer (to the point where heavier users could feel the frame through the cushioning), and are also reported to have problems with their PU leather coating coming off after 12 months of use. I can only assume it’s caused by either lower quality materials being used, the increased flex in the material stretching and fatiguing over time, or a combination of the two. Whatever Noblechairs did instead, they did it right, as it looks as fresh as the day it arrived. When it comes to comfort, I can’t fault it. It definitely is not a lounging chair, it encourages you to be more active at your desk rather than sink in for a long nap. Although everyone is different, I see this as a positive, as it seems that it will have an extended lifespan compared with other chairs I’ve owned in the past.
And that’s it. I hope, either way, I’ve helped you in your quest for a suitable chair. Good luck.