Noblechair Epic TX Black Edition Review: A Noble Fit for the Office and Home

I’m pretty familiar with Noblechairs’ office-style gaming chair lineup after testing both the Hero and Hero TX models. But while the Hero line leans more toward “executive” styling than it does “gaming,” the Epic line is the opposite — this is Noblechairs’ original gaming chair lineup, with sleek, aggressive styling that looks like it’s been plucked directly from the track. 

I took a look at the Noblechairs Epic Black Edition, which features a bucket seat, a winged back, and angled belt pass-throughs, all clad in the brand’s high-tech faux leather. Different from “synthetic leather” (which the chair also comes in), “high-tech faux leather” is an “innovative hybrid material from Germany” that consists of “an ingenious blend of vinyl and polyurethane,” according to the company. Unlike most of the Epic’s other material/color options, the Black Edition has a smooth, unquilted finish, which makes it look understated and professional — it will easily fit into an office setting, despite its obvious racecar lineage. 

The Noblechairs Epic Black Edition is on the pricier side at $480. The Epic also comes in synthetic leather and fabric (starting at $420) and real leather ($600).

Design

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The Epic comes in several different upholsteries and colors, but our review unit was the Black Edition in high-tech faux leather. If you’re looking for something more exciting than black, the high-tech faux leather can also be purchased in Java (brown), white, and an officially-licensed Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 edition, which is black with bright contrast stitching and accents in Petronas Green.

The Epic has an eye-catching design, with two angular cutouts in the left and right shoulder regions. The cutouts, which are a carryover from racing seats, are lined with high-grade plastic in a glossy, dark silver finish. The silver finish contrasts with the dark color of the chair, which makes the cutouts stand out, but I think it would look better without the stark contrast. If color-matching matters to you, you’ll be pleased to know that the synthetic leather model does use black plastic. 

The Epic looks and feels like a racing-inspired gaming chair should. The bucket-style seat gives you excellent support for your back and sides of your upper body, and the Black Edition styling offers a stealthier look, which allows it to blend into an office environment. The Epic is also a sleeker chair than the Hero TX, with a smaller, more compact frame, but the difference isn’t big — this is something you will only really notice if you put the two chairs side by side.

Specs 

Assembly

Assembling the chair is fairly simple and straightforward, with clearly-illustrated instructions. Noblechairs also provides you with all the tools you need, including one Allen key/screwdriver hybrid tool, two Phillips-head screws, three 25mm M8 screws (and a screw kit with four 20mm M8), four split washers, and four regular washers. Using a power tool will save you some time, but isn’t necessary. I was able to assemble the chair by myself in under half an hour. 

While the instructions are illustrated and easy to follow, I would have liked to see some accompanying text, as well as real images of the chairs.

Comfort and Adjustments

Noblechairs’ Epic Black Edition has an excellent core foundation and great back support. The chair has one lever on the right side which adjusts the backrest, and I found this to be a particularly important feature. I am often sitting for hours on end, and I struggle with getting correct back support — a good adjustable backrest can make all the difference. The chair also comes with additional neck and back pillows for extra support and comfort. These work well but are difficult for me to use comfortably due to my overall body size and frame. 

One thing that is sadly missing on the Epic compared to the Hero TX is the rotating knob, located on the right side of the upper chair, which adds extra lumbar support by allowing the lower back part of the chair to shape to the arch of your back. This creates a more bespoke fit and is a great feature of the Hero TX that I would have loved to see on the Epic. 

The Epic also has a lever on the right side of the bottom of the chair for adjusting the height, as well as a lever on the left that acts as a single lock-and-release mechanism that allows for the bottom base of the chair to lean back. The chair tilts about 11 degrees, and you can use the left lever to lock it in position. 

The Epic’s arm rests are extremely adjustable: You can move them up, down, left, right, backward, forward, and even diagonally, and tilt them inward and outward by 45 degrees, to get them in the perfect position for you. While this is great in theory, a lot of the movement options seem sort of unnecessary and redundant. Plus, all this flexibility makes them feel less stable when you’re using them, and I’m worried that so many moving parts means they’ll suffer from reduced long-term durability.

Bottom Line

Noblechairs definitely seems to have the formula down when it comes to making a great racing-inspired gaming chair. The Epic is sleek, stylish, and comfortable enough to spend hours in. The Epic Black Edition’s high-tech faux leather is especially attractive, although, as an F1 fan myself, I’m tempted by the officially-licensed Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team edition. 

The Epic, which ranges from $420 to $600 depending on fabric choice and colorway, is, without a doubt, a premium gaming chair — you have to commit to really wanting and valuing the experience a chair like this will bring. If you want a simpler — but still premium — chair with a similar silhouette, I recommend checking out the Andaseat Phantom 3.