Tom's Hardware Verdict
The Noblechairs Hero is an elegant gaming chair that’s easy to build, but it’s on the stiff side and costs quite a bit.
Pros
- +
Adjustable back support
- +
Easy to build
- +
Classy design
Cons
- -
Very stiff
- -
Expensive
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Part racing chair, part throne, the Noblechairs Hero (starting at $439.99 / £349,99) is a gaming chair for those with refined tastes and some extra cash. It’s a bit pricey, but its looks are elegant. Its adjustable back support knob lets you customize the level of lumbar support, making the included back pillows optional. However, at any setting, the chair is really firm, so you have to be comfortable with the stiffness for this to be the best gaming chair for you.
Design
Our review unit is a black monolith with red stitching. If you prefer, it also comes with yellow, blue, black or white stitching. It’s covered in PU leather (an artificial material covered in polyurethane. For a few hundred bucks more, they offer it in real leather). The backrest is bulky, which it says on its website is to more comfortably fit larger users. But it also gives the Hero a look that mixes a racing chair and a throne.
The base is made from aluminum and has five wheels. Noblechairs’ site suggests it can hold a maximum of 330.7 pounds (150 kilograms).
Some gaming chairs have large gaps in them to attach lumbar support and neck pillows, but the Hero doesn’t. Its lumbar pillow just sits there with no attachments, and the neck pillow loops around the top of the chair.
In a nice touch, Noblechairs’ logo, a crown, is right where your head aligns with the chair.
Noblechairs Hero Gaming Chair Specifications
| Upholstery | PU Leather |
| Recline | 135 degrees |
| Total Height (with base) | 53.96 inches (137 cm) |
| Seat Pan Height (with base) | 18-22 inches (48-56 cm) |
| Backrest Height | 35.04 inches (89 cm) |
| Backrest Width (shoulder level) | 22.44 inches (57 cm) |
| Backrest Width (pelvis level) | 22.05 inches (56 cm) |
| Backrest Width (point of contact) | 12.8 inches (32.5 cm) |
| Seating Area Width (total) | 20.47 inches (52 cm) |
| Seating Area Width (point of contact) | 13.78 inches (35 cm) |
| Depth Seating Area (total) | 21.65 inches (55 cm) |
| Depth Seating Area (point of contact) | 19.69 inches (50 cm) |
| Armrest Width | 4.13 inches (10.5 cm) |
| Armrest Depth | 10.62 inches (27 cm) |
| Recommended Maximum Weight | 330.7 pounds (150 kg) |
| Weight | 66.14 pounds (33 kg) |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Pricing | Starts at $439.99 / £349,99 |
Building
Noblechairs recommends that two people build the Hero together, but against its advice, I tried it myself. I had no issues, but it would’ve been easier with a buddy.
The instructions are well labeled and written in clear English. With other chairs I’ve built, I’ve required a second person because many holes, especially in the backrest, didn’t line up with the rest of the chair. But on the Hero, everything lined up and I could do it myself.
I had two extra screws leftover, which is good for those who have a propensity to lose small objects. The only tool you need, an Allen wrench with a Phillips head on the opposite side, is also included.
There were only two slight hiccups. Firstly, the installation of the wheel base comes early in the process, and I found myself chasing the chair as it was slowly rolling across the floor. My second issue was getting the lever covers on. Those needed quite a bit of force, and I hadn’t realized they weren’t all the way on at first. But at the end of the process, I couldn’t adjust the height. I had to turn the whole chair over just to get to the levers again to reinstall them.
Comfort and Adjustments
Let’s get straight to the point: the Hero is stiff. There’s not a lot of padding or cushioning. My first day after sitting on the Hero, I felt it in my legs.
That being said, it definitely supports you. I appreciated the knob on the right side of the chair that adjusts back support. Turning it clockwise makes the lumbar area feel firmer, while turning it counterclockwise reduces back support.
A lever on the right side of the bottom of the chair adjusts the height (it can go quite high. It even managed to lift my feet off the floor). There’s also a knob to adjust how much it rocks and a lever to lock the knob in place.
One lever on the right side of the chair adjusts the backrest. It doesn’t go completely flat. If you loosen the rocking knob enough, though, you can lay down and get your feet in the air, if you so desire. But you’re not getting to dental chair territory.
The big area that’s lacking are the armrests. They’re barely padded at all, so they feel cheaper than the rest of the chair. You can move them from side to side, up and down, forward and backwards and diagonally in. I wish it were easier to move the arms out (that requires getting under the chair with a screwdriver) and that they could be made narrower than the default setting.
The chair comes with optional lumbar and neck pillows. The former seems unnecessary with the back support adjustment knob. I went back and forth on the neck pillow, which is a better add-on, but I also ultimately didn’t use it very much.
Bottom Line
The Noblechairs Hero is a bulky but stylish gaming chair that’s fairly easy to build. Its back support knob is innovative and helps the chair to support your body to your liking.
But it’s stiff. If you like a firm seat, this will suit you well. However, if you prefer something a bit more pillowy, you’d be better looking elsewhere. It’s also pricey, so this isn’t for those who’d rather save money for their PC.
But if your focus is entirely on support, you’ll get it in spades on the Noblechair, and you won’t even need the lumbar pillow.
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