noblechairs LEGEND Review – The BEST Gaming Chair??
This is the new noblechairs LEGEND – their latest and greatest chair. Seeing as I’ve reviewed one of every model they’ve released, I think it’s worth a look at what’s new. Unsurprisingly the unboxing and build experience is pretty similar. It comes well packaged and actually doesn’t need much construction overall. It does come with tools you’ll need – and even a spare bolt and screw – but seeing as I have a worryingly large collection of my own tools I’ll be using them instead. You’ll need to attach the second arm rest – the bolts come in the seat base so you’ll need to remove them first, then fit it. You’ll want to stick the caster wheels in the base, then drop the gas cylinder and cover in the centre. Bolt the tilt mechanism to the seat base, push on the two handles, then drop the seat base onto the gas cylinder. Remove the bolts from the seat back, push it between the forks and screw the bolts back in. Attach the covers, remove the new lockout screw – it’s red! Then you are good to go!
Design wise they’ve opted to make the LEGEND even more tame. Gone are the racing seat wings and ultra-tight bolsters, although the cutout around the neck area persists. They’ve also chosen to enlarge the headrest area, making it more like an actual headrest and cushion than before. You do still get a neck and lumbar pillow in the box though, and I think I’d still want the neck pillow for the most part. You still get a wide, flat base much like the HERO, making it a great fit for a wider frame like mine. The backrest is equally a touch loose on me, again allowing for a wider frame to sit comfortably.
Features wise, you get tilt adjustment from the base with a handful of locking positions ranging from flat to falling over backwards. Ok not really, even with the backrest fully reclined – which of course is an option – and my 110KG lump on it, it still had no problems with balance in the most reclined tilt. Beyond tilt, you can of course raise and lower the chair, and make full use of the adjustable armrests. That includes forward and backwards, twist left and right, slide to wider or more narrow, and up and down. What’s a little more special though is the adjustable lumbar support. This is now a ratchetless design, as in the knob on the right hand side turns smoothly, just gently adjusting the lumbar support outwards as you turn it.
Moving onto the quality and material, I went with the fabric version – that’s definitely my preference as it’s always soft and comforting even on bare skin (especially on a hot day), but if you’d prefer the faux leather or even the real stuff, that’s available too. Build quality is always great on these. The stitching looks great, everything is well fitted, it uses a proper metal frame with firm but supportive foam, and this fabric material is just great. It’s soft, not scratchy at all, and the right balance of warm and comforting but also cool and clean.
The only problem I had with build quality here was that the backrest made a popping noise when I sat down. I can feel something in there caving in a little as I lean back. It’s not the end of the world, but it isn’t exactly the best. Luckily, after reporting the issue they shipped me a replacement backrest next day no questions asked, and that one is all good.
Speaking of comfort, I definitely enjoy sitting in this. The flat bottom works well for me, especially as I like to sit with one leg up, and my thunder-thighs tend to take up a lot of room on most “supportive” chairs. The backrest fits my torso well, there’s enough room for me to be able to change my seating position slightly without catching myself on any lumps or feeling unsupported at all. One thing to note is that for my seating position and somewhat unusually shaped body the built in lumbar support is a little too high. I think it’s probably the same height as in the HERO, but in this one even the most relaxed setting is a touch more pronounced. I notice it there on this one, whereas it’s a little smoother on my HERO which ends up being a touch more comfortable for me. Of course almost everything here is subjective and your milage may vary, so take everything I’m saying with a pinch of salt.
One thing I can attest to is the longevity, especially now I’ve had the HERO TX for over a year, and various noblechairs for multiple. The faux leather models have shown no signs of wear at all, they aren’t cracked, torn or peeling, they aren’t even scuffed or scratched. The HERO TX equally looks brand new. It doesn’t look like I’m wearing through the fabric, again there’s no scratches, holes or cuts. And, to make it clear, I sit in these every single day for a worrying amount of time. Sometimes with shoes on while tucking one leg up, or catching it on various things including sharp vice jaws. So, long story short I feel pretty confident in saying these chairs will last you.
So, to wrap things up: I do like the LEGEND. It’s a great, even more subtle design with a good selection of features. It’s well built, has good support – both lumbar and after sales – and offers a great amount of comfort. I think I’ll end up switching back to my HERO TX personally as my… figure… prefers that style, but I am more than happy to recommend this if you prefer the more subtle and open design. I’ll still be using this as my benchmarking desk chair so it’s not like it’s going far.
