Noblechairs Legend: Two-minute review
The Noblechairs Legend might just be the slickest gaming chair out there. Yes, it’s white, and yes it’s PU leather, but it’s nothing if not classy. From its ergonomic design to plush padding and silver accents the Noblechairs Legend White Edition is an outstanding premium option for anyone looking for a no-fuss gaming chair. This could have been ripped from a modern sports car, it looks that good.
There is one caveat to that though, and it all depends on where you pick one of these up. The pricing is a little haywire depending where you are in the world. Grab one of these in the UK and you’re looking at paying £400 including tax up front, jump over the Atlantic to the US however, and the price lands at $630, that’s a 25% price increase.
It does lack some of the features of its competitors like SecretLab or AndaSeat. Speaking very specifically of the AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL. By comparison to that chair, the Noblechairs Legend doesn’t bag you magnetic pillows or armrests, and it’s a little less plush, and a little more drab in some of its finer build elements. The overall material quality, particularly with its armrests is also somewhat underwhelming. But then it looks a lot classier, and as it’s a similar price to the Kaiser 3 XL, you can sort of let that slide.
Bump that price up by 25% though, as seen in the US, and it becomes a case of spending considerably more for far less. That’s particularly compounded by the fact that you can pick up a Kaiser 3 XL for just under $470. So the question is, is it one of the best gaming chairs out there? Well, it entirely depends on which part of the planet you’re sat.
Noblechairs Legend: Price and availability
- Pricing varies wildly between regions
- Good value in UK
- Special editions cost more
Buying from Noblechairs directly, the Legend will set you back a whopping $630 minimum (Amazon currently sells these for $680) before tax. That’s 25% higher than the UK pricing, and again that’s before tax. In that scenario, comparing it to something like the SecretLab Titan Evo, or AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL which come in at $100 - $200 less, for arguably a far better spec, and similar design language, really puts a dent in the overall appeal of the Legend.
The Australian market is somewhat more reasonable, seeing only a 12.5% increase in overall cost, but we can forgive Noble here, given the distance these chairs have traveled to reach that point, but even so, that’s still a price increase.
Noblechairs Legend: Specs
Noblechairs Legend: Design and Features
- Less ergonomic, more cushion
- Super clean design
- Looks fantastic in white
Noblechairs has been in the business of chairs for nearly a decade now. It arguably was one of the first brands to really cement itself in that custom PC gaming chair space, with products such as the Hero and Icon, in particular leading the charge. The Legend, however, is categorically quite different from those designs. It moves away from the 'gamer-y' bucket seats designed to hold in all of those extreme G-Forces you experience during your Helldivers 2 descents and looks to be a more refined office executive styling instead.
I’ve been testing gaming chairs like the Legend, since 2015, and have in fact been there since the very beginning, sitting in all manner of Noblechairs as well. The Legend, unlike a lot of those that came before it has redefined its overall style.
That said, it’s not perfect, and the gaming chair market has now become quite competitive with the likes of AndaSeat, SecretLab, Vertagear, and even the big brands such as Corsair, Razer, and Logitech getting in on the action too.
Anyway, let's get to the brass tacks here. What is the Noblechairs Legend like to use on the day-to-day? If I’m honest, it’s an absolute treat. For reference, I’ve had the Noblechairs Hero for around five years at this point. It’s stylish, classy, and plush, as you’d expect for a chair of that caliber, but the one thing that’s always put me off about it is the seat base. Namely, the fact that it’s seriously stiff and over time can become quite uncomfortable.
Now, Noblechairs did say back in the day that this was an ergonomic consideration more so than a cost reduction, as stiffer bases typically meant your muscles wouldn’t atrophy quite as badly compared to a soft supportive cushion base, and there is evidence in the scientific literature to support that. However, it was a heavily criticized point at the time, and it seems the company has relented on that fact. The Legend in contrast is far more comfortable than my aging five-year-old Hero is. The seat base itself is slightly more rounded, more supportive by design, and plush as a result.
On top of that, you still get the usual array of gaming chair staples as well, including adjustable lumbar support, four-dimensional arm-rests, a five-wheel steel framed base, tilt, and recline adjustments, as well as some solid overall construction too (the stitching and branding are seriously top-tier).
Noble also sells the Legend in a number of colorways (admittedly not quite as many as Secretlab) including, Black, Dark Brown, Red/White/Black, and White (as shown here), alongside two special editions, (namely a Starfield variant, along with a Shure version as well). The latter two are a touch more expensive as a heads-up. If fake leather’s not your thing, you can opt to go for a cut-down fabric variant instead, which is slightly more affordable, you can read our full Noblechairs Legend TX review here.
Noblechairs Legend: Performance
- Unboxing could be better
- Build straight out of 2015
- Needs more magnets
The construction process for the Noblechairs Legend, is, generally, pretty average, as is the packaging. It’s not out of this world, like the Andaseat Kaiser 4, (relatively speaking for a gaming chair), but you get all the components you need, and an easy-to-follow instruction manual.
Construction is generally a breeze, assembling the base and adding the castor wheels is easy enough, although it gets somewhat trickier when you get around to attaching the seat back to the base. There are no sliding brackets or anything to help align your chair here, you have to carefully line it up with the bracket hinges on the side of the base, hold it in place one-handed, thread the bolts through with the other, and secure them with the included allen screws (Noble, like pretty much all manufacturers, do provide you with everything you need to do this). In my model, one of the topmost bolts was a bit troublesome to install, and it did require a lot of back and forth loosening all the other bolts, and eventually using a larger Allen key to secure them in place, but, otherwise, it’s a fairly seamless process.
The bracket covers aren’t magnetic like those found in Andaseat or Secretlab’s chairs, however, and there are no special screw cover caps here either. It’s all very basic. If you built this chair today, and one in 2016, the process, and features would be basically identical.
That said, once it’s built, the Legend looks and feels immaculate, the PU leather is surprisingly plush, and breathable, not too fine a grain, and there’s some serious comfort here overall, in fact, it may well be one of the most comfortable gaming chairs out there. If you’re thinking about the white version and have any form of household pet that sheds hair, be prepared for a fur-covered chair almost immediately, but a quick blow duster will clean that up sharpish.
Otherwise, over long periods the Legend is fantastically comfortable. The base is far superior to that of the similarly priced and styled Noblechairs Hero, and it really does look the part, even without all the mod-cons of some of its competitors. All-in-all, it’s an impeccably well-rounded chair, the only issue is of course those price discrepancies per region throwing a particularly large spanner into the works.
Should I buy the Noblechairs Legend?
Buy it if...
You want a classy-looking office chair
The Noblechairs Legend has a fantastically clean design that looks just as good in a professional enterprise office as it does in a sophisticated gaming den. It’s comfortable too, and packs in a lot of ergonomic considerations that you’d expect for a chair at this price.
You live in the UK
Without a doubt, if you’re in the UK, and see this chair at £400 or less than that, it’s a fantastic deal. Ok, it doesn’t have some of the mod cons, but they just aren’t that important at this price point.
Don't buy it if...
You want all the mod cons
Without a doubt, the Noblechairs Legend’s overall build is starting to show its age. Aside from slightly tweaked cushioning and overall design shape changes, there’s little here that differentiates it from chairs launched seven years ago.
You live in the US
Similar to the above, the Legend is only available in the States for 25% more than what you’d find in the UK. This greatly impacts the value proposition it offers in the US at its standard pricing. As a result, it’s one to keep an eye out for during sales periods.
Also consider...
If you're not completely sold on the Noblechairs Legend, or just want to weigh up some more options then check out these other two chairs that we've reviewed as fine alternatives.
Andaseat Kaiser 3 XL
Larger than life and designed for the taller human, the Kaiser 3 XL is brimming with all the mod-cons and packs in some serious comfort too. It’s not flawless, and there are a lot of similarities between it, and the Secretlab Titan Evo range, but it’s quite a bit cheaper, and well worth considering.
Here’s our full Andaseat Kaiser 3 XL review
Razer Iskur
Razer may be a relatively new name in the world of gaming chairs, but that’s not stopped it from producing some top-quality seats. The Iskur is all about that robust lumbar support and lets you fine-tune it to the max. Add all of that juicy Razer styling and the Iskur XL is a surefire pick for any looking for a larger gaming chair.
Here’s our full Razer Iskur review
How I tested the Noblechairs Legend
- Tested in all seating positions
- Cross leg approved
- Sat on by multiple people
I spent two weeks with the Noblechairs Legend using it as my daily office chair. I’m a 5’8.5” human (174cm) and weigh 165lb / 75kg. I completely built the Legend in my home office on my own and tested it sitting in a number of different positions over the two week period. I used it in video calls and during long gaming sessions in an office varying in temperatures from 20 to 30 degrees Celsius. I also tried a number of different lumbar positions and pillow configurations as well, documenting the entire process.
Additionally, I got a number of friends and colleagues to sit and try the chair, giving me their feedback, people ranging from 5’5" to 6’2" (165 to 180cm) and all manner of shapes and sizes in between, to get a good varied gauge on how it performs regardless of the person sat in it.
