noblechairs HERO TX gaming chair review – nobility comes at a price

At WePC we have a huge surplus of gaming chairs from every manufacturer you can think of. From Razer, GTRacing, Secretlab and DXRacer, the list goes on. Now we come to the HERO TX by noblechairs, and the price point of $460 puts it slap bang near the top of the spectrum, pitting it against the likes of the Secretlab TITAN EVO, that currently rules the roost. Let’s take a seat and see whether the price is worthy of nobility.

Assembly

We were pleased with how easy it was to build the HERO TX. There were no nasty surprises and it came together like any other premium chair we’ve built. There were a couple of pre-installed fastenings that you have to remove and then reinstall in order to build it and they were really stiff and a bit of a challenge to remove. Aside from this it was a simple, low-effort affair. The chair also comes with a lumbar support pillow which isn’t needed as the chair has adjustable lumbar support built-in.

Comfort

Initially, we were taken aback by how firm the base is. Don’t expect to sink into it and we were worried about long-term comfort. We reached out to noblechairs for comment and they got back saying that the initial firmness is for increased longevity and better posture. After a few days we were on-board. After wearing in a bit, the chair is now super-comfortable – one of the better ones we’ve sat in. Additionally, the backrest reclines to a maximum of 125 degrees which also helps mitigate the firmness of the chair.

The base makes it notably uncomfortable to slouch, which is good for the posture paragons. It’s certainly designed with a healthy sitting position in mind, but if you like to take it easy from time to time and treat yourself to a slouch you might prefer the Secretlab Omega series.

The back of the chair features similarly firm padding, again, helping to enforce a healthy posture. However, even with the chair’s steadfast commitment to ergonomics in mind, there are some issues, most notably the armrests. The padding is essentially nonexistent and the material that covers them is a fairly nasty plastic that doesn’t feel good against the arms – unfortunate for an armrest.

Materials

We were given the ‘anthracite’ variation of the HERO TX which is the fabric upholstery option and we are big fans. Even high-quality fake leather tends to have breathability issues and gets stuffy after extended periods of work or gaming. We are pleased to report that the anthracite fabric used on the HERO TX is excellent. It has a delightful texture and feels both robust and soft. It’ll take a long time for the fabrics on this chair to wear out.

 

The color is a dark grey which sort of resembles wet concrete, in a good way, of course. The armrest material, as touched on earlier is a disappointing bog-standard black plastic which contrasts nicely with the lighter grey of the seat’s fabric. It certainly feels strong enough to withstand years of use, but we’d prefer a softer texture, something more similar to the grey fabric which covers the rest of the chair.

 

Build Quality

The HERO TX feels like it’s built to a very high standard, with very few rattles or other such causes for concern. We were faced with the same issues we encountered on the Secretlab Titan EVO 2022 series where the armrests are pretty wobbly, but as on that chair, we suspect it’s an after effect of the 4D adjustment options.

 

The biggest disappointment in the otherwise great build quality are the levers on the underside of the chair, that just keep falling off. We tried reseating them in a number of different ways but they still kept falling off and this is a misstep in an otherwise great design.

Other than those two issues the chair is built fairly well. The wheels, base, recline lever, and neck pillow all function as intended and don’t feel too susceptible to breaking or wearing out.

Ergonomics

This is one of the most important aspects of any given chair, be it focussed on gaming or office work – if you’re going to spend a lot of time in it, it better be good for you. Luckily as detailed earlier, the Hero TX puts posture at the top of its priority list with some bold design choices and quite a few smart adjustment options.

Lumbar support

The HERO TX accomplishes this via the tried and true ‘knob to vary the intensity of the lumbar support’ tactic and they do it well with a grippy texture so it’s easy to adjust. It holds its position flawlessly so just set it and forget it. It does lack the height adjustability that we saw on the TITAN EVO 2022, unfortunately, but for most users, it will be fine.

Neck support

The HERO TX has a neck support pillow that is fastened via an elastic strap and it’s functional, but that’s about it. There’s no fancy memory foam or high-tech positioning system. It will keep your neck supported and in a healthy position, though, and that’s all you really need.

Armrests

There’s not much to say about these. It’s become standard to include 4D adjustable armrests on gaming chairs these days. They go up, down, back, forward, in addition to rotating inwards and outwards.

Final verdict

If you are looking for a gaming chair that really will force you into sitting healthily we recommend the HERO TX for its comprehensive ergonomic options and padding density. The materials are good and the build quality is mostly up to snuff. If you want a chair that gently cradles you in whatever position your lazy gamer body naturally falls into, look elsewhere.