Noblechairs Legend TX review: a premium fabric chair with plenty of adjustability

It was 2015 when I switched to a standing desk. This popular trend, designed to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting, certainly appealed to me. I had purchased a stool which I could use from time to time, but even still, my desk setup was designed for ergonomics rather than relaxation. I never felt relaxed in front of my PC as a result - when I wanted to sit back and enjoy a game, I shifted to a much more comfortable chair nestled in front of my TV. Consequently, I basically lost touch with the world of PC gaming.

After beefing up my PC last year, however, I started to consider making a change which just happened to coincide with an opportunity to review a gaming chair, the Legend TX from Noblechairs. Now, this isn't exactly something I imagined myself doing but the timing was right, so I figured, why not give it a shot? Turns out, it was the right call and switching to a good quality chair has had a significant impact on how I use my PC for gaming.

Before we get into why it made a difference let's talk about features. The chair arrived in a large, heavy package with all of the components neatly arranged within. Following the manual, I pieced it together in around 20 minutes using the included tools. The setup process is relatively simple and straightforward with the instructions spelling out the procedure clearly and legibly. (This is one area where well-established companies tend to do significantly better than non-branded equivalents, which often come with inaccurate or just confusing instructions.) One note - there's a small bolt connected to the tilting mechanism that needs to be removed before you can use this function. You won't be able to lean back without removing this first so pay special attention to it.

Once complete, I deployed the chair in front of my PC and took a seat. As is the case with any new desk chair, I instantly began toying with the various features and adjustments, of which there are many. You can adjust the height of the base, the backrest angle and the tilt of the chair, including the option to lock it in place. The backrest includes lumbar adjustments while the arm rests are absurdly flexible with a huge range of motion allowing you to perfectly dial in a setting that works for your setup.

I suppose this is all standard stuff for gaming or higher-end office chairs, but I'm very picky about every one of these features and I was impressed with the granularity of adjustment available here. Once I'd set my desk to the appropriate height, I felt much more comfortable than I had before. Before switching to a standing desk, my previous, cheaper office chair often left me in discomfort if used for any length of time - which is one of the reasons I made the switch in the first place. I was really surprised to find that the Legend TX has yet to trigger any such problems, which is a huge win and speaks to the depth of ergonomic options here.

The chair I received for review purposes is covered in a gently textured Anthracite gray fabric, which feels great, but the chair is also available in faux leather if you prefer for an increased cost (up to £460 for the faux leather models versus £420 for the fabric TX).

After three months of use, the fabric model shows no obvious sign of wear. You'd expect this, of course, but I've had bad experiences in the past with cheap faux leather desk chairs which would begin to show issues after a short time. Most importantly, the fabric is reasonably breathable and pleasant, which might make this type of chair a better choice than faux-leather for places that can get hot and sweaty.

Then there's the design. I had mostly avoided self-described 'gaming chairs' up to this point primarily due to the often-gaudy design language and absurd color schemes. The Legend TX thankfully avoids this problem entirely with a clean, tasteful matte gray design which wouldn't feel out of place in an office. The contours of the head rest do lend it somewhat of a gaming vibe, I suppose, but the overall design is tasteful and clean.

It's now been three months since I first picked up this chair and I can safely say that I'm a fan. I still switch to standing mode throughout the day, just to avoid sitting for too long, but having a good chair ready to go has meant that I've spent more time playing PC games in front of my monitor over the last three months than I have over the last three years combined. During this period, I completed Need for Speed Unbound, finally managed to get into The Witcher 3, finished Halo Infinite and Titanfall 2 a second time and a whole lot more. I've been devouring PC games left and right.

So if you're also spending a lot of time at your PC, then picking up a chair that you can sit comfortably in makes a lot of sense even if you use a standing desk for your work. It doesn't need to be this particular model - though it is great - it just needs to have the structure and adjustment options necessary to make sure you're sitting in an ergonomic way.

Office and gaming chairs might both fit the bill here, so do consider both categories and try to find a chair that's backed by strong reviews that fits your frame and has sufficient adjustability. We happen to have some gaming chair recommendations with options from the likes of Ikea, Corsair and Herman Miller, based on our testing.

For example, the Noblechairs Hero and Razer Iskur both feature integrated - and adjustable - lumbar support, making them a good pick alongside the Legend TX for anyone that suffers from a bad back, while the Corsair TC200 is a good cheaper fabric alternative to the Legend TX with a simpler design. And if you prefer the look of an office chair, the Ikea Markus and Herman Miller Embody are great options at opposite ends of the price spectrum - and generally, you get what you pay for when it comes to ergonomics.

As they say, spend money on what separates you from the ground - and I think that applies to chairs just as it does shoes, tires and beds.