Finding a great gaming chair is tough when you’re under 5 feet and six inches in stature. A lot of people who are shorter than average struggle to find a desk chair that’s comfortable for them because most chairs have a seat height and width designed for taller people. If you’re a short person tired of needing to use a footrest or figure out hacks for your oversized gaming chair, the Noblechairs Epic Compact is the perfect solution. This gaming chair is designed for people under 5’6”, but it isn’t a low-quality “kids” chair, either. I’m only 5’0”, so it says a lot that the Noblechairs Epic Compact is the most comfortable gaming chair I’ve ever tried. Here’s an in-depth look at one of the best gaming chairs for short people.Noblechairs Epic Compact: Price and configurationsThe Epic Compact includes some custom Noblechairs detail stitching (Image credit: Stevie Bonifield)The Noblechairs Epic Compact is priced at $519 for the eco synthetic leather upholstery or $489 for fabric upholstery. The eco synthetic leather comes in black; black and blue; or black and red. The fabric upholstery is only available in gray. All models come with matching neck and lumbar pillows. Our review unit features the black and blue eco synthetic leather configuration. Noblechairs Epic Compact: DesignThe Noblechairs Epic Compact complete with neck and lumbar pillows (Image credit: Stevie Bonifield)The Noblechairs Epic Compact is designed specifically for short people, adapting the form factor of the full-size Epic to suit gamers under 5’6”. As someone who’s only 5’0”, I had high hopes for this chair, which it not only met but exceeded. This is the first gaming chair I’ve ever tried that has a low enough seat height for my feet to sit flat on the floor – no footrest needed. The minimum seat height on the Epic Compact is 15.7 inches, which was spot on for my height. It’s not just the seat height that’s properly sized for shorter folks, either. The entire chair is scaled down, from the seat width to the seat back. When I was on video calls, I no longer looked like I was sitting in an oversized chair since the seat back came right up to the top of my head, not above it. One stand-out feature of the Epic Compact is the adjustable seat depth. Using a lever on the left side of the chair, you can slide the seat back forward or backward. That means you won’t have the edge of the seat pressing against your thighs and the backs of your knees all the time. It was a game changer for me in terms of ergonomics. The seat depth ranges from 18.9 inches down to 16.5 inches. The adjustable seat depth mechanism on the Noblechairs Epic Compact (Image credit: Stevie Bonifield)Unfortunately, there is a bit of a trade-off. The seat depth adjustment feature means that this chair can’t recline. The seat’s back is tilted a bit further than I would like, but the included neck pillow fixed that for me. For that reason, the lack of a reclining capability wasn’t a dealbreaker, especially since the seat depth adjustment is such a rare feature on gaming chairs. There is a tension knob, too, so you’re still able to lean back in the Epic Compact if you want to. The build quality of the Epic Compact is top-notch. The seat base is made of powder-coated, solid aluminum and the frame is all steel, so it feels very sturdy. The castors were smooth and quiet for me on both hard and soft flooring. I was a little worried the adjustable seat depth would mean the seat back might wobble a bit, but that’s not the case. The seat back slides easily when you’re adjusting it but stays perfectly in place once the depth is locked again. Noblechairs Epic Compact: ComfortThe Epic Compact comes with cushy neck and lumbar pillows (Image credit: Stevie Bonifield)This is the most comfortable gaming chair I’ve ever tried, due in no small part (pun not intended) to the short people-friendly sizing. Other brands offer “small” gaming chairs, but many of those are still too big for people under 5’4” or so. That’s not the case with Noblechairs’ offering. The Epic Compact legitimately accomplishes being what it’s advertised as – a supremely comfortable gaming chair for short people. Sitting with my feet flat on the floor without any awkward footrest to deal with did wonders for my posture, both while working from home and gaming for hours on end. The neck and lumbar support pillows that come with the Epic Compact are comfy, as well. They have a light velvety texture to them and strike a good balance between firm and cushy. The materials and build quality of the Epic Compact are the icing on the cake. The eco synthetic leather is soft without being slippery. The seat pad was also just right for me with a bit of cushioning but not so much that I sank into it. The slightly narrower seat width also made the armrest spacing very comfortable (I didn’t notice how awkwardly wide the armrests on most chairs are until I tried this one). The Noblechairs Epic Compact features 3D adjustable armrests (Image credit: Stevie Bonifield)Noblechairs Epic Compact: AssemblyThe Epic Compact fully assembled at my IKEA Utespelare gaming desk (Image credit: Stevie Bonifield)The assembly process for the Noblechairs Epic Compact was pretty easy. I assembled it solo in about 20-30 minutes. However, you may want to have another person help carry the box inside, as it is pretty cumbersome to carry alone. I didn’t have any issues following the assembly instructions, and everything I needed was in the box – including hardware and tools. I recommend assembling the chair on carpet or other soft flooring. You can also use the sheets of foam padding in the box if you’re on a hard floor like I was. The assembly process involves just a handful of steps. First, I popped the castors onto the seat base and installed the air cylinder. Next, I assembled the depth adjustment hardware on the seat. This was the most complicated part, but even then, it was very straightforward. You just screw a couple of pieces together before flipping over the seat to gently install it to the top of the air cylinder. Finally, I attached the seat back and made some final height and depth adjustments. Bottom LineOverall, the Noblechairs Epic Compact is a fantastic gaming chair, especially for short people. While there are plenty of “big and tall” desk chairs out there, it’s rare to see one designed for people on the other end of the height spectrum. To this end, the Epic Compact goes above and beyond. The sizing and ergonomics are spot on, with a minimum seat height that worked perfectly for me as someone who is only 5 feet tall. While the adjustable seat depth sacrifices a reclining function, it is a great feature for shorter folks. The build quality, materials, and comfort level of the Epic Compact are on par with its $519 price tag. This is the chair to beat for all the short gamers out there.
