Fractal Design Refine review: elegance and comfort combined in a gaming chair

The Fractal Refine is the corporate’s first try at a gaming chair, and the corporate has all however nailed it first time. On styling alone, it’s clearly a bit totally different to the gaming chair norm, however it’s not only a nice shade of grey that defines the Refine. It additionally homes a handful of actually significant ergonomic enhancements over the overwhelming majority of different gaming chair choices.

It’s no shock, then, that the Fractal Refine instantly finds itself a spot on our greatest gaming chair information. Another chairs supply extra fashion  and ergonomics customization choices, however as an entire, the Refine is without doubt one of the finest all-round choices on the market.

Specs

Design

The obvious place to start out assessing the Fractal Refine is to have a look at its design. Fractal is already well-known for crafting elegant, minimalist PC merchandise in a spread of classes, with the corporate primarily identified for its fantastic instances such because the Fractal Period and Fractal North. The Refine continues this pattern, with a glance that eschews the racing seat fashion of many gaming chairs – benefitting each consolation and appears – whereas protecting a way of the clear traces and appealingly muted colours of its stablemates.

By and enormous, a number of the styling may be seen as type following operate, with options such because the sliding headrest inherently wanting cleaner than chairs that use headrest cushions held in place with elastic. Nonetheless, there are many delicate particulars that clear up the look. These embody the truth that a number of of the principle controls are built-in into the aspect of the seat, relatively than being on stalks protruding from beneath the seat. The lumbar assist equipment on the again can be included into an elegantly sweeping body, whereas the armrest uprights have simply the proper ahead angle to steadiness the look of the chair.

The chair is obtainable in three primary types: mesh, cloth, and Alcantara. The previous makes use of an identical tensioned mesh design, as made well-known by the Herman Miller Aeron (out there right here) to offer springy assist on your again and behind. In the meantime, the material and Alcantara (which is a sort of fake suede generally used as a premium end for automobile interiors) variations have a extra conventional padded seat base, however then use a equally tensioned again as mesh chairs.

This again design is in contrast to many gaming chairs which have enormously thick, padded seat backs. As a substitute, the Refine has an open body exhibiting on the again, with only a skinny layer of material held in stress by that body. This again design actually helps make for a lighter, extra elegant feel and appear than many gaming chairs.

By way of colours, the material model is obtainable on this mid-gray coloration with a black base and {hardware}, or a really mild, heat grey coloration with white {hardware}. The mesh model is available in two very comparable coloration choices, whereas the Alcantara mannequin is just out there in black. The Refine finishes off its usually mild look by having hole castors, to the extent that you may see by means of the center of them.

Options

For probably the most half, the Refine delivers the usual handful of options you’d anticipate from a gaming chair. It goes up and down, it tilts backwards and forwards, it rolls round on its wheels, and it has armrests that transfer in additional dimensions than appears doable. Nonetheless, there’s a good bit that the Refine does slightly bit otherwise.

Ranging from the highest, one of the distinctive options of this chair is its headrest. As a substitute of the strap-on headrests of most previous gaming chairs, this one is locked to the chair and simply slides up and down, with an ample vary of motion of 130mm to accommodate totally different heights of sitters.

If you happen to discover you don’t get on with the headrest, otherwise you wish to wash the detachable cushion cowl, although, you may unhook it by way of a button on the highest of the chair. You’re then left with a few plastic-lined holes that barely disrupt the look of the chair, however it’s nonetheless a fairly neat end.

Transferring down the chair, within the decrease central portion of the already fairly convexly-curved again is the adjustable lumbar assist. This may be slid up and down, and a flip of the dial pushes the curved, horizontal lumbar bar into and out of the again cloth.

Transferring onto the armrests, these can slide up and down, out and in, ahead and again, and they are often angled inward and outwards. All these changes lock into place besides one, which is the ahead and again sliding movement. This implies you continuously slide the arms ahead and again everytime you press your fingers into them to stand up or sit down. It’s a very odd oversight in an in any other case well-designed chair.

In the meantime, the seat’s base can slide ahead and again when loosened by way of a deal with on the proper aspect, and this can be a large ergonomic profit over many gaming chair options. Subsequent to this deal with is the gasoline elevate launch, which helps you to convey up the chair when not seated or decrease it when sat down. Additionally on the proper is the lean stress adjusting lever. You may twist this to loosen or tighten the pressure, pushing the again of the chair upward if you lean again.

Notable by its absence is a recline operate. You may tilt again within the chair, with the seat and again rocking again in semi-unison, however you may’t simply decrease the again utterly independently of the seat. On the left is the lock deal with for the lean operate, and also you’re in a position to lock the seat again into any place right down to roughly a 45-degree angle.

The ultimate adjustable side of this chair is the castors. These have a security mechanism, which suggests they don’t roll till there’s weight on the chair – so the chair doesn’t fly away from you in the event you solely barely lean on it. Nonetheless, in the event you take away every wheel, there’s slightly change that permits you to flip off this characteristic. Funnily sufficient, I assumed this characteristic was on after I first tried the chair because it didn’t appear to roll all that freely. Nonetheless, it turned out this was actually the free-rolling setup and the castors simply aren’t significantly quick ones.

Consolation

My preliminary impression of the Fractal Refine’s consolation is that it’s wonderful. Nonetheless, over a number of weeks of use, I did discover just a few grumbles. Beginning with the good things, the convex curve of the principle seat portion is a delight to see and really feel on this chair. So many chairs get this flawed by having a flat or generally even upward-curving entrance to a chair, which simply causes the entrance edge to dig into your legs. You get none of that right here.

The adjustability of the seat size can be a godsend for a tall individual like me. The additional leg assist additional reduces strain in your legs and customarily spreads out the assist of your physique. One slight situation I observed, although, is that your bottom can get barely trapped between the seat and again if you tilt the seat again, after which return it to upright. That’s as a result of the hole between the 2 barely opens up as you tilt, then closes up once more as you come again up. It’s not uncomfortable however requires a fast readjustment wiggle.

The seat’s padding can be supportive, regardless of being comparatively shallow and never all that squishy (although softer than a number of gaming chairs). Nonetheless, I did discover the final build-up of heat in comparison with my standard Aeron mesh chair – a gripe I’ve with any non-mesh gaming chair. As such, I’d undoubtedly suggest the mesh model of this chair for hotter environments (I borrowed a mesh model of this chair for a short time and it’s very comfortable too).

The contouring of the seat again is great too, with ample additional assist from the lumbar bar. It’s slightly tough to regulate the bar if you’re sat down – it’s a must to lean ahead to take the strain off it – however it’s in any other case straightforward to maneuver about. The again additionally has not one of the tendency to push your shoulders ahead, in contrast to some gaming chairs, permitting for a great open posture.

The headrest is one other triumph, with its wonderful contouring and straightforward adjustability permitting you to shortly set a place to softly assist the top when sat upright. It does want readjusting barely when tilted again, however that is straightforward sufficient to do.

Arm consolation is one other triumph, because the armrests have among the many softest padding I’ve encountered on the handfuls of gaming chairs I’ve examined. The changes are all actually exact and straightforward to make use of. Nonetheless, the shortage of ahead and again slide locks actually is annoying, even when it does imply you don’t want to fret about pushing the armrests out of the way in which when pulling your chair in near your desk.

The one actually main situation, then, is the shortage of a straight recline choice, as generally it’s good to have the ability to simply fold flat on your afternoon nap. Furthermore, the lean operate isn’t the very best. The stress adjustment didn’t appear to make a lot distinction, so I all the time discovered the chair felt prefer it wished to push me upwards, with me needing to relaxation my toes on one thing to maintain me propped backward.

Additionally, one tiny remark. The highest edges of the five-point base are fairly flat, with a barely harsh edge. I discovered it slightly uncomfortable to return into contact with these factors after I was simply carrying socks at residence.

Worth

Priced at $549.99, the Fractal Refine is in the identical ballpark as most premium gaming chairs, and for its match, end, and options, that worth feels truthful. Notably, the material, mesh, and Alcantara finishes are all the identical worth.

Options

Secretlab Titan Evo 2022

Our long-running favourite of gaming chairs is the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022. Accessible in three sizes and dozens of designs, this chair presents lots of adjustability – its detachable armrest tops and magnetic headrest cushion being highlights – and nice consolation for the same worth to the Refine. Its general look isn’t as glossy and its again assist isn’t as subtle however it stays a best choice.

Learn our full Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 assessment.

Verdict

The Fractal Refine is, by and enormous, a triumph for a primary run at an entire new product sector for Fractal. It’s a classy-looking, feature-rich, and cozy chair, with its consolation firmly planted within the realm of sensible all-day sitting. It won’t really feel the softest, however it doesn’t depart you fidgeting or with a foul again.

Its intelligent height-adjustable headrest is a selected triumph, as is the lumbar assist and the contours of the seat – the size adjustment being a very useful characteristic. We want the armrests may very well be locked from sliding backwards and forwards, and that you could possibly recline in addition to tilt the chair, however for a genuinely sensible all-day-sitting chair, it nails the temporary.