A sophisticated gaming experience awaits with Fractal Design’s Refine chair. Blending sleek design with supreme comfort, this ergonomic masterpiece redefines the genre.

The company’s inaugural foray into gaming chairs is nothing short of impressive, having seemingly hit the mark on its debut attempt. While deviating stylistically from traditional gaming chairs, the Refine’s unique aesthetic is nonetheless defined by its sophisticated grey hue. This gaming chair boasts a limited yet substantial array of ergonomic upgrades that set it apart from many other options on the market.

Given its impressive performance, it’s hardly surprising that the Fractal Refine earns a coveted spot among our top-rated gaming chairs. While the Refine offers additional chair types and ergonomic customization options, it remains one of the best all-around solutions available.

Specs

Design

The initial step in evaluating the Fractal Refine is to scrutinize its underlying architecture. Fractal has established itself as a master of creating refined, understated PC accessories across various product lines, particularly renowned for its iconic designs like the Fractal Define and Fractal Meshify. As refinement continues, the chair’s design diverges from the typical racing-inspired aesthetic found in many gaming seats, instead offering a comfortable and understated appearance that honours its heritage while maintaining the crisp lines and subdued colour palette characteristic of its predecessors.

The majority of styling trends can be observed to follow a specific pattern, with features like the self-adjusting headrest of this design appearing more streamlined and sophisticated compared to chair designs that rely on elastic-held cushions for support. Despite these nuances, numerous subtle details still converge to refine the overall appearance. The design features integrated primary controls, seamlessly embedded within the seat’s surface rather than being situated on stalks extending from beneath it. The lumbar support equipment seamlessly integrates into a fluidly curved silhouette, while the armrest uprights maintain a precise forward inclination, harmonizing the overall aesthetic of the chair.

The chair comes in three primary forms: mesh, cloth, and Alcantara. A pioneering ergonomic innovation is leveraged through a comparable tensile mesh layout, originally showcased in the iconic Herman Miller Aeron chair, to provide dynamic support for your back and posterior. Meanwhile, materials and Alcantara, a synthetic suede commonly employed in high-end automotive interiors, feature an additional conventional padded seat base, yet utilize a similarly tensioned backrest akin to that of mesh chairs.

In stark contrast to many gaming chairs, this design features a slim, unobtrusive seat back that deviates from the typical trend of enormous thickness and excessive padding. The Refine’s open body stretches across its back, secured by a fragile layer of material struggling to maintain its integrity under tension. This design actually contributes to a lighter, exceptionally elegant appearance that surpasses many gaming chairs.

The Material Model offers a palette of two colour options: a versatile mid-gray hue featuring a black base and matching hardware, or a softer, warm gray tone paired with crisp white accents. The mesh model comes in two closely related shades, whereas the Alcantara model is only available in black. The Refine completes its understated appearance with discreet casters that are barely visible at their central hub.

Options

Generally speaking, the Refine typically offers a standard array of features one would expect from a gaming chair. The futuristic contraption moves vertically and horizontally, pitches forward and backward, rotates around its axis, and features adaptable armrests that seemingly defy spatial constraints. Despite this, the Refine tool produces distinct results that differ from those achieved through traditional methods.

Ranging from the highest to the lowest, a notable feature of this chair is its adjustable headrest, which provides unparalleled support and comfort for users. Unlike traditional gaming chairs featuring detachable headrest straps, this design features a fixed headrest that slides up and down a 130mm rail, allowing for seamless adjustment to fit various user heights.

When discovering that you don’t mesh well with the headrest, it’s essential to clean the detachable cushion cover if needed; simply press the button at the top of the chair to release and wash it as required. You’re then left with a few discreetly covered holes that subtly detract from the chair’s overall appearance, yet ultimately produce a surprisingly tidy conclusion.

Positioned near the lower end of the curved backrest lies an adjustable lumbar support that can be tailored to provide optimal comfort and support for the wearer’s spine. The adjustable lumbar support, situated on a glide track, permits smooth vertical movement; concurrently, the ergonomic mechanism enables the curved, horizontal bar to effortlessly pivot in and out of position behind the padded upholstery.

The armrests transfer seamlessly to adjustable positions, permitting smooth glides up and down, as well as subtle adjustments outward and inward, with the added feature of angling them inward and outward for optimal comfort. The adjustments align seamlessly, except for the peculiar instance of forward-and-backward gliding motion. As you repeatedly flex and extend your limbs with each finger press, you effortlessly transition between standing and sitting positions. The design of this chair is remarkably flawed, with a peculiar omission that stands out amidst its otherwise thoughtful construction.

While allowing for adjustment, the seat’s base can be effortlessly slid forward or backward by releasing the mechanism on one side, offering a significant ergonomic advantage compared to numerous gaming chairs on the market. Following the successful conclusion of this transaction, a clever mechanism becomes available, allowing for effortless adjustment of the chair’s height: smoothly raising it when unoccupied or lowering it to a comfortable position when seated. Additionally, situated precisely alongside the stress-adjusting lever is the lean stress adjusting mechanism. By adjusting your position, you can effortlessly adjust the backrest’s inclination, allowing for a comfortable leaning experience as the chair responds by tilting upwards when you shift your weight.

Notably missing from this design is the option to recline. You’ll be able to tilt the chair again, with the seat and back rocking in semi-unison; however, you won’t be able to lower the back entirely independently of the seat. On the driver’s side, a locking mechanism controls the lean function for optimal comfort during travel, allowing the seat to be adjusted to a precise 45-degree angle or anywhere in between.

The crowning jewel of this chair’s flexibility lies in its adjustable casters. With a built-in security mechanism, these chairs prevent rolling unless there is sufficient weight on them, thus ensuring they remain stationary even when only slightly leaned upon to avoid unwanted movement. Despite removing all wheels, a subtle adjustment enables the capacity to bypass this feature altogether. It’s somewhat amusing that I initially thought this mechanism would work better when I first sat in the chair since it didn’t seem to glide smoothly at first glance. Notwithstanding, it transpired that this was actually the freewheeling setup, with the castors being relatively slow-moving.

Consolation

The initial allure of the Fractal Refine’s compensation is unmistakably grandiose. Despite initial enthusiasm, several issues emerged after repeated usage over the course of weeks. The ergonomic design of the primary seat portion boasts a sleek, curved silhouette that seamlessly cradles the user’s body, providing a truly exceptional sitting experience. A common pitfall lies in the design of many chairs, featuring a flat or subtly upturned entry point that inevitably leads to the seat edge digging uncomfortably into one’s legs. Not a single bit of what you’re looking for will show up around here.

For someone as tall as I am, the adjustability of the seat size is a truly welcome feature. The extra legroom helps significantly reduce stress in your legs, thereby allowing a more even distribution of your body’s weight. While sitting comfortably with some flexibility, one potential drawback is that your lower back might momentarily become wedged between the chair and its base when adjusting the seat angle; however, this issue resolves once you reset the seat to its original position. The gap between the two barely opens when you tilt your head, only to close back up as you return to an upright position? It’s not inherently uncomfortable, but does require a swift readjustment to settle in properly.

The padding provides supportive comfort, despite its relatively shallow depth and lack of extreme squishiness – although it is indeed softer than many gaming chairs. While I was pleased to note the increased heat retention compared to my standard Aeron mesh chair – a complaint I harbor towards any non-mesh gaming seat. Given the circumstances, I would recommend using the mesh model of this chair for warmer climates.

The contouring of the seat impresses once more, significantly enhanced by the effective support provided by the adjustable lumbar bar. While seated, regulating the bar requires leaning forward to alleviate tension; once accustomed, movement is relatively effortless. Without sacrificing comfort, this chair encourages users to maintain a natural and upright posture, setting it apart from many gaming chairs that may encourage slouching or leaning forward?

The headrest’s sleek design and intuitive adjustments enable swift positioning for optimal support while seated upright. It adjusts barely when tilted again, though a simple adjustment is all that’s needed.

The arm consolation is another triumph, as the armrests boast some of the softest padding found in the numerous gaming chairs I’ve had the opportunity to test. The proposed changes are all straightforward and easy to implement. Despite this, the lack of forward-facing slide locks can be frustrating, as it means you mustn’t worry about nudging the armrests aside when pulling your chair close to your desk.

One major limitation, however, is the lack of a straightforward reclining option, which often makes it difficult to easily fold flat for an afternoon snooze. Despite initial impressions, the lean operation falls short in many respects. The strain adjustment proved ineffective in producing a noticeable difference; I consistently found the chair seemed designed to propel me upward, requiring me to place my feet on something to maintain an upright position.

Additionally, one tiny statement. The highest points of the five-pointed star’s foundation display a relatively smooth profile, featuring a subtly roughened edge. Discovering it somewhat unsettling to revisit those elements when all I had on me were a pair of socks at home.

Worth

Priced at $549.99, the Fractal Refine is competitively positioned among premium gaming chairs, offering a fair value considering its build quality, design, and features. Notably, the material, mesh, and Alcantara finishes share an identical value.

Alternate options

Secretlab Titan Evo 2022

Our time-honored go-to for gaming chairs remains the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022. Available in three sizes and numerous designs, this versatile chair offers extensive adjustability features, including removable armrest tops and a magnetic headrest cushion, providing exceptional comfort at an affordable price point comparable to the Refine. Despite its slightly dull appearance and less refined after-sales support, it remains a top pick nonetheless.

Discover the ultimate gaming chair experience with our in-depth review of the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022.

Verdict

The Fractal Refine is, in many ways, a groundbreaking achievement for its initial entry into a completely novel product category for Fractal. This elegant, high-end chair offers an abundance of features while providing a comfortable oasis for prolonged seating sessions. Despite not being the softest option, it still manages to avoid leaving you feeling uncomfortable or bothered by any unpleasant sensation.

The intelligent height-adjustable headrest stands out as a notable achievement, with the lumbar support and ergonomic seat design also impressing, particularly the adjustable sizing feature. The armrests are designed to remain fixed in place, allowing for both reclining and tilting functions; while not ideal for extended sitting, it still excels at providing short-term comfort.