Fractal Design Refine in the test: the gaming chair with the flair of an office chair

Fractal Design Refine in the test: The gaming chair with the flair of an office chair 7 comments

Announced at Computex 2024, Fractal Design is expanding its portfolio with the Refine, a “gaming chair” which also aims to score points as ergonomic office furniture thanks to its solid design. The chair performs very well in the test, even if its beginnings are not yet perfect.

Table of contents The gaming chair in office chair style Fractal Design RefineGaming-Chair ≠ office chair? Variants and prices Structure of the office chair in detail Ergonomics and key data Processing and daily experiences Conclusion

Summary :

Refine the fractal design

With Refine, not only Fractal Design makes its debut in the office chair segment, but also Techacteur. This is the first test of a seating piece of furniture. From the outset, the question that needs to be clarified is what is the difference between a “gaming” chair and an office chair.

Gaming chair ≠ office chair?

The application area of both is behind the desk and both categories primarily promote ergonomics. Apart from the equipment, the differences mainly lie in the appearance. Gaming chairs usually attract attention with their eye-catching design and offer functions such as LED lighting, vibration or tilt functions. Many shapes are also reminiscent of racing bucket seats. There are also often pillows for the neck and lower back. The material often used is leather or artificial leather.

The last points in particular are where the gaming chair differs from the office chair. The office chair rests on adjustable supports rather than cushions. The material used is fabric or mesh, which provides better moisture permeability and heat regulation.

Ultimately, however, it’s a simple matter of statement and marketing, as Fractal Design Refine shows as a great example. Advertised as a gaming chair, it is more likely attributed to the office chair warehouse.

Variants and prices

The Fractal Design Refine is available in five variations. For the upper material, you can choose between fabric cover, mesh fabric and Alcantara. While the fabric and mesh versions are offered in light and dark gray, the Alcantara model is only available in dark.

Fractal Design offers a 5-year warranty on the chair itself. The coating and surface are covered by a 3-year warranty.

Fractal Design Refine in light mesh (Image: Fractal Design) Image 1 of 5

The recommended price for the four fabric variants is 549 euros, the Alcantara version costs 899 euros. Availability is currently low. As Fractal Design tells Techtip, there are currently some delivery difficulties after the first batch quickly sold out. These difficulties are also reflected in current market prices, which are all above the recommended price. Additionally, the chairs are only sold by a few select retailers, who specify each model with long delivery times. However, the manufacturer gives the green light, telling Techoutil that deliveries should arrive at the end of December/beginning of January.

Fractal Design Refine – Variants and prices Model Reference PVC Market price Fractal Design Refine Light Mesh 549 euros from 550 euros Dark Mesh 549 euros from 550 euros Light Fabric 549 euros from 550 euros Dark Fabric 549 euros from 550 euros Alcantara 899 euros from 900 euros

Construction

Building the Fractal Design Refine is simple, almost self-explanatory, and can be done by just one person. Probably the hardest part of setting it up is getting the package to its destination. Not only does the exterior packaging take up the entire trunk of an upper mid-range station wagon, but the bulky packaging also weighs almost 38 kilograms in total.

Fractal Design Refine in the test: individual parts image 1 of 12

In addition to a few screws, the chair consists of 11 individual parts. The five double wheels are simply inserted into the base. The same goes for the gas spring (class 4, 120 mm) on which the seat is placed. Only the armrests and the backrest need to be screwed together using a hexagonal wrench. Armrests can be installed with staggered widths. For this purpose, small markings are stamped on both screw holders.

Office chair in detail

Ergonomics and key data

The Fractal Design Refine is recommended for a height between 1.65 and 2.00 m and a weight between 60 and 125 kg. The fitter responsible for the test is 1.85 m tall and weighs 88 kg.

The newcomer may not worry about the ergonomic adjustment possibilities. Under the seat, a Donati synchronized recline mechanism allows you to lean back comfortably, with the seat tilting slightly as you lean against it. Although the tilt is minimal, the synchronization mechanism has a huge impact on the seating experience and is much more comfortable than simply tilting the backrests.

There is a lumbar support in the back area which supports the lower back and lumbar spine. It can be adjusted in height by simply sliding and is easily accessible even when seated. The force in the lumbar spine area can be adjusted using a rotary knob with a good grid.

Four adjustments can be made on the seat itself. Using the lever handle on the left side of the seat, the backrest can be locked or unlocked in 13 positions. The resistance of the released backrest can be adjusted using an elongated button on the right side. The height and depth of the seat can be adjusted using two additional lever handles. The Fractal Design Refine offers a lot with these adjustment options, but lacks the ability to adjust the seat angle, which can greatly contribute to an upright sitting posture.

Armrests are just as important for office ergonomics. These are non-slip and lightly padded in the Fractal Design Refine. They are advertised as “4D” and only allow this number of settings. In addition to the classic possibilities for adjusting the height and depth of the armrest, the rotation can also be adjusted by one level (± 15°). In addition, the distance from the seat can be adjusted in five levels, so that regardless of whether the armrests are screwed wide or narrow to the chair, the armrests can be adjusted equally wide or narrow.

At the end of the high backrest is a removable neck support padded with memory foam. It can be positioned by 120 mm by sliding in the respective direction. The cover is removable and washable.

Treatment and daily experiences

The Fractal Design Refine makes no mistakes in terms of processing quality. The base is extremely solid made of aluminum. The design of the five double casters cleverly breaks away from the familiar look of the desk. The automatic brake can also be activated or deactivated using a small lever on the rollers.

The fabric elements of the seat and back are of excellent quality. Not a single seam is sticking out of the fabric or twisted. The padding is also pleasant and subjectively judged neither too hard nor too soft. The seat cushion is slightly raised on the sides and thus provides not too solid but very comfortable lateral support. Since the seating experience largely depends on personal preferences, personal testing applies here.

In this context, the furnishing fabric should also be highlighted in a positive way. It is slightly smooth and has a subtle surface structure, which contributes to a comfortable seating experience. It’s also nice to see that the material is relatively resistant to pet hair. In the test, dog hair could be easily brushed out of the fabric and hardly got stuck in the fabric.

Fractal Design Refine in test Image 1 of 5

Although the Refine’s ergonomic features are all easily accessible in everyday life and serve their purpose, there are two problems with Fractal Design’s first office chair. The armrest depth adjustment is extremely sensitive. Even the smallest movements of the arm are enough to adjust the support. The grid also leaves a lot to be desired. While a thin step grille can still be seen and heard on the left armrest during the test, it is completely absent on the right armrest. Here, the manufacturer must install steps that engage more strongly.

What the armrests allow too easily is a problem adjusting the seat depth. This important function proves far too difficult when seated. To extend the seat, during the test, it was necessary to fix the base with the feet and move the seat forward with a lot of effort. Once this was done, it was not uncommon during testing for the depth adjustment not to lock in at the appropriate level. Only a little rocking back and forth brought it to completion.

Conclusion

With the Refine, Fractal Design is expanding its product range in a very sensible way. The chair can shine in several ways, so its debut in the office chair segment can be considered a success – even if it has some minor flaws.

Fractal Design Refine in Test

Marketed as a “gaming chair,” the Refine can easily be used in normal office environments thanks to its sturdy design. Top-notch build quality as well as numerous ergonomic adjustment possibilities and especially the synchronized tilt mechanism are undoubtedly worth highlighting, but at a price of around 550 euros they are also in good shape. With the exception of a seat tilt, the Fractal Design Refine has no shortage of ergonomic features. The thickness of the padding and the fabric covering are optimally chosen and provide, with a slight side rise, an extremely comfortable seating experience.

On the other hand, the smooth adjustment of the depth of the armrests is negative, which should be remedied together with the difficult adjustment of the depth of the seat. The extra 350 euros for the Alcantara version is also viewed with skepticism. The velvety microfiber material with the characteristics of suede may be of higher quality, but that hardly justifies the approximately 64% higher price.

Techconseil was loaned to Refine by Fractal Design for testing. The manufacturer had no influence on the test report and was not obliged to publish it.

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Themes: Fractal Design Gaming