Fractal Design Refine Overview
So to start things out we have the mesh version of the chair in the light color. Fractal will be offering this chair in fabric and alcantara version. While the fabric you can get in both light and dark colorways the alcantara is only available in the dark colorway. The light colorway in the mesh makes use of a darker gray for the main colors with a lighter gray for the accent colors. If you are going for a light aesthetic this chair is going to match perfectly. Also this chair is going to look good whether you are putting it in a gaming setup or simply an office.
Starting with the backrest you can see how the mesh is used. I actually prefer mesh on my chairs these days as it is breathable. Fractal is calling this their adaptive mesh as when you sit in the chair it will slightly adapt to your body. Compared to many other chairs I’ve reviewed it feels quite high quality and one thing I noticed is that it is not too rough either. The seat of the chair makes use of the same mesh.
The backrest does come with a pre-installed neck pillow. This pillow is made with memory foam and gets thicker towards the bottom to support your neck. To adjust it up or down there is actually a button on the top of the backrest. This adjustment can easily be done while you are sitting in the chair. You can fully remove the neck pillow if you prefer to not use it.
As we look at the back of the chair we can see how the frame is designed. The frame itself is a glass-fiber reinforced frame. Towards the bottom of the frame you will find your lumbar support. The lumbar support can be easily moved up and down and you can use the knob to move it in or out. Again, this can be done when you are sitting in the chair.
When it comes to the arm rests they have a sort of soft rubber on them. These are 4D armrests so you can move them up and down, back and forward, in and out, and you can angle them in and out. On the outside of the arm rest you’ll find a large paddle to adjust the armrest up and down. This paddle is actually made of metal and is quite satisfying to use. On the inside of the arm rest the smaller button allows you to adjust the armrest in and out. Finally the larger button on the inside allows you to angle the armrests in and out. To move the arm rests forward or back you can simply just move them. I did not find that this movement was too loose as I could rest my arms on the armrests and they would not accidentally move forward or back.
For seat and backrest adjustment Fractal has also opted for large paddles, and these actually are labeled which is really nice to see! Starting at the right side of the chair we have two paddles. The one towards the back of the chair will adjust the seat depth. The one towards the front will adjust the seat height. On the opposite side we have a paddle that will lock and unlock the tilt of the backrest. You simply pull up on the paddle to lock it in place. If left unlocked the backrest will move with your body. The max tilt on the backrest is going to be 45 degrees.
If you do leave the backrest unlocked you may notice that it moves a bit too freely when you move your body back. You can adjust the tension using the pole knob on the right side of the chair. Rotating it forwards will tighten the tension, while rotating it backwards will loosen it.
The wheel base is made of aluminum and the wheels themselves make use of hubless caster. These casters are made of materials which help absorb shock, which not only reduces noise, but also protects floors.
