Fractal Announces Availability of its Refine Desk Chair Series

[Nomad76]

Fractal Refine is designed with a clear purpose in mind — to create a comfortable, versatile place to sit and become fully and enjoyably immersed in the gaming experience. To achieve this, we took inspiration from modern gaming spaces, Scandinavian furniture design and research-led ergonomic science, to fuse the ergonomics of high-end office chairs together with intuitive controls and an aesthetic designed to elevate the gaming station.

It offers a range of easy-to-use adjustment features, including headrest height, seat height and depth, lumbar support depth and height, armrests in four directions and tilt tension. The tilt is also lockable in thirteen positions and offers fluid, ergonomic recline thanks to the synchro-tilt mechanism which moves in tandem with the user's body as they lean back.





Fractal Refine is available in adaptive, breathable mesh or soft, padded fabric in either Light or Dark color palettes. It is also available in supple Alcantara, a material usually found in luxury automobiles. All combinations provide additional comfort through padded armrests and a removable memory foam headrest, while offering a sturdy, glass-fiber reinforced frame and aluminum wheelbase for stability. The end result is a gaming chair designed to provide comfort, ergonomic support and adjustability while enhancing the gaming station aesthetic.

Refine is now available in the US (Mesh Dark, Fabric Dark, Fabric Light at $549.99, and Alcantara Dark at $899.99) and Asia Pacific, with availability in other regions coming this month.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[Octavean]

I actually kind of like the design,......

However, as always IMO, Herman Miller Aeron for the win!!!!

 

[trsttte]

Mesh for the win!

Hope this goes well for Fractal, they are generally a good company and seem to have put in the work instead of just rehashing the same racing seat all over again. Can't wait to see some reviews

 

[theglaze]

Alcantara Dark at $899.99

That's an expensive way to develop swass.

 

[aktpu]

Yes yes, nice and cool. But when will they release Era 2 to us?

 

[Deleted member 229121]

Pulled from their main site, the chair is only rated for 125kg (~275lbs) and they don't list duration periods either...

Paying $500 or especially $900 for this makes no sense.
Actual office-grade chairs are going to be built much better (rated 500+lbs for 8+ hours), and likely have better ergonomics as well.

Refine — Fractal Design

Refine offers gamers superior comfort, office-level ergonomics and top-of-the-line adjustability in a premium design package.

www.fractal-design.com

 

[azrael]

They kind of lost me at "glass-fiber reinforced". Also, weird that a product from a Swedish company seems to arrive in Europe after the US and Asia-Pacific.

 

[ZoneDymo]

Pulled from their main site, the chair is only rated for 125kg (~275lbs) and they don't list duration periods either...

Paying $500 or especially $900 for this makes no sense.
Actual office-grade chairs are going to be built much better (rated 500+lbs for 8+ hours), and likely have better ergonomics as well.

Refine — Fractal Design

Refine offers gamers superior comfort, office-level ergonomics and top-of-the-line adjustability in a premium design package.

www.fractal-design.com

the better ergonomics is something you base on nothing really, and ya know, what if you dont weight 500+ but a much more healthy number? then what does it matter if a chair can handle tons more weight? you dont weigh that much and you are going to use it.

 

[yfn_ratchet]

Meanwhile my crappy 'gaming' chair from Costco made for people a foot shorter than me is still holding on for dear life

I can't see the value in dumping several hundreds of dollars on a chair unless it's gonna give me more than its due in comfort and more importantly longevity. I'll keep to the sub-$200 market, thanks.

 

[Event Horizon]

You pay for gamer chairs twice. First with your wallet and later with the consequences of bad posture.

 

[Deleted member 229121]

the better ergonomics is something you base on nothing really, and ya know, what if you dont weight 500+ but a much more healthy number? then what does it matter if a chair can handle tons more weight? you dont weigh that much and you are going to use it.

Ergonomics are very much a thing, especially with something you plan to sit for hours in.

Also the weight rating isn't about the average person (though it could be for some who are heavier), it's about the durability of the chair over time.
The reason office-grade chairs are rated like that is because they are intended to last for decades.

What people seem to forget in the gaming / PC space is that a chair is a piece of furniture.
Good furniture isn't cheap, but there's certainly no point in paying this much for something that doesn't even have office-grade quality behind it.

 

[Chaitanya]

Pulled from their main site, the chair is only rated for 125kg (~275lbs) and they don't list duration periods either...

Paying $500 or especially $900 for this makes no sense.
Actual office-grade chairs are going to be built much better (rated 500+lbs for 8+ hours), and likely have better ergonomics as well.

Refine — Fractal Design

Refine offers gamers superior comfort, office-level ergonomics and top-of-the-line adjustability in a premium design package.

www.fractal-design.com

For americans that 125kg(even for me that around 1.4x of my body mass) is on the low side but for rest of the world thats quite high but yeah duration period for stress needs to be specified clearly. Compared to any of these brands I would still spend money on used Herman miller or steelcase chairs thanks to replacements parts availablity and better ergonomics.

 

[LabRat 891]

I own a Fractal Design Focus G, it was ~$30. Because of that experience, I view Fractal as a 'high value' brand.
This has shattered that delusion.

fugg! that's spendy.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Pulled from their main site, the chair is only rated for 125kg (~275lbs) and they don't list duration periods either...

Paying $500 or especially $900 for this makes no sense.
Actual office-grade chairs are going to be built much better (rated 500+lbs for 8+ hours), and likely have better ergonomics as well.

Refine — Fractal Design

Refine offers gamers superior comfort, office-level ergonomics and top-of-the-line adjustability in a premium design package.

www.fractal-design.com

You're aware you can just change the gas piston to increase this, right?
That's where the limit is on most chairs, unless you're 200 kg+

Also, the range is 65-125 kg, which means if you're below 65 kg, you won't be able to adjust the height of the chair, as the piston will be too strong and you'd have to change to a different one as well. This is why many office chairs comes in different weight classes.

It's also funny that everyone here have been complaining about the racing seats for years, here comes something that's actually half decent and yet, everyone's complaining about it...

 

[LabRat 891]

It's also funny that everyone here have been complaining about the racing seats for years, here comes something that's actually half decent and yet, everyone's complaining about it...

I won't deny that this chair looks potentially *actually comfortable*. It's just... I've worked @ 'office supply retailer' and assembled+sold desk chairs when 'tech' was slow.

$500-800 could buy a chair that did everything but *ahem* 'satisfy' you.

 

[Caring1]

Is it really necessary to call it a desk chair?
What part of it is desk?
Now THIS is a desk chair

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

I actually kind of like the design,......

However, as always IMO, Herman Miller Aeron for the win!!!!

My heart says Herman Miller, but my wallet points at my decade-old Ikea Markus and says "That'll do".

 

[Octavean]

My heart says Herman Miller, but my wallet points at my decade-old Ikea Markus and says "That'll do".

I hear you. Still, I have four Herman Miller Aeron chairs. All were purchased used (I know a guy). All are in excellent condition. All were cheaper than even the cheapest offering here (less then the Fabric Light at $549.99 / IIRC I paid ~$400 each). It doesn’t make sense IMO, to buy chairs like Fractal Refine when the used Herman Mill market of quality office chairs will get you sorted.

 

[Deleted member 229121]

You're aware you can just change the gas piston to increase this, right?
That's where the limit is on most chairs, unless you're 200 kg+

Also, the range is 65-125 kg, which means if you're below 65 kg, you won't be able to adjust the height of the chair, as the piston will be too strong and you'd have to change to a different one as well. This is why many office chairs comes in different weight classes.

It's also funny that everyone here have been complaining about the racing seats for years, here comes something that's actually half decent and yet, everyone's complaining about it...

For $900 you shouldn't have to do that.
The fact of the matter is this thing is asking borderline office-grade money and it's not delivering on the quality.

If it were cheaper then I wouldn't care, it is what it is.

 

[TheLostSwede]

I won't deny that this chair looks potentially *actually comfortable*. It's just... I've worked @ 'office supply retailer' and assembled+sold desk chairs when 'tech' was slow.

$500-800 could buy a chair that did everything but *ahem* 'satisfy' you.

I'm not talking about the price, which I can agree is on the steep side, but when everyone bitches about there being nothing but the samey things and here comes a company that actually did something new and fresh and people still bitch... It's hard not getting a bit annoyed.
And we don't know if these are good chairs or not, as so far, no-one outside of the company has really tried them.

My heart says Herman Miller, but my wallet points at my decade-old Ikea Markus and says "That'll do".

Used to have one of those, they're not as good for your back as you'd think. In fact, most IKEA chairs aren't good for your back, although they're far from the worst.
I ended up spending around $500 on a proper chair and it was an investment I wish I made a long time ago, as it's really helped my back, or rather, my whole body.

I hear you. Still, I have four Herman Miller Aeron chairs. All were purchased used (I know a guy). All are in excellent condition. All were cheaper than even the cheapest offering here (less then the Fabric Light at $549.99 / IIRC I paid ~$400 each). It doesn’t make sense IMO, to buy chairs like Fractal Refine when the used Herman Mill market of quality office chairs will get you sorted.

The Aeron doesn't have a tall enough back for tall people though. Since we're talking size/weight things here as well, I should point out that they come in three different sizes, A, B and C, with different weight ranges per size.

For $900 you shouldn't have to do that.
The fact of the matter is this thing is asking borderline office-grade money and it's not delivering on the quality.

If it were cheaper then I wouldn't care, it is what it is.

I don't see where I defend the pricing, but as I stated, the weight range matters and no company except Herman Miller appears to offer different SKUs based in user weight.
As such, this is something you at times have to sort out on your own. I got a $500-ish mesh chair in Taiwan and the gast piston in it died after about two years and I replaced it with a stronger one for about $25 and the chair is as new. Also, only a single SKU of this chair is $900, but again, I'm not defending the pricing or saying it's good pricing, but I understand why these chairs aren't cheap after having bought a similarly priced chair. These do seem to be a bit more plasticky than the one I got though, as it had a die cast aluminium frame.

 

[Deleted member 229121]

Not directed at you really in regards to pricing, I was speaking to the product itself.
For what they are asking no-one should have to replace the piston; the durability of the upholstery itself also would be TBD (the office ones are made for high traffic).

Herman Miller always comes to the front of the line in these discussions but there are many other brands.
The problem is that office furniture is mostly a commercial industry, and most consumers don't think or know to check B2Bs

You can get something built like an absolute tank for $500 or less if you're willing to pickup a floor model / used from a reseller.

 

[ZoneDymo]

Ergonomics are very much a thing, especially with something you plan to sit for hours in.

Also the weight rating isn't about the average person (though it could be for some who are heavier), it's about the durability of the chair over time.
The reason office-grade chairs are rated like that is because they are intended to last for decades.

What people seem to forget in the gaming / PC space is that a chair is a piece of furniture.
Good furniture isn't cheap, but there's certainly no point in paying this much for something that doesn't even have office-grade quality behind it.

never said ergonomics aren't important, I was reacting to your "and likely have better ergonomics as well." claim which again, is based on nothing.
maximum weight allowed has zero to do with durability.

 

[Kyan]

The design is really great imo. It looks a tiny bit like a gaming chair with the upper shape, but in general is built like an office chair. It could be a good investment if the durability is there. I already have a steelcase series 2, so not for my actual self .

 

[Deleted member 229121]

never said ergonomics aren't important, I was reacting to your "and likely have better ergonomics as well." claim which again, is based on nothing.
maximum weight allowed has zero to do with durability.

That is incorrect; the max load has everything to do with it because it's about duration over time.
This is a set industry standard, not something I made up, and is a well established guideline for commercial grade furniture.

 

[Octavean]

The Aeron doesn't have a tall enough back for tall people though. Since we're talking size/weight things here as well, I should point out that they come in three different sizes, A, B and C, with different weight ranges per size.

Fair enough,...

However, by that set of facts it stands to reason that the back of some other products could be too tall. One size doesn't fit all is the takeaway I guess. I'll say that the Herman Miller Aeron model I have is the perfect size for me and mine. There are times I consider buying the headrest but I don't really need it and likely would rarely use it.