Seeing Fractal release a Lite version of a case that in its own right is already quite feature-packed for the price is interesting. However, producing a simpler chassis with fewer features and passing $30 in savings on may not be enough to sway people away from the fully featured, classic Meshify series. In other words, for that difference, you get more storage options, USB-C, a fan hub, dust filters, optional vertical GPU mounting, and more cable-management features, all of which is quite a lot to forego for "just" $30.

That doesn't make the Fractal Design Meshify 2 Lite the worse chassis. It is still just as spacious, supports hardware components of the same size as the original, and manages to deliver all the core functionality with a smaller part count through simpler engineering. There will certainly be users out there who would rather invest that money into a functional component instead. For example, those $30 may be the difference between an entry-level air cooler or AIO.

Of all the cuts Fractal has made to achieve the Lite variant of the Meshify 2, the missing USB-C port is probably the one that will sting the most as it isn't simply replaced by a "simpler," but functional variant and cannot be retrofitted. But in the end, the Fractal Design Meshify 2 Lite does manage to provide users with another option to get that cool chassis for less and still reap most of the tangible benefits of the core design and dimensions of the original. As an RGB variant, you even get those four retail-grade 140 mm ARGB fans for just $15 over the non-RGB variant, which gives you bit more bang for your buck.