Amazon's big Prime Day sale is this week, so there are a lot of deals out there on all sorts of gaming hardware. I'll be honest, as someone who covers these discounts for a living, not all are made equal. Some are phony, some are just okay, but the very occasional few make me do a comedic double-take, refresh the page, and blink hard to make sure I'm reading them right. Today, I've found one of those deals on maybe the best gaming chair there is.
The Fractal Refine is amazing, and one reason I love it is because it comes in mesh, fabric, and, if you can afford it, a luxury Alcantara version. The latter is something I seldom recommend, because for those who don't know, it's a very pricey material that's used in a lot of pro-grade sports cars. The Alcantara-coated Fractal Refine usually costs $949 - hence why I don't recommend it often. Right now, for some reason, it's seeing a 47% price reduction at Amazon that brings it down to $499.99.
I have no idea what's happened here for that price to be a thing, but something doesn't seem right. Even if the Alcantara version of the chair just isn't selling and this is a method of shifting units, surely there's not that much wiggle room in the profit margin? That's almost a half-off price cut, and it brings the Alcantara model down to the same price as the other mesh and fabric colorways of the Fractal Refine.
I have no idea what's going on with this, but it's absolutely something you should make the most of immediately if you're thinking of upgrading your gaming chair. Not only is it an excellent saving you're making, but it's on what I'd deem the best all-round gaming chair there is right now.
So what is it that makes the Refine so special? For me, it's an excellent marriage of ergonomics, design, and comfort. These three pillars are central facets of gaming chair architecture, but seldom do you really get all three in a perfect ratio. Most mesh chairs often focus on ergonomics alone, which means chairs like the AutoFull G7 lack some of the comfort of more traditional chairs.
Seats like the Corsair TC500 Luxe maybe lean more into comfort, which is amazing for longer sessions, but means you do lack some of the posture support and healthy sitting approach of other chairs. If design takes over, you end up with something exceedingly extra like the Asus ROG Destrier Ergo chair.
The Fractal Refine has a stunning look to it, which is slender and minimalist; it has soft curves and blends into an interesting overall shape that looks unique. It blends the ergonomic posture support of a mesh chair, giving you healthy posture as you sit, but it has enough plush cushioning and loads of adjustability to make sure you're comfortable in whatever position you want to sit in.
The Alcantara version is technically the same as the other colorways in terms of features, but for me, it enhances all three of those central pillars further. With the black material swallowing all light like a black hole, it helps the seams of the chair disappear, which gives the Refine an even more alluring look. The comfort is enhanced because the soft and premium-feeling material is much nicer to the touch than fabric or mesh. Ergonomics, to me, feel enhanced because of the futureproofing this hard-wearing material gives you. While mesh or fabric might wear down over time, I have confidence this will be an even better longer-term investment because each session in it feels the same as the out of box experience.
I have no idea how long this deal will last - but if I had to bet, I wouldn't put my money on it staying through the week. If stock lasts, the price sure won't since either someone will realise they put the wrong deal price in, or this was never meant to be discovered by someone like me, who will shout from the rooftops about it. If you're interested in a new place to sit, I'd act quickly.
- View all gaming chairs at Amazon
- Fractal Refine: $499 at Amazon
- Corsair TC500 Luxe: $499 at Amazon
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