In order to improve the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frames, carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) was used to retrofit reinforced concrete frame structures. The effects of CFRP on the failure mode, the energy dissipation characteristics, the lateral stiffness degradation patterns, the ultimate bearing capacity degradation and the ductility of RC columns were investigated by the pseudo-static tests. The results show that the peak bearing capacity, initial stiffness and ductility of the CFRP reinforced model are increased by 43.89%, 39.27% and 30.10%, respectively. Based on the parametric study of the finite element model, the contribution of CFRP to the seismic upgrading effect of RC columns was quantitatively revealed, and the optimized design of CFRP retrofitted was proposed. The results indicated that the peak load, ductility and energy dissipation capacity of the whole structure are improved by using CFRP full-wrap reinforcement and strip reinforcement models with different coverage areas. The damage degree of column decreases, the damage degree of beam increases, and the failure mode changes from “column hinge” to “beam hinge”. Simultaneously, different CFRP reinforcement areas and the distance between strip-shaped CFRP have different reinforcement effects on concrete structures. Based on the investigation results, the recommended ratio of the width of CFRP strip to its spacing is 1.00 to 1.25.