Key factors
Cool zippers, new waterproofing, etc... sometimes it's easy to get lost in all the hype (over-spending happens on features). Our guide focuses on the fundamental factors you should always keep in mind (thus, this short list is similar across all items). Then only at the end do we have some questions to get you thinking about other minor features.
We highly recommend reviewing Type or Style first, where we review what you can use to address the Core function--a regular item you have at home may work! The other factors are secondary & depend strongly on the Type or Style you've picked.
While we encourage you to use regular items wherever possible, as an outdoor gear shop, we only carry outdoor-specific products
Type or Style
We've organized the most commonly used items people use to address the Core function below, with example images, characteristics, features, etc.
Our category name |
Hard-sides |
Soft-sides |
Folding style |
Collapsible style |
Picnic style |
Pitched style |
Example qualities & features |
Example images |
|
|
|
|
How to set up |
Just unfold or open up |
Set-up poles, stretch fabric across poles, like a really easy tent! |
Seat height |
Standard 18-20in*
(46-51cm)
|
N/A; on the ground |
11-16in
(30-41cm)
|
Seat surface material & how it sits |
Hard plastic or metal |
Fabric |
Flat surface. Back may be straight or angled |
Surface dips slightly to accommodate weight (usually can still be used by anyone). Back may be straight or angled |
Flat surface; may or may not be padded/ Back usually straight |
Surface dips to accommodate weight (combined with lower height, may not be the best option for older people). Back usually angled |
Weight capacity (adult model) |
500+lbs
(227+kg)
Usually not an issue
|
200-300lbs
(91-136kg)**
|
200lbs
(91kg)***
|
200-300lbs
(91-136kg)**
|
Is it permitted at music festivals?* |
|
|
|
|
Effect on secondary factors
For a single person Capacity chair
|
Price |
$10-20 |
$10-50 |
$60-120 |
Weight
|
5-10lbs
(2.3-4.5kg)
|
2-5lbs
(0.9-2.3kg)
|
1-2lbs
(0.5-0.9kg)
|
Size
|
You'll need a vehicle to transport this |
~2-3ft (0.6-0.9m) long & maybe bulkier than a camera tripod |
Like a big laptop |
A little smaller than a 2-liter soda bottle |
Can be slung over-the-shoulder |
May fit in larger backpacks |
Can fit in almost any regular backpack, or extra large purses |
Rationale |
Less technical & more material, no consideration for Weight & Size |
More technical & less material, Weight & Size specifically optimized |
Why we do/don't carry it
= we rent = we sell
|
Not specific enough for outdoor use |
There may be issues with durability & not as versatile for multiple use cases |
Doesn't add that much more value than sitting on the ground, which is free |
Versatile for most outdoor uses, therefore more worth the money
|
*Many music festivals don't allow seating that's standard height, since it may block the view for others behind you
**These chairs use more delicate materials to reduce Weight & Size. Take care if you are a larger person using a lower end model as poles may bend (even if they don't break, the chair may feel wobbly)
***This type of chair sits on the ground. If it does have a weight rating, then it means the bottom is cushioned; above this weight rating, you won't feel the effects of the cushioning anymore. If it doesn't have a weight rating, there's no cushion, just a pad between you and the ground.
Price
One of life's certainties is the trade-off between price & quality. This creates an inherently unfair situation. If you save money today by buying something lower end, you'll end up replacing it more frequently, spending money & time each instance so that at the end, you probably haven't actually saved anything. On the other hand, if you decide to invest in something higher end, you'll need a lot more upfront money, and you need to be able to use the item frequently enough to make it worthwhile.
We developed our rental program to address this unfairness. We don't sell lower end items. But for our higher end items, we offer them for rent at up to 90% off retail price, generally well below the cost of buying even the cheaper option. That's a win-win!
It may seem like the price & quality trade-off is disappearing, because you can find a cheap version of almost anything for tens of dollars that still has good reviews (assuming the reviews are real). Remember 2 things:
- Many reviews are written after only a trial use, first use, or infrequent use: We've seen entire review videos of gear done at home, which is very different than actually being outdoors!
- The point of gear is to give you a good experience because you've already spent money to be on vacation from work! Don't let quality issues affect your relaxation
For gear specifically, the quality issues center around performance & durability.
Performance
- The chair wasn't very durable: we unfortunately have a lot of experience with this. The lower end collapsible & pitched styles that cost $10-20 can sometimes feel single-use: the poles significantly bend & it's uncomfortable & wobbly to continue sitting
Durability
Maybe you are the average person that goes 1-2 times per year, you don't mind the hassle of replacing gear that doesn't last, and you also don't care about the performance differences. Then use our borrow program & get free gear where available! Or for a little more, use our rental program.
Methodology notes on prices shown on this page
In addition to losing money by buying lower end products that just aren't worth it, you can also lose money by buying higher end products that also aren't worth it. Once you reach a certain tier of quality, any additional price differences are based on branding or design (check out this Louis Vuitton chalk bag [other chalk bags cost $20-50]).
For the reason above, the price data on this page for outdoor-specific gear (i.e., not household items) generally excludes
low end & high end prices. This way, you get a more accurate sense of price comparison & trends across categories (i.e., if there's a $20 version of everything, then it's hard to get a sense of trends if the ranges all start at $20).
Low end products are defined those that:
- Most professional reviewers don't mention
- Tend to be sold at mass retail (i.e., non-specialty stores)
High end products are defined those that:
- Are mainly branding driven (like the LV chalk bag; the brand isn't specialized in gear)
- Are so technical even most backcountry, off-track explorers won't really need it (we looked at a lot of consumer forums & our own expert staff for input on this)
Rule-of-thumb: when looking for decent quality, most bigger gear items (e.g., tents, sleeping bags, backpack) & key clothing (e.g., outer layers like jackets, pants, gloves & insulating mid-layers) should be at least $100; most smaller gear items (e.g., headlamps, small stoves, water filters) & clothing base layers or accessories (e.g., buffs, socks) should be at least $20
Capacity (size)
There are so many types of camp chairs that start with one of the our types as a baseline and then evolve beyond, like reclining chairs, rocking chairs, love seats, chaise lounges, etc. Chairs may also seat more than 1 person, or be sized specifically for youth or kids. As you can imagine, as capacity increases, so does price and weight & size.
Weight & Size (Compactness) for Backpacking
If you're thru-hiking 20+ miles (32+km) per day, every advantage counts! In this case, size refers to compactness. You can carry more gear in the same size backpack if all of it is very compact, or for more weight savings, you can get a smaller size pack.
To reduce more weight & increase compactability, manufacturers reduce the amount of material used (e.g., fewer features, thinner fabrics, etc.) and, where possible, use more technical materials to prevent performance loss. For example, ultralight fabric used in clothing has to still be waterproof. These strategies create 2 general consequences
- Lightweight gear tends to be less durable: Sometimes, light-weight gear is just thinner & so more prone to damage (even a more technical material may not fully offset the loss in durability)
- Lightweight gear tends to be more expensive: While less materials = lower cost, the more dominating effect is often that thinner materials = more technical = greater cost
For these reasons, the lighter the gear, the more you should treat it as an investment! Is the price difference worth the weight or size savings? This depends on you & your trip.
Pitched style |
Regular |
Ultralight |
Weight |
~2lb
(0.9+kg)
|
1lb
(0.5kg)
|
Effect on other factors |
Price
|
$60-80 |
$120 |
Rationale |
Less technical material |
More technical material |
Why we do/don't carry it
= we rent = we sell
|
Standard for most outdoor uses for this type (other types not carried, see Type or Style section)
|
Much more expensive relative to the improvements in weight savings; most people who care that much would just not use a chair |
Methodology notes
- Only pitched style chairs are compared; the rest are not optimized for weight or size (the collapsible style won't fit into a backpack; the picnic style just takes up too much space)
- Only weight is compared; these chairs are actually all sized very similarly (a little smaller than a 2 Liter soda bottle)
Minor features that may be important
Here, we give you a list of questions to start thinking about minor features. We hope our approach of savings these features for last gets you to more critically think about what you need & not get caught up in the hype of what's cool and over-spend your budget.
- Does it have cup holders?
- Does it rock or recline?
- How high is the seat back (for taller people)?