Seeking a lightweight, foldable easy to set up chair

August 30, 2023 3:32 AM

A family member’s stamina for walking is decreasing. I’d like to get a lightweight foldable chair that can be carried in a backpack. There are lots of lightweight backpacking chairs - I’m hoping to find one that is quick and easy to set up. I’m not looking for a chair/cane mashup as it won’t fit in a backpack. In this case the person is of average weight but if there’s a chair designed for more than average weight, feel free to mention that. I’m especially interested in chairs that you have used yourself.
posted by sciencegeek to Shopping (12 answers total)

I have an Alite Mayfly chair which is light, packable, quick to assemble and very comfortable. But, the manufacturer went out of business so they’re hard to find now. Nearest equivalent that’s still readily available looks like the Helinox Ground chair. Quite pricey though. Also both those chairs sit quite low to the ground, so depending on your family member’s flexibility they might find it more difficult to get in & out of them.

I like the design of those two chairs because they both have horizontal frames that rest on the ground. There are lots of much cheaper folding chairs, all of similar design and available on eBay & other such sites, that have four individual feet touching the ground - I’ve had a couple of those, and I find that they’re unstable because the feet sink unevenly into soft ground.
posted by Puppy McSock at 4:15 AM on August 30, 2023

My wife got this collapsible stool for when we go hiking/walking and she needs a break for her back. Its light and opens/closes easily.
posted by Captain_Science at 5:28 AM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]

I've used cheaper clones of the ones Puppy McSock suggests. One thing to bear in mind is that they're very, very low to the ground. So if there are mobility issues as well, they may not be an ideal choice. But those types of chair do seem to be the smallest option.
posted by pipeski at 5:30 AM on August 30, 2023

I have a stool like the one linked by Captain Science and like it. Being a stool somehow makes it super-easy for perching on when needing a rest mid-walk (though of course there's no back, if that matters).

Potential pitfalls are that I don't actually find it particularly light to carry, especially when it's just one of many things I'm carrying at a time. Also, you do need to make sure it's locked out properly when you put it up, so that it doesn't collapse beneath you, so if their dexterity isn't great, that might be tricky.
posted by penguin pie at 6:03 AM on August 30, 2023

Outdoor Gear Lab has their usual roundup review that has an ease of use category.
posted by zamboni at 6:29 AM on August 30, 2023

I bought this one recently.
posted by metasarah at 7:10 AM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]

Do you need a back? I bought a collapsible stool on Amazon for under $20. And this thing works, as I do weigh north of 200 pounds and I have no problem sitting on it. :)
posted by kschang at 7:59 AM on August 30, 2023

I got a Nemo Moonlite chair for backpacking and I'm quite happy with it. It's ridiculously light (just a bit over a pound), easy to assemble (the poles click into sockets in the corners of the chair), and stable (I can go Full Sloth and lean back and it doesn't feel like it's going to tip over). It's a bit spendy though ($160).
posted by neckro23 at 8:10 AM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]

I have a cheaper version of the Moonlite and while it's not HARD to set up, it is enough of a Thing that it made the chair less use to me for quick breaks. So I love having one in my beach bag or for concerts, but for quick deployment for a short break, the stools linked above are more practical for me.
posted by metasarah at 12:29 PM on August 30, 2023

I like this one from REI which is very similar to the Alite chairs and is on sale now for $50. I also have a Cliq, which folds up smaller and is easier to open, but I'm not sure if it's worth it at more than twice the price.
posted by bobafet at 1:26 PM on August 30, 2023

Similar to the Moonlite and REI chairs, Big Agnes has some models. Pricier than the REI version, but I find the equivalent more durable/comfortable - I have both - and can find on sale or for cheaper at other outlets (including REI).
posted by eyeball at 7:28 PM on August 30, 2023

I have a backpack which is also a chair. Easy to set up: just take the backpack off and sit on it.
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:18 PM on August 31, 2023