INTRO:
I chose this self-inflatable chair as a fun addition to some of our beach and day camping trips.
A little about myself: I’m not so outdoorsy that I could survive alone in the wilderness, but I enjoy day camping and own several pieces of outdoor recreational equipment such as: camping heaters and fans, camping chairs and tables, a few tents, a few air mattresses, camping blankets, portable hammocks, carabiners for my gear, portable grills and fire pits, etc. I’m male, 6 ft tall, medium build, 180 lbs.
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PROS:
I think this chair is very comfortable, but I also think there’s room for some improvement (see note in my CONS section).
I like that the seat and lumbar regions are engineered to provide better support than a typical single cavity inflatable — it’s evident when sitting in the chair that these regions utilize some type of bolstered reinforced design.
It’s nice being able to lean back in the chair without fear of it flipping over — the low and wide base on this chair makes it very stable. I also found that this design resisted being blown over by moderate winds coming off the ocean when I brought it to the beach. It is not impervious to wind, but it also didn’t easily blow over as I had anticipated.
I love that the chair is fairly lightweight and folds down into relatively compact dimensions.
The carrying bag has plenty of comfortable room in it for storing the chair without the frequent challenge some similar products create trying to get them in and out of an undersized bag. If rolled up correctly, this chair goes in and out of the bag easily.
The pump supposedly has enough battery capacity for 14 inflations before needing a recharge. I have used this chair approximately 6-8 times without needing to recharge it and that is already enough to impress me.
Marketing claims a 90-second self-inflation time. My real-world tests are close — they’re slightly over this target but under 2 minutes (see my attached video and follow the time as it passes). That said, I’m thankful for the built-in pump and not having to inflate the chair by mouth. In my opinion, the convenience of not having to manually inflate it outweighs a little bit of wait time.
I love the high convenience of being able to recharge the pump with a USB-C connection. It opens up so many various portable recharging possibilities (including using a power bank on the go which I usually have with me).
The velvety-like topside material was wisely chosen for this chair — it’s soft to the touch and it provides a great amount of friction to keep a body in the chair. The result is less sliding around and less unintended slouching.
The rest of the material feels durably strong but it should be noted that it is not impenetrable.
Deflation is fairly quick with a separate one-way valve plug on the bottom of the chair. I also like that if the battery runs out on the built-in pump, this valve can be used to still get the chair inflated by mouth or by an external air pump. PLEASE NOTE — I didn’t initially realize this plug existed and the chair would not properly inflate for me because it arrived opened. For approximately 24 hours I thought I had received a defective chair. If you purchase this chair, please be advised to always make sure this plug is closed before inflating.
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CONS:
I enjoy using this chair, but I frequently find myself wishing there was a longer extension at the legs, which would help better support my lower back. As a result, I think it’s comfortable, but it doesn’t provide me with maximum comfort. To compensate, I usually sit on it cross-legged or sometimes slouched with my legs on the ground, but either way, I would prefer not to have to do either.
When using the self-inflating air pump, the unplugged valve cap dangles and it has occasionally gotten sucked back into the inlet, immediately cutting off air ingress. Eventually, experience has taught me to try to rotate the plug out of the way, but it isn’t always easy to do (the tether sometimes gets stuck as you attempt to rotate it or gravity draws the cap back to its original position).
The pump, as most air pumps are, is noisy while running. However, it runs quieter than I anticipated.
It is an inflatable, so the threat of a puncture is always real. That said, I’m rarely comfortable with using it directly on the ground without a blanket in between. That means I can’t just throw the chair in my backpack alone, I usually have to have some sort of blanket or ground covering to accompany it, and that means less room for my other gear and more weight to carry.
The built-in pump can not be reversed to assist with deflation.
As super cool as this chair is, in my opinion, I do not think it is a good value at its current $90 price tag.
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REVIEW SUMMARY:
I like this chair a lot — it’s fun to use, moderately comfortable, and it usually draws some envy when I use it. Unfortunately, it’s not without some drawbacks, most of which are minor.
The top things I like about...
