Ditch the Chair, Pack a Camp Stool: Grand Trunk Compass 360 First Look Review

The weight difference between the two stools is not significant — the UC weighs 1.2 pounds and the XT is 1.7 pounds — but the size difference is more notable. It takes a small amount of effort to pull the 450-D polyester seat corners over the ends ozark trail canopy of the stand, but Grand Trunk included a pull tab on one of the corners to make it easier. If you’re shopping for camp or backpacking chairs, compare the Compass 360 Stool with GearJunkie’s Best Backpacking Chairs and Best Camping Chairs.

Ozark Trail realtree wave fishing director’s chair is made from a durable powder-coated steel frame that is sure to stand up to whatever you throw at it. The chair’s adjustable legs will keep you in a comfortable position no matter the terrain. It features plenty of storage for all your fishing gear, including a side accessory pocket, a molle style side pocket large enough to hold a 370 tackle box and 2 fabric cupholders.

After setting them up on grass and dirt patches to see how they balanced on uneven terrain, we took a seat, judging each by its relative comfort. It’s worth noting that our testers spanned a range of heights and body weights so we could get a variety of impressions. The more of an emphasis you put on comfort, the more added features are available to you.

Several Wirecutter staffers have owned the Coleman chair for years, using it on camping trips, in backyards, and at sporting events. For the most part, it’s held up well, but one common quibble is that the seat bottom begins to sag after several years of use. Senior editor Kalee Thompson, who wrote a previous version of this guide, has been regularly using the Coleman chair she originally tested in 2016. Aside from the color fading and the cooler pouch deteriorating, her chair has held up to years of backyard hangs and camping trips. In summer 2023, she bought a newer Coleman Cooler Quad Chair to compare to her 2016 model, and she found them to be more or less the same. In fall 2023, we asked a panel of paid testers with a wide range of body types, dexterities, and mobilities to examine our picks and other camping chairs and to share their perspectives.

Now, when my friends and I set up around a fire ring and everyone’s got their fancy camp chairs, I can bust these stools out with pride. Backpacking season is only just getting started in Colorado, so I haven’t packed the Grand Trunk Compass 360 Stools into the backcountry yet. But I brought them on an early-season car camping trip and used them in my yard and at my house. While I sat on the XT, my partner used the UC as a footstool from the Kelty Couch.

The REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair and the Flexlite Air (its featherweight sibling) are lighter than any other chairs in their category, but they felt less steady. We blame the crossbar design, which runs front to back rather than side to side; this creates a lot of wobble from right to left, especially if the chair is not on perfectly even ground. Its base design is the same as for other variations, the Flexlite Camp Dreamer and Flexlite Camp Boss. You can stow this featherlight, compressible chair in a backpack or even a work bag. After years of intermittently using the Renetto chair, one staffer said it has held up great. Another said it’s been an essential chair in their life and that it is still going strong after countless soccer games, birthday parties, beach trips, and school events.

ozark trail chair

Leader Accessories is one of the highest-rated pop-up shelters on the market, but is it the right one for you? From the pictures above you have realized that the ceiling is all mesh, so you have it more than 279 ft² (26 m²). The chair also automatically balances your weight if you tuck a leg under your body or lean a bit forward. This is particularly useful on uneven ground where many traditional chairs would tip over. That said, the relative portability between them can range drastically.