If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, then you know the importance of having a good camping chair. Whether you’re spending a day at the beach, relaxing at a campsite, or just enjoying a beautiful day in the park, a comfortable chair can make all the difference. But with so many different camping chairs on the market, how do you know which one to choose? In this review, we’ll be taking a closer look at the Skyline UL Chair from Big Agnes.
This lightweight and portable chair is designed to provide comfort, durability, and versatility for outdoor enthusiasts. We’ll be exploring its design, features, comfort, portability, durability, and value, as well as outlining its pros and cons. So, if you’re in the market for a high-quality camping chair, read on to find out if the Skyline UL Chair is the right choice for you.
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- Introduction: Overview of the Skyline UL Chair
- Specifications: Size, Weight, and Materials
- Design and Features: Breakdown of the Chair’s Functionality
- Comfort: Evaluating Seat and Back Support
- Portability: Ease of Packing and Transporting
- Durability: How Well Does the Skyline UL Chair Hold Up Over Time?
- Value: Is the Skyline UL Chair Worth the Price?
- Conclusion: Final Thoughts and Recommendation
- Purchase the Items in this Post
Introduction: Overview of the Skyline UL Chair
When it comes to any outdoor gear in general, portability and function are key. If you can also get comfort, you’ve found a real gem! That’s where the Skyline UL Chair by Big Agnes comes in.
The Skyline UL Chair is part of Big Agnes’ ultralight lineup, which means it’s specifically engineered to minimize weight and bulk without sacrificing performance. With its compact size and minimalist design, the chair is a great option for hikers, backpackers, bikepackers, and other outdoor enthusiasts who need to keep their gear load light. In fact, it’s ultralight and tightly packable features are the chair’s defining properties.
Specifications: Size, Weight, and Materials
One of if not the main selling points of the Skyline UL Chair is its lightweight and packable design. Here are some of the key specifications of the chair:
Size:
- Packed size: 3.5 x 3.5 x 17 inches (9 x 9 x 43 cm)
- Seat Height: 15″ (38 cm)
- Back Height: 26″ (66 cm)
- Width: 21″ (53 cm)
- Depth: 17.5″ (44 cm)
Weight:
- Packed Weight: 1 lb 12 oz (794 g)
- Capacity: 275 lb (125 kg)
Materials:
- Frame: Aircraft aluminum poles
- Colour coded shock cord
- Fabric: Robic® Nylon ripstop with UTS coating
- Stuff sack: Included
As you can see, the Skyline UL Chair is designed to be highly compact and lightweight, making it easy to pack and carry with you on the go. Despite its light weight (under 2 lbs), the chair is still capable of supporting up to 275 pounds of weight. This should be sufficient for most people – or even the occasional couple of snugglers…
The frame is made from high-quality aircraft aluminum alloy, which is known for its strength and durability. The fabric is a nylon ripstop material which you can’t beat. And the mesh sides not only reduce weight, it provides both breathability and support.
The included stuff sack is a nice touch, as it makes it easy to pack the chair away when you’re on the move.
Overall, the Skyline UL Chair’s specifications suggest that it’s a well-designed piece of outdoor gear that should meet the needs of most lightweight and regular adventurers alike. In the next section, we’ll take a closer look at the chair’s design and features.
Design and Features: Breakdown of the Chair’s Functionality
The Skyline UL Chair is designed with a minimalist approach that prioritizes weight and portability. What that means, and perhaps its only con, is that you won’t find arm rests, cup holders and the usual goodies that go with certain chairs.
In our family, we compensate for that by having a similarly made table from Burton which we will review one day. That table of course has endless uses in itself, especially when camping. The big takeaway here, however, is that extra features are sacrificed for portability and that will determine the right buyer for this chair. If you are overlanding and have ample room and weight allotments in your rig, and you want the most comfortable, decked out chair on earth, this one is not for you.
However, Here’s a Little Food for Thought: Overlanding mentioned above is when you take your car to go camping and hiking is not required. Pay particular attention to the ample room part. Our family went to Bonnechere twice last summer. Once with a trailered boat, which became storage for all kinds of things including comfy chairs! But the other time was just the Jeep. If you are going camping for a week with a family of 4 in an average sized vehicle, you DO NOT have room to pack big, puffy, arm rest style chairs. It’s worth noting that there is always a use for an ultralight, ultra packable and ultraportable chair.
Assembling & Disassembling the Chair
Now let’s get to the juicy part. The Skyline UL Chair is easily pulled out of its stuff sack. The frame pieces are held together with shock cord and assembles fully in less than a minute. A child with no knowledge of gear can do it! The frame is designed to create a stable and supportive base for the seat and backrest – which is a one-piece fabric. In other words, it attaches in seconds. Assembly and disassembly is a breeze. In fact it’s built in such a cool manner, it’s fun to do every single time instead of being a chore!
Disassembly is simple and the steps are the exact reverse of assembly.
Overall, the Skyline UL Chair’s design and features are well-suited to its intended purpose as a lightweight and packable outdoor chair. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of some heavier and bulkier chairs, it more than makes up for it in terms of portability and ease of use. In the next section, we’ll evaluate the chair’s comfort level.
Comfort: Evaluating Seat and Back Support
When it comes to outdoor chairs, comfort is key, right? So how does the Skyline UL Chair stack up in this regard?
This is the part of the review where it should be noted that we own this chair in our family and we have for 2 years. No one sent us one for free in exchange for a glowing writeup and what you see here is a simple, honest review based on real world usage.
This is also the part of the post where it should be mentioned our family went into a store, in the pursuit of a lightweight, backpackable chair and luckily they had several to choose from. It was unanimously decided that this was the most comfortable!
Here is the part where reviews really suck. Comfort in many aspects of life (such as a chair) is subjective to the person! What may be comfortable to me, may not be to you. Granted, the more people that like the chair, the better the odds are. Now that we’ve identified and covered some opinions, let’s get to the facts.
Factual Design Features in the Comfort Department
Here’s the good news: Ultralight chairs generally sit on 4 little legs which can cause sturdiness and stability issues. Needless to say, comfort is immediately out the window if you feel like you are going to fall! None of that is a problem with the Skyline UL as the chair feels very solid and stable. So much so, it instills confidence that you are securely seated in a solid product.
By design, the chair also curves and molds to you as you are essentially sitting in a suspended piece of fabric. When you hear people fondly describing their favorite blanket that “hugs” their body, well that’s exactly what this chair does.
It was mentioned in the specifications that the sides are made of mesh. While it reduces weight, it allows for and increases breathability. This can be helpful in hot weather and let’s face it, most people will use this chair far more often in the hotter months. If it’s winter use you seek such as ice fishing, you’ll have so much clothes on it wouldn’t matter what chair you have.
Tip: The compact size of the chair means that it can be set up in tight spaces or on uneven terrain. That means HAVING a chair in places other chairs can’t go!
Lastly, the chair’s low profile and reclined angle allow for comfortable lounging, but may not be ideal for those who prefer an upright seating position.
Overall, the Skyline UL Chair provides a comfortable seating experience for its intended purpose as a lightweight and portable outdoor chair. While it may not be the most luxurious or supportive chair on the market, it is well-suited to its intended use.
Portability: Ease of Packing and Transporting
One of the key selling points of the Skyline UL Chair is its portability. So, how easy is it to carry with you on your outdoor adventures? At under 2 lbs and disassembling into a tube like shape that’s 3.5″ in diameter, it doesn’t really get any better! In fact, the chair can find a home in the pack of any hiker who is going ultralight.
Take that a step farther and you will NEVER not find an available nook or cranny for your chair. That’s whether it’s in your car, boat, tent, deer blind, ice hut and so on.
The included stuff sack allows you to pack the chair away quickly and easily. It makes for a one hand grab and helps keep the chair well protected.
Durability: How Well Does the Skyline UL Chair Hold Up Over Time?
When it comes to outdoor gear, durability is always a key consideration. Our gear takes a beating from transportation and rough terrain not to mention the elements. It’s not fun replacing costly gear items and its doubly not fun when it fails on you when you need it most – and in the middle of nowhere!
The Skyline UL Chair is made from high-quality materials, we’ve already covered that. While that’s never a guarantee of anything, it’s the first place to start and it ticks off those boxes.
The second thing to look at is warranty. Big Agnes has a limited warranty on all their products but they don’t spec a time frame which suggests lifetime. They don’t cover normal wear and tear which is fair. Let’s be honest, nothing lasts forever. Oddly, they do offer repair services for a modest fee and who better than the manufacturer as a trusted source to keep your beloved gear in service. Also ask yourself, how many manufacturers out there are eager to help you keep your products longer? The last time I checked, most just want to sell you something else! Full details are on Big Agnes’ warranty page.
Longevity
Many users have reported using the chair for multiple seasons without any significant wear or tear and the reviews out there are phenomenal. Even after two years of regular use, our own Skyline UL Chair is in almost new condition, with no visible signs of wear or damage.
Maintenance
Big Agnes did their part with great materials. You also need to do your part. To keep your Skyline UL Chair in good condition over time, it’s important to clean it regularly and avoid exposing it to harsh weather conditions as much as possible.
The chair’s lightweight design and compact size make it easy to pack away, which also helps to prolong its lifespan.
Overall, the Skyline UL Chair is a highly durable piece of outdoor gear that is built to withstand the rigors of outdoor use.
Value: Is the Skyline UL Chair Worth the Price?
The Skyline UL Chair is a high-quality piece of outdoor gear, but is it worth the investment? Here’s what we think:
- The Skyline UL Chair is priced at around the $200 mark, which is more expensive than some other portable camping chairs on the market.
- However, its high-quality materials, durable construction, and ease of use make it a worthwhile investment for those who spend a lot of time outdoors.
- When compared to other high-end camping chairs on the market, the Skyline UL Chair is competitively priced and offers excellent value for the money.
If you’re looking for a top-quality camping chair that combines comfort, portability, and durability, the Skyline UL Chair is definitely worth considering.
Conclusion: Final Thoughts and Recommendation
After spending quite some time with the Skyline UL Chair from Big Agnes, we can confidently say that it’s a fantastic option for outdoor enthusiasts who value comfort, durability, and portability.
While it may not have all the bells and whistles of some other camping chairs on the market, the Skyline UL Chair is a high-quality piece of gear that is built to last. With durable materials, well-crafted construction and an excellent design, it will stand up to years of use. That makes it a smart gear investment for anyone who is serious about the pursuit of the outdoors.
Overall, if you’re in the market for a camping chair, the Skyline UL Chair from Big Agnes is definitely worth considering. It’s one of the best camping chairs on the market and we highly recommend it.