Big Agnes  Big Six Armchair

While REI didn’t have any reviews for this chair, others do exist online. I will say that if you’re pondering this purchase and are deterred by reviews that talk anything about how the arm rests don’t attach to the rod or the arm rests slide slide down and out of place or the one guy I saw that said he needed zip ties…they are assembling the chair wrong. Current design could not make it more obvious that there are designated pockets to slide each arm rest pole into. In terms of chair review - I give it full marks for light small bag / size profile. Bag has two loops on it. Easy to carabiner clip to a back pack. Very easy to break down and slides into travel bag easily (this is not an air mattress situation where the only time it fits into the carry bag is at time of purchase). I like how the pole assembly is all one piece. Each segment has bungee chords keeping the structure together when collapsed, exactly like tent poles. The only other piece is the fabric. Full disclosure I am very early into chair ownership. Took it out for first real word test this AM. First set up - the fabric is very tight and it will take just a smidge of effort to stretch into position. I’ve sat in it a bit and I can already feel the fabric stretching and softening a bit, so imagine after a few more uses it will get a little easier to put together. Now - why four stars and not five? I’m not a huge guy (5”10”) and even though again maybe the fabric will stretch over time, I do find the arm rests at least right now dig into my forearms when I’m sitting there. Just because of the tension once chair is assembled and you’re sitting in it and the fabric is taught. I also think the top bar that touches the back of your head isn’t the most comfortable. I think the chair is a good height from the ground and otherwise is what I was hoping for. But just noting that if you’re imagining the softness of a folding Coleman steel rod camp type chair, this isn’t quite that. It’s super light and compact but you’ll trade that off a bit for a little less comfort.

I was really hoping this would be a perfect substitute for the classic (heavy, not particularly lightweight or compact) camp chair, but it is not. The seat height, back, and having cupholder armrests fueled my optimism that these would be as comfortable as the 10+ year old chairs I bought from Wally World 15 years ago. The Big Six Armchair is not nearly as comfortable and falls short for several reasons (I'm typing this from the chair). The first shortcoming is the seat pan. It's too short and doesn't support my legs at all. When sitting upright, it only extends about 4 inches from my crotch. When I sit back, that shrinks to 3. This is not a seat for tall people. Next is the seat pan angle. It's too flat, makes an effort to recline into the seatback feel awkward. I weigh 175#, and the chair is new. The arm rest height is good, but they are as short as the seat pan, and not really usable if you have a drink or phone in the holder. Plusses include BA quality, great height, and quality engineering and materials, but I won't use these for concerts or other leisure activities over the classic style chairs as I had hoped. A small woman may find this a better fit than an average guy who's 6' tall.