REVIEW – Summer is right around the corner and in Southern California that means beach trips, and while I’m not much of a camper, I do enjoy a lightweight camp chair for the beach. Typically camping stuff is lighter and more compact than stuff made for the beach, and when the Sitpack people came out with an update to their popular Campster camp chair, I decided to try out the Campster II with an eye to making it my new beach time EDC.
What is it?
The Sitpack Campster II camp chair is an update to the popular Campster camp chair.
What’s included?
- Sitpack Campster II camp chair
- Instructions and literature
- A bag to carry it in
- An extra set of glow-in-the-dark feet
- A neat carabiner
Tech specs
Click to expand
Weight: 1.46kg (3.23 lbs)
Weight capacity: 120kg (300lbs)
Folded dimension: 35x8x8cm (13.7x3x3in)
Unfolded dimension: 71x48x48cm (28x19x19in)
Seating height: 30cm (12in)
Design and features
The Campster and Campster II camp chairs are crowdfunded chairs from the Denmark-based company Sitpack. As a fan of Danish design (and a Dane myself — shoutout to my cousins Ulla and Lene in Denmark) I expected functional simplicity and I wasn’t disappointed. The chair comes in a carry bag and to assemble it, you just take it out of the bag, undo the velcro strap around it and it sort of falls open. Next you can extend the support tubes until the pins click and the chair is ready to go. The fabric is attached to the supports, so it’s kind of foolproof. It’s very comfortable and breathable thanks to the mesh inserts, and it has built-in pockets on each side. It feels sturdy and well made.
The Campster II improves upon the original Campster chair by giving it four legs instead of three for more stability, and it simplifies the extendable tubes with push button locks as well as some other manufacturing improvements that will allow for upgrades later. The Campster II does not sit as high as the original, though. The original had you sitting 17 inches off the ground, comparable to many standard chairs. The Campster II only sits 12 inches off the ground, but they claim it is more comfortable. I found it very comfortable because of the incline. The Campster II is also heavier at a little over 3 pounds as opposed to the original at 2 pounds. I haven’t tried the original, but I think the fact that it has an extra leg is probably worth the extra weight.
The Sitpack folks also sent me all the accessories for Campster II, which was a nice surprise! The accessories that come with it are the carry bag which will hold the optional accessories along with the chair and a cool carabiner. It also comes with and extra set of glow in-the-dark silicone feet. Let’s talk about those feet: I found them pretty useless. I guess they are good if you’re worried the powder-coated legs are going to get scratched somehow or if you’re trying to find your chair in the dark and you need the glow feature, but the problem is that they don’t stay on. I wound up chucking mine into the carry bag, and I may never use them again.
I also received the Campster II seat warmer and ground sheet. The seatwarmer is like a little jacket that slips over the chair to make it windproof which is probably something you need in colder weather. It also adds a little padding which feels nice. While I hope to never have to sit outside in cold weather, I do plan to use the ground sheet when I’m at the beach. This is a very simple square that attaches to the legs of the Campster II with some stretchy hooks. It helps keep the legs from sinking into the soil or sand and gives you a level seating surface. I liked this accessory and it worked really well when I tested it at the sand pit at the park by my house. It also fits into the chair pocket if you aren’t using it, so you can keep it with the Campster II and always have it handy.
Finally, they sent me the insulated 17 oz can or bottle holder designed for the Campster and the Campster II. Now this thing hooks on to the super neat carabiner that comes with your chair and can hold a bottle and it also has a pocket to hold other things like your keys. As a bottle holder, this thing needs improvement. Yes, it will hold a bottle or can, but it won’t hold it, so your drink won’t spill. I think it would be great for sunglasses or any number of bits and bobs you might find yourself with at the beach, but I can’t recommend it for a beverage.
What I like about the Sitpack Campster II camp chair
- Compact and simple
- Comfortable and breathable
- Well made and sturdy
What needs to be improved?
- The feet fall off
- A couple of the accessories could be better
Final thoughts
Overall I really liked the Campster II. It’s well made and easy to carry. I expect to take it with me on many adventures!
Price: $110.00 and you get a free Campster II microfiber camp towel is if you use the code Microfiber in checkout.
Where to buy: Sitpack
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Sitpack. Sitpack did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
