REVIEW – Get your outdoor chill on! The Playamigo Portable Chair is a combination chair and carryall designed for optimal relaxation at the beach, outdoor festivals, or sporting events. This clever design sports multiple carry and lounging options to match your relaxed vibe. We shall evaluate whilst we chill. To the review!
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Get to the Playamigo web site and Amazon
What is it?
The Playamigo is a multi-position chair and carryall for outdoor activities.
Tech specs
17″ tall by 18″ wide by 10″ deep
Collapses to +/- 4″ deep for packing
25 liter capacity
4.8 pounds
UV and water resistant 600D polyester shell
Polyester lining
YKK reverse-coil zippers
Design and features
The Playamigo portable chair is designed as a single solution for establishing your temporary outdoor basecamp. Our journey begins with the wedge-shaped design that facilitates multiple seating/lounging positions.
The external material is made from UV- and water-resistant 600D polyester, which is padded and has a smooth internal lining. My tester is the orange color, but a teal and a dark blue colorway are also available. The material is good stuff, made to take an outdoor beating.
That 600d skin is wrapped around a heavy-gauge wire frame that provides structure to the chair without adding extra weight. Despite its large size, the Playamigo weighs under 5 pounds total before packing.
Hook & loop strips lock the frame components in place, but you can open them up to unlock the frame parts…
… and collapse the chair down for easy packing. This comes in handy if you’re packing the trunk for a beach weekend or an outing to the kids’ soccer game.
Hardware and finishing are outstanding throughout the build. Here’s a close up of that wire framing, with the extra hinges to add durability and smooth function. I noted that endcaps on this hinges prevent snags and tears during regular use.
Burly swivel clips anchor the carrying system at the key attachment points, which use reinforced stitching for extra durability.
YKK reverse-coil zips—our favorites for long-term dependability—are used throughout. They even include big custom pull tabs for ease of use.
Stitching and assembly are also excellent, which is a little surprising at this price point. We’ve killed many a beach chair because a seam ripped or a critical contact point failed. This whole build feels on par with the quality I see in some of the more durable messenger bags and backpacks I test on a regular basis.
I’m a big fan of Playamigo’s flexible carry system. The shoulder strap is wide and nicely padded with a bit of a textured grippy underside so it doesn’t slide off your shoulder(s). It also has a zipper down the middle that splits the strap for backpack mode.
This allows you to connect the top of the strap to that center D-ring and the two split straps to the side lower D-rings for backpack carrying convenience. This is particularly handy if you have a walk to your final destination.
Zip that shoulder strap back up, and you can use the additional set of D-rings on the upper side of the bag for over the shoulder carry. You can also carry the bag crossbody style by using one of the upper and lower D-rings, which I’ll show in the Performance section.
In these modes, you’ll snap both lower clips into one D-ring, as shown below. The straps have plenty of adjustable length to accommodate all body types.
Moving on to organization, you have several external options before we even get into the main compartment. A huge drop pocket on the back of the bag is designed for flat stuff like magazines, newspapers, tablets, a laptop, etc. You could even fit a moderately-sized plastic cutting board or serving tray in there for whipping up snacks.
Two generous side pockets provide quick-access spots for essentials. One is closed to keep the sand/dirt/water out, while the other is a mesh pocket so you can see what you’ve got in there.
These pockets are tall and wide, but a tight fit and a narrow opening make them a little too tight for water bottles. There’s plenty of room for phones, suntan lotion, e-readers, and other similar items.
The front panel (facing away from your back) opens with double zips to reveal a massive cavern for storing your stuff. There’s a 25 liter capacity in this space.
The opening panel includes a storage bag that attaches via hook and loop strips to stash small stuff.
The rest of the panel includes a set of molle-style elastic loops that you can use to organize your gear. You can tuck stuff behind these loops or add a few carabiners to organize your haul.
Rounding out the feature set is yet another pocket at the base of the bag. Open that pocket to reveal a pad and a mat that are included with your purchase.
The pad adds extra padding the base. The mat unrolls to reveal a soft-touch side (in addition to the 600D surface) and a hook and loop strip on one end.
That hook and loop attaches to a strip just on the inside of that lower pocket.
Secure that strip in place and it serves as a base pad for your chair. Adding weight when you sit down keeps the chair from slipping out behind you.
If you drop the chair to the reclining position, this mat adds extra padding or can be rolled up for use as a neck/head pillow.
You can also flip the bag over from this position to use as a wedge pillow if you want to lay on your belly and catch up on your reading or tanning. Or both.
Performance
Somewhere out there, a beach bum spent a lot of time thinking about the design of the Playamigo Portable Chair, and it shows in the excellent usability.
Let’s start with the multi-function carry system. That wide shoulder pad is very comfortable in all modes, including over the shoulder carry as shown here. The back side of the pad has just enough grip to prevent slippage.
Swap to messenger/crossbody mode and you’ll find that the shoulder pad is plenty long and positioned properly up on the shoulder for comfort.
I do wish it had a quick-release buckle for crossbody carry, because the footprint on the bag/chair is huge even on my portly 5’10”, 220 pound frame.
If you’ve loaded the bag up with beverages, snacks, and all the things you’ll find backpack mode is the best choice. I found this mode to be very comfortable, even loaded down with stuff.
I would love a grab handle at the top to help maneuver it around given the size, but it is manageable without.
The external pocketing is very good for quick-grab items. I also appreciate that there’s a mesh pocket (for visibility) and a closed pocket (for secure stuff and/or to keep the water & sand out). That rear pocket is massive. My 12.9″ iPad Pro and oversized book are swimming in that space.
You could get a folded up blanket in there, a couple of frisbees, or other big flat stuff without even cracking the seal on the main compartment.
That main compartment is HUGE. I have a beach blanket, a towel, a hydration bottle, a portable speaker, suntan lotion, a ballcap, and assorted sundries loaded in there with room to spare! I could also fit a smallish cooler bag in there.
The MOLLE-style elastic straps are a brilliant addition. The spaces are variable, so you can slide an assortment of items behind them. Beach toys, hats, sunscreen, bottle openers, flip flops, portable fans, hydration bottles… you have all sorts of options for organizing your things.
I could see an improvement here if the designers added some of that strapping on the back of the compartment. The front panel is loose and floppy, so heavy stuff may be a little awkward here when you open things up. That’s why I strapped in my speaker down low. I’d love to see some extra attachment points on the inside to strap in a cooler or bigger hydration bottles.
The seating configuration works surprisingly well, as long as you use the Velcro/mat setup. If you’re a bigger person (like me), you’ll need that for some stability. Otherwise, the chair might slip out from under you.
I suspect that this won’t be an issue at the beach where you can move from sand around to improve your base, but it’s much more stable than I expected on the grass.
Flipping the chair back for deep lounging is lovely. There’s just enough padding for comfort. You can also flip this thing over and lay on it on your belly. This is a perfect beach chair in any configuration.
I’m super impressed with the tight construction of the Playamigo Portable Chair. Every aspect of the design feels durable and tough, and I expect it to last a long time. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that even heavy loads (10+ pounds of stuff) did not compromise the carry-friendly nature of the bag. Just remember to remove any liquids or coolers before you flip it on its end!
The weather is starting to turn around here in the Philadelphia area at the time of this writing, so we’re just beginning to spend more time outside. I’ll be posting more updates as we see more adventures in the weeks to come, including a full week of beaching this summer to put it through its paces.
Final thoughts
Multitasking gadgets can be a tricky proposition, but I was pleasantly surprised by design thinking behind the Playamigo Portable Chair. The usability is excellent, the design is simple but very functional, and the attention to detail is excellent in every corner. I found myself comparing the build and material spec favorably to some of the high-quality messengers & backpacks in my collection, which is a testament to the expected durability of this product. There is a lot to like here at a very reasonable price point given the quality. We’ll test the function and form in more detail throughout the summer!
What I like about the Playamigo
- Excellent multi-option carry system
- Quality build, assembly, and materials
- Well-designed layout for carrying all the things
- Clever, simple usability
What needs to be improved?
- Would love to a top grab handle for more convenience
- Would also like more attachment points on the inside of the bag
Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Go to the Playamigo web site!
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Playamigo. Playamigo did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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