If your chair is going on your back for your travels, it has to be a lightweight piece of gear. But lightweight doesn’t have to mean unstable, poorly made or just for the short haul. How do you find quality in the backpack beach chairs that are available today?

The easy way to confirm quality in beach lounge chairs is to check the reputation and track record of the manufacturers in that particular field. For beach chairs, some of the bigger names are Rio, WearEver, Coleman and REI. There are other names as well, and once you understand the attributes of a quality backpack beach chair, you’ll be able to consider less well-known names as well by just verifying the specifications and workmanship of the individual items.

Most folding beach chairs like this are made of an aluminum frame — to keep the carrying weight down – and a strong polyester fabric for the seat and back component. One Rio backpack beach chair also features adjustable shoulder straps for easy carrying. When opened, the chair allows for 3 reclining positions, and the safety adjustment notches for those positions are hidden in the contour molded arms.

The ingenious design that allows the chair to fold into a backpack is one of the great selling points for this type of outdoor gear. One brand, WearEver, takes that design to create its company motto: “the chair you wear.” One WearEver backpack beach chair that is billed as the “WearEver HI Back” incorporates this hands-free carrying design, but it also trumps the Rio chair described above by having four reclining positions and solid wood arms. The WearEver chair costs around 50 dollars, higher than the Rio model which lists at around 30 dollars.

For about 30 dollars more, you can find an enticing WearEver chair, the Mesh Backpack Lounger (model number SC551-50M-1), that incorporates a fold-out footrest. It also boasts an ergonomic backpack design as well as space to carry additional gear on the folded chair package. Despite the solid wood arms and the additional foot support, the folded chair weighs around 12 pounds but will support up to 275 pounds in weight.

Photo by beggs

The award for the most distinctive looking chair may go to the Kelsyus backpack beach chair (SKU 213783388) for its somewhat triangular seat and back design with an automatic reclining mechanism. The seat and arms are made of the heavy-duty polyester mesh fabric, and the arms (with integrated cup holders) are of polyester fabric as well. The price is reasonable (from 35 to 40 dollars), and the frame construction is unique in its design. Be sure to check manufacturer’s specifications on carrying weight and on the weight capacity for use.

One concern you might have about the Kelsyus chair, in comparison with the WearEver and the Rio chairs, is the retailer you select and the possible return policies or customer support. Even the best folding beach chair can still develop problems, so be sure to check the fine print on return or refunds when you make your choice.

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