Any pre-conceived notion of a folding stool will fall short of all the looks and styles you find in folding stools available today. If you can imagine an activity or an event — indoors or out — that needs a quick set-up, quick fold-down stool, you’ll find something that serves the purpose in one of these many handy pieces of gear.

The most mundane type of stool is the folding step stool. But for all its commonness, this handy tool is essential for the activities at home and at work. The nearby discount store will have a quick-buy option, but if you can take a little time to consider your options, you’ll end up with a long lasting, durable item. The simplest stool is perhaps the B&R EZ Foldz Step Stool (available at Amazon for around $14) with an ingenious design of small rectangles that fold out into a sturdy 9 inches high step stool with a respectable 300 pound weight capacity. And it closed into a 2 inch thick, 9 inch square. And for higher reaches and more business-like environments, the manufacturer Cosco offers their Three-Step Wood Folding Step Stool that folds out with a top step that is 13 inches high. Three 9 1/4 inch platform steps include a locking top step, and there is a safety rail across the top of the steps to make climbing more stable.

For outdoor activities, there are folding stools for camping, sports and field events and even light-weight hiking use. Some folding stools are even big and sturdy enough to do double duty as your full-time camping chairs. The simplest design may be the Camp Time Roll-Up Stool (Camp-Mor item #41198; $25). This item is made with three layers of strong polyester fabric and 1 inch diameter legs made of heavy gauge aluminum. The stool opens to 18 inches high and 14 inches triangular with a surprising weight capacity of 250 pounds. It folds to 4 inches by 24 inches and weighs a respectable 1½ pounds for light-weight hiking.

Photo by mihrimah

Other outdoor stools grow in complexity and price. The WALKSTOOL brand offers the “Comfort XXXL” model, an extra-large tri-pole design that sits 30 inches high and supports up to 550 pounds of weight. It only weight a pound more than the Camp-Mor stool and offers a little more utility – for a substantially higher price ($120 at various online stores). This sort of camp stool would go great beside the camping beds in your tent, and would give you a nice place to do some reading before you turn out the flashlights.

Indoor activities for folding stools include more than just daily activities. Wedding events, spectator and group events often take advantage of the quick-fold, storeable stool. Folding bar stools may be the most interesting example of an indoor, folding stool. These stools come in 24 and 30 inch heights and vary widely in design and composition. The manufacturer Linon offers its “Triena Pad Back 24″ High Folding Counter Bar Stool model for around $70, and you’ll like the “serious stool” look that masks the folding aspect of the chair. Many bar stool models are made to complement a folding bar, so the options are numerous.

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