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Reviews > Camp Tables and Seating > Chairs > TravelChair Joey Chair > Test Report by Frances Penn

TRAVELCHAIR JOEY CHAIR
TEST SERIES BY FRANCES PENN
LONG-TERM REPORT
March 17, 2015

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Frances Penn
EMAIL: oldhikergirl AT yahoo DOT com
AGE: 58
LOCATION: Santa Ana, California USA
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
WEIGHT: 130 lb (59.00 kg)

I have been backpacking for eight years mostly on long weekends in Southern California with two or more 5-day trips per year in the Sierras. My total daypack weight, including food and water, is usually 15 lb (7 kg) and my total backpack weight, including food and water, is usually 22-26 lb (10-12 kg) depending on the need for a bear canister. I have converted to a tarp and bivy sleep system instead of a tent to keep my pack weight down. I have experienced all night rain, hail, heavy winds, camping in snow once, but mostly fair weather.


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Travelchair
Model: Joey Chair Model 7789
Year of Manufacture: 2014
Manufacturer's Website: www.travelchair.com
MSRP: US $78.99
Listed Weight: not listed
Measured Weight: 37.4 oz (1060 g)
Dimensions: (Closed) 4 x 4 x 14 in
Dimensions: (Open) 21 x 21 x 28 in
Seat height: 21 x 21 x 16 in
Capacity 300 lb (136 kg)
The poles are 10 in (25 cm) from the multi-port joint to the traction grip foot. This measurement does not include the foot.
The poles that support the bottom of the chair material are also 10 in (25 cm) from the multi-port joint.
The two poles that fit together to support one side of the back of the chair are 19 in (48 cm) from the multi-port joint.
Colors Available: green, yellow, red, black, purple edge piping with light gray chair material
Color Tested: yellow and light gray

IMAGE 1
Side View


The Joey Chair is a lightweight collapsible chair that packs in its own carrying case in the same color as the chair. The frame is constructed of anodized aluminum. The chair material is made of ripstop fabric with breathable mesh panels strategically placed around the bottom of the sitting area. The chair material is light gray with yellow piping along the edge. The chair material has reinforced pockets on the underside at each corner that accept the frame poles. The frame poles are held together with shock cord to make set up fast and easy.


INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The chair material and poles arrived collapsed and packed in the carry case. The case has a zipper that runs along the full length of one edge just under the yellow piping.

IMAGE 2
Collapsed chair, frame and carry case


The chair practically puts itself together because the shock cord pulls the poles into their holes in the two multi-port plastic joints positioned on both sides of the sitting area. It is a little difficult to stretch the last two corners of the chair material over the last two poles. I had to really be determined to get the chair put together. A little bending of the poles is necessary to accomplish this task. This process may become easier with practice.

IMAGE 3
Mesh around bottom portion of chair


The breathable mesh panels are sewn into the lower portion of the chair.

IMAGE 4
Reinforced pole ports


The reinforced ports on the four corners of the underside of the chair material where the poles insert appear sturdy.

IMAGE 5
Plastic multi-port joints


The plastic multi-ports and the aluminum cross piece that runs between the two multi-port joints show the name "Travelchair". The cross piece is 7.6 in (19 cm) long between the multi-port joints, is bigger around than the poles with a flat side on the bottom and is fixed into the joints on each side.

IMAGE 6
Expanded foot traction


The chair legs have expanded black plastic feet with traction grips.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

The tag attached to the outside of the carry case mentions the shock cord pole system that collapses down small, that the chair material is constructed of durable lightweight PVC-free fabric, and that the chair capacity is 300 lbs (136 kg).

TRYING IT OUT

The chair is comfortable to sit in. The chair angle allows me to sit back at a comfortable angle that makes me want to put my feet up on a nearby rock or log.

SUMMARY

The chair is comfortable to sit in, easy to figure out how to put it together, and feels sturdy. The chair is not as lightweight as I would prefer for my backpacking style, but I am looking forward to having a comfortable chair during this test period. I can't wait to get it out on the trail.


FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Trip #1:
Location: Huntington Beach, California USA
Elevation: sea level
Trip Duration: 1 day trip
Condition: sandy beach
Temperature: 70 F (21 C)
Weather: sunny with light ocean breezes

Trip #2:
Location: Eureka Peak area of Joshua Tree, California USA
Elevation: 5,500 ft (1,676 m)
Trip Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Trail Conditions: sandy desert on and off trail
Temperatures: 40 to 70 F (4 to 21 C)
Weather: clear and sunny

Trip #3:
Location: Moonridge area in Big Bear, California USA
Elevation: 7,500 ft (2,286 m)
Trip Duration: 2 days, 1 night
Trail Conditions: off trail forest in snow
Temperatures: 40 F (4 C)
Weather: clear and sunny

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

On the Huntington Beach day trip, I appreciated how small the chair was packed in its carrying sack. It fit easily in the back of the car with the rest of the gear. Carrying the chair in its sack was easy using the attached loop. Once on the beach, I set up the chair and tried it out. Since the chair sits at a slight backward angle, I had to be careful not to place it on uneven sand with too much of a backward slope. The feet of the chair didn't dig into the wet sand much which added to the stability of the chair.

IMAGE 1
Huntington Beach


For the backpacking trips, I wasn't such a fan of the chair during the packing and weighing process because I prefer to keep my pack as light as possible. I removed the chair from its carrying case to save a little weight and bulk. The cloth portion of the chair folds down flat and stuffs into my compression sacks with my clothing. The frame section is another matter. Because the poles seem to jump into their holes on the frame, the entire frame assembly was a little unruly. Once I was able to get the entire assembly into the side pocket of my pack, it was much more manageable.

The chair was a welcome change from sitting on a rock during the backpacking trips. My friends appeared jealous of the chair and were anxious to try it out. All seemed to approve of the comfort it provided after a full day of hiking. I welcomed the change from trying to find a rock at just the right height and in the proper location at any given moment. It was also much more comfortable for cooking.

On the Joshua Tree trip, the feet would often sink into the dry desert sand and it was easy to understand why the feet have the extra large ring area on the ends of the bottom poles. The chair sits at such a backward angle that if I wasn't careful to place it on a level surface, it felt like I was going to slide out. During an extended evening visit with some fellow backpackers while wearing my slippery rain pants for extra warmth, I did slide out of the chair while sitting on sand that was at a slight forward angle.

The mesh area around the bottom portion of the sitting area seems to ventilate well as I didn't notice any dampness after sitting for a while. It also makes it easy for me to figure out how to attach the material portion to the frame support poles.

The chair is so lightweight that it blows over easily with the slightest gust of wind. I disassembled the chair during the day when I was leaving camp for the day hikes in case a wind gust would take it on its own journey. Since assembly is a quick and easy process, this was a simple task.

IMAGE 2
Joshua Tree


I really appreciated having the chair for the snow camp trip in Big Bear. Since my pack is much heavier with all of the extra gear I normally bring for snow camp, I didn't notice the little bit of extra weight the chair added to my pack. The chair feet sunk down into the snow so I had to be careful to set it as level as possible, watching out for objects under the snow that made the ground uneven.

IMAGE 3
Big Bear


SUMMARY

Overall, I think the comfort the chair provides is worth the extra weight. The chair sets up and tears down easily. I would carry this chair on short backpacking trips where a little extra weight would be acceptable. It will be difficult to go back to sitting on rocks with my little foam sit pad after enjoying this comfortable chair.


LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Trip #4:
Location: San Jacinto area, California, USA
Elevation: 9,500 ft (2,900 m)
Trip Duration: 2 days, 1 night
Trail Conditions: on and off trail with light snow
Temperatures: 20 to 35 F (-6 to 1.67 C)
Weather: snow storm

Trip #5:
Location: Sugarloaf Mountain area, Big Bear Lake, California USA
Elevation: 9,200 ft (2,800 m)
Trip Duration: 2 days, 1 night
Trail Conditions: on and off trail in the forest with a little snow on the ground
Temperatures: 20 to 40 F (-6 to 4 C)
Weather: sunny

Trip #6
Location: Huntington Beach, California USA
Elevation: sea level
Trip Duration: 1 day trip
Condition: sandy beach
Temperature: 70 F (21 C)
Weather: sunny with light ocean breezes

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

The chair continued to perform well during this phase of the test. The two trips on snow made me appreciate being able to sit off the ground on this comfortable chair. Considering the extra weight of the winter gear, the little bit of extra weight for the chair was well worth it once in camp.

This chair was once again a welcome addition to my local beach day trip gear. I really enjoy how compact this chair packs into its carrying case. My friends were surprised at how this full size comfortable chair packs into its small carrying case. I discovered that if I slipped one of the chair poles through the carrying case loop as shown in the picture below, the carrying case was handy for packing and didn't get lost. Be sure to slip the case onto one of the upright poles before attaching the back of the chair so the case doesn't slip off when the chair is moved during use.

IMAGE 1

There is no fraying of the material and no damage to the frame poles. This chair is very sturdy. Because of the slight backward angle of the chair, I found it necessary to be careful to place it on level ground. It is comfortable to sit in and easy to stand up from. I enjoy the sitting experience in camp much more with this chair than with my small foam sit pad on the ground or a rock.

SUMMARY

I have an entirely new outlook on weight versus my sitting comfort in camp after using this chair. I will definitely carry it on shorter trips because for me, the comfort outweighs the minimal extra weight to carry the chair.

This test is now concluded. Many thanks to Travelchair and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this comfortable lightweight chair.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.

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