Reviews > Camp Chairs and Seating > Chairs > Pacific Outdoor Equipment Kids Chair > Greg Mehojah > Initial Report

Initial Report


July 25, 2006

Manufacturer:	Pacific Outdoor Equipment (http://www.pacoutdoor.com)
Product:	Kids Mini Camp Chair
Year of Manufacture:	2006
MSRP:	$15.00 (U.S)
Listed Weight:	18 oz. (515 g)
Weight as Delivered:	19.5 oz. (552 g)
Dimension:	12x25x0.5 in 30x63x1.25 cm
Warranty:	All Insulmat and WXtex products are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the product.  If such a defect arises POE will repair or replace the product at their option.  If the product develops a problem as a result of normal wear and tear, misuse, alterations, or a random act of Murphy, POE will provide repair service at a reasonable cost.

Test Unit Description:

The POE Kid's Camp Chair arrived at my house in a standard brown shipping box.  The box contained the camp chair folded in half and wrapped in a clear plastic bag with a product hang tag attached to the handle of the chair.  The chair is brightly colored with a picture of a smiling moose screen printed onto the inside back of the chair.  The chair has two nylon buckles on either side of the seat which, when connected, provide the necessary support.  The buckles adjust to provide for various comfortable seating positions and can alternatively be laid completely flat to provide a sit pad style seating option.  On either side of the chair (both on the upper back and seat sections), are two stiff rods that provide additional support and structure to the seat.  The fabric material is of a durable polyester fabric covering the EVA foam padding in the upper back and seat portions of the chair.  The EVA foam padding can be seen by pulling back the folds of the polyester fabric on the inner crease of the seat.  Finally, there are two heavy duty nylon handles attached to either end of the chair.                     Initial Impressions
What a cool chair!  My son (though he has not yet seen it due to a pre-planned out of state trip) is going to love it.  It looks exactly like an adult camp chair, and the screen printing is just cool enough without being too "babyish".  The chair appears to be very well made and well thought out based on my initial inspection of the stitching, materials used, and the overall design. I am a bit concerned that the opening in the center crease of the seat exposing the EVA foam will lead to dirt, rocks, and other material being collected between the foam and the outer covering.  Regardless, the The EVA foam appears to be uniform and firmly attached to the surrounding materials.  The screen printing of the smiling moose appears to have been applied sufficiently to prevent it from easily rubbing away.  My simple test of rubbing it vigorously with my hands did not result in any fading, flaking, or smearing.  My son and I will keep an eye on this during the test series.
The stitching throughout the chair is very straight, tight, and without any loose or fraying threads.  My inspection of the chair leads me to believe that the construction of this product has been taken very seriously despite the fact that it is made for kids and not adults.  The nylon buckles are of good quality and are firmly sewn to the chair with sufficient reinforcement material where one would expect it.  The buckles are easy to engage and disengage from each other and when engaged, clip firmly in place.

The entire underneath of the chair is made of black fabric, which will no doubt reduce the noticeable dirt and grass staining that will come with normal camp use.  The fabric appears to be of the same grade and weight as the rest of the chair, except where the reinforcement rods are located.  Here on either side of the chair, there are hefty grade nylon strips running the full length underneath to provide extra reinforcement.  In addition to these reinforcement strips of nylon fabric, each end where the chair bends is reinforced with a thick strip of leather material.  The stitching on these sections is very straight, tight, and appears to be of a heavy duty nature.

Test Plan:

• Quality/Durability:

• How well made is the chair?  Does the chair's stitching appear durable, straight, and without frayed strings hanging loose?
• How well attached are the nylon buckles to the body of the seat?
• What is the quality of the fabric used in the main body of the seat?
• Does the seat appear to be durable enough to withstand its intended use/abuse from a child?
• How permanent is the coloring in the chair?  Does the coloring transfer to clothing when the seat gets wet?
• Does the color of the chair fade after prolonged use?
• What weight ranges is the seat intended for and will my son be able to use the chair without fear that it will come apart?
• What is required to keep the chair in a good state of repair?  What are the recommended washing instructions?  My son will likely (if chosen for this test) eat meals while sitting in this chair, and 10 year old boys can do unbelievable things to their belongings.  Can I just throw the chair in the washing machine or do I need to hand wash it?

• Functionality:

• Does my son find the chair to be comfortable to sit in?  Can he sit in it for a reasonable amount of time without becoming uncomfortable (if at all)?
• Is the sizing of the chair appropriate for a child of 10 years old and with my son's physical measurements/weight?
• If the chair gets wet, how long does it take to dry completely?
• Does the chair retain any kinds of odors (food or otherwise)?
• Does my son seek out using the chair on his own without my encouragement or does he prefer to find other things to sit on (i.e. logs, rocks, ground, slow moving animals, etc.)?
• How much support does the chair provide for his legs?  How about his back?  Do his legs, feet or butt fall asleep after sitting in the chair for a reasonable amount of time?
• How heavy is the chair?  Is it worthwhile for me to carry it for my son? 
• How well does the chair fit into my pack?  My pack is already pretty loaded down with our gear (he cannot carry more than his sleeping bag and pad).
• What kinds of activities can my son engage in while sitting in the chair?  Can he easily eat, read, watch the fire, whittle, etc. while sitting?
• How easy is it for him to get into, and out of, the chair?
• Does my son think the chair is fun to use and does he want to bring it on every camping trip we take?

Reviews > Camp Chairs and Seating > Chairs > Pacific Outdoor Equipment Kids Chair > Greg Mehojah > Initial Report