I am writing this review from a camp chair in my backyard. Three months ago, that sentence might have read like a thinly veiled humble brag about the flexibility of聽my long-standing work-from-home schedule鈥攂ut that is no longer the case as the world continues to be locked down by the pandemic. I鈥檓 here out of fear of annoying my swamped wife in our shared office聽or stepping on a creaky board in our hall and waking up our napping daughter, which would torpedo productivity for the both of us the rest of the afternoon. I can鈥檛 complain, though, because I鈥檓 thankful for work, the weather is lovely, and the聽 ($66) that I鈥檓 sitting in is awesome.
I first reviewed this straightforward deck seat two years ago at the advice of my old friend Tommy Fallon. Fallon is an expert in all things, including Chevy Suburbans, car-camping equipment, and how to cook perfect bratwurst. When I told him I was testing camp chairs, he said I would be blowing it if I didn鈥檛 try one of these Coleman ones. I scoffed. What would I, the Gear Guy, testing a $300 Yeti chair at the time, get from a clunky $60 Coleman chair with a plastic swiveling table? But I tested the chair to appease him and, it turns out, not only was I聽a snob聽but an incorrect snob.
I鈥檝e聽gotten so much use out of this聽Coleman聽since that review. It lives on our deck and is an excellent stage for mini-snowman builds after winter storms. Even after eight seasons outdoors amid the elements, taking beatings from rain, wind, ice, and snow, it鈥檚 still a perfectly functional chair, which speaks volumes to its durability.
Thanks to COVID-19, I鈥檝e spent a portion of every single nice day since mid-March on this chair. Its rigid canvas back and seat haven鈥檛 sagged at all and support my back so it isn鈥檛 sore after extended writing sessions there. The swivel table accommodates my MacBook, so I don鈥檛 have to lurch over my lap to type. I do get stiff after working in it for a while, but it鈥檚 still by far my best backyard desk.聽
As Fallon promised, the table is also a fantastic companion for burgers and beer and has been my seat for dozens of picnics with my daughter and wife since we鈥檝e聽been quarantined at聽home. And it is聽my backyard-happy-hour chair of choice聽because of its聽cup holder.聽
The Coleman has helped me be at peace with, and even enjoy, sheltering in place the past few months. I have a garage full of fancy chairs loaded in bins for camping trips, but this one is what I use every day.
Jackson County, where we live in Oregon, recently began聽its phase-one reopening. Thanks in part to this chair, I was getting pretty comfortable rarely leaving my house. Frankly, I鈥檓 not sure how to start socializing again. One of the options we鈥檝e been discussing with friends is meeting up on聽public lands and enjoying socially distanced beers. A聽key element of this plan is the BYOC (bring your own chair) rule. I know which one I鈥檒l be lounging in.