SONGMICS Portable Beach Chair
Summary
Price At Time Of Writing | £45.81
Our Overall Rating | 81 out of 100
Pros - Lightweight and easy to carry, well-priced
Cons - Suited for small people only
Overall - A basic but well-made option
Technical Specifications
Open Size - 63cm x 68cm x 75cm
Weight - 3.1 kg
Load Capacity - 150 kg
Materials - Aluminium frame, polyester seat
Our Analysis & Ratings
If you're after a no-fuss beach chair that will last you a while and is very portable, the Songmics Portable Beach Chair could be the one - but beware! Tall people may find the chair uncomfortable compared to other models as the seat and backrest are shorter. If comfort's less important and you want something easy to carry and beachy-looking, read on!
Construction and Design - There are no bells and whistles here (other than the practically mandatory drink holder). This chair is made from a standard aluminium frame with higher-wearing 600 denier oxford polyester. There's a headrest that can be flipped to the back of the chair, and a stand that can be flipped out for support if you choose to fully recline. The construction appeared to us to be fairly sturdy at the price point. The look of the chair is simple but charming in a traditionally beachy way, with the chair available in either blue and white or mint and white stripe.
Setup/ Packdown - The chair is simple to fold and unfold - just open it up and place it on the sand. The stand to support the chair when reclined folds out from the back, rather than being permanently out as on some other models - this does leave you open to the possibility of accidentally reclining without the support ready.
Portability - This is the second-lightest chair we tested, and we liked its portability. Given its small size, it was one of the more comfortable chairs to carry on our backs.
Comfort - As we've said - it's a small chair. If you're much taller than about 5'7" you'll probably find it's much less comfortable. We liked how it fully reclines and has a comfortable (but slightly bouncy) pillow - what we didn't like was a bar along the front edge of the frame that cut into our legs in both reclined and sitting positions.
Durability - The fabric is durable and we had few issues there. We're not convinced by the joins - in particular, the recline support bar along the back of the chair started to swing out after a few uses, suggesting those swivels were loosening fairly quickly. However, for the price and the weight, we'd say the chair appears reasonably durable.
Summary - This is a great little option - and we mean little. If you're fairly small and looking for a basic, traditional beach chair, this is a great option. If you're taller, you'll probably want to continue your search.
