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Therm-a-Rest Lite Seat Review

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therm-a-rest lite seat backpacking chair review
Therm-a-Rest Lite Seat Camp Chair
Credit: Cascade Designs
Price:  $42 List
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Manufacturer:   Cascade Designs
By Chris McNamara ⋅ Founder and Editor-in-Chief  ⋅  Mar 24, 2012
63
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Comfort - 30% 4.0
  • Stability - 10% 9.0
  • Weight - 20% 10.0
  • Versatility - 20% 2.0
  • Ease of Set-Up - 20% 9.0

Our Verdict

Therm-a-Rest updated the Lite Seat since our test period.
REASONS TO BUY
Light
Compact
Easy to set up
REASONS TO AVOID
No back support
Limited applications
Must take care not to pop it
The Lite Seat is the lightest and smallest entry in our camp chair tests. However, to call it a chair would be a bit of an exaggeration. It's more of a fancy seat cushion — ideal for making bleachers and stadium seats more tolerable. For that application this chair is great, but it is limited in its other uses. For a few more dollars, you can get the Crazy Creek Original, which gives you proper back support.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Likes


This is by far the lightest and most compact chair in our review. It weighs almost nothing and compacts into the size of a soda can. It easily fits in a purse or small backpack and leaves room to spare, which few other chairs we tested can claim. Because it weighs nothing, it's one of those items you end up taking everywhere.

Dislikes


This chair is not that versatile. It really just excels at cushioning hard benches and chairs. There is no back support so you can't kick back at the beach or recline around the campfire. Unlike a Crazy Creek, you can't unfold it and lie down on it or share it with another person. It also needs to be taken care of. Like all inflatable pads, you need to carefully look at the ground you're putting it on always be aware of sharp objects. In windy conditions, it easily blows away.

— Chris McNamara
 
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