REASONS TO BUY
Simple to use
Attached cooler storage
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Not vary durable
Difficult to fit in bag
Poles feel rickety
"headrest" difficult to use
Coleman Cooler Quad Review
This chair is cheap and offers a tiny attached cooler, but it's slouchy and rickety
Credit: Amazon
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Our Verdict
What makes this chair different from the ones sold at pretty much any sporting goods store in the summertime for less than half the cost? A little cooler in the armrest that holds four cans. And that's about it. It's not even our favorite model to feature a cooler in the armrest, nor is it the least expensive. The Coleman Cooler Quad is slouchy and uncomfortable, defeating the purpose of the taller "headrest" that does little for actually supporting your head. It's quite wobbly as well, giving us serious doubts about its durability. While it used to be alone in the crowd because of its cooler, it now has competition — and isn't winning.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Coleman Cooler Quad | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | | ||
| Price | $45 List $34.99 at Amazon | $50 List $40.00 at Amazon | $60 List | $47 List $35.00 at REI | $60 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A fairly standard slouchy chair that makes up for being flimsy by adding a little cooler on the side | A great combination of features and characteristics at a competitive price | A great option for those looking for a lightweight and simple design at an affordable price | Easy to set up and comfortable for taller and larger folks, while helping you save money | This chair provides support and stability while boasting a low profile and a reasonable price |
| Rating Categories | Coleman Cooler Quad | Kijaro Dual Lock Fo... | REI Co-op Skyward | GCI Outdoor Comfort... | ALPS Mountaineering... |
| Comfort (40%) | |||||
| Portability (25%) | |||||
| Quality (20%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Coleman Cooler Quad | Kijaro Dual Lock Fo... | REI Co-op Skyward | GCI Outdoor Comfort... | ALPS Mountaineering... |
| Weight | 8.2 lbs | 9.8 lbs | 7.3 lbs | 8.3 lbs | 7.1 lbs |
| Weight Capacity | 325 lbs | 300 lbs | 300 lbs | 300 lbs | 300 lbs |
| Folded Dimensions (length x width x height) | 38" x 8" x 8" | 45" x 7" x 7" | 33" x 7" x 5" | 45" x 7" x 5" | 29" x 8" x 8" |
| Unfolded Dimensions (depth x width x height) | 39" x 37" x 23" | 25" x 35" x 37" | 31" x 31.25" x 20" | 25" x 35" x 37" | 21" x 23" x 24" |
| Seat Height (middle) | 14.0" | 15" | 14" | 15" | 3" |
| Features | Built in 4-can cooler, side pocket, mesh cup holder, adjustable armrests | 2 cup holders, side pocket, carrying strap | Webbing to tension the seat and back panel, integrated cup holder, drop-down pocket on left armrest, carry bag | Beverage holder, small sleeve pocket | Mesh back and seat sides, foam-wrapped armrests |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Coleman Cooler Quad is a fairly standard-sized folding sports chair. It comes with an over-the-shoulder carry bag and features a single cup holder, a side pocket, adjustable armrests, and a 4-can mini cooler.
Performance Comparison
Good enough for an afternoon with Grandpa.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg
Comfort
As far as comfort goes, this chair is a pretty average slouchy seat. It had some thickness, with at least a couple layers of fabric making up the body, but this doesn't help the integrity. The armrests are technically adjustable, though they are only attached through round discs, making it easy to accidentally push them down with your elbow during a routine readjustment. Coleman advertises this chair as having a headrest, which we think is a bit of a stretch. The back of the chair does go up behind where a head could theoretically be (based on height and posture). However, unless you hit the exact right position, the unsupported fabric does very little to hold your head up.
This "headrest" is suspiciously identical to the backrest...
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg
Portability
The Cooler Quad is very average here too. It comes with a bag that has a shoulder strap to cart it around and weighs 8 pounds. The carry bag is rather thin, letting you feel whatever section of the chair rests upon your back or side. At least you probably won't be carrying it terribly far, and it's not awful over short stretches.
Though adjustable, these armrests lack straps to keep them where you want them to be.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg
Durability
We aren't particularly impressed by the durability of this chair either. Nothing broke during our testing, but we have some serious doubts about this chair's ability to last for years. The poles are quite thin, and despite having a steel frame, everything feels rather rickety. Ours also came with some sloppy seams, and the carry bag is very thin and fragile. Again, nothing broke on this chair during our few months of testing, but we are skeptical of its longevity.
Fortunately, the chair seems to us more durable than the included storage sack.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg
Ease of Use
By far, the best thing about this chair is how easy it is to set up — it just folds outwards like an accordion. The cooler is also easy to use, with a handy pull-on top that unzips both sides simultaneously. A small patch of velcro is all that's left between you and your cold beverages. However, this chair is tricky to fit back into its bag. The cooler in the armrest sticks out at an odd angle and resists being squeezed back into a sack that's barely large enough to hold it. Beyond the cooler, the Quad has a single mesh cup holder that's just barely wide enough to squeeze in an iPhone 8+ and a side seat pocket with one large pocket and two smaller mesh pockets to keep you organized.
Though sometimes a handy feature to have, the armrest cooler makes it tough to get the chair back into its carry bag.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg
Value
Though it's one of the least expensive chairs we tested, we're still not sure it's worth it. Lackluster performance and a cooler that's only moderately useful but surprisingly in the way make us feel like there are much better options out there, even if the chair and cooler have to be separate.
Conclusion
If you're after a novelty chair with an included cooler, you've found it. But if you want something comfortable enough to watch an all-day soccer tournament and durable enough to bring back every season, we don't think this one is a winner.
The overall profile of the Coleman Quad.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg
—
Maggie Nichols
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