Alite Designs Stonefly Camping Chair is a very lightweight collapsible and nicely packable chair with a unique patented design that includes cup holders and armrests.
Key features & benefits
- Very lightweight.
- Great packed size.
- Armrests.
- Cup holders.
- Patented design.
- Bars prevent sinking on a soft ground.
What this is about
This is a new chair on the market with the US patented design. It is collapsible and this implies that it needs assembly. But for such a type, it has quite unique features: i) armrests, ii) sizeable cup holders with some extra mesh space for small items, and iii) you also have a loop to attach a bottle opener or keys.
Apart from that, it is a bit similar to their Mayfly Chair, but it is higher, larger, stronger, and with more features. You have bars on the ground, both on the front and on the back. Such a design is a guarantee that it will not sink regardless of where you use it. Something similar you have also in the Big Agnes Helinox Ground Chair which is much lighter but with fewer features.
From the picture below, you realize that this is a design suitable for reading and chatting, and the armrests are angled forwards.
Who is it for
Capacity-wise, it is impressive; the declared capacity is 330 lb (150 kg). So imagine, this means 120 kg of load per kilogram of the chair.
Weight-wise, this is related to the capacity mentioned above, the chair weighs only 2.75 lb (1.25 kg). So it is indeed very lightweight and I have included it in my list of collapsible camping chairs, but it is not ultra-lightweight to be included in my backpacking chairs.
Size-wise, the dimensions are really good, see in the specifications below. The seat is at 10 in (25 cm) above the ground, so it is still a very low chair but much higher than their Mayfly Chair. But the armrests make a lot of difference so getting in and out of this chair is much easier.
The packed size is also great, only (L x D) 16 x 5 inches (41 x 13 cm) and it comes with a carry bag. So clearly this is a backpack-portable and very versatile item for camping, fishing, travel, for sports events, open-air music concerts, etc.
Materials
The collapsible frame is a 6000 aluminum, and the poles are shock-corded. For its great capacity, the fabric is surprisingly thin 210D ripstop nylon which is very durable and abrasion-resistant.
The cup holders are mesh and on the back leg bar, you have rubber grip feet which keep it in place on a hard surface, see the picture above. The included stuff sack is with assembly instructions.
My rating, pros & cons
Please see how I rate this chair against my set of criteria used for all the chair here in the site:
My rating breakdown of the Alite Designs Stonefly Camping Chair
-
Weight - 8.8/10
8.8/10
-
Dimensions - 7.7/10
7.7/10
-
Packed size - 8.6/10
8.6/10
-
Capacity - 8/10
8/10
-
Comfort - 9.4/10
9.4/10
-
Craftsmanship - 9.5/10
9.5/10
Summary
My overall rating for this chair is Excellent:
Pros
- Unique features.
- Very lightweight.
- Backpack portable.
- Very easy to use.
Cons
Expensive
User Review
( votes)Specifications
- Type: collapsible camping chair.
- Weight: 2.75 lb (1.25 kg).
- Capacity: 330 lb (150 kg).
- Dimensions (W x L x H): 32 x 22 x 25 in (81 x 56 x 64 cm).
- Packed size (L x D): 16 x 5 in (41 x 13 cm).
- Seat height: 10 in (25 cm).
Alite Designs Stonefly Camping Chair vs Competitors
In the table below I give a couple of backpacking and hiking chairs that are among the lightest on the market. This might help to understand the weight of this new Alite chair with respect to them.
So it is a bit heavier but it has far more features. Most importantly, its legs design makes it suitable for any surface, and this is not the case with the other two chairs.
Weight,
lb (kg)
Dimensions
(W x D x H), in (cm)
Packed size,
in (cm)
Capacity,
lb (kg)
Cup holders
Alite
Stonefly
2.75
(1.25)
32 x 22 x 25
(81 x 56 x 64)
16 x 5.5 x 5.5
(41 x 13 x 13)
330 (150)
yes
LEKI
Sub 1
2.07
(0.94)
19.3 x 17.3 x 27.2
(49 x 44 x 69)
13 x 5.5 x 5.5
(33 x 14 x 14)
320 (145)
no
BA Helinox
Chair One
1.9
(0.85)
20.5 x 19.7 x 25.6 (52 x 50 x 65)
13.8 x 3.9 x 4.7
(35 x 10 x 12)
320 (145)
no
Final thoughts
If you are familiar with collapsible and backpack-portable chairs of this type, you will realize how unique this Alite Designs Stonefly Camping Chair is. Normally, such chairs are with a very basic design aimed at shedding the weight.
But here you have a few of the features which you can only see in heavy camping chairs, and these are the cup holders (which are, in fact, oversized here for extra items) and also the armrests.
They have managed to put all this in the chair that weighs only 2.75 lb (1.25 kg) and still supports the weight which is bigger than some of those heavy steel camping chairs. So this is a truly remarkable item.
For more chairs please check in the category Camping Chairs here in the site. Check this TrekUltra Portable Compact Lightweight Camp Chair which is in the same weight range and also this Sportneer Portable Lightweight Folding Camping Chair which is much lighter.
If you have any questions or comments, please use the comment box below. Thank you for reading and have a nice day.