Big Agnes Big Six and Skyline UL Chairs
By Cory McLaughlin
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Just the Facts:
Big Six Camp Chair
When you’re used to camping in comfort, the Big Six Camp Chair is your jam. Designed with deluxe chillin’ in mind, the Big Six has a tall back, wide seat, and sits an accessible 20″ off the ground. Quick and easy to set up with a shock-cord pole set, and packable enough for stashing in your truck, trunk, or travel bag for wherever you’re going to need it.
Features
Relax in comfort at camp, on a scenic overlook, in your backyard or wherever life takes you
Extra height and width for ultimate comfort on the go
Fully shock-corded architecture for simple set up and break down
Color-coded frame for easy set up
Lightweight and compact size makes it perfect for base camp living
Patented hub-less frame construction for smaller pack size
Enhanced comfort through pre-bent poles that create a wider, more stable seat
Stuff sack included
Construction + Materials
Lightweight nylon 100d Robic with a 300d polyester rip-stop for extra tear strength
High-tenacity Robic™ yarn that is lightweight and 25% – 30% stronger a regular yarn in the same denier
Waterproof UTS coating gives fabric a soft feel and enhances tear strength
Lightweight aircraft aluminum pole system
Skyline UL Chair
“I just love getting to camp after a long day hiking with a heavy pack and sitting on the cold, hard ground or a rock,” -said no one ever. With a weight of just over 1lb., there’s no reason you shouldn’t have a comfy, four-legged chair to kick back and relax in. The Skyline UL Chair packs small, assembles quickly, and gives you the comfort you need to enjoy the backcountry spot you worked so hard to get to.
Features
Ultralight compact backpacking chair
Fully shock-corded architecture for simple set up and break down
Color-coded frame for easy set up
Patented hub-less frame construction for smaller pack size
Enhanced comfort through pre-bent poles that create a wider, more stable seat
Stuff sack included
Construction + Materials
Ultralight nylon 70d Robic™ with nylon 66 rip-stop for extra tear strength
High-tenacity Robic™ yarn that is lightweight and 25% – 30% stronger a regular yarn in the same denier
Waterproof UTS coating gives fabric a soft feel and enhances tear strength
Ultralight aircraft aluminum pole system
My Story:
Every person in the world has sat on some form of chair. Chairs come in all shapes and sizes and there is no shortage of companies making chairs for nearly every use. So what makes the Big Agnes chairs any better than the others? Well, I guess we should start at design.
Big Agnes was once partnered with Helinox and distributed Helinox chairs on their site. It was great to pair a good chair with just about any of the quality camping products that Big Agnes sold. Then the good folks at BA decided that it was time for them to try their hand at making their own brand of chairs and the free sitting world is a better place for it!
I arranged samples of the BA Big Six and the Skyline UL chairs to be sent out for testing.
These two chairs are similar in their packing ability and comfort but each have their own special place in the wilds.
The Big Six is more suited for a car camping trip, day at the ball park or backyard BBQ while the Skyline is gear a bit more for the fire pits of backcountry camps. Both could cross over into any use but it’s best to use them for what they are best suited for.
Both the Skyline UL and The Big Six set up incredibly easy as the poles are all attached by a bungee style cord that insures all the necessary pieces stay together. The poles fit together by way of notched holes that are very similar to tent poles.
You do not need an engineering degree to assemble these chairs and I think everyone can appreciate that. Once the frame is assembled you simply stretch the fabric over the top. Again, this is not a complicated process. Now that 45 seconds of hard work is over it must be time for a break. Good thing you have a place to sit!
The Big six is everything you want in a collapsible chair. It is tall and has a fantastic back support that will also provide some support for your head. This chair swallows you up when you sit down but not so much that it is difficult to get out of. I love how tall it is as it allows for very comfortable entry and exit while also not making you feel like a little kid sitting in your father’s chair. The Big Six is comfort all the way, and it has become my go-to chair for most of our outdoor functions. At 3.3 pounds it is light enough to carry just about anywhere and with a weight rating that is nearly 100 times its own weight you will likely not have to worry about breaking it.
The Skyline UL chair is a real thing of beauty! As mentioned above it assembles quite easily and is ready for action. With a rating of 275 pounds this thing is perfect for most. It weighs just 1LB 11oz and that makes it about the only chair I would ever consider packing into the backcountry. I love its design and its packability. My daughter says that she finds it to be more comfortable than the Big Six so that is something to consider. I mean, ultra-lightweight and uber comfortable, what’s not to love? The chair feels firm and cradles your backside like the hands of an ultralight angel! This chair is truly something special.
Writing this as a dual review would have been difficult if the chairs made me split my rating but I just cannot find a reason not to give them both our highest rating of 5 stars. I just love them both so much and I am sure they will provide my family and I with many hours of comfort!
Find it Here:
https://www.bigagnes.com/Big-Six-Camp-Chair
https://www.bigagnes.com/Skyline-UL-Chair
What can be done better?
At the moment I cannot find anything I would change. I do have some slight concerns about the durability of the fabric but that is something that will have to be tested over time. If something does arise I will make sure to update this review. For now though, I cannot see what I would change about these great chairs.
5 very comfortable stars.
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Functionality
(5)
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Value
(5)
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Ergonomics
(5)
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Durability
(5)
