Side by Side Comparison of: Coleman vs GCI Outdoor vs NEP Outdoors

I got two of these for my family to use at a festival concert we were traveling to. As we were flying we wanted something compact and light for when they were in the suitcase, but we also didn't want to deal with anything clunky at the actual concert. It took a few minutes to get the straps adjusted the first time for optimal comfort, but after that we would unroll and be sitting in literally seconds! As long as you sit on the lower pad the back tends to hold you upright comfortably. We had a larger male, medium sized female and petite 7 year old all use these chairs and all were very comfortable. We experienced no signs of strain on the straps or buckles. Very happy with the purchase.UPDATE 7/15/2017: Just wanted to update that after quite a bit of use these are still holding up great! They get a lot of use at beaches, lakes, ball games and more. We love using these at children's sporting events as they keep us from having to sit on dirty benches and bleachers in addition to makign it more comfortable. Cannot recommend strongly enough!

Much like the concept that the best camera is the one you always have on you when you need it, these chairs are so affordable that I can't imagine why you would go to an event, the beach, the park, etc... without one. We bought these after a venue we recently attended was renting similar chairs for $8 each. We decided to save the money to buy these gems for just $3.50 more than that one off rental.These aren't as comfortable as chairs with a rigid frame but these are so easy to transport I personally feel they are worth the trade-off. I see individuals wearing their chairs on their back, or struggling to carry beach chairs long distances. These chairs are no bigger than a 2 liter bottle of coke when rolled up and much easier to handle.For less than $12, it's silly not to have a pair of these handy.PS - These opinions are my own and not influenced by the manufacturer or the supplier. I use the opinions from other customers when making my own purchase decisions and hope the comments above were useful to you.

I ordered the red version of this seat for my wife. It's nice and has cushioning on both the back and bottom. This means you could lay it flat and have enough room for cushioning two people. I like that it's nice, compact, and includes a built-in shoulder strap.

My wife and I have had Cozy Chairs for years and use them nearly every week...camping, outdoor church services, amphitheater concerts. sporting events (yeah, we do all this where we live). We purchased these for our two sons so they can also enjoy the comfort and convenience of these well made, lightweight and convenient portable chairs. We keep these in the SUV for anytime use!

I bought this fort daughter for summer camp. The price is great compared to others that are similar design, and it's good quality. It handles her weight fine, and mine, and is easy to adjust. The carrying handle is adjustable with is nice as she is short. It's a bit tough for little hands to roll up, but she'll carry it around just fine. The seat part is sectioned, as you can see in the photo, which is a little uncomfortable if you have sharp buttbones and sit on a seam rather than cushion, but my daughter thinks it is very comfy.

I am so thrilled with the Coleman seat. It's light weight, rolls up very easily and the back support really works for leaning back. I've already used the chair for sitting on a bench in a boat and it was fantastic. I plan on using this seat all the time. If you're wondering about how large it is etc. I'm your average 5.7 female and I found it wide enough and comfortable too.

Pretty decent back support and keeps the bottom dry when it rains. I weigh about 250LBS with most of the flab from my waist upward. Those with fat deposited from the waist downward might have problems with this seat. Anyone normally portioned/ without weight issues should find this product a better alternative than sitting on bleachers without support or getting bottom wet during a rainstorm. Straps are easy to adjust.

This stadium seat is even better than I thought it would be. I sit and read on a concrete wall by a park that is behind the building I live in. I have back problems and after sitting for awhile reading, my back really hurts. The Coleman seat not only has some padding to sit on, but after adjusting the side straps, the back gives me the support I need. It's perfect! It's also very easy to roll back up with the velcro straps and it's very light weight. It's made so well, it will certainly outlast me! I LOVE IT!

These are perfect little chairs for sitting on bleachers. There's a bit of back support and a bit of cushion. It works well for a couple of hours of sitting. Definitely more comfortable than just the bleachers. They are also so light weight and easy to carry. My bony behind still gets a bit uncomfortable, but for the price and convenience, I'll put up with it!

We go to church in a elementary school, and as such we are sitting on the stadium seats for 2 hours at a time. My back was killing me after only 1/2 an hour. So I scoured amazon and found these babies. Man are they life/back savers. They provide good back support and you can tighten the straps on the sides to accommodate people of different sizes. We got one for my mom too, but she says they make her too hot to sit in. I disagree I think they are perfect for our needs, and they can be rolled up and carried around with an attachable strap. Everyone asks me where I got them and I refer them to Amazon. Other people who have the larger aluminum framed seats have mentioned how they wish they had something like ours because of the ease of portability, I guess the other ones are too big and bulky. Overall a great investment, and my back thanks you Coleman.

Just got back from our week-long kayaking journey on the John Day River and these seats were a must! They rolled up small enough to pack into our kayaks, and worked very well as a place to sit when we took out to camp in the evenings. HOWEVER ~ some of the reviews I read said that these could double as a sleeping pad. Well, let me tell you ~~ THEY DO NOT! At least not for myself. They were Way Too Hard to sleep on! I will still always continue to use these seats as seats, but never again will go with out my Thermarest pad again!

I fly to camp at the National Parks frequently and all my gear needs to fit in one checked bag under 50# and under 62 linear inches. This seat is very lightweight and rolls up relatively compact. While recently camping at Rocky Mtn. NP in Colorado I was stuck in my tent for the better part of the day due to rain. This was such a back saver for me while sitting in my tent and the side straps held the tension perfectly with no slips for several hours. I will admit that this isn't the most comfortable stadium seat I've ever used, but for compact camping purposes it worked great, esp. when I used it while sitting on top of my ultra lightweight backpacking cot to get me off the ground a little bit. It also works nicely as a pad to kneel on while getting in and out of my tent. I also borrowed a folding chair from the campground I was at and it made my time by the campfire much more comfortable too.I've read several reviews here that indicated it isn't the most comfortable of stadium seats, but for my needs it worked out very well and wouldn't hesitate to purchase one again if needed or to purchase one as a gift for someone using it for the same purposes. Again, it's all about how the product fits your needs...

I thought your body weight would keep my back straighter than it did but it's still a lot better then nothing.Very lightweight and easy to put in a backpack.

We got these for a couple concerts we'd be going to this summer with chair height requirements. They're not as comfortable as normal chairs, but they're far better than sitting with no back. Easy to roll up and put away too.

Comfortable and sturdy. Haven't really put it to the test camping. The straps dangling all over the place is a bit unsightly but otherwise I really like it

Used a few times, seems to be well made. No real complaints. folds and rolls up nicely.

I like its very light weight, its compactness and the back support that this seat provides. However, it could use a bit more cushion in the seat part. An ideal seat would be a similar design, but with an inflatable Thermarest style seat cushion. (A bit more bulky, but I now carry my Thermarest cushion along with this.)

Much better than bare stadium bench. Padding is fairly dense and gives some cushion. The built in stiffeners in the seat and back help with some back support. Rolls up nicely and the carrying strap is long enough to carry it comfortably over a shouder or around the neck. A little more cushion in the seat section would have been nice. After a couple hours you start to want more cushion.

Trying to decide between 3-4 stars. This is a good product but didn't work how I hoped. I was hoping for more back support when sitting in a stadium seat with no back. I could lean halfway back to the seat behind me before the seat holds me up at all, so doesn't help. Would be great for any seat that already has a back. Super light and easy to transport, which is why I gave it 4 stars.

could have a bit more back support, but this model is super portable, and works as expected. Keeps a barrier between you and the cold bleachers, while at least offering some back support like a chair. great price too - but if you want more back support, look for a model with steel sides or folding bars on the sides. they are not as compact or portable, and a bit heavier, but offer more back support. It's a matter of preference. For me, this is a good enough balance between support, comfort, portability, and storage. Love the roll up feature with sewn in Velcro to hold it all together in a "tube" formation to slip into a backpack or carry bag. For the number of Football games I go to, this model is great

Got us through football season just fine! We hated transporting our old bleacher seats especially with all the other gear we had to carry too! My only problem is the back support is kinda weak but worth the trade out for the portability!

I purchased these intending them to be for one-time use, but they survived the event and were pretty much what I had hoped they would be. We were going to a concert in a venue with concrete stadium seating and I knew that sitting with no back support for a couple of hours would not be good.The back support was fine, a little adjusting and they did the trick. The seat portion was a little thin, but we were grateful to have that much - the concrete was hard and cold.Overall, very pleased with the purchase, and we'll use them again for the next concert.

Purchased these to use at a December Packers game at Lambeau Field. They were allowed by security as we had hoped and worked fairly well. The seat back will hold you up if you sit all the way back and try not to lean your entire weight into it. The cushions were comfortable enough to keep your backside from getting sore. Our one issue was with the snow flying, the cushion absorbed a lot of moisture and left you with a wet and cold backside. On a dry day this would be perfect, but not a great idea for rain or snow.

Bought two of these chairs to go to a football game with the family, decent lightweight construction makes them super easy to carry and very light. However, they have no rigidness in the frame and when you use the straps to set up the seat back up feel like you're going to snap them regardless of what you weigh when you lean back. They are nicely cushioned especially for the price and as a toss in the trunk going to watch the kids play football chair it's perfect. Yet, if I had wanted to spend the money and wanted a stadium seat I would be using alot I would probably have opted for a metal frame stadium chair just for the stability (cheapest one I found was around $30.00 each and I wasn't spending that for a chair I will probably use two-three times total). Overall it's a good chair and I liked it. It did the job and it didn't break or tear or do anything unexpected, it just needs a bit more in the way of stability to make it perfect.

This does provide some support when sitting on bleachers or benches without backs, however it's very deep and isn't easy to use without feeling like you're encroaching on the space of those around you. For me this will get left in the trunk in case of emergencies but I turned right around and bought something different for more frequent use.

No real back support. I had to pull the sides tight so that they would provide a small amount of support.

Not so comfy for the back.. but the seating is comfy! And I didn't expect it to be so small

Three uses, and one chair's strap has already ripped at the seams. Chair number two is almost completely ripped as well.

We bought two of these stadium seats to use in our backyard. We like to sit on the concrete patio and wanted something to get us a little padding. These exceeded our expectations. It is comfortable and actually gives back support, which was a surprise. We have been using them about 3 times a week. The only issue that we have is that one of them had a back support rod (plastic) tear through the nylon sheath around it. The back slides down the rod and doesn't give as much support now.

I like the chair, but I can't say I'm in love with it. It rolls up fairly small and fits in one of my side bags on my motorcycle but takes up more room than I'd like. I tried using it to sit in inside my tent and it was just so-so. I'm going to keep using it and see if my impression improves over time. If not, I'll probably stop carrying it and just sell it online used or something.

I've tested out similar seats and not only is this one not as comfortable but it also doesn't hold you up as well. Meh. Didn't want to bother sending back and wasting money to do so.

Just received this - rather narrow so the straps kind of dig into my thighs. It might be fine for a thin person though. Also, the top of the back kind of digs in too. It would be okay for a short period, and better than sitting on a hard surface. It is very light and rolls up with velcro straps, so you could easily attach to a backpack.

Bought this for my son to take on camping trips so he'd have back support when sitting on benches, logs, etc. But before he even got it there, he was using it in the house while sitting and playing video games on the floor. A couple days after using it, one of the straps ripped from the back -- not completely off, but enough that I have to fix it now. He's only a 90 pound kid so I'm not sure why this happened.

It's just okay. Like that it rolls up easily and does not take up much space for storing. Light weight and easy to carry. Keeps me from sitting on a freezing cold metal bench. Don't like that the straps seem to stretch so I have to adjust them often.

These chairs are great to use on the ground. However, out of the four I purchased two are constructed poorly. One of the triangular strap bases is sewn in backwards causing a twist in the adjustable strap. The other chair's issue is the triangular strap seam that secures the straps to the body of the chair busted during the first use, making the chair unusable. If you are looking for a reliable long lasting chair and/or you have no sewing/repairing skills, this is not the chair for you. These chair are also not a good fit for you, if your hip width is wider than the base of the chair since the straps would be cutting into your hips.

I like the fact that it can be rolled, and it's light, but it would seem that the seat part should be sterdier so it can support the back better. When sitting on the ground, there will be times you will want to raise your knees. When you do, the front of the seat portion also rises, leaving the back less supported.

It's exactly as described, so it may be exactly what someone is looking for. The chair didn't fit me properly so I wanted to return it. I can't because I have to pay for return shipping and would lose money. : (

It was not the most comfortable seat, but it gets the job done. The part you sit on broke fairly fast, but considering the cheap price, I got what I paid for. If you are needing this short term, I would reccomend! If you're needing something more long term, I would advice making a larger investment in one that is more durable.

Not very comfortable. Folds in on you but very lightweight- just throw over your shoulder.

My 13yo son got this for a three-day canoe trip and one side ripped the second day. Cheap fabric.

Don't lean hard on this one. The stitching holding the back braces into the fabric is very weak. Plastic back support broke through a strap on the top while sitting on a hillside. Get something constructed better.

The structure is not strong enough to feel comfortable when leaning the back on it. The seat is also too long for sitting comfortably.

We purchased 2 of these chairs for our gaming room. They were used by teenage kids with average weight. The seams are falling apart and the support rods are coming out on both. I have plans on sowing them back together but it was disappointing that a brand like Coleman has such poor quality in this product.

This stadium seat is very poor quality, there is not much padding in it at all, and it flops over whenever you stand up, very cheaply made!!

Not great. It's fine for use as a pad on bleachers but it's not very supportive when leaning back.

After using it for one football season the fiberglass support rods broke through the top of the chair. It can no longer be used as the back support is all messed up and the rod stabs me in my back.

They are actually a bit narrow, so as you lean back, they curve in and the side straps will dig into your legs. They are also not that comfy to begin with. I was a bit bummed. I found cheaper ones at a local sports shop that work better than these...I do like how they roll up to be easier to carry over a shoulder!

This is a poorly built product. Cheap materials and bad sticking. The so called fighting straps are just and really don't snug it up. Once you get them in place they seem to be okay but do slip. I wish I would have spent a bit more and purchased a better product.

I purchased four of these for my family's canoe/camping trip. The very first night, while sitting around the campfire, two of the chairs broke. The support structures came out of the tops and rendered the chairs useless. The ones who got the bum chairs are in their early 20's and in good shape. Very disappointing!

too narrow for hips and I'm only 130 pounds

I'm not an overly large guy but I'm not a stick either. This thing broke the first time I used it. I returned them in the hopes of finding something a little sturdier.

the side of the pad broke after 2 days.

Way to flimsy. They just collect dust in our garage.

Used this seat maybe 2x and it fell apart. Past 30 day return window so off the trash bin. Save your money,

I bought two of these a few years ago and have only used them a handful of times. Because of the way the seams in the back are designed -- the seam is placed right at the place where force will try and push the struts through it -- the plastic struts have already torn through. I'm replacing these with better-quality seats.

The stitching holding the stays in ripped out two weeks after I purchased it. I sent a note on Coleman's website per the instructions but it's been over a week now and no one has returned call. I'm on hold now.Looking at the workmanship there are only six thin stitches that hold each stay in place, so if you lean back at all on the chair you run the risk of ripping the stitches and then the back falls down.This might work in a stadium, but we were watching Shakespeare in the Park when it ripped out.

I bought this seat for a bike-camping trip so I'd have something slightly comfortable at the campsite. It worked well for about one day. On day two, the stitching in the top ripped apart and one of the plastic back supports poked through. Quality is well below Coleman's usual standards. Don't bother.

Used it 3 times and one wound up splitting on a seam in the seat cushion. The other, the two fiberglass rods broke through where the stitching yet again failed.Would not buy again. I'm 5'11" and weigh 180lbs...ao don't think it was because I'm 'fat'... I just think Coleman products have taken a dive within the past 10 years.

purchased this for my husband to use and unfortunately the first time he used it, it broke!!! I read the reviews but tried it anyway. So beware it will likely break but congrats to those who actually like it and it doesn't break for yall!!

Very little padding, and what is there, is extremely hard. In fact, it's nearly as hard as the floor I used it on! Extremely disappointed in the product, but didn't realize it was worthless until I used it for the event I was going to, which beyond the 30 days so couldn't return it. That was my fault - I should have tried it out right away. However, I'd had surgery, which is why I bought it, and was too tender to try it out at first. I guess I should say that it does support my back, but was purchased for the "bottom."