About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the chair, which I purchased with my own money in June of 2019.

My take

The Travel Chair Frenchcut Chair is a classic camping chair that any camper should invest in. It is really durable and easy to pack up. It’s stable, comfortable, and comes with its own carry sack, which has a shoulder strap to make it perfect to carry to a camping spot, bbq, or outdoor concert.

About the chair I own

• Model: Travel Chair Frenchcut Chair

Test conditions

• When I bought this: June 2019
• Days tested: 300
• Used for: Car camping, bbqs, picnics, parking lot hangs at ski resorts
• Where I’ve used it: All over Utah, Colorado, and Oregon
• Seasons I’ve used it in: All seasons

About me

• Experience: 25+ years of camping

How it performs

What I was looking for

At the time of purchasing this chair, I did not own a camp chair. I normally sat on my cooler around the fire, but since that is pretty uncomfortable, I wanted an upgrade. I was just looking for something simple and durable that I could use on car-camping trips.

Why I chose this gear

I decided to go with the Travel Chair Frenchcut Chair because it seemed sturdy, had a cupholder, and was green. There were a few options at the time of looking that seemed kind of high tech and required me to push a button or lock some part of the chair in order to set it up and take it down. The Frenchcut chair just seemed like an all-around good, easy chair. The material felt durable as well, so I knew it would last a long time.

What I love about it

• Durability: I have used this chair as my main camping chair for the last four years and it has no signs of damage—even after I have left it out in bad weather, tossed it around, and tipped it over. I think this is largely because of the solid steel legs and the polyester ripstop nylon seat and backing.
• Comfort: The Frenchcut chair is extremely comfortable. It’s really sturdy and has a large backrest and arms.
• Stability: Even in heavy, 20+ mph winds it has not been knocked over. I never feel like I am going to tip over or anything while sitting in it, even on very uneven ground.
• Weather Resistance: I don't know that this chair is technically waterproof, but it resists light rain well and dries fairly fast when it does get wet.
• Ease of Use: There is nothing too complicated to opening the chair, and when I am done I just fold it back up and am set to jet. The stuff sack also has a strap so I can hold it easily on my shoulder.
• Versatility: This chair is pretty versatile as far as chairs go simply because it is comfortable and durable. It isn’t great for backpacking, but otherwise it is great for picnics, parks, camping, concerts, you name it.
• Car camping: This is primarily what I use it for and it comes with me on every car camping trip.
• Packability: Though it isn't that small when packed up, it is nice that it has a carry sack. I have seen chairs without a carry sack, and it is hard to fit them in with the rest of the gear in the car because the legs will get hooked on things. This one slides right in effortlessly.
• Features: There is a cupholder on the right armrest, and the feet of the chair have silicone on them so that it’s a bit more stable.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Weight: At 7.5lbs, it is not lightweight. It is fine for bringing to picnics, concerts, and car camping—but anything that involves too much walking and I would not want to carry it. The weight does contribute to the stability and durability of the chair, but it wasn’t intended to be ultralight.
• Backpacking: This chair would not be useful for backpacking because it is quite heavy and large.

Favorite moment with this gear

My favorite moment with this gear was a camping trip with my brother last summer to participate in a wilderness medicine course. The campsite we rented near the course had a firepit and an area for a tent but no table. I luckily had this chair and my cooler with me, so we had plenty of seating around the fire. It was a really long day of class, so it was awesome to come home and be able to relax in a comfortable chair!

Value for the money vs. other options

This chair retails for about $80. I have used other people's camping chairs before and they feel flimsy and like they will probably not last long. I have never had these issues with this chair, and it is impressive to me that it still looks brand new even after four years of heavy use. It is definitely something I would invest in again.

Final verdict

The Travel Chair Frenchcut Chair is a high-quality camping chair that will last a long time. It is comfortable to sit in with two armrests and a cup holder. I have used this chair pretty heavily for four years and it has no visible damage. Anyone who camps often should keep one of these with their camping gear.