Alite Monarch Chair

I was looking for a small, packable chair for motorcycle camping, hiking and backpacking.

An EMS store employee walked up with a smile and told me how the chair takes some getting used to. They must like seeing customers sit in the chair for the first time because it must be entertaining. There is a learning curve, but you pick it up quickly.

The aluminum tubing which makes up the frame reminds me of shock-corded tent poles, but much beefier. They have that satisfying *SNAP* as they click into place. Set up time from opening the stuff sack to resting your rear is significantly longer than setting up a cheap folding chair by maybe a whole 15 seconds. From assembled to stuff sack takes about 40 seconds. It's lost time that you'll never get back. Try your best to deal with it.

The fabric is tough, has mesh panels for ventilation, and the pockets which receive the poles are reinforced. The frame contacts the floor with two sturdy rubber feet. It's very light for a portable chair and raises your rump above the ground. The stuff sack has daisy chain webbing and a loop.

It seats your seat low to the ground, with a cheeks-to-deck height of about 8 inches. This is not a chair that you back up to and plop your butt down. You have to squat down into it, and get up from that low position. Once mastered though, you can grab a corner of the chair, slip it behind you to cradle your keister while squatting back, and be seated in one smooth motion. With panache. People will stare in wonderment, full of envy.

The chair allows for many positions of seating. Put your feet all the way out and you can recline. Roll your feet back and forth or bend your knees and you have a rocking chair. Scoot your butt back and you're sitting upright, as if on a milk crate. The chair also has a sobriety test feature. If you find yourself on your back looking up at your feet, then you have failed the test. Or you just have poor balance. Because it rests on two feet instead of four, the chair can sink a little bit into soft ground, depending on your weight and the surface, of course. But those two feet are neat! It allows the chair to be used on inclines that would normally slide you out of a four foot chair.

The only issue I've had with the chair is that the upper supports can sometimes dig into the back of my armpits depending on how reclined I get, but I've had this issue with all folding chairs. The Monarch, however, lets you reposition yourself easily.

This chair is more comfortable and easier to get in/out of than you might think. However, if you're clumsy you may not appreciate it as much as the rest of us. The only con is that, since your weight is concentrated on only 2 instead of 4 legs, they dig down into soft surfaces like sand. You can still use it on sand but you end up sitting pretty low to the ground. Overall I really like it. I'll choose this over most folding camp chairs - they usually tend to fold inward when you sit on them, making you feel trapped in the center. This one does not, with the added benefit of pivoting like a mini rocking chair.

I've tried many collapsable chairs and was still looking for the "perfect" chair to put in my backpack when I tried this one in an EMS store. I bought two and have been very pleased.

They pack small and light. They are incredibly comfortable to sit in. The 2-leg concept is an advantage, as we found when we set up on a slope to watch a parade. A "normal" chair wouldn't have worked, but by adjusting our position in the chairs, we were comfortable and off the ground.

I'm 200 pounds and have no concerns about the durability or stability of the chair. My 11 year-old daughter took to hers immediately. Great product.

After discovering that a hammock-style seat just doesn't cut it around the campfire after a long day on a motorcycle, I was looking for a chair with a back and came across this model. The reviews were great and I have to agree. I'm not sure it's ideal for outdoor events as you sit very low to the ground but it is comfortable and took only one (or two) tries to get the balance just right. After a huge rainstorm, all it took was a quick rinse to clean up the chair and it dried in no time. It compacts so small and is so light that I have no difficulty getting into my pack.

This is the best camp chair I have ever used. I wish I had upgraded to their Mantis chair, as this one sort of buckles under me a bit but hasnt gave way on over 15 trips. Im about 5'9" and 220. Either way, any big guy reading this who has tried any other camp chair would have to agree there isnt a comfy solution. Crazy creek or thermarest chairs sit you right on the ground. This is like a rocking chair, the balancing act part isnt super easy at first but you will get the hang of it.

I attended a motorcycle event and saw someone using one of these.
They look a bit odd at first, but once I tried it, I had to have one.
Getting seated may seem slightly undignified, too bad.
The setup takes less than a minute, even for me.
You can either put your feet up on a stump or lean back on whatever is handy and be in total comfort.
It seems quite study, no doubt that it will last a long time.
Best part is how small it packs, a real consideration on a smaller sized cycle.

Did not use camping yet, just two days at air show parking cars. Used on flat asphalt surface. Will take practice to stand up. Sitting down takes two hands, one arm is missing my radius so my hand does not turn, but steadying the chair to sit is fine.
The other Scout leaders are already checking it out.
Great for 50 Miler. Our troop camps over 70 nights per year.
Goes well with my Luxurylite cot, both combined weight under 3 lbs, less than and smaller than my self inflating pad.

I have only used this chair in my living room, but it should serve me well for my intended purpose - motorcycle camping. It packs so small that it makes no sense not to take this chair when motorcycle camping. Another popular choice for motorcycle camping is the Kermit chair, but it packs much larger.

I am 5' 8" tall and 175 lbs. and this chair fits me fine, but larger people may find it narrow where the vertical supports attach to the chair.

This chair is great for camping and backpacking. I have also used it for the beach and is great. You have to get used to get in and out of it. I appreciate the size and weight. Last year I went backpacking and had to sit on the ground, rocks, or logs - not comfortable at all. Well not any more that I have this chair.

At the end of a long day, to be able to sit with your legs stretched out, rocking easily with your beverage of choice in hand is well worth the little extra space and weight this brilliant chair adds. I haven't quite mastered getting in and out of it without fumbling but once in, it is almost unbelievably comfortable. One of my favorite pieces of gear.