Lightweight fishing chair review 2021

When looking for a lightweight fishing chair you want something that is comfortable, obviously light and well-made so it won’t fall apart after a few seasons of fishing. Fishing chairs can come in all shapes and sizes, from extra large sofa style chairs to the other end of the spectrum where you could just sit on a bucket! For me, I want a chair that is comfortable but also small enough to fit under my bed chair and also small enough that I can sit on the chair while in the bivvy if the heavens open.

There is nothing worse than sitting on your bed chair and ending up with a bad back! Even with a bed chair buddy they aren't very comfortable for me. With so many manufacturers now putting more emphasis on smaller lighter fishing chairs let’s take a look at the latest fishing chairs available. I’ve used a few different chairs over the years from big and bulky fox stalker chairs to small and low chub hi-low. I think between the two there is a good compromise. Weight saving is a big part of fishing for me, being able to quickly pack away and move swim if needed and not having to do multiple barrow loads will definitely save time. The chairs I’m reviewing will offer value for money, be light, comfortable and be well built with decent support and good mud feet.

One of fox’s best-selling chairs of all time, the Warrior compact arm chair has comfortable arm rests. I have to say arm rests are important as I find chairs without them just aren't that comfortable when sat in them for long periods of time. A padded cover and having adjustable front legs is also important so you can have the front a bit higher. This makes it a bit more comfy I think, making it perfect for both long and short sessions alike. The weight of the chair is 4.8kg so not too heavy, it folds nice and flat so can be stored under your bedchair.

The Sonik SKS chair is a good choice for them shorter sessions where travelling light is essential but is also a very comfortable chair for the longer session too. It’s a chair I have and I’m very pleased with it. Nice and light it folds down nice and flat so stores under my bedchair nicely. It also has decent size mud feet that swivel nicely and all four feet are adjustable. It’s made from hard wearing 500D polyester and also has a soft neoprene head pillow, the legs are made from strong steel & aluminium to provide great rigidity and support. The fixed backrest has been set to offer maximum comfort. The material dries very quickly the times it’s got wet which is a bonus. It weighs 5.5kg so not the lightest of the bunch here.

JRC Stealth X-Lo Chair. The JRC is a super lightweight and compact fishing chair, it uses 6061 Aerospace grade aluminium frame to keep the weight down. It uses a rear leg design for easy adapting uneven surfaces, with that design it does make the chair a lot lighter.

 It has arm rests with soft EVA covers for extra comfort, with extra thick padded 600D polyester cover, fully adjustable front legs with nice size swivel and foldable mud feet. It’s one of the lightest chairs out there at a nice low 3.1kg.

The Chub RS Plus Comfy fishing Chair uses a steel frame. This does make sure the chair is robust however it means it’s a little heavier than it could be if it used an aluminium frame, but then it does an impressive weight bearing capacity. It tips the scales at 5.5kg, so on average about the same as most chairs this size. It is ultra-easy to transport to and from the bank. The legs are all adjustable, with decent size mud feet. which makes it nice and study over uneven ground. The mattress offers some nice cushioning too. Thankfully long gone are the days of numb bums unless your sitting on a bucket instead! Chub do say the chair is ideal for the angler with back problems. I do suffer from lower back issues now and then, and I find most decent chair now offer good lower back support.

The R series of camouflaged chairs, there are three different models. The first of these is a small and low lying R1 which doesn’t have arms, and then the R3 which is large and tall. So the R2 Chair is a good compromise of the 3 chairs that they do in the range.

The R2 lightweight fishing chair  is a halightrd wearing steel frame design which uses high-density foam which does make it one of the comfiest chairs out there. This seat does have a cam wheel which means it does recline, however that does bring the weight of the chair up a little due to the extra gubbins to 7kg.

For me that’s a little on the heavy side, but if you want a small reclining chair then the extra 1.5kg over the average weight of this size of chair might be worth it? All 4 legs are adjustable to make sure it sits nice and level. If you like the camo look then this is the chair for you. it does look rather nice I have to say.  

The Daiwa mission chair is a very similar design to the Sonik SKS, a rather simple design only weighing 5kg so half a kilo lighter than the SKS. It has adjustable mud feet front and back which always nice to have even though I very rarely need to adjust the back feet. The arm design is the same as the SKS which is sturdy and does the job. It folds nicely down so can slide under your bedchair.

The Avid super low fishing chair is very light at only 3.3kg. It’s been designed to be as lightweight and compact as possible, obviously there aren’t any mud feet to adjust and if the swim your fishing isn’t very flat then this chair might not work. It does have arms which is why I’ve added it here. I personally prefer arms on a chair  rather than the importance of adjustable feet. After all it is only 3.3kg and does pack down to a very small footprint which makes it easy to store.