Large Agnes Skyline UL Backpacking Chair Evaluate

Backside Line

We don’t hesitate to advocate the Large Agnes Skyline UL Chair for any camper who needs probably the most comfy and secure backpacking chair beneath two kilos. 

Whereas the Skyline was the second-heaviest chair in our information to the finest backpacking chairs, Large Agnes made these additional ounces depend. Some ultralight camp chairs simply aren’t comfy sufficient to justify hauling into the backcountry once they solely offer you some aid. That’s what we love about this camp chair: it’s comfy for prolonged hangs, so packing it right into a backcountry website feels justified.

The Skyline ranked excessive for consolation and stability after two months of testing in campsites throughout New Mexico. We just like the chair’s roomy seat and beneficiant again assist. Its stability additionally stood out, due to the widest base we measured and a sturdy aluminum body that skips a budget plastic hubs utilized in most backpacking chairs. The result’s a strong chair that’s heavier than common but nonetheless packable and several other ounces shy of two kilos – our cut-off between a backpacking chair and tenting chair.

Briefly, we expect the “UL” within the Large Agnes Skyline UL is a little bit of a stretch. However it’s clearly a backpacking chair – and a powerful alternative for backpackers who prioritize consolation and stability over weight financial savings and value. 

How We Examined

For 2 months, CleverHiker editor and equipment analyst Jory Brass towed round 11 backpacking chairs. He carried them into the New Mexico wilderness to match their consolation, packability, stability, and ease of use. Our overview of the Large Agnes Skyline UL is predicated on these first-hand area checks, side-by-side comparisons, and testing notes from different CleverHiker gear analysts.

Consolation

After two months of testing, we ranked the Large Agnes Skyline UL the second most comfy backpacking chair we examined. The one chair we ranked greater for consolation is extra of a heavyweight tenting chair than a backpacking chair. 

Like our earlier testers, Gear Analyst Jory Brass favored this seat’s roomy dimension and again assist when testing it at a number of New Mexico campsites. The inside track seat carries weight properly and cradles his achy again. A few of the smaller backpacking chairs in our lineup poke and prod his broad shoulders and hiker’s thighs, however the Large Agnes Skyline’s sturdy body accommodates his sturdy body properly. The longer we use this chair, the extra we respect its consolation and again assist. 

As a common rule, heavier out of doors gear is commonly extra comfy. That’s the case with the backpacking chairs we examined. Total, the Large Agnes Skyline UL is our prime consolation decide for backpacking. It’s a premium decide if you happen to worth consolation and assist and are keen to hold the additional weight that it inevitably prices.

Weight & Packability

The largest draw back of the Skyline UL is its weight. But, at one pound 11 ounces, the Skyline is a number of ounces beneath our two-pound cut-off line between a backpacking chair and campground chair. Nonetheless, it’s noticeably heavier than the opposite aluminum-framed scoop chairs we examined. UL could stand for “ultralight,” however Large Agnes’s finest backpacking chair weighs Sept. 11 ounces greater than our top-ranked ultralight backpacking chairs.

Even so, its packed dimension isn’t unhealthy for a backpacking chair. Made with aircraft-grade aluminum, the chair’s longer pole segments pack into an extended but narrower stuff sack. With a smaller circumference when stuffed, the Skyline UL can slip into the aspect bottle pockets of most backpacks. That’s a packability plus since you may have the choice of carrying this chair in your aspect pockets in addition to strapping it beneath your backpack.

Ultralight backpackers gained’t think about the Skyline UL as a result of most ultralighters don’t sit in camp anyway (simply kidding, perhaps). The typical light-weight backpacker shouldn’t, both, in the event that they place a premium on a low pack weight and minimal gear. Even so, this chair’s weight and packability are satisfactory for backpacking, particularly if you happen to’re planning on posting up at a base camp. The added weight could also be a suitable trade-off for this chair’s glorious consolation and stability.

Stability

Stability was the opposite apparent plus for the Large Agnes Skyline UL. Throughout a collection of stability checks, the Skyline impressed our gear analyst as he rocked ahead and backward, leaned in all instructions, and shook his moneymaker to check the bounds of this chair’s sturdy body. The chair not solely stood strong on strong, degree floor but in addition impressed confidence at uneven campsites and tender soils, which pressure the soundness of many backpacking chairs.

Large Agnes ticked a number of stability packing containers once they constructed this sturdy backpacking chair. For starters, the aircraft-grade aluminum poles are clutch, they usually’re pre-bent to middle physique weight. Plus, all of the pole connection factors are additionally aluminum – not plastic – with overlapping steel items which are grooved to lock the legs into place. That eliminates play within the body and establishes a sturdy base. The Skyline additionally has the widest base we examined, with the entrance legs and again legs unfold 16 inches. That provides as much as glorious lateral stability, which is additional augmented by the chair’s middle pole working aspect to aspect, not entrance to again like some fashions. 

With premium supplies, additional weight, and sensible engineering, the Large Agnes Skyline UL can take extra abuse than most backpacking chairs. We felt assured sitting on this chair throughout a variety of campsites – degree and uneven – because the chair rocked and wobbled lower than the lighter, smaller chairs we examined. Should you’re in search of a beast that’s nonetheless gentle and packable sufficient for the backcountry, the Large Agnes Skyline UL is your chair of alternative.

Ease of Use

Lastly, the Skyline chair is simple to make use of, however its setup and teardown occasions are barely slower than the everyday backpacking chairs we examined. Given a number of the stability options, the Skyline requires additional steps when assembling and disassembling. 

The pole segments don’t merely snap collectively like the everyday chair. First, you want to slide the grooved segments of the leg connectors into the corresponding grooves of the chair’s middle pole. Then you possibly can match up the grooves of the leg items to slip the matching segments over each other. This course of isn’t complicated, however Large Agnes has color-coded connection factors for comfort and likewise screen-printed directions on the stuff sack to make issues simpler if you happen to’ve arrived in camp at bonking hour. 

These added steps aren’t huge inconveniences, however they did sluggish us down once we timed how lengthy it took to arrange the chair at our campsite after which break it down and repack it. Total, an additional 30 seconds of meeting time could also be a good commerce for the added stability we get from this chair’s patented aluminum body.

Ought to You Purchase the Large Agnes Skyline UL Backpacking Camp Chair?

Given this chair’s professionals and cons, the Large Agnes Skyline UL Chair is an apparent alternative for backpackers who prioritize consolation, again assist, and stability. It’s not the best choice for many who prioritize weight financial savings.

It’s a premium decide if you happen to don’t thoughts carrying some additional ounces, have a nasty again, hate wobbling backpacking chairs, and wish to be as comfy as potential on the campsite. On the identical time, it’s on the heavy aspect for a backpacking chair, although it’s comparatively packable and 5 ounces shy of our two-pound cutoff for a backpacking chair. Plus, we like the value. As with most out of doors gear selections, this alternative boils all the way down to what’s most essential to you: consolation, weight, stability, or value.

What Different Backpacking Chairs Ought to You Contemplate?

For options to the Large Agnes Skyline UL, please browse our full information to the finest backpacking chairs for 2025.

Helinox Chair Zero: Our top-ranked backpacking chair scores excessive throughout the board and weighs 9 ounces lower than the Skyline UL. 

REI Flexlite Air Evaluate: Would you like a real ultralight backpacking chair? The Flexlite can’t contact the soundness of the Skyline chair, however it’s a lot cheaper, weighs only a pound, and offers good consolation and again assist. 

NEMO Moonlite Elite Evaluate: Just like the Skyline UL, the Moonlite Elite is a premium chair with a secure,  all-aluminum body, however it’s considerably lighter at 1 lb 2 oz.