Portable seating is the new IN thing. We have been getting various seating solutions in to see how they fare as we put them to the Tailgating Challenge. We got our hands on the Sitpack Zen to test out and see what we thought about it.

We got our Sitpack Zen in and the first thing I noticed was that this thing is super small and really light! I also looked at it and asked myself: how is this a chair? To answer that question, this is not technically a chair, but more of a stool. There is no wide seat, no arm rests, no drink holder, but it is still a place to take some weight off.

As I continued to stare at this, I’m having a hard time understanding how it will be a place to sit. The Sitpack ZEN chair weighs just over a pound and is just less than a foot in length. I’ll say this is the smallest and lightest chair I’ve ever tested (we’ve tested quite a few chairs, check out our TOP Tailgating Chairs article) and I was intrigued as it was so different.

This easily fit in my hiking backpack and I knew the key feature of this product is portability, so I decided to see how it does on a hike to the top of the mountain. I had it in my pack and I really didn’t even know it was there. That is so cool, as every pound matters when you’re hiking miles up to the summit of the mountain. We got to the top of the mountain and then it was time to bring the Stipack Zen chair out and see how it performed to see if we could get a great seat for the amazing views.

When you pull the Sitpack Zen out you have to first attach the only piece of soft material (this is where you sit) to the clips on the side to ensure it’s locked in correctly and will support you. I’ll say this took a few times to get the hang of and I’d like to see this be a little easier for people, as if its hard to set up then they won’t use it long term. From there you can adjust the tension in the seat by sliding the cord up and down.

Next you need to extend the telescopic pole to the desired height and make sure each is locked in correctly. These locks work, but make sure you line up the white lines, as that is what will show it’s locked in. I’d like to see a more full proof locking mechanism for these in the future (I’ve learned they are actively working on this as a future upgrade).

Now the Sitpack Zen is fully extended and ready for you to sit on. You may stare at it for a minute and think how in the world do I ‘sit’ on that? The answer is you lean on it, more than you sit on it. Check out the video to see exactly what I’m talking about.

I love that this is super portable, but the overall comfort is average at best. Hiking to the top of the mountain I need to take a load off and this wasn’t the seat for me. My friends also tested it and had similar thoughts.

But before you think this product is a ‘loser’ I tried this in another fashion that I think has great potential, the office. With a standing desk this can provide some support during the day and was much more pleasant to use than after hiking miles.

Overall, this is the most portable seating solution we have found, but it falls short in a few areas of comfort. It likely has a future for certain situations, but not for all.

If you want to learn more about this product you can check them out on: https://sitpack.com/products/sitpack-zen

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We were NOT paid for this review. We were sent one Sitpack Zen chair to test out with the intent of getting our honest feedback.

Written by: Luke Lorick 7/23/20