A real review of the RIO swinging outdoor camp chair sold at Costco Wholesale.
Ever since seeing the lounging chair by ENO, which is the company that famously makes lightweight hammocks from parachute material, we’ve kept our eyes out for a moderately priced alternative. Forking out $125 per chair for the ENO was not an option for a family needing six. That would be over $700! So we jumped at the chance to outfit our crew with a set of the RIO swinging camp chairs sold at Costco for around $50 each.
On our camping trips we had used the Timber Ridge director’s chair that is also available from Costco. But the director’s chair is not easy to pack nor carry. It is also not comfortable to lounge. The RIO swinging chair solves all three of those problems.
While it does not pack as tight, small and lightweight as an Alite camp chair, it folds up easily into its travel bag with shoulder strap. This makes it easier to pack and carry to campsites and sporting events. It sets up very fast in about four steps: unfold, place 2 locking pins and attach suspension points. Atop all these pluses it is fun and comfortable to sit in. With adjustment straps you can sit erect or lay back for a nap. The fabric is very durable although the seams were not very neat. In our tests it held close to 300 pounds although it is rated for around 250.
Pro Tips
Do not setup on a hill. It will easily fall over.
Attach the pins to the chair with zip ties, because you want to avoid losing them.
When packing put the collapsed metal support in the bag first, then stuff the rolled up fabric.
