The Alps Mountaineering Weekender Seat Is the Solution for Uncomfortable Bleachers and Picnic Seating
The uncanny, legless design of the Weekender was the sole reason I purchased the portable seat after learning about it from a colleague who used hers throughout the pandemic for socially distanced park hangs. Two thin, padded foam pieces joined by a seam make up the back and the seat. The result is a chair that folds open and closed like a taco; it relies on a series of adjustable straps and the tension of your own body to stay open while you’re sitting in it.
I found that the only way to actually get into the seat is by holding the seat back open as you lower your body down into it. Once settled, you can tighten or loosen the side straps to adjust the seating angle.
The straps make it easy to change positions often and easily. I love that I’m able to tighten the straps to sit up straighter, or loosen them if I want to lean back and lounge—something I’m not able to do in my Coleman camping chair.
The Weekender’s 16-inch foam seat back isn’t as tall as that of a traditional camping chair, with the top of the seat hitting just under my shoulder blades. The chair has just enough structure to provide ample back support, but it’s also not so stiff as to feel uncomfortable. When I sit in it, the soft foam has enough give to mold to my back as I lean against it, much like a soft taco shell wraps around its contents.
Senior editor Marguerite Preston has owned a Weekender seat since 2018 and has found that it’s useful beyond outdoor hangs. “I also keep them in my living room, because they’re great for sitting on the floor while playing with my kid and for extra seats when we have a lot of guests in our small apartment.”
