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4.5
This is like the Cadillac of chairs for the beach, from a functionality and comfort perspective.First, The most annoying hing about this chair was finding the right one in amazon's confusing array of "options" for this chair, not to mention all the other RIO chairs. The pictures never match up with each other nor do the descriptions. I finally did find this one that clearly specified that it lays flat and has the beverage cooler pouch, but UI was still not sure I would get the one I wanted until it arrived. The correct one did arrive.Our old chairs which are still usable are just to low to the ground, only 7". They were RIO chairs too. So we got a couple newer height ones. I wanted one that would lay flat. This was the tallest one I could find at 11". It lies flat and has backpack straps for easier carrying. That's one less thing hanging off my already overloaded shoulder. Opening and closing it is a bit trickier because it had slots that the folded frame locks in to. No big deal, flip it over, grab the bottom bars and pull them together. Done. The cooler pouch is handy, but a full day required a much larger cooler. At least the char is now across my back, making the cooler easier to carry. The lace straps make it a bit more comfortable. Overall a very good chair. We will see how well it holds up over time.Before purchasing these chairs I had purchased and tried out some tommy bahama ones, but for those chairs we felt that the fabric wasn't all that comfortable (made a noise my husband hated when we sat in it) so they were returned. We much prefer the fabric of these chairs. I personally like that the arms are not made of wood, I'm not sure what type of plastic material it is, but it's comfy on my arms. Adjusting the various positions of the back was easy too. The little pockets on the arm are convenient as well (especially the key carabiner). The little backpacks on the back of these chairs made going to the beach during vacation a lot more simple, the cooler section was just large enough for some ice, small drinks, and some snacks. We stayed at a motel closer to the beach this year, and having these chairs really allowed us to take advantage of that (we used to walk over with a beach buggy filled with stuff from a place we rented farther away). We loved the simplicity of it so much that we're looking into buying an attachable umbrella so we don't need to bring our beach tent at all anymore. We did set them up with the tent (Coleman Road Trip Beach Shade) and two people can fit under it in these chairs with no problems (my husband is 5' 11" and never felt like the top of the tent was too close to his head), three people is probably too tight in these chairs if everyone wants to be deep inside the tent.The ONLY drawback is that I did notice that on one of the storage pouches some of the fabric had some stray threads around the inside of the zipper. It seems like I can probably cut them off. I'll update the review if it becomes a problem.This is my favorite beach chair ever! It’s not super low to the ground so it’s relatively easy to sit down and get up. It also reclines all the way back to a lying position.I really like that the top compartment and insulated Cooler Pouch both zip closed for a secure closure. (I’ve had some chairs in the past where the top compartment closes using Velcro which isn’t as secure.) That said, my only issue I’ve had in the past is that the salty ocean air rusts the zippers after a while. But, I’ve realized that you can buy zipper lubricant and if applied regularly it will preserve the zippers!I cant use the chair in a semi sitting( laying back). Every time I've used it, the left arm kicks the chair all the way back to flat, with zero movement. I'm 5ft.1 120lbs, not much pressure to kick the chair out, Sometimes I lean more to the right and not put any weight on the arm very uncomfortable- defeating the purpose of relaxing, even still the left collapse's. I've hit my head a few times from this malfunctioning chair. My son had been in a car accident and broke his back and unfortunately he sat in it before I could stop him, and sure enough it kicked straight back within seconds! Needless to say, the chair hasn't been used again!!!! I had originally got this chair because I had the blue one years before,( heavy, metal, and wood arms). I still was using that with the bottom ripped out after all these years( added pillows) because I loved the chair so much! This new one, is much lighter, but cheaply made plastic!!!! Not comfortable either when laying on your stomach. Which is all its good for, or FLAT on your back whether or not you intended too!Decent chair with lots of great features. Used the insulated cooler with one ice pack and it will keep your drinks cold for 6 hours. It’s also very lightweight. I really like the towel bar on the back to hang your wet towel. A few different reclining positions gives you lots of comfort options.That said, these things feel cheap. Lots of stray threads and unfinished edges on the fabric. Our family also owns official Tommy Bahama chairs (with the wooden arms) and those feel a lot more sturdy and long lasting than these. The TB chairs are also heavier to carry, so there’s a trade-off. The metal on the Rio Gear chair feels thin. I weigh 175 pounds and felt fine, but not sure that I would tell someone who weighs 250 to sit in this.Very beautiful chair and comfy to sit on. Love the extra pouches on the back of the chair. However, after two summers, this chair has started to rip. The ring rivets where the string ties to the chair started to rip around the rings. Almost half of the ring rivets on both sides of the chair are starting to rip. Very disappointed in this as the chair is very comfortable and useful. Also, the top pouch, the zipper area is already ripping and there is a hole. Need to be very gentle wgile opening and closing the top pouch zipper as thr material for the pouch is very thin. The cooler pouch works great. Lots of padding in it. The side pouch on the chair handle works well. Can place your drink in one and can fit your cell phone in the velcro pouch beside it. Not heavy at all to carry on your back. Closing it is a bit interesting as you need to turn it completely upside down and quickly push the bottom bars towards each other to close it. If you plan on using tanning oil or any cream or lotion that has colour, it will stain the chair if you sit on it. A bit expensive for the price of this chair since it didn't last too long. I would look elsewhere for a better bang for your buck if you want something for the long run!We live real close to the beach but it's more rocky than beachy. We bought these chairs in hope to be able to walk down (we have lots of hills) to the beach and not worry about carrying anything. The cooler and dry pockets are perfect. We fit snacks, drinks, phones, etc and bring them with us for our daily walks.Carrying them like a book bag is comfortable. They make some noise when you walk but nothing bothersome. Great purchase!Pretty solid chair, though I feel like it's overpriced for what you get. The cooler is quite small. I could fit about three beverage cans in it, when factoring in ice packs. The chair is also unusually heavy. Lastly, the zipper ripped on the storage compartment the first day I used it. Wasn't thrilled about that. Comfortable enough.A product with consistent, good reviews. It is clear that there is a single manufacturer making these chairs, and they are great, and they get branded Rio, Tommy Bahama, etc. Just after the arrival of the 2 ordered chairs our trip to Costco showcased the availability of the Tommy Bahama branded version for a 50% savings... New rule: check Costco first.I originally ordered 2 of the same chairs and they are not the same as advertised. I have returned 2 replacement chairs so far because the side arm drink holder and pocket are not the same as what they advertise. Very frustrating to say the least. 2nd picture is the chair we ordered and is correct. 1st picture is one of the 2 replacements that they sent us and we have returned twice now.
