Portable folding chair recommendations, please?

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

I’m 29 weeks pregnant and have a toddler who will be 3 in August. The weather’s getting decent, and I’d like to take her to parks and other outdoor places to run around. The problem is, running around after her, or even standing for long periods of time or sitting on a backless bench, is getting more difficult every week.

I’m thinking I may want to get a portable folding chair, of the kind that some people use for camping. Some things I want:

  1. It needs to be something that a not-terribly-fit pregnant woman can carry easily. A chair that converts into a backpack would be ideal, because sometimes I have to carry toddler, too, or push her in a stroller. I will be having a C section by July 16, and will be very limited in how much weight I can carry for six weeks after that (yes, I know I won’t be able to carry my toddler then), so something lightweight would be good. I’m 5’4", so it has to be something that isn’t a problem for a short person to carry.

  2. It should not sit too low to the ground. Getting up from sitting on the ground or from a low chair is another thing that is becoming harder every week. I feel like I need one of those things they used in Star Trek IV to transport the humpback whales to get up from the ground, or at least a heavy-duty construction crane, to get up off the ground these days.

  3. It needs a decent weight capacity, of course. I’m not a lightweight, and I’m going to be pushing on it to help myself get up.

  4. It needs a back, and needs to allow me to sit in a slightly reclining position. Sitting on a backless bench or in a chair with the back at a 90 degree angle is uncomfortable these days. The baby tends to be right on top of my bladder when I sit in a straight chair. This is not good, especially when I am away from a restroom.

  5. It should not be something that a toddler or preschooler could easily wreck. She likes to climb on chairs.

  6. It should not be astronomically expensive. Ideally, under $100. We’re not outdoor types and don’t go camping (I attract mosquitoes, thunderstorms, and bears when I camp out). I’m not planning to have any more kids, and I’m looking forward to when I can send the kids to the park without me. I don’t go to outdoor sporting events. It’s probably not going to get more than a couple of years worth of use, so I don’t want to spend too much.

  7. A cup holder would be nice, but a cooler is almost certainly overkill.

Any recommendations? Any I should definitely stay away from? We’re planning to go to REI this weekend so I can try some out.

#2

We have something like these for camping and trips to the beach and they work great. SWMBO’s version has a footrest you can remove.

#3

I bought a Coleman camping chair from Wal Mart to support my abundant frame and it’s worked out pretty well for me. They advertise chairs specifically for 250lbs + Not only is it sturdy, it’s also wide so you would be able to recline as needed and have a kid hop in or out. I bring it to my friends’ houses for fires and stuff and their kids go in and out with no problems.

It is slightly hard to get out of, like any camping chair, but it’s absolutely sturdy enough to push on to get up. Just gotta know where to grab.

This model, and the model I bought, come with a lumbar pillow. I never use the pillow but perhaps it would come in handy for you?

It weighs under 8 lbs and I find it very easy to carry. The strap on the bag makes it so that you can toss it over your shoulder - you don’t need an extra hand. However since it’s bigger than normal camp chairs it MIGHT be too much for a short person to carry. I’ve never been a short person so I don’t know. You’d have to try it out.

Anyway maybe stop by Wal Mart before or after REI to see if you can carry around one of the Coleman XL chairs? You can at least save a few bucks.

#4

This one (Tommy Bahama, just in case the link gets broken) is too low for you, but everyone I know really digs them. You can carry it like a backpack plus it has a built in cooler. It’s the go to chair for concerts. Costco usually carries them, at least around here.