Traveling when you have limited physical mobility or endurance often means careful strategizing—imagining challenges and figuring out how to meet them. What can you do to make an experience less taxing and more enjoyable? Often the difference comes down to being able to sit when you need to, and that’s where a collapsible stool can be a lifesaver (or at least a leg-saver).
No one will claim that a collapsible stool is as comfortable as an easy chair, but many of them are small and light and they do the job of getting weight off your legs and giving you a chance to rest up, whether you’re on a city tour, waiting in line, visiting a museum, or taking a hike.
Knowing you want a collapsible stool is not the same as knowing WHICH collapsible stool you want, though, so we’re giving you an introduction to several models to get you started. This is by no means a comprehensive overview, but it includes some of the most popular choices available on Amazon.com.
From least to most expensive (at the time of writing), here they are:
Travel Chair Slacker Chair: Price ranges from $19.64-$29.61. (We paid $20.25.) This had the smallest seat (11.5” x 13”) of the chairs we tested, not designed for broad bottoms. Straddling a corner (as one does with these tripod stools) can be uncomfortable for some men. The seat height of about 16.5” (lowest spot, with no one sitting on it) can make it a bit harder to get out of than other chairs, but just a bit. On the plus side, it is relatively small (24” when folded up), light (2.2 lbs.), and can support up to 275 pounds. With 6,270 Amazon ratings at the time of this writing, the Slacker Chair has an average of 4.6 stars out of 5.
Portal Tall Slacker Chair Folding Tripod Stool: Price at time of writing was $22.99. (We paid $22.99.) This was our favorite of the budget models. The seat is a more bottom-welcoming 14.5” x 15”, and the seat height is 20” (before a slight sag with body weight). With a collapsed length of 27.5” and weight of 2.1 lbs., this slacker chair is easy to carry, but not very practical for packing in a suitcase. It supports up to 225 lbs. With 999 Amazon ratings at the time of writing, it earned an average of 4.6 stars out of 5.
Deer’s Life Portable Telescoping Folding Stool: Price at time of writing was $29.88. (We paid $29.99.) This chair was notably different from the folding tripod stools with nylon seats that represented the other test models. Rings of interlocking plastic disks give it surprising stability and strength in a very small package. Maximum height is 17.7”, but the firm plastic seat (9.8” in diameter) makes it easier to get off of than a sling fabric seat. Collapsed, the stool measures 10” across and 2.75” high and is easy to carry by its attached strap. It weighs 2.5 lbs., so not the lightest of the bunch, but it fits easily in a suitcase and can support up to 400 lbs. If we needed a budget-priced packable stool that can support a lot of weight, we would probably select this one. With 298 Amazon ratings at the time of this writing, it averaged 4.6 stars out of 5.
Walkstools
The three collapsible stool models above have all been personally tested by our team. They represent options that get the job done without breaking the budget. What follows is information about more expensive models that are highly rated, all produced by the Swedish company Walkstool (walkstool.com). According to Walkstool, their portable stools are “Used and recommended by people with limited physical ability,” and reviews both on their Web site and on Amazon back this up.
There are two Walkstool levels of expense and quality available, the Basic line and the Comfort line. All models have telescoping legs, which allows for a very compact collapsed size, great for taking in a day bag or packing in a suitcase.
As we have not tested these ourselves, we will share that user complaints include: difficulty using the buttons to get the legs to collapse from open position; legs not locking into place when collapsed; small seating area (on the Basic models); incompatibility with male anatomy and wider bottoms (mostly the Basic models); and, for the Basic models, less stability than the more expensive Comfort models. (Some people complain about the price of the Comfort line, however.) Again, working from least to most expensive, here are the Walkstool models:
Walkstool Basic: The Walkstool Basic model comes in two heights, a 20” seat height (around $49) and a 24” seat height (around $53). The 20” model collapses down to 14”, weighs only 24 oz., and can support up to 330 lbs. The 24” model has a packed length of 16”, weighs 26 oz., and can support up to 385 pounds. Both have a seat size of 13” across and a sitting comfort rating of “Good” by the company. If we were looking for a small, light stool to pack up and take to Europe, for example, planning to transport it in a suitcase and then carry it around all day, we would probably select the 24” Basic model. Amazon ratings for the two sizes together number 188 for an average rating of 4.1 out of 5, although additional listings for the same products have 5-star averages (but fewer ratings).
Walkstool Comfort: The Walkstool Comfort model comes in four sitting heights, 18” (around $83), 22” (around $83), 26” (around $107), and 30” (around $94). Comfort models come with a carrying bag.
The 18” Comfort model collapses down to 14”, weighs 29 oz., has a seat size of 14” and supports up to 440 lbs. Its sitting comfort is rated “Very Good” by the company.
The 22” Comfort model collapses down to 16”, weighs 32 oz., has a seat size of 15” and supports up to 495 pounds. Its sitting comfort is rated “High” by the company.
The 26” Comfort model collapses down to 18”, weighs 34 oz., has a seat size of 16” and supports up to 550 lbs. Its sitting comfort is rated “Extreme” by the company (which we interpret to mean “extremely comfortable”).
The 30” Comfort model collapses down to 20”, weighs 37 oz., has a seat size of 16” and supports up to 550 lbs. Its sitting comfort is also rated “Extreme” by the company.
All four Comfort model sizes together have a total of 1,280 ratings on Amazon at the time of writing, with an average score of 4.6 out of 5.
Recommendations
If you want a good budget stool and collapsed length is not an issue: Portal Tall Slacker Chair Folding Tripod Stool
If you want a good budget stool that fits easily in luggage: Deer’s Life Portable Telescoping Folding Stool
If you want a good budget stool that can support up to 400 pounds: Deer’s Life Portable Telescoping Folding Stool
If you want a compromise between price and a light, easily packable stool that has a higher (but not large) seat: Walkstool Basic (20” or 24”)
If price is not a concern and you want the most comfortable, easily packable stool: Walkstool Comfort (probably 22” or 26”)
