While out tailgating, you have to have chairs. A comfortable place to sit is one of those tailgating “must haves”. There are a lot of folding chairs out there on the market and honestly unless the chair offers up some serious bells and whistles, we normally pass on doing product reviews on those types of products. Honestly what can you say about a regular old folding chair? Saying “Hey, it unfolds and you can sit in it” really isn’t going to bring readers back to your tailgating blog.
The folks at Sport-Brella contacted us and told us about their newest recliner chair that has a footrest, an adjustable sunshade umbrella and a pocket right in the armrest to store cold beverages, we were mildly interested in reviewing the product. The clincher was the mention of the bottle opener and we were sold on doing this product review and just had to see how this tailgating chair was different. After receiving the sample chair and testing it out thoroughly we thought this chair deserves a video demonstration because it did have all the bells and whistles you tailgaters are looking for.
(Disclaimer: We did receive a sample Sport-Brella Reclining Chair for free. The fact this sample was provided to us free of charge in no way influenced our opinion of the product nor did it impact our ability to test and review the product fairly and objectively.)
If you watched our video, you can see all the features of the chair and how they work in concert with each other. Obviously the attached bottle opener was a nice touch but the fact that the umbrella could be adjusted to any position means you will never be shading your eyes or scrambling for the sunscreen on those mid-day tailgates. Also, the “chamber” as I have nicknamed it, is pretty awesome in that you can load it up with three to four canned beverages and ice and never have to leave your chair for a cold one. And with a chair like this, you will definitely have to call dibs on it if you do get up to make a run on the buffet table.
The Sport-Brella Recliner Chair comes in two different colors, blue and orange. If you like the foot rest, leave it on and it folds up nicely when you have the chair stored in the bag. If you want to remove the foot rest, it comes off quite easily and can be stored inside the bag sleeve when not in use. The umbrella pole adjusts to either side of the chair back depending on which side the sun may be on. Although the official weight capacity of the Sport-Brella Recliner Chair is 250 pounds, you saw in the video that it supported my weight. As a former offensive lineman in college and being 6’5″ tall, you can imagine that I am a tad over the 250 threshold and the chair held me just fine. But I guess for legal purposes they have to say the weight capacity of the product.
Here are all the specs you need to know:
- 3-position recliner with easy adjusting hinges
- 3-way swiveling umbrella
- Built-in insulated pocket holds up to 4 drinks
- Cup holder and storage pockets with bottle opener
- Metallic undercoating for UPF 50+ sun protection
- Umbrella folds down on chair for storage as a single unit
- Eye protective safety tips on umbrella points
- Umbrella attaches to either side with quick-release clips
- Ultra-strong, lightweight steel construction
- 250 lb maximum
After thoroughly testing the Sport-Brella Recliner Chair we are going to have to stamp it “Tailgate Approved”. Even if it had one or two features like the umbrella or the foot rest it would be definitely able to hold its own at a tailgate party. Add in the beverage pocket and the bottle opener and the reclining feature and this is one chair that will be seeing a lot more time at our personal tailgates.
The Sport-Brella Recliner Chair is priced at $59.99 and is available online for purchase. For more information or to buy a Sport-Brella Recliner Chair for yourself or to give as a gift, visit: sport-brella.com.