TreeLineBackpacker

Camping can be rugged, but it doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. Sometimes a little well earned luxury is warranted. So, today we’re taking a look at a suite of high quality camp furniture from Dometic, including compact camping chairs, a collapsible bamboo table, and even a lightweight bench: My review.

Dometic, an Electrolux company, has a long history of creating high quality, mobile camp furniture dating all the way back to the 1950’s when Electrolux created the brand. They focus on quality, comfort, and making their products last, which is in itself a sustainability effort. Today, we’re specifically looking at the “Go” collection, which includes lightweight, easy to carry equipment including the “Go Compact Camp Chair”, the “Go, Compact Camp Table” and “Go, Compact Camp Bench”. Let’s dig in.

First up is the Go Compact Camp Chair. This is a relatively lightweight camp chair that quickly folds up to fit into a slender tubular storage sack, which is included. It is constructed from a combination of lightweight aluminum, 600 denier fabric (I believe nylon), treated and finished beechwood arm rests, and steel rivets. The feet have plastic caps applied to protect the metal and surfaces from scratches and the wooden arms are treated. The chair sports a hollow aluminum frame that is essentially a series of scissors that allow the chair to fold up like an accordion. It retails for $150, weighs 9.3 pounds, and has a 280 pound weight limit.

The Go Compact Chair is rather comfortable, with a slightly reclined rake and finished, rounded wooden handrails. The fabric is strung between the metal frame arms, creating a hammock like suspension that helps to alleviate pressure points. It lacks any real padding, but the fabric does a good job of distributing weight and is comfortable for extended sitting sessions. Given the lack of a headrest, I would have preferred a more upright sitting position as it leaves the user holding the weight of their own head upright while leaning back. However, they do offer a headrest in a taller “Milano” model for those who prefer or need the extra support. The chair deploys and packs up extremely easily and is just a matter of pulling the arms apart or pushing them together. It takes about 4 seconds and from there slides into the storage sack with relative ease thanks to the wide, zippered opening. The construction instills great confidence with a robust, high denier fabric that hasn’t stretched or frayed at all in my testing and a frame that is impressively sturdy given the weight.

The ‘Go Compact Camp Table’ is a real gem and my favorite item that I’ve tested from their line. It is a sturdy bamboo and aluminum table that folds down into a compact, suitcase-like carry complete with locking pins and a carry handle. The legs are scissor-like, similar to the chairs, but each leg folds independently of one another. The table weighs substantially more than the camp chairs at just over 20 pounds. However, this is justified given the sturdy construction, large bamboo top, stability and surface size. The Go Compact Table retails for $199.

I’ve found that the table is robust and confidence inspiring, easily holding stoves, cooking utensils, food or anything else I’ve found appropriate to throw at it without it wiggling around too much. It sits at 39″x 25″ with a maximum height of 27″, so it provides enough sitting space for four people with an appropriate amount of space for eating, playing card and board games, or just planning the next outing. The legs are adjustable to three different heights, using a traditional spring lock design, which allows the table to sit very low, or heigh enough for convenient food prep and cooking. Setting up and taking the table back down is very simple. The table folds in the middle, and either locks open or closed using swing latches. The legs fold in by pressing in on the scissor like reinforcements on the bottom. Setting it up is straight forward, but doing so without getting it scuffed up is a little trickier. The wood finish scratches without much force, and if you’re on rock, concrete or gravel, it will likely take some dings as it’s hard to collapse the table while also preventing the wood from touching the ground at some point during the process. While folded, no matter how you orient the wood will contact the ground, so this will get scuffed up. There is a carry bag that can prevent all this, but it’s not included. It does, however, include a sturdy carry handle that pops out once the table is folded up. It’s a bit heavy to carry for long periods of time, but the handle is comfortable enough for a hundred yards or so.

The ‘Go Camp Bench’ is the most curious of the products I’ve tested. It is a lightweight bench designed to hold people or supplies. It folds down to a small package of about 8″x14″ (I need to measure this one. I’m guessing here) and only weighs 7.4 pounds. The product page states it is constructed from 300 denier fabric, but I’m fairly certain it is actually the same 600 denier fabric used in their chairs. It retails for $99.

Setting the bench up is less obvious than the chairs and table, but still really easy. The two end legs flip over 180 degrees, and the middle leg swings out. Then, you can pull the frame apart to finalize the setup. It’s a decently comfortable place to sit, but I wouldn’t want to spend extended amounts of time on it myself, given it has no back support. It’s better used for having a quick meal, putting on boots, gathering gear, or just keeping other equipment off the ground. It is listed as a two person seating option, but with a weight limit of 300 pounds, I’m not so sure that is going to be viable aside from children and very lightweight adults. It’s a fun addition to camp, but works better for family gatherings where there are children who may use it in spurts, or just to add some interesting flair to your site. It does pack up very small though, so it’s good to have around.

Overall

Dometic has put together some great gear here. The chairs, table and bench are all well constructed with high quality, rugged metals and fabrics used throughout. The construction quality as a whole is also impressive, with smooth finishes, consistent stitching, and an attention to detail that I don’t often see in this type of equipment. The chairs are comfortable, the table is stout, and everything packs up quickly and easily. The only real faults I see is a table that scratches up easily, chairs that lean back just a bit too far for not having a headrest, and a bench that could probably use a higher weight limit if it is actually to hold two adults. Still, they’re priced great for the quality, are generally lightweight aside for the table (which is still reasonable). It comes together to make a very attractive kit, both practically and aesthetically. Those searching for a convenient, elegant camping kit would find a lot to like here.

Highly Recommended

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I want to extend a huge thanks to Dometic for providing this product for review. We couldn’t do it without their help.

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