GCI Outdoor Xpress Lounger Director’s Chairs Review

They say you can never have enough chairs with you, right? In the case of RVing, obviously there’s a limit to how many chairs you can carry. However, the GCI Outdoor Xpress Lounger Director Chair makes it easy to carry more ‘backup’ chairs with you.

We recently wrote a review about our Zero Gravity chairs, and how we swear by them for comfort in day-to-day RVing. While true, we’ve found it’s helpful to have 3-4 ‘other’ chairs with us for visitors and other RVers we meet on the road. As portable chairs go, these GCI Director Chairs are the best!

We have 2 of these chairs with us, as they’re comfy enough that you can sit in them for hours and they easily store behind our couch. We also use them inside the RV for extra seating during a movie or for guests.

As an added bonus these chairs are very portable, so they’re handy to take to parades, the beach, fishing, park events, or any time you’re away from the RV. They’re lightweight, comfy, pack down small, are easy to carry, durable, and strong enough to hold most adults.

Our GCI Outdoor Director’s chairs are comfortable, easy to use, and they take up minimal storage space.

How we decided to buy GCI Outdoor XPress Director’s Chairs

When we began full-time RV’ing, we realized pretty quickly that we wanted a Zero Gravity chair for day-to-day use. You can’t beat the comfort of these loungers, and we are very happy with them for day-to-day use.

Then we got word from my family that they were coming out to visit us in our new RV. They love the outdoors like we do, so we wanted to make sure we had enough chairs for all of us to sit outside.

 

Rich sitting in a GCI Outdoors Directors Chair

Rich sitting in a GCI Outdoors Directors Chair

The first thing we did was pull out our two beach chairs, thinking they’d be the perfect solution. However, once we set them up, we saw just how low they sat to the ground, which wasn’t ideal.

We could easily picture many situations where a more traditional portable chair would be helpful. BBQs, picnics, family gatherings, parades, and even sitting in the RV with extra guests. We weren’t convinced that we could fit two extra chairs in our Class C Winnebago, but decided to see what was out there.

First we decided on the features we wanted. They needed to be as compact as possible, strong enough to hold Rich’s weight (240-pounds), comfortable, and reasonably priced. Options included a carrying strap, a cup holder and a pocket for keys or cell phone.

First we looked at “chairs in a bag” style, but we ruled them out because they aren’t comfortable enough. Most of those chairs cut you underneath the thighs, and they’re not very well made either. Then we checked out fold-up stadium seats, but they weren’t structured enough for our needs. Finally, we looked at Director’s chairs, and felt they were the best for our purposes.

Our Solution:

We found the GCI Outdoor XPress Lounger Director’s Chairs and saw they had 4-5 Star reviews online. So we went into a store and sat in one, and could see why they were so popular. We also liked the features such as carrying bag, drink holder, side pocket, and how they folded down flatter than we could believe. They’re a little pricey at around $50 a piece, but it’s tough to find comfortable chairs that pack down so small. We took a chance and bought two.

We’ve been using them for over three years, and are glad we found them. They’re surprisingly comfortable, and I even find myself sitting in them when we have company.

They certainly are compact, and they fit behind our sofa for storage when folded. The best thing is that they’ve got a carrying bag with built-in backpack straps, which makes them easy to carry anywhere.

Chair Details:

Open size measures 16.5″ x 22″ x 33.25″ and folds to 17.5″ x 2.5″ x 16.5.”  Weight: 9 pounds. Comes with side pocket and drink holder, and a carrying bag with built-in backpack straps.

Pros:

  • Quickly and easily setup and break down
  • Very comfortable!
  • Supports up to 250 pounds
  • Steel powder coated frame is durable against weather
  • Lightweight, packs down flat for easy storage
  • Perfect for visitors or day trips
  • Include storage bag with backpack straps for easy transporting

Cons:

  • Some reports on Amazon that the chairs break. We suspect it’s only the chairs with the mesh bottom. Our fabric seats have held up for several years with zero problems – and Rich weighs 240-pounds.
  • Breaking them down is super fast and easy once you get the hang of it. (I still struggle with this a little, but Rich can break them down in seconds.)

Summary:

We’ve used our GCI Outdoor Xpress Lounger Director’s Chairs many times these past few years, and have always been glad to have them with us.

If you’re looking for reliable chairs that pack down small for your camping trips, we recommend you try them too!

Our GCI Outdoor Director’s chairs are comfortable, easy to use, and they take up minimal storage space.

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