Crazy Creek Canoe Chair IV

I paddle in my solo Wenonah Fusion Kevlar canoe over 250 days per season, and require good back support while paddling. For the past 10 years I have used a few external frame folding canoe chairs, each of which has lasted about three years before the fabric and metal connections start to fail. This Crazy Creek Canoe Chair IV is like an internal frame seat, with more give and flexibility, and has proven to be comfortable, lightweight, easy to use. This canoe chair has been out with me for more than 40 outings of solo canoeing and canoe camping. I can recommend this seat for paddlers looking for a bit of seat-padding, and also some comfortable but not hard and rigid back support.

Introduction: The Crazy Creek Canoe Chair IV is the newest version of canoe seats made by the Crazy Creek Company which advertises itself as  "Perfecting Just Sit There" since 1987. Well, I do sit there, as I paddle daily in my solo canoe with my pup, taking wildlife photos, monitoring loons and eagles, canoe camping, portaging, and participating in canoeing events.

Crazy Creek offers many different seating options for different outdoor activities. This chair is one of their Water Series options, which include four paddling chairs and pads designed to meet any paddler's needs.  This Canoe Chair IV seems to best fit my needs and activities.
https://crazycreek.com/collections/boating 

My solo canoe, a 13-foot Wenonah Fusion Kevlar, has the traditional webbed seat construction. For comfort and back support, Wenonah includes a strap-on canoe chair with the purchase of the boat. The chair that comes with the canoe is the same type I have used for 10 years of solo canoeing...a very adequate external frame seat, but with some problematic features. The attachment buckles are beneath the canoe seat, and the lower rear cross bar always hit me right in the small of my back, requiring an extra foam pad. The chair has also deteriorated over time, with metal hinges failing, and the fabric starting to shred.

So I jumped at the chance to try out this Crazy Creek canoe chair, which is more ergonomically designed, more comfortable, lighter, and easier to install. I have used this chair on more than 40 outings, ranging from one hour to 5 hours in length, in different conditions, and also while portaging and camping. I think that this chair is a definite upgrade over my existing ones, and I feel that a positive review is in order.  

Design and Construction: This low-profile canoe chair has a multi-foam layer on the seat base, which is approximate .75 inches (1.9cm) thick and sized 12 in. by 16 in. (30 x 40cm)  The back support ( sized 16 in. x 15 in./40 x 38cm) is a bit thicker, and has carbon reinforced fiberglass stays vertically on each side, providing comfortable back support. The back and seat base are hinged with a welded and sewn rubber and nylon connection, strong and durable, and easy to allow the seat to fold nearly flat. 

The canoe chair does not have a designated portage strap, but the side straps can easily be unbuckled, and then connected across the back to provide secure hold-down of the back rest for portaging. 

The side straps are made of 1" (2.5cm) wide webbing, with easily adjustable buckles. The strap and buckles to secure the chair to a canoe seat are designed so that you do not have to reach under the canoe seat to buckle the chair on; the buckles are located at the lower portion of the back rest, allowing for easy attachment. 

There are drain holes in the bend of the seat, so water does not collect in the depression where the back rest and seat connect. 

The body of the chair is made of TPU coated rip-stop polyester, making it durable, waterproof, and easy to clean or wipe down if wet. Sec indicate the chair is 30% polyethylene foam, 5% carbon fiber, and 65% polyester. It is made in Cambodia for Crazy Creek Products of Montana. 

The MSRP for this chair is $79.95, and it is available in two color options, Aleutian Blue with Grey straps, or Forest Green with Orange straps. The listed weight is 1lb. 4oz. I was provided with the blue version.

This canoe chair is designed to be attached to an existing seat, so reportedly can be also be used in a sit-on-top kayak or inflatable boat with an existing seat. It can also serve as a seat out of the boat as a more comfortable option than sitting on the ground!

Comments based upon use: 

When canoeing, I am looking for comfort and back support in any add-on canoe chair. The seat base paddling on this Crazy Creek chair is not what I would call "plush", but it is adequate and firm enough to protect my posterior from the discomfort of a long sit on the standard webbed seat.

I usually adjust the side straps so that the back support is nearly vertical; I often lean back against the back portion if I am taking photos, or just taking a break. The rear thwart of my canoe is close to the back of my seat, and the canoe chair does contact it when I lean back. I also always wear a PFD, which provides additional back padding, but I have yet to have any issues with pressure from this contact point.

The construction of this chair is such that the back support has some "give," and can contour a bit along your back. The strong side stays keep it firm, but it is not uncomfortably rigid. There are no pressure points along the base of my spine or hips.

For testing purposes, I did break my usual cardinal rule and recently paddled during a group outing while not wearing my PFD. Though it was 87 degrees f. and sunny , the chair material did not feel hot. However, this was not an extended hot weather outing. I did notice that without the PFD, I had to cinch up the side straps a bit further in order to reach the preferred vertical position of the back rest. I was pleased to note that even though I lacked the usual padding my PFD provides, I did not feet the rear thwart pressuring against my back. The vertical stays on the back rest portion of the seat are strong enough to prevent contact with the thwart from reducing comfortable back support.

The Crazy Creek canoe chair is lightweight, and very easy to install and remove, since the attachment buckles do not end up beneath your regular canoe seat. If I want to portage my canoe, or place it on my roof rack without removing the seat, it is easy to use the side straps to secure the seat in a closed position. I have not used the carry handle, since the seat it so lightweight I can easily carry it folded.

The material of the seat seems very durable, easy to clean, and waterproof. I paddle in all conditions, so being able to just wipe down the seat after rainy canoeing is appreciated. I have used the seat in very hot (90's) temperatures and humidity, and have not found the material to get hot or uncomfortable. As with any other seat, if you are not wearing a PFD, or are not wearing a shirt, in long outings during very hot weather it may be suggested to toss a towel over the material.

When I get into my canoe, I first loosen the side straps so that the back of the seat is "reclined," allowing me to get in and seated without ending up sitting on a flopped over back rest. It is easy to then just snug up the straps to the desired tightness; to date, I have not had a singe instance of the straps twisting, binding, or not easily sliding. This is a definite upgrade over my prior seat, where the straps often twisted and would not slide. 

Issues to Note:  This canoe chair does not have an accessory pocket on the back, as many other canoe chairs have. It is not a feature I miss a lot (there is a pocket on my prior chairs), but it would be nice to have a place to stash some bug spray, a bandana, or a map.

One interesting thing I have discovered about this chair is that it "squeaks." Not quite as bad as a whoopie cushion, but I often notice that when I am quietly watching wildlife to photograph, or taking video clips, I hear the chair material making noise unless I sit perfectly still. It is actually a bit funny, because it can be heard on some of my bird videos, so some selective sound editing is required!

Conclusion: I like this canoe chair more than I thought I would. At first I feared that its lightweight construction would not provide adequate support as I paddled. I was wrong, and have decided that I really enjoy using this seat, and it is worth the premium price over other type canoe chairs I have used.

This chair is half the weight of my other chairs, and is certainly easier to install in my canoe. It is comfortable and easily adjustable, and has shown no signs of wear or tear after daily use for nearly two months in heat, rain, cold, muddy,  and humid conditions. Though it costs nearly twice as much as my previous canoe chairs ($79.95 vs. $40), I think that its features make the added expenditure worthwhile.

Though I have used the Crazy Creek canoe chair only on my solo canoe, it should work just fine in a tandem canoe. I also cannot test it on another type of boat, but if it is attachable to a standard seat, it should be just as comfortable and supportive in other boats.

Background

I canoe over 250 days a year in Vermont, from ice-out to ice-in. I also canoe in all conditions all over the northeast and Canada, frequently canoe camping. I have used a canoe chair with a solo canoe for over 10 years, and was on my third canoe chair prior to obtaining this Crazy Creek Canoe Chair IV for testing. My frequent canoeing and experience and familiarity with all types of canoe gear means that I am comfortable with this review.