Big Agnes Big Six Armchair Review (Bought & Tested!)

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Quick Summary: If you’re looking for a lightweight chair with armrests, the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair is a decent pick. However, if you’re short like me (I’m 5’3), the end of the seat will dig into your thighs, making it uncomfortable to sit for long.

Big Agnes Big Six V.S. the 20 Other Camp Chairs I Tested

1.5

Setup

5.9

Comfort

5.5

Breathability

Features

8.8

Quality

Weight

Overall Score 6.0 / 10

RELATED: The 21 Best Camping Chairs

Pros: Lightweight, decent features (armrests too!), high-quality materials

Cons: Expensive, set-up not intuitive, not good for short folks

I’ll link to my YouTube review here when it’s done (TBA)

Check out the Big Agnes Big Six:

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Table Of Contents

1. Set Up
2. Pack Away
3. Unfolded Dimensions
4. Detailed Measurements
5. Armrests
6. Storage
7. Materials
8. Longevity
9. Stability
10. Portability
11. Armchair V.S. Camp Chair
12. Pros & Cons
13. Bonus – MUST Read!

1. Set Up

To set up this chair, carefully follow these steps:

Locate the entire pole system and the middle bar with the Big Agnes logo (this is the main connection).
Plug the poles into the middle bar following the V-shaped groove shape on each hole.
Secure with another pole on the other side, which does not have the V-groove.
Ensure all four feet are on the ground (middle bar rotates to adjust).
Secure the carry bag onto the shortest front poles for the storage pocket if desired.
Grab chair fabric, locate pole pockets at the back, and secure it on the tallest poles.
Match the color-coded red pole corners at the bottom of the chair to the red poles.
Pull the armrest tab into the armrest pocket.
Go to the back and pull the pole clips onto the poles to make them taut (2 clips).

Setup time: ~1 minute 50 seconds

The poles of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair. — *The middle bar with the Big Agnes logo is the main connection that the rest of the poles plug into.*

The pole's grooves of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair. — *The poles that plug into the middle bar have a certain shape – one V-shaped groove for each hole*.

Close up look of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair's pole grooves and holes. — *Follow the shape, and plug it in.*

The pole setup of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair. — *The fully set-up pole structure; there should be 3 different sets of poles on each side of the chair*.

The color-coded pole pocket of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair. — *The pole pockets at the bottom of the chair are color-coded to match the red poles.*

The armrest pocket and tab of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair. — *Use the tab on the armrest to pull the pole into the armrest pocket.*

The seat clips of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair. — *Secure the pole clips onto the poles to make the entire chair taut. There are 2 pole clips here.*

2. Pack Away

To pack away the chair, follow these steps:

Remove the pole clips and armrests.
Remove the bottom of the chair fabric after removing the top of the chair.
Break down all poles and fold towards the center bar.
Lay fabric on the ground, fold arms inwards, place poles at the headrest, and roll into the bag.
Secure it back into the carry bag.

Pack away time: ~1 minute 20 seconds (including getting it back into the bag)

The author is packing away the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair. — *Place the poles on the headrest and roll it into the bag.*

3. Unfolded Dimensions

As for the unfolded dimensions, here’s what I measured:

Width: 36.25in (92cm) from armrest to armrest
Length: 26in (66cm) from the back of the chair to the front of the seat
Height: 39.5in (100cm) from the ground to the top of the chair

4. Detailed Measurements

Now, if you want more detailed seat measurements, here is everything to know:

Total seat width: 23.3in (59cm)
Seat depth: 12.5in (32cm)
Front seat height: 18.5in (47cm)
Actual seat height: 11.4in (29cm)
Backrest height: 30.5in (77cm)
Backrest width: 17.8in (45.3cm)
Recline angle: ~25 degrees (quite reclined)

The author is sitting on the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair. — *The seat depth cuts into my thighs at the front a bit, so not the most comfortable.*

The author is sitting on the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair, showing the seat height sag. — *The seat height slouches more than 7in.*

The backrest beam of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair. — *The top of the chair has a beam to make it rigid*.

The author is sitting on the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair, showing the chair's backrest height. — *The tall backrest height is enough to cover all the way past the top of my head*.

The back view of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair's backrest beam. — *If you’re taller than me (I’m 5’3/160cm), you’ll be resting your head on this beam, which isn’t comfortable.*

5. Armrests

A feature that the Big Six has is armrests, and these are decently padded. But the connection to the back is fixed, so it’s not adjustable.

The armrest of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair. — *The armrest of the Big Agnes Big Six.*

6. Storage

As for storage options, this chair has 2 cupholders, 1 in each armrest.

Cup Holder: 3.2in x 3.9in (8.2cm x 10cm)

A regular can in the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair's cup holder. — *Regular cans are a bit unstable as the cupholder is big*.

A mug in the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair's cup holder. — *It fits a mug in the cupholder.*

Side view of 1-Liter Nalgene bottle in the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair's cup holder. — *It also fits a 1-Liter Nalgene bottle.*

The carry bag of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair as a chair pocket. — *The carry bag acts as a storage pocket if set up on the front poles*.

7. Materials

As for materials, here are the details:

Fabric: Robic™ nylon with polyester ripstop
Poles: Aircraft-grade aluminum
Center Bar Thickness: 0.98in (2.5cm)
Other Poles Thickness: 0.71in (1.8cm)
Stitching: Good all around the entire chair

8. Longevity

I’ve had this chair for about 3 years, almost 4 years now. I got it back in 2022. Big Agnes added a waterproof UTS coating on the back of the ripstop nylon.

Purchase Date: ~2022
Coating Condition: Peeling/sticky/flaking after 3 years (UTS coating issue)
Pole/Shock Cord Condition: Still fine

The flaking coating on the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair's backrest fabric. — *After a few years, the waterproof UTS coating will start to peel, get sticky, and flake off.*

9. Stability

Next, I looked at the feet and pole structure:

Structure: Center bar with other poles connected to it
Feet: Rubber tips typical for lightweight chairs
Wobble: More wobble from side-to-side compared to bulkier chairs, but overall, no stability issues for me

10. Portability

As for portability, the carry bag has a small handle on each side.

The author is holding the packed Big Agnes Big Six Armchair's carry bag handle. — *There is a small handle on each side of the carry bag.*

Chair weight: 3.8lbs (1.7kg)
Storage bag weight: 0.2lbs (0.1kg)
Total weight: 4.0lbs (1.8kg), slightly lighter than marketed (4.1lbs)
Packed Size: 24in x 7.25in x 5.75in (61cm x 18cm x 14.6cm)

Packed size comparison of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair with the Coleman Sundome 2 Tent and 1-Liter Nalgene bottle. — *Side-by-side view of the packed chair next to a 2-person Coleman Sundome tent and a 1-liter Nalgene bottle for scale.*

11. Armchair V.S. Camp Chair

Here’s a summary of all the differences between the Armchair that I have and the other Big Six model, which is the Camp Chair:

Differences	Big Six Armchair	Big Six Camp Chair
Armrests	Yes	No
Cupholders	2	0
Weight	~4lbs	~3lbs
Packed Size (Marketed Specs)	5″ x 6″ x 22″	3.5″ x 4.5 ” 21″

Because of the armrests, the weight is slightly heavier, and it packs down slightly bigger, too. But when it comes to all seat measurements we tested together, like seat size and seat height, they are actually all the same.

12. Pros & Cons

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair?

Pro #1 – Portable

Weighs only ~4lbs (1.8kg) compared to typical chairs at 8 to 10 pounds. Packed size is compact at roughly 24in x 7.25in x 5.75in.

Pro #2 – Comes with Armrests

One of the few lightweight options (<5lbs) that includes armrests for better comfort, unlike models like Helinox Sunset or Chair Two.

Lightweight Chair	Armrests?
Big Agnes Big Six Armchair	Yes
Helinox Sunset	No
Helinox Chair Two No	No
REI Flexlite Camp Dreamer	No

Pro #3 – Good Seat Measurements

Second-highest seat height at 18.5in (47cm) and generous seat width, comparable to REI Flexlite Camp Dreamer.

Differences	Seat Height (in)	Seat Size (in)
Helinox Sunset	13.0	22.5 x 12
Big Agnes Big Six Armchair	11.4	23 x 12.5
REI Flexlite Camp Dreamer	9.8	23.8 x 13.5
Helinox Chair Two	7.5	21.1 x 11

The seat width of the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair. — *The seat size is more than enough for me (I’m 5’3(160cm) / 115lbs(52kg))*.

Pro #4 – Great Quality

Constructed with Robic™ nylon and aircraft-grade aluminum poles, though UTS coating may peel after ~3 years of use.

Con #1 – Very Expensive

MSRP is almost $300 (USD), significantly higher than most lightweight chairs. Value improves at sale prices of $150 to less than $200.

Con #2 – Setup Not Very Intuitive

Takes close to 2 minutes (~1 minute 50 seconds) due to complex V-shaped groove poles, compared to Helinox Sunset’s 45 seconds.

Overall Recommendation

If you’re looking for a lightweight chair with armrests and don’t mind paying a premium, the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair is one of the better picks out there. However, at around $300 for its MSRP, I recommend buying it on sale. (If it’s not on sale, skip it.)

13. Bonus – MUST Read!

I know this because I tested the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair against other chairs. Check out my Best Camping Chairs article to find out.

Or, check out the Big Agnes Big Six Armchair: