Camp chairs · Review

Kelty Lowdown Chair Review (Bought & Tested!)

I bought this chair with my own money and put it through 12 measured tests.

  • Setup ~7 sec
  • Seat size 17.1 x 15.5 in
  • Seat height 6.7 in
  • Weight 7.6 lbs
Kelty Lowdown Chair Review
My Kelty Lowdown Chair.

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Test scorecard

7.1out of 10
Setup9
Quality8.3
Features7
Weight6.5
Comfort5.5
Breathability4.5

The Kelty Lowdown Chair is one of the better low-profile chairs I’ve tested, with unique features like adjustable armrests and a carry bag that doubles as a footmat.

What won me over
  • Easy to use
  • Cool features
What let me down
  • Low seat height
  • A bit warm for summer
Video review thumbnail for the Kelty Lowdown Chair

If you prefer watching to reading, check out my video here instead.

See the 12 tests
  1. Set Up
  2. Pack Away
  3. Unfolded Dimensions
  4. Detailed Measurements
  5. Breathability
  6. Armrests
  7. Storage
  8. Carry Bag
  9. Materials
  10. Stability
  11. Portability
  12. Warranty
  13. Pros, cons, recommendations
  14. Bonus – MUST read!

Set Up

Setup is quick and simple. Here’s how:

  1. Lay the bag down and undo the 3 buckles.
  2. Roll open the bag and slide the chair out.
  3. Grab opposite ends and pull open.

Setup time: ~7 seconds

The author is unbuckling one of the three straps of the Kelty Lowdown Chair carry bag.
The carry bag has these 3 buckles that you need to undo first.
The author pulling open the Kelty Lowdown Chair.
Pull the opposite ends of the chair.

Pack Away

It packs with a wrap-and-buckle system, not a top-loader.

  1. Grab 2 opposite corners.
  2. Lift and pull everything together.
  3. Slot the feet in, wrap, and do up the 3 buckles.

Pack away time: ~23.5 seconds

The author packing away the Kelty Lowdown Chair into the carry bag.
The feet have to be slotted into the carry bag pocket.

Unfolded Dimensions

Here are the unfolded dimensions:

  • Width 31.25in from armrest to armrest
  • Length 20.5in from side to side
  • Height 28.4in from ground to top of chair

Detailed Measurements

Here are the detailed seat measurements:

  • Total seat length 20.1in
  • Real seat length 17.1in
  • Seat depth 15.5in
The author sittting on the Kelty Lowdown Chair.
The seat length is actually narrower, after taking into account the two steel bars on the sides.
  • Front seat height 12in
  • Actual sit height 6.7in
The seat height of the Kelty Lowdown Chair.
The seat height slouches more than 5in when someone is sitting on it.
  • Backrest height 20.75in
  • Recline angle ~14 degreesa slight recline
The author leaning on the backrest of the Kelty Lowdown Chair.
The backrest covers my entire back (I’m 5’3″), but there’s no headrest.

Breathability

It’s thickly padded with zero mesh.

  • Amount of mesh 0%
  • Temperature rise Starting temp 76.1°F → After 1 hour: 86.9°F14.2% increase
The author measuring the fabric temperature of the Kelty Lowdown Chair.
The chair has 0% mesh. Notice it’s 100% fabric. And that’s me conducting the temperature test.

So it traps body heat and keeps you warm. Not a chair you want to use for hot summer.

Armrests

The armrests are padded and adjustable via buckles at the back.

The author is resting her arm on the armrest of the Kelty Lowdown Chair.
Me resting my arms on the armrests.

You can adjust them without getting up.

The author is adjusting the armrest height of the Kelty Lowdown Chair.
You can adjust the height of the armrest without leaving the chair.

Storage

The cupholder fits a regular 300mL can and a 1L Nalgene bottle at once, though it’s a tight fit.

  • Cup Holder size 3.5 x 5.5 inches
A 1-liter Nalgene bottle and a regular can inside the Kelty Lowdown Chair's cupholder.
What fits into the cupholder.

The middle divider is adjustable, you can stow it away at the side:

The Kelty Lowdown Chair cupholder, with the middle divider stowed away.
This creates one huge holder for larger items.

Carry Bag

The carry bag is thick and padded, with an adjustable shoulder strap.

The author adjusting the straps of the carry bag of the Kelty Lowdown Chair.
You can adjust the length of the carry bag’s shoulder strap.
Close-up shot of the buckle of the Kelty Lowdown Chair.
Here’s a close-up of the buckle for adjustments.

It doubles as a footrest or pet mat.

The author is resting her foot on the carry bag of the Kelty Lowdown Chair.
You can use the carry bag as a footrest.

Materials

There are no loose threads, and the stitching is clean throughout. Here are the materials:

  • Fabric 600D polyester
  • Poles Steel, approx. 0.61 inches thick
  • Joints Simple rivets

Stability

The X-pole structure and low height keep it stable. I had no issues with stability.

  • Structure X-pole on all sides
  • Feet decently sized
The feet of the Kelty Lowdown Chair.
The chair is stable, arrow pointing to the decently sized feet.

Portability

Here’s the weight and packed size:

  • Weight 7.6 lbs
    • Chair 6.8 lbs
    • Carry bag 0.8 lbs
  • Packed Size 31.8″ (L) x 8.3″ (W) x 7.25″ (H)
Packed size length comparison between the Kelty Lowdown Chair V.S. Coleman Sundome 2 Tent.
Side-by-side view of the packed chair next to a 2-person Coleman Sundome tent.

Warranty

This chair comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

Pros & Cons

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the Kelty Lowdown Chair?

Easy to Use

Setup takes ~7 seconds and pack-away ~23.5 seconds — among the quickest I’ve tested.

Great Carry Bag

The wrap-and-buckle system beats squeezing into a top-loader. It’s also padded, works as a foot mat, and has an adjustable shoulder strap.

The author is carrying the packed Kelty Lowdown Chair in the carry bag.
The carry bag is multi-functional, here’s me carrying it.

Decent Features

You get adjustable armrests, a big cupholder, and a lifetime warranty.

Top-down view of the Kelty Lowdown Chair showing the fabric, armrests and a cupholder.
The armrests and cupholder of the Kelty Lowdown Chair.

Seat Height Very Low

Once you sit, the real height drops to under 7 inches (marketed as 12 inches). Skip it if you struggle getting out of low seats.

The author sitting on the Kelty Lowdown Chair beside a table
The seat height is very low compared to a table.

Pro TipAlso, take note that Kelty’s marketed specs does not accurately match what I tested in a few areas.

FeatureMarketed (in)My Testing (in)
Width31.520.1
Depth23.015.5
Backrest Height17.020.75
Seat Height12.06.7

Overall recommendation

The Kelty Lowdown Chair is a great chair if you want a low campfire chair for cool weather, and you like the features like the carry bag and cupholder.

However, if you camp in the heat, or need a higher seat, don’t get this.

Bonus – MUST Read!

I know this because I tested the Kelty Lowdown Chair against 20 other camping chairs. Check out my 21 Best Camping Chairs post to find out more.

Or, check out the Kelty Lowdown Chair:

Every figure above is from my own testing — measured by hand, bought with my own money.

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