Camp chairs · Review

NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair Review (Bought & Tested!)

I bought this chair with my own money and put it through 13 measured tests.

  • Setup ~43 sec
  • Seat size 22.0 x 19.1 in
  • Seat height 10.2 in
  • Weight 8.4 lbs
NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair Review
My NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.

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Test scorecard

7.5out of 10
Features9
Quality8.8
Breathability8.1
Comfort7.3
Setup5.5
Weight5.5

With a full rocking range and a deep 57° recline, the NEMO Stargaze is a premium rocking-and-reclining camp chair that’s genuinely tough to beat — if you can stomach the price.

What won me over
  • Premium build
  • Portable
  • Lots of features (rocking, reclining, pillow, mesh)
What let me down
  • Expensive
Check price on REI Co-OpCheck price on AmazonCheck price on BackcountryCheck price on NEMO Equipment

RELATED: Best Camping Chairs

Video review thumbnail for the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair

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

See the 13 tests
  1. Set Up
  2. Pack Away
  3. Unfolded Dimensions
  4. Seat Size
  5. Seat Height
  6. Back & Headrest
  7. Reclining Function
  8. Rocking Function
  9. Armrests
  10. Storage
  11. Mesh
  12. Materials & Quality
  13. Portability
  14. Pros, cons, recommendations
  15. Bonus – MUST read!

Set Up

1) Follow the shock-cording and insert every pole into its joint.

Shock cording on the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
Follow the shock cording.

2) Check that the white marks are fully inserted — no white except the top line should be visible.

Setup markings on the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
The white marks show you whether it’s fully inserted. This is for safety reasons.
The poles structure of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
When you’re done, you should have the 4 leg poles on the ground, and the 2 longer poles are for the seat.

3) Grab the chair fabric, and clip the chair on with the metal buckles at both widths.

  • Setup time ~43 seconds
A close up look at the seat buckles of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
Tip: The word ‘TOP’ should be facing outwards.

Pack Away

Packing away is just the reverse and it takes about 52 seconds.

The poles of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair inside the carry bag.
Tip: Break down all the poles and put them into the bag first. The seat goes on top.

Unfolded Dimensions

  • Width 37.4inpole tip to pole tip
  • Depth 28.0inback to front
  • Height 40.5inground to top

Seat Size

The seat size shifts slightly depending on how heavy you are. For me:

  • Seat width 22.0in
  • Seat depth 19.1in
The author sitting on the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
I’m not very big (5’3, 117lbs), so I found the seat to be roomy and comfortable.

Seat Height

The empty and seated heights differ slightly:

  • Empty height (no one sitting) 11.5in
  • Seated height (me sitting on it) 10.25in
The seat height of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
The seat sinks down by 1.25in when you sit in the chair.

Back & Headrest

  • Backrest height 30.0in
  • Backrest width (average) 19.5in
  • Headrest 1 pillow, adjustable
The author leaning on the backrest of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
The backrest is so tall, it extends past my head.
The adjustable pillow of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
The pillow at my preferred height.
Velcro on the pillow of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
It has 2 strips of Velcro behind it for you to adjust the height.
The adjustable pillow height of the NEMO Stargaze.
You can secure it higher up the chair, if you’re taller.

Reclining Function

  • Neutral position (no recline) 11°
  • Maximum reclining angle 57°
The NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair at its most reclined setting.
The deepest angle of 57 degrees.
  • How to recline Just lean back and push
  • How to un-recline Stand up and the chair will automatically un-recline
A close up look at the tensioned straps of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
This chair uses these tensioned straps here for automatic reclining.

Rocking Function

  • Attachment 2 steel bucklesone at each width
  • Rocking motion As high as you want it to be
Red arrows pointing to the attachment buckles of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
These are the only points of attachment; because of this, you get a full range of rocking motion.

Armrests

The armrests are thin metal tubes wrapped in a thick layer of fabric. They’re not adjustable and run a little thin, but they were comfortable enough for me.

The armrests of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
It has metal tubings with a thick layer of fabric for armrest.

Storage

  • Pockets 2 (can double as cupholders)
  • Pocket length 4.0in
  • Pocket diameter 3.5in
The pockets of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
It has 2 pockets/cupholders.
A mobile phone and sunglasses in the pocket of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
The pocket has a cinch at the back that tightens around smaller items like sunglasses or a phone.
A 1-liter Nalgene bottle in the pocket of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
It fits up to a 1-liter Nalgene bottle.

Mesh

  • Mesh percentage 43.6%
  • Temperature test:
    • Starting temp 77.0°F
    • After 1 hour 78.6°F
    • Increase 2.0%
  • Verdict You sit only on the mesh portions, so it’s very breathable and never ran hot. Love it.
The mesh of the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
The mesh panel on the seat was 15in in width, the backrest was 19in, the length across both is 17in. This comes up to about 44% mesh.

Materials & Quality

  • Stitching Solid all around
  • Fabric Recycled 900D polyester
  • Mesh Polyester monofilament
  • Poles Aircraft-grade aluminum
  • Pole thickness:
    • Feet poles 0.87in
    • Seat poles 0.91in
    • Center bar 0.95in
  • Zipper Unbranded, but works well
  • Warranty Lifetime
  • Stability Stable, wide feet spread
The author rocking on the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
Tip: Just don’t push too far back while rocking, or it’ll tip over (requires significant strength to do so though). So, overall stability is still good.

Portability

  • Total weight 8.4lbs
    • Chair 7.8lbs
    • Carry bag 0.6lbs
  • Packed size 27.0 x 9.25 x 8.5in
Packed size comparison between the NEMO Stargaze and the Coleman Sundome 2 Tent.
Compared to a mid-sized 2-person tent (Coleman Sundome), this is about 12% longer in length.
  • Ease of carry:
    • Adjustable shoulder strap x 1
    • Non-adjustable handle x 1
The author carrying the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair.
Me using the shoulder strap.
The author carrying the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair by its handle.
And this is the handle.

Pros, Cons, Recommendations

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair?

DifferenceNEMO StargazeGCI KickbackGCI Pod Rocker
Rocking RangeFullPartialPartial
Hammock-MotionYesNoNo
Angle of Recline11–57°17°25°
Backrest Height30.0in22.5in25.1in
PillowYes, adjustableNoNo
Seat Size22.0 x 19.1in17.8 x 16.3in27.3 x 14.5in
Mesh43.6%0%2%
Weight8.4lbs10.4lbs12.1lbs
Packed Length27.0in39.3in41.0in
UV ProtectionYesNoNo
Weight Capacity300lbs250lbs250lbs
MSRP$250$70$80
Setup43 seconds4 seconds23 seconds
Pack Away52 seconds5 seconds45 seconds
Seat Height10.3in11.2in11.2in

Full rocking range and hammock motion

It’s the only chair here with a full rocking range and true hammock motion — it keeps swaying even with your feet off the ground. The GCI chairs only rock when your feet push off.

Deepest recline

It’s also the only one that reclines, and you get tons of flexibility here:

  • NEMO Stargaze: 11–57°
  • GCI Kickback: 17° (fixed)
  • GCI Pod Rocker: 25° (fixed)

Tallest backrest and only pillow

The backrest is the only one that reaches past my head:

  • NEMO Stargaze: 30.0in (adjustable pillow)
  • GCI Kickback: 22.5in (no pillow)
  • GCI Pod Rocker: 25.1in (no pillow)

Most mesh and breathability

It has by far the most mesh and felt the coolest:

  • NEMO Stargaze: 43.6% mesh
  • GCI Kickback: 0% mesh
  • GCI Pod Rocker: 2% mesh

Small packed size

It’s the lightest of the three and packs down smallest:

  • NEMO Stargaze: 8.4lbs / 27.0in packed length
  • GCI Kickback: 10.4lbs / 39.3in
  • GCI Pod Rocker: 12.1lbs / 41.0in

Premium build

The materials are top-tier:

  • 900D polyester
  • Aircraft-grade aluminum poles
  • Monofilament mesh
  • UV resistance

Expensive

It costs far more than the GCI chairs:

  • NEMO Stargaze: $250
  • GCI Kickback: $70
  • GCI Pod Rocker: $80

Slowest to set up and pack away

The GCI chairs just unfold; the NEMO takes the longest:

  • NEMO Stargaze: 43s setup / 52s pack-away
  • GCI Kickback: 4s / 5s
  • GCI Pod Rocker: 23s / 45s

Overall recommendation

With tons of pros and relatively few cons, the NEMO Stargaze is easily the best 2-in-1 rocking and reclining camp chair. I recommend it if you can stomach the expensive price tag.

Bonus – MUST Read!

I know this because I tested the NEMO Stargaze against 20 other camping chairs. Check out my Top Camping Chairs article to find out.

Or, check out the NEMO Stargaze:

Check price on REI Co-OpCheck price on AmazonCheck price on BackcountryCheck price on NEMO Equipment

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

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