Nemo Stargaze Recliner Luxury Camp Chair

Camping chairs are a somewhat stagnant sector, with few notable advances each year, but Nemo of New Hampshire came up with an innovative design with their Stargaze Recliner Luxury Chair. The Stargaze's mesh body is hung above its metal frame, unlike standard folding versions, allowing it to rock or recline depending on how your back and feet are positioned. The remainder of the structure is as well-done, with a solid frame, plush cushioning, and practical storage. It's a bit pricy at $220, and it takes some effort to put up and take down, but the comfort, adaptability, and overall fun factor are difficult to surpass. We've outlined our experiences below.

Nemo's Stargaze Recliner Luxury Chair, as its name suggests, is an unabashedly high-end camp chair that prioritizes comfort. The design blends the capabilities of a recliner, hammock, and rocking chair into one, with a largely mesh body hanging above an aluminum frame that allows you to swing back and forth, tilt back, or sit upright depending on where your back and feet are placed. The armrests and headrest are pleasantly cushioned, supportive, and incredibly comfy, and the swinging action is smooth and soft. It's simple to lie back and fully stretch out. Finally, the body mesh is thick but incredibly breathable: I've never had a sweaty back in my life.With measurements of 27 inches long, 36 inches broad, and 44 inches tall, the Stargaze is a decently sized camping chair that matches up well against other popular comfort-focused camping chairs. The ground-to-seat height (the distance from the ground to the bottom of the seat) isn't specified by Nemo, but I measured it at 20 inches, which is a bit high for a camp chair but still manageable. Because of a little dip at the bottom, the Stargaze has a hammock-like feel to it—you have to fall into it to sit down and produce some momentum to climb back up—but the armrests have dedicated, labeled bars ("hold here to sit and stand") that provide adequate support. And once you've taken a seat,

Leg Design and Stability

The Stargaze's leg design compromises some stability to allow for swaying, but it's still a solid and balanced chair. The four legs are substantial, durable, and spread widely enough apart that the chair feels safe even on rough, uneven ground, thanks to a horizontal, pre-bent pole connecting them to the top half of the frame. The mesh seat links to the arms through metal "Super Locks" at the top and rests firmly in place—I've never had any problems with the locks disengaging or the seat separating from the frame in any manner. In terms of all-around support and construction, the Stargaze falls short of more common designs like Alps Mountaineering's King Kong, but Nemo in particular shines.

Weight and Packability

Weight and packability aren't top priorities for most campers—they're more important for backpackers dragging their gear hundreds of miles into the wilderness—but we like it when camp chairs are light and compact enough to fit in a trunk or roof box. The Stargaze weighs just around 7 pounds, which isn't too heavy to transport over short distances but is on the heavier side of the camping chair spectrum. For example, a simpler alternative like Nemo's Moonlight (1 lb. 14 oz. ), which reclines but does not rock, or more classic designs like REI's Flexlite (1 lb. 11 oz.) and Flexlite Air Chair (1 lb. 11 oz.) can save you a lot of weight and bulk (1 lb.).When it comes to packability, the Stargaze takes up quite a bit of room when put away (folded dimensions measure 23.5 x 6.5 x 6.5 in.). I've had no trouble putting it into a full trunk or the cramped back storage space of my vehicle, although it does take some smart packing at times. To be fair, the Nemo folds down significantly smaller than the Yeti Trailhead (43 x 10 x 8 in.) and GSI Freestyle Rocker (35 x 24 x 5 in. ), and I like that the design has a thin profile that makes it easy to fit into narrower spots. Overall, the Stargaze's increased size feels like a fair compromise given its amazing feature set and top-notch comfort.

Key Design Features

Simply said, at this price range, the Stargaze has all the bells and whistles we'd expect from a camp chair. One of the Stargaze's standout qualities, as mentioned above, is its ability to rock or recline with no effort. The headrest and armrests are also well-padded, and there's useful storage on one side with a cup holder and another with a stash pocket. The cup holder is large enough to carry a typical soda or beer can, while the stash pocket may contain valuables such as vehicle keys and a large cellphone (my iPhone 11 Pro Max fits with room to spare).

Build Quality and Durability

Nemo is known for their build quality and attention to detail, and that expertise comes across clearly with the Stargaze. The chair is noticeably well-built and robust, from the sturdy aluminum frame to the well-cushioned headrest and armrests. Further, as I mentioned above, the mesh body nicely balances thickness and breathability: I’ve haphazardly packed and unpacked the chair more times than I can count and am never worried about snagging or tearing, and the bottom and back have never grown sweaty even in very warm summer temperatures. My Stargaze hasn't started to fade despite constant sun exposure, the frame is in fantastic form with no scratches, and all moving components continue to function well after roughly two months of daily use. If any difficulties develop, I'll update this review, but all indications are that the Stargaze will last a long time. Again, at $220, it's a significant investment, but the solid construction helps to justify the price.

Set Up and Take Down

The Nemo Stargaze Recliner required some effort to put up and pack up at first due to its unusual multi-function design. However, within the carrying bag, Nemo includes thorough and illustrated directions, and I'm now able to set it up in under 90 seconds. To sum it up: Remove the frame from the package and place each metal component (including the four shock-corded legs and two arms) into the nearest hub socket.Remove the mesh body and line the two metal "Super Locks" on the arms with the top of the frame, then slide them into the grooves to secure them. Finally, slide the headrest support poles into the fabric housings at the back of the seat, then snap the higher ends into the pockets at the top. It takes some grip strength to pull the pockets back far enough to attach the poles, but it's never been a problem for me.

It's as simple as reversing the set-up procedure to disassemble the Stargaze when it's time to pack up. The mesh body won't fit unless it's folded in a specific way, and it's fairly difficult to get the chair back into its case each time—it takes deliberate placement to orient each frame component properly so that the bag's zipper can close, and the mesh body won't fit unless it's folded in a specific way (lengthwise first, then tuck the headrest downward)If you're staying in one area for a while and can keep your gear out, this isn't a major deal, but if you're planning on moving camp every night, the more extensive set-up and take-down processes might get a bit boring. If you think this will be a problem, go for a more classic and readily folding type like Alps' King Kong or REI Co-Camp op's X, both of which can be opened and closed in a matter of seconds.

What We Like

Excellent comfort and versatility: the Stargaze is nicely padded at the headrest and arms, offers a natural seating position that’s enjoyable to sit in, and has the ability to both rock and recline.

Mesh body is very hardwearing and abrasion-resistant but still breathes well and dries quickly.

Top-notch build quality, including a robust aluminum frame, thick and durable mesh seat, and confidence-inspiring components throughout.

The chair comes with all the trimmings we’d expect at this price point, including functional storage, a reasonably sturdy design, and a well-built carrying case.

What We Don’t

Incredibly pricey at $220.

Setting up and packing away the Stargaze are fairly involved processes, and getting it into its carrying case takes some precision and patience.

The bottom of the chair dips down slightly, which gives it a bit of a hammock-like feel and can make getting in and out a little difficult.

Relatively heavy at 7 pounds and bulky when packed down

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