REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Dreamer Review

The Flexlite Camp Dreamer is a high-backed, very packable camping chair. It comes apart completely and rolls up into a relatively small stuff sack, and it features two long, narrow mesh side pockets and a removable headrest.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Camp Dreamer proved to be a polarizing chair, with some of our testers loving it and others looking elsewhere. The seat is supported on its four corners, providing a more hammock-like feel. It's narrower than a typical folded camping chair, furthering that feeling of being enveloped in a pouch of material. Testers who liked this chair tend to prefer a more slouched style of seat over a more rigid, supportive seat. The chair also lives up to the "flex" in its name, as the poles all flex readily while you're using it. Once again, this proved divisive among our testers, down similar lines. Those who like to rock, swing, and fidget enjoy the flexibility in the Camp Dreamer's poles, while others found it "weird" and "offputting" to move when they preferred to be still.

This chair falls into a middle ground of seat height — the front edge is about 17 inches from the ground (sinking several inches when sat in), and the middle rests around 10.5 inches from the ground. It feels like a kind of high-backed, low chair (but not nearly as low as many others we tested), and the higher front edge of the bucket-like seat adds some height, helping it to feel like a medium-low chair. And as you'd expect, this low height, bucket-like shape, and a lack of armrests make it challenging for many folks to get out of easily.

Portability

This chair comes apart fully for transport. Bungee cords connect the poles together, and the fabric pops off all four corners. Once you've removed the headrest pillow, the whole thing can be rolled up and stuffed into a small drawstring sack that weighs a little over 3 pounds. Compared to many giant chairs that simply fold shut, the Camp Dreamer seems small and lightweight. Up against the other chairs we've tested that come apart in similar ways, it's still fairly light and reasonably small, though not something we'd take on an overnight backpacking trip. Its stuff sack also lacks a handle of any kind, which can be slightly annoying depending on how you prefer to carry it.

Durability

The Camp Dreamer is sold with a claimed capacity of 300 pounds, which is pretty standard among camping chairs. It's made of DWR-treated ripstop polyester with aluminum poles, helping it to be lightweight while still fairly durable. Though the poles flex quite a bit during our stand and jump tests, they're made to do so, and we never felt like they were on the verge of breaking. The bungee cord connecting them is fairly thick, but we've seen many bungee cords break down after a few seasons of regular use and sun exposure to trust this system long-term.

Ease of Use

We've put together and tested more than our fair share of this chair style over the years. They can never be as easy as the simple accordion fold-out of classic camping chairs. However, the Camp Dreamer is perhaps the most challenging model of this style that we have ever used. Its tall back puts the poles even farther apart than many similar models, but the fabric doesn't stretch. We are no strangers to the tricks involved in getting these chairs together, but this model proved to be exceptionally difficult, taking us a few grunt-filled minutes to get it together the first time. After leaving it set up for several days, it stretched a bit and became slightly easier but remains challenging to set up.

The Dreamer has two mesh pockets that are elongated slits on either side and not quite right for anything. They'll fit most smartphones, and you can put a drink in them, but they're not great at holding onto your items while you get in and out of the seat.

Value

The Camp Dreamer is decently priced, but our team of testers found its unique attributes to be polarizing. We think smaller, younger bodies will appreciate this model most and may find it worth the price.

Conclusion

The REI Flexlite Camp Dreamer is an interesting camping chair that combines elements of hammocking, rocking, and lounging. It's lightweight and portable but not ideal for all body sizes and ages. We also think a few features could benefit from some tweaking before we would readily recommend this model.