Hikers, trekkers and skiers know the importance of strong, stable poles to get up the mountain, and a way to relax at the top. LEKI, known in the outdoor industry as the “pole experts,” put two and two together by inventing new products that use existing pole technology in a whole new way – camping equipment.
Breeze Gruen Seitlich
To debut at this year’s Outdoor Retailer Summer Market (ORSM) and released to consumers in Spring 2016, LEKI’s new folding chairs, the Breeze and Chiller, have built somewhat of an eager buzz since, until now, poles and gloves have been the company’s only product focuses. However, LEKI believes their progression into the outdoor chair market is a natural one.
Made from high tensile strength aluminum tubing and reinforced canvas, the Breeze and Chiller provide a strong comfortable seat for campers. In the Breeze, $100, two support bars run front and back, making the chair highly stable. Ordinary camping chairs have a single bar running side to side. LEKI chair legs also hit the ground much father from center than most current market options, offering a deeper and wider base for overall stability.
As the LEKI “Find your place,” video shows, stability is paramount when enjoying the view from the tip-top of a summit. But that’s another beautiful thing about LEKI chairs – they can be set up just about anywhere.
The sling style seat is mimicked on both the Breeze and Chiller, $130, while all four corners of the seat fabric have sleeves that are lined and reinforced with seatbelt webbing to fit over the back rest and support shafts. The extra-reinforced seat hang makes the chair strong and comfortable. The Chiller weighs 2.95lbs. and has a capacity of 320lbs. The Breeze weighs 2.4lbs. and holds the same capacity.
The Chiller and The Breeze
Both chairs include a bottle holder affixed to the side and a versatile Velcro storage bag that connects to the bottom front of the chair. Books, cards, beers or any of your favorite outdoor accessories can be stowed here. LEKI also recommends filling the storage bag with ice for an instant cooler within reach. Both chairs are available in colors olive, sand, anthracite and red.
LEKI was founded over 60 years ago and uses German-engineered technology to produce high tensile strength aluminum tubing. Nearly all LEKI products are manufactured in their Czech-based factory. Given the narrow scope of the company’s product line – trekking and alpine race poles, gloves and now folding chairs – LEKI is able to constantly refine its products and focus on being the best in their niche. However, expansion into the camping category might have outdoor enthusiasts expecting to see more camp-centric equipment from the “pole experts” in the coming years.
