Canoe Seats
Whether you’re in for a long or a short paddle, your back will thank you for a comfortable seat with some support. There are a few different options available on the market and our Guides and Outfitters share with us the ones that win their approval.
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We compare and contrast two canoe seats in this category as the primary ones we see and hear about from our Guides and Outfitters community. Those two are the GCI Sitbacker and the Crazy Creek Canoe Chairs (both the III and the IV). They are pretty distinct from each other, allowing most to have a real sense of which they prefer. The basics of each are laid out in the descriptions below.
The Crazy Creek III can be found in most canoe country outfitting storerooms. Its a highly packable design, lightweight and can fold down to carry in a backpack or just about any bag or duffel. The materials are high quality making it water resistant and puncture or tear resistant. While some of our Outfitter favorite items are prioritized because of their low cost, the Crazy Creek chairs aren’t really inexpensive at all, but they are incredible versatile and can be used even as a camp chair by fastening to a log or setting right on the ground.
The Crazy Creek IV is billed as the evolution of the III that brings enhanced comfort and durability and continuing the tradition of portability and convenience. These are new enough that we’ve only just begun seeing them with our pros, limiting the amount of feedback we have on them. That said, the Crazy Creek name is trusted by our Guides and Outfitters and this chair is worth featuring based on improvements they’ve made and the early reviews from our pros.
The GCI Sitbacker is a much more rigid design, offering greater back support but resulting in a heavier chair. The chair is still relatively light, but can’t boast the convenience offered by the Crazy Creek options. That said, the more sunsets our Guides and Outfitters have seen the more likely they are to prefer this design. It’s stiff back and solid frame help ease the aches and pains that old backs can feel with extended paddling time.