Peak Slumber Inflatable Air Seat REVIEW

This seat helps you avoid hard surfaces with some cush for your tush.

I am a fan of outdoor, camping, and scouting-centered gear and look for lightweight and ultralight products to add to my pack.  True ultralight gear is often quite expensive and may shave off mere grams.  Many in the ultralight backpacking community forgo comfort items in an effort to reach an ever-lighter state and secure a hidden trophy, prize, or bragging rights.  I like to think there is a middle ground that offers a degree of comfort without adding too much weight.  

My sons and I have grown fond of camping, backpacking, and hiking with our scout troop.  We recently went on two week backpacking trek to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.  Several in the group carried portable chairs that weighed between 1.1 and 2.5 pounds and cost between $40-$150 dollars, depending on the weight.  My sons and I carried sections of Ozark Trail accordion sleeping mats that weighed about a half pound each.  They were more comfortable than sitting on the ground, but nowhere near as comfortable as an air-filled seat or portable chair.  While perusing our local Sierra, I noticed a lightweight, inexpensive candidate for my next campout or trip. 

The 3-ounce Peak Slumber Air Seat arrived in a folded, storage/portable mode and measured 5 inches long by 3 inches tall by 1 1/2 inches thick.  I removed the 0.2-ounce, 1-inch-wide by 9 3/4-inches-long black-colored retention strap and unfurled the seat.  The Air Seat measured 18 inches tall by 16 inches wide in the unfolded, deflated state, and weighed 2.8 ounces without the retention strap.  You will find a 3/4-inch-diameter by 3/4-inch-tall, screw-open, bidirectional air valve at the top right of the seat, with “Peak Slumber” printed in bright white font on the red surface.  

To inflate the seat, simply unscrew the valve and blow air into the port.  I found that a single large breath or a few smaller breaths were enough to fill the seat.  Since the device relies on lung air rather than a pressurized device, there is minimal risk of overinflation.  Once it has taken in as much air as it can hold, it will leak the excess back through the valve.  You can then tighten the air valve screw to enjoy a personal, slightly raised, comfortable seat.  In the fully inflated state, the device will measure 14.5 inches wide by 15-inches tall by 1 1/2-inches-thick.  

The Peak Slumber inflatable seat provides an ultralight, easily pocketable solution for avoiding hard surfaces.  You can inflate the seat and enjoy a padded surface while sitting on the ground, bleachers, a hard chair, or use the pad as a pillow.  The device is made of durable nylon, which offers a highly water-resistant layer between you and the ground.  Since the air seat is not insulated, it will not provide much of an r-value for warmth and may not be suitable, comfortable, or safe during the winter.  The lightweight, compact design made it easy to carry in the front pocket of my 32-degree puffy jacket.  

I was able to bring the seat to my daughter’s Upward Basketball game and enjoy a much softer, more comfortable bleacher experience.  Additionally, I used the seat at my kid’s school homecoming game for a similar purpose.  While a few others attempted to use commercial bleacher seats with backs, several found the constrained, populated bleachers were too crowded.  I did not have the same issue, however, as the Peak Slumber seat did not extend beyond my own seating area.  Even though the bleacher seats may offer additional comfort with an upright back, they would be of no use if space limitations prevent their use.  I liked the easy-to-inflate air valve, the Velcro strap, and ultimately, the easy-to-fold portable design.  The seat appeared durable and rugged after nearly a dozen uses on my kids bleachers.  

My only complaint about the product was that I could not find another at Sierra, online, or on Amazon.  I went back to Sierra and found the hanging rack/area where I purchased the seat and they were all sold out ($9.99).  The seat appeared to be very similar to the Klymit V seat in specs and price (AMAZON) and I plan to review the Klymit V next. The Klymit V Insulated Sleeping Pad has become one of my go-to Scout backpacking/camping sleeping mats (AMAZON) as it provides a reasonable cost-to-weight ratio. 

For more information, visit klymit.com