A take-anywhere cushion of air? Introducing the latest supine trend in the outdoors, the ‘inflatable hammock.’
Leave your webbing straps at home. This summer, multiple small brands are selling so-called “inflatable hammocks,” which offer ad hoc seating anyplace in the outdoors.
You swipe the bag-like seat through the air. Once both sides are filled, close and roll the end tight. Snap a buckle and sit down. Sink in, and enjoy.
Review: WindPouch Inflatable Hammock
I tested the couch-like WindPouch product this month while camping as well as around town. It’s comfortable to sit on and easy to inflate.
Get ready for some weird looks, however, and brace for some commentary on what appear to be a set of oversize lips ready to suck you into a fold.
WindPouch Inflatable Hammocks cost $79.95. They are made of a polyurethane-coated nylon and rated to hold about 550 pounds before they burst.
Note that there are a few similar products on the market, including the Lamzac, which appears to be the original; it was invented by a Dutch company and is shipping to the U.S. starting this month.
We covered a product last month, the Koze, which was yanked off Kickstarter in this arena. Other companies, like Billow Bag, are cropping up. It’s apparently not hard to make and sell these inflatable seats.
WindPouch Campsite Test
WindPouch touts its product as superior to the competition because of a “military-grade diamond lattice rip-stop nylon” that has a polyurethane coating for water, dirt and UV resistance. It comes with an anodized aluminum carabiner and a tent peg to stake it down.
To test it out, I set some kids loose to roll, jump, and bounce (lightly) on the WindPouch. It held up to a weekend of abuse, serving as a great camp chair as long as you avoid bonfire sparks.
Instructional videos on the WindPouch page show a man “swiping” air from a standing position to fill it up. In my review, we were forced to run back and forth, scooping at air in an effort to inflate the 7-foot-long seat (see image below).
The trick is to hold one side open, run a bit, then turn back with the opposite side agape. It’s a maneuver that conjured big laughs at the campsite.
‘Inflating’ The Beast
But the giggling dissolved to envy after I sat down. The plush seat lets you lie out across its expanse in “hammock mode” or sit facing forward.
It’s comfy either way, and with some practice two or three adults can get cozy on the cushion of air.
The WindPouch works at the beach or at an outdoors concert. It gives a seat that’s far superior to the common towel unrolled on the ground.
Unlike a folding chair, this inflatable option packs to about the size of a big loaf of bread. It weighs a couple pounds.
Give the WindPouch — or a similar inflatable hammock — a sit this summer. I was impressed with the design and happy to discover a new way to take a load off in the outdoors.
–More info at the WindPouch page.
