Observing seat:

[yeti monster]

300lb capacity!!!

Telescope Smart-Seat 3 observing chair 300 lb capacity | eBay

Just who do they think we are? It is a 'merkin' product though, so I guess it's hardly surprising....

The pop-up ad which was tagged to the listing seemed quite apt too:

[661-pete]

Hmmm.... looks horribly uncomfortable to me, with no lumbar support - and the photo 'conveniently' crops off the backrest (if there is any) - certainly not the sort of contraption I'd care to plump my posterior on for hours on end. I prefer to be comfortable when I'm out in the garden at night, and I choose my seating accordingly...

As to the 300lb limit, well I have to admit I'm creeping up, though thankfully nowhere near that figure yet...

[acey]

I don't need back support while observing (as a dob user I spend my time leaning forwards) and manage fine without padding (my warm underclothes and, erm, natural posterior insulation do the job well enough). The eBay item looks pretty much like an ironing stool (though maybe without the pins that make ironing stools a nuisance to adjust) and I imagine its feet would sink in muddy ground. My own observing stool is one I bought years ago, continuously adjustable by twirling the seat, with just the right height range for my 12". It, too, might tend to sink in muddy ground, though I've never had a problem with it - and if I did, I'd just nail a flat base to the bottom of the legs.

[spaceboy]

I Have one of those Acey. Got it from IKEA. The adjustable height makes looking through the frak a lot more comfortable.

[great_bear]

Hmmm.... looks horribly uncomfortable to me, with no lumbar support - and the photo 'conveniently' crops off the backrest

It's there in the second photo.

This is basically the standard "ironing-chair" style of observing seat which First Light Optics and others such as Harrison Telescopes (see here: <click>) used to sell, before I had it taken off the market. The seat on ebay would appear to have the same design problem.

I got the Sky-Watcher seat taken off the market because (despite protestations to the contrary from some fellow SGL members) the seat is undoubtedly dangerous and contravenes EU safety regulations.

The problem is that as you move to sit down on it, if you bump against it, the seat base falls clattering down to the ground-level. If you were in the process of sitting down at the time, the resulting fall could leave you paralysed.

[661-pete]

It's there in the second photo.

This is basically the standard "ironing-chair" style of observing seat which First Light Optics and others such as Harrison Telescopes (see here: <click>) used to sell, before I had it taken off the market. The seat on ebay would appear to have the same design problem.

I got the Sky-Watcher seat taken off the market because (despite protestations to the contrary from some fellow SGL members) the seat is undoubtedly dangerous and contravenes EU safety regulations.

The problem is that as you move to sit down on it, if you bump against it, the seat base falls clattering down to the ground-level. If you were in the process of sitting down at the time, the resulting fall could leave you paralysed.

That sounds horrific! Thanks for the warning, though there was little chance of my buying one of those things! I should point out that since I do mostly imaging, my idea of sitting down under the night sky doesn't mean looking through a telescope: it means relaxing, idly scanning the skies through the bins (for which a reclining position is best) - or watching out for meteors, bats, or the local barn owl (ditto).

[661-pete]

I don't need back support while observing (as a dob user I spend my time leaning forwards) and manage fine without padding (my warm underclothes and, erm, natural posterior insulation do the job well enough). The eBay item looks pretty much like an ironing stool (though maybe without the pins that make ironing stools a nuisance to adjust) and I imagine its feet would sink in muddy ground. My own observing stool is one I bought years ago, continuously adjustable by twirling the seat, with just the right height range for my 12". It, too, might tend to sink in muddy ground, though I've never had a problem with it - and if I did, I'd just nail a flat base to the bottom of the legs.

I have a 'bar stool' exactly like that one - but I don't take it outdoors or use it for observing! In fact it serves as my piano stool - for which unobstructed mobility and lack of back support are, likewise, prerequisites. But one of these days I ought to get myself a proper piano stool (the original one broke under my weight... )

[JamesM]

I'm waiting for those Lidl ones to come out again as they have the long clip pin to help secure the chosen seat height. However they never made it south last time and were only for sale up north. Did anyone buy one and were they any good?

James

[callisto]

Nope, they were not in stock at any Newcastle/Gateshead stores

[acey]

I have a 'bar stool' exactly like that one - but I don't take it outdoors or use it for observing! In fact it serves as my piano stool - for which unobstructed mobility and lack of back support are, likewise, prerequisites. But one of these days I ought to get myself a proper piano stool (the original one broke under my weight... )

I originally bought mine as a piano stool too. They're handy things - wish IKEA would stock them again!

[great_bear]

I'm waiting for those Lidl ones to come out again as they have the long clip pin to help secure the chosen seat height.

I'm surprised that no-one sells the American-style observing chairs which - whilst similar to ironing chairs - are made of wood and have either stepped or pegged seat-stays, rather than relying on an adjustable clip pin or SkyWatcher's dodgy friction-grip support method.

[LongJohn54]

I'm waiting for those Lidl ones to come out again as they have the long clip pin to help secure the chosen seat height. However they never made it south last time and were only for sale up north. Did anyone buy one and were they any good?

James

I've used mine several times since I bought it in May. The seat is canted forward a few degrees so sitting upright feels strange but when leaning forward as you do when observing it is quite comfortable.

LIDL Ironing Stool / Observing Chair - a set on Flickr

John

[great_bear]

If you Google "LIDL Ironing Chair" the main results come from here on Stargazers Lounge!

[JamesM]

Callisto, when I said north, I meant a little nearer Scotland

Sorry if I got you a bit excited there!

James

[Doc]

I have one of those lidl ironing stools, it's horrible, very hard to adjust and not comfortable.

So instead...

I use one of our breakfast bar stools, very comfy and telescopic so easy to adjust.