A Telescope-User's Delight

T.&.J.C. · 21 November 2015

Recently, I was able to upgrade up to a 12" (mirror diameter) Dobsonian telescope, and while the drummer's throne I had was fine for my 8" Dob, it could not come close to being tall enough for comfortable views in the 12". As a result, every time I used the bigger dob, I would have to stand at the eyepiece and my observing sessions would be cut short by aching feet and a sore back. Clearly, an observing chair was on my must-have accessory list!A couple of weeks ago, I began researching my options, and the top 3 choices (in no particular order) that would fit my needs were Starbound, the Vestil CPRO-600, and the Denver Observing Chair. The Denver was my least favorite option of the three, mainly because of the weight. While the solid wood construction would definitely hold up to my hefty (over 250#) self, I didn't think I wanted to be moving a heavy block of wood around my telescope several times every night.That left the Starbound and the Vestil. The Starbound has a lot going for it, including a thick padded seat (although I'm well padded on the backside, I don't like hard seats) and infinitely adjustable positions. The Vestil, on the other hand, had a small footrest at the bottom (to help raise your body up to sit at the higher positions) and a notched seat layout. The notches are 2" apart and you can only adjust the seat to sit on one of those notches. This means a bit of fumbling around in the dark to move your seat up and down, but doesn't have the risk of slippage that the Starbound has.Both chairs were similar in price, but in the end, I ordered the Vestil through Bolo.com. The Bolo advertising only rated the chair at 220#, which worried me, but after hearing other people's experiences with the chair, and reading about the same chair being rated at 400# on other sites, I decided to give it a try. If it didn't work, I was sure Bolo would be willing to let me return it.The chair arrived a few days after ordering it, and is a gorgeous black. Unfortunately, a white version wasn't offered, so I will have to put some white tape or something on it before using it at a truly dark site to keep from tripping over it in the dark. The chair folds flat for storage/transport, and the seat easily removes without tools (just raise it up and lift it off the horizontal notch). There are 4 legs on the chair, which may not work well on uneven ground (I haven't tried that aspect yet), but they are bent sideways at the bottom to give the feet more surface area and making it less likely for them to sink into soft dirt.Last night, I was able to use the chair for the first time. I set up on my driveway. I looked at objects in my 12" ranging from zenith to nearly on the horizon. Regardless of where I pointed the telescope, it only took a few seconds for me to adjust the seat. The seat itself, although thinner than the Starbound, was comfortable enough and even rocked a bit from side to side, making it easier to sit on it without accidentally bumping the scope. Throughout the night, I kept listening for the telltale sounds of a squeal of protest from the seat or chair frame, meaning that it was straining beneath my bulky load. But it never happened. The chair kept me fully supported without complaint all evening.The seat is made of a textured material (probably manmade, but I'm no expert at such things) that seemed to hold the dew at bay, at least for the few minutes I was off the chair and grabbing another eyepiece out of my case. Even though my telescope was soon literally dripping wet, my chair seat remained dry. I'm sure if I left it unattended for 10-15 minutes, that would change, but hey, if there's a chair around, I'm going to be using it.When I ordered the chair, I wondered if I had made a mistake in not ordering a chair that was infinitely adjustable. It turns out, it doesn't really matter that much. I looked at a couple dozen objects over the course of the evening, all at different altitudes, and I only adjusted the chair 3-4 times. If I found myself leaning over too much, I'd knock it down a notch. If I was stretching my neck, I'd raise it a notch or two. My back and neck were able to fill in between the chair gaps without discomfort.Even though it has only been used once so far, I am pleased with my purchase. You would think that $160 would be a lot to spend on a chair (and you'd be right), but the comfortable views at the scope are more than worth it. When you're concentrating on how much your feet and back hurt, it is very difficult to concentrate on that dim patch of light in the eyepiece. With this chair, you can just sit down, make yourself comfortable, and soak in the view as long as you wish.

Heavy

C.A.S. · 9 March 2025

Excellent for viewing.

Extremely versatile, adjustable, mobile and easily stored!

K.C. · 22 November 2022

This chair simply works as advertised!!! It’s very, very stable, easily carried, and extremely easily adjusted. I’ve found this chair soooo quickly adaptable as I lower the cushioned seat to peer through my red dot finder scope to center stars for alignment then raise the seat to center stars in my eyepiece. One of my very best astronomy buys. But I also use the chair when I clean my bike on its repair stand. Stores flat in my garage when I’m not using it! Such a versatile and useful chair!

For Astronomy

T. · 12 September 2013

I bought this chair as I have a GEM mount for my telescope, and I (specifically my back) couldn't handle looking at objects near the zenith for long. This chair is, as far as I'm concerned, perfect. It is one more item to carry outside when setting up the scope, but it allows me to view for much longer.The seat has two levels of "flexibility" which whilst not interchangeable in the field do allow you to determine if you like the seat to flex a little or a lot (relatively speaking). To adjust the seat height you do have to take the seat off the rung and move it, but you know you aren't going to slip due to a friction lock.I typically view on a slight slope in my backyard, and I've had no problems with this seat but the stand isn't ultra-wide so if you have much more than a 1 in 12 incline I can't vouch for it.Frankly one of my better purchases for astronomy.

A well made, solid chair. Heavy weight steel that folds. A better style foot for support would be nice.

H. · 29 October 2018

A great chair for astronomy. If you have a telescope and need to do direct viewing, you know that the seat has to go from high to low.This chair is well made and sturdy. It support up to 220 pounds and the seat is cushioned and easy to adjust.My only concern is the feet are rather small and place a great deal of weight on a very small footprint.Since this chair may be used in an area with a soft surface, it would be nice if the feet were completely flat and allowed more contact with a flat platform.The chair does fold flat for easy storage and has a good weight and heft indicating a heavy weight steel..A great stool/chair for anyone who needs to go from low to high in seating needs.