Verdict
Children and teens will love the novelty value of the Argos Malibu Rolling Recliner – and they may well enjoy challenging friends to stay in an upright sitting position for as long as they can.
Drinks will be spilt, the dog will win the race to catch tumbling sausages before they hit the ground – and don’t even try to eat soup in this rocking and rolling chair!
Once the fun and novelty of the challenge wears off you’re left with a chair that’s mainly for lying back with your feet in the air.
It’s all a bit awkward, so sadly the Argos Malibu Rolling Recliner gets a two-star review from us.
Pros
Fun
Chair and hammock in one
Cheap
Cons
No locking device for the backrest
Drinks may spill
You can’t fidget
Uncomfortable to sit upright
We’ve been busy testing sun loungers, relaxer chairs and padded recliners on your behalf, to find the best loungers for motorhome touring.
Good value for money is high on our list of criteria to check with all our outdoor accessory reviews. We also look for products that are light, strong, durable and practical, while offering comfort and relaxation.
Motorhome touring offers a dream lifestyle and a terrific way to see the world, but we’re only human and too many hours at the wheel can still be tiring. So, what camping chairs do you have on board to help you unwind when you reach a beautiful location?
There are some great choices to be made when it comes to shopping around for the best sun loungers and recliners. You could pick one of the many comfy padded reclining camping chairs on the market. Some have multiple backrest positions, often boasting ‘stepless’ adjustment, using a rail so that you can lock it at any angle you want.
Some relaxer chairs give you cupholders and trays, too. They can be a bit bulky and heavy, though, so make sure there’s enough spare storage capacity in your motorhome before you take them on.
So what else is on the market? Traditional sun loungers are still popular choices for holiday relaxation, though we have to admit that the low ground clearance can make some of them hard to get out of at times. One sun lounger, the Quest Elite Riviera Lounger, has a seat height to match most recliner chairs, which makes it super-easy to use.
Some reclining chairs look like upright camping chairs, but have more backrest positions and come with a separate matching footstool. Are these really the best of all worlds – a camping chair that allows you to eat at camping tables, that also allows you to be fully laid-back with your feet up on holiday?
Which sun loungers and recliners should you buy? To find out, we tested a good selection of reclining camping chairs, including the Easy Camp Tera at £39.99.
We tested the Quest Elite Riviera Lounger at £76.99, a traditional sunbed with a difference. It’s up against the Outwell Victoria at £85.99, a sunbed with desirable extra features such as a sunshade and comfy padding. The Easy Camp Pier at £39.99 looks odd, but promising – we like trying new things. We also tested the equally unusual Argos Malibu Rolling Recliner at £34.99, a chair that becomes a hammock.
Then we tested the Outwell Merlo costing £67.99, and the Kampa Opulence Amalfi, £74.99, the latter proving to be our top pick when it comes to recliners.
In this review we’re shining our spotlight on the Argos Malibu Rolling Recliner, priced at £34.99.
At first, you’re likely to love this recliner for its novelty value. Essentially it’s a low slouch chair that rotates back to a full hammock-like position — a bit like that of a traditional relaxer. But the difference is that there’s no way of locking the chair in either of its two positions; it’s literally all down to gravity.
Slouch forward and keep your feet in front of the bottom bar, and you’ll stay sitting. Move back and you’ll roll back into the hammock position.
The problem is that it’s all too easy to relax and fidget, and suddenly find yourself on the move. We’re all for relaxing on holiday, but not so keen on the stranded-beetle position.
And, at 126cm x 60cm x 22cm, this is one of the most awkwardly shaped products in this group test of sun loungers.
Essentially it’s a low slouch chair that rotates back to a full hammock-like position
Technical Specifications
Size in use | 94cm high x 58cm wide x 142cm deep |
Weight | 5.6kg |
Fabric | Stain resistant |
Argos product no | 651/0202 |
Seat height | 30-31cm |
Boxed size | 22cm x 61cm x 130cm |
Maximum weight limit | 120-130kg approx |
Not recommended for | Pregnant women due to difficulty getting out of it |