GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker - Review 2023

Rocking Comfort Outdoors

You can’t put enough emphasis on comfort, particularly when it comes to this style of frontside camping chair where weight tends to be less of an issue. The Freestyle Rocker has a distinctive feel, and I’d put it on the firmer end of the spectrum compared to most other models.

The seat is more akin to a fold-out director’s chair or Coleman’s Classic Aluminum Deck Chair than it is the soccer-game collapsible style that you see more of nowadays. This was one of my favorite features. Instead of constantly fighting to remain upright or succumbing to pill-bug posture, I felt the GCI rocker chair adequately supported my lower back. Combined with the rocker action we’ll cover later, and this was a great way to kick back without lying down.

I’m the type of person who needs a firm mattress and loves sleeping on the ground, so the staunch approach to this chair was a big hit for me. The broad back and seat allowed me to sit naturally without feeling confined around the hips and thighs. The only place I took issue with the austerity was in the armrests. The sole padding around the steel frame is a thin foam-padded nylon tube free to flop and slide around at its own discretion.

Despite some disappointment with the details, what I appreciated most about the GCI rocker chair is that it is, first and foremost, a chair instead of a travel cooler or umbrella. The seat itself was wide enough that I could sit without any restriction around the hips and thighs. After spending so much time squeezing into ultralight backpacking chairs, this was a huge plus. I felt like I could relax and enjoy myself without knocking my knees together.

The posture and padding of the GCI rocker chair are divisive elements. Though for all of the talk about its design’s severity, I think the rocker feature makes the chair a bit more comfortable than you’d expect. The Freestyle Rocker is closer in spirit to a wooden rocking chair than a hammock; you can take things easy but won’t have to dig yourself out of a nylon pit after a couple of hours.

Outdoors: Rocking Features

My biggest concern with GCI’s rocker chair is the limited number of features and the lackluster execution of the few add-ons it offers. Except for the “rocking” mechanism (which I’d have a hard time coming up with any legitimate critiques of), the Freestyle Rocker provides few amenities. Usually, density and execution significantly affect how well we rank a chair.

Despite some concerns from first impressions, GCI’s rocker chair grew on me.

In the beginning, the armrests initially felt like they underdelivered. The cupholder seemed more of an afterthought than something seriously considered on the drawing board. Though GCI Outdoors has taken steps to address this in their other “rocker” models, it seems like this flagship version suffered from some conceptual tunnel vision. The Freestyle Rocker leans too heavily on the all-terrain rocker gimmick without realizing the full potential of what the chair could be.

This brings us to the “rocker” itself. The chair doesn’t work like a traditional, front-porch rocking chair with curved struts. Instead, two spring pistons on the back leg allow the fore and aft motion with limited recoil. The design is preferable for any outdoor environment because you’re in no way beholden to perfectly level and smooth ground to enjoy stable and smooth rocking. Over time you might get some dirt buildup around the pistons, but a little silicone lubricant will help clean things up and preserve the range of motion.

I’d say that the Freestyle Rocker feels awfully close to your classic “front porch” rocking chair. The pistons max out right around the point that you’d tell a kid to calm down, and the forward motion is limited by a rubber foot to keep you from getting bucked out. All told, the GCI rocker chair is impressive right where you’d expect it to be. The well-tooled rocker action makes up for the otherwise slim feature list.

Ease of Transport/Storage

As mentioned, this rocking chair’s shape resembles a director’s chair more than a folding camp chair. Instead of a svelte storable unit that you can slide into a carrying sleeve, you’re left with a twisted pancake of steel springs and nylon. A nice little handle on the side makes carrying the chair pretty manageable over short distances, but I’d prefer not to walk more than a couple of minutes at a time while lugging it around with me.

Storage is a little bit more complicated. While the flat, flounderish design of the collapsed chair makes it a pinch for long-term stowaways, by that same merit, it doesn’t stack very well in a packed car unless it’s at the bottom of your gear pile. It’s less than ideal to have to explode the contents of your entire vehicle upon arrival at the campsite just because you want to sit down. With some extra space or clever packing, it’s possible to avoid this issue, but it’s worth considering if you intend to do a lot of car camping.

Setup and Usability

Another thing that can be said for this camp chair is that it’s straightforward to set up and collapse for all of its moving parts. When folded, you only need to spread the armrests like a director’s chair and push the seat down until it locks into place. Putting it away takes a little more finesse. Though the handle labeled “Lift to Fold” takes much of the guesswork out of it. The trick is lifting the seat up separately from the armrests to get the frame to collapse.

Beyond the setup, the Freestyle Rocker doesn’t require any additional prep before you’re ready to rock. Finding a reasonably flat place to deploy your chair spot is the only barrier between you and tranquility. However, it’s worth mentioning that a little maintenance goes a long way toward the chair’s long-term functionality.

Price

Coming in at just over $60, the GCI rocker chair falls in step right between the budget models we’ve reviewed and high-end luxury camp chairs. Speaking from a value standpoint, I think this follows closely with what you’re getting out of it. Despite the rather ascetic feature situation, the Freestyle Rocker is a solidly built chair with a carrying capacity that backs up the integrity of its construction. I think the “rocker” action may feel gimmicky in origin, but everyone I’ve forced to try it out has eventually conceded that the feature is pretty sweet.

Is it worth the price? That depends on what you value. If you want the plushest comfortable option out there, I would check out the Nemo Stargazer or other high-end options instead. If you want a feature-rich picnic parader, set your sights on models from Coleman and the like. But, if you want to rock, then, by all means, GCI will take you there and back again on this Freestyle Rocker.

Other Models

All told, GCI Outdoor manufactures ten different rocking chairs. The Firepit Rocker looks the closest to the Freestyle Rocker but much more compact and lower to the ground. While the Roadtrip Rocker has a lot of the same function; but folds up like a traditional camp chair, so it’s a little easier to store and carry around with you. Beyond this, GCI makes outdoor rockers with all kinds of features, from their Kickback Rocker, allowing for a little more relaxed backward lean while you’re lounging to models like the Sunshade Rocker that features a collapsible awning (Similar to the Maxshade) to keep the sun off of you.

You can tell that GCI has branched out conceptually and listened to customer feedback regarding their flagship Freestyle model. If it seems too vanilla for you, these updated versions come with pockets, padding, and reimagined seats. Their other models take everything we love about the Freestyle Rocker and throw in some tweaks and additional features certainly worth investigating.

Beyond their rocker models, GCI Outdoor makes more chairs than I could ever hope to cover within the scope of this article. Between stadium seats to stools and beyond, they have a truly staggering selection. Outside of GCI, you can look at our camp chair overview page as well as our favorites from across the industry to see how the Freestyle Rocker stacks up and for more in-depth looks at our top contenders.

Though less than impressed with some of the finer details of the GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker, we nonetheless believe that it’s among our favorite chairs currently on the market. The rocker function has much more merit than a simple novelty writeoff.

Despite a gimmicky feel, it’s dependable and comfortable enough to have earned a permanent place on the westward-facing portion of my porch. I’ll admit that in this case, seeing is believing, and it’s a detail that you grow to appreciate the longer you spend in the chair.

If you’re considering the Freestyle Rocker as your next camp chair commitment, find a model to try out and prepare to have your world rocked.