The Gardening Combi Seat-Bag - Makes Weeding & Seeding Easier!
Written: Mar 31 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Extremely useful, comfortable to use, seems very sturdy.
Cons: Minor design issues that contribute to soil compaction.
The Bottom Line: A great tool for any gardener!
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| lyagushka's Full Review: Gardening Combi Seat-Bag |
Most of the Christmas gifts I got this past year had something to do with gardening and outdoor chores. This Gardening Combi Seat-Bag came from my in-laws, and it looked great when I was tucked safely inside on a cold winter day with snow on the ground. Now that spring is here, I can say that this garden tool is comfortable, sturdy, and very practical.
The seat is made from a simple frame of metal and tough synthetic canvas. It folds up so that it's easy to carry in one hand when I've got a long handled tool in the other. Under the canvas seat hangs a removable canvas bag with pockets all around the outside. The large main compartment hangs directly under the seat and is about at big as a large lunchbox. The pockets are deep enough to hold most of my hand tools, such as a dibble, a hori hori knife, and a couple of hand spades, such that they neither fall out or the pockets nor stick up above the surface of the seat. There are more pockets along the outside than I really need: plenty of storage space. If there's nothing in the large central bag, I can fold the seat up and grab both sides of the metal frame as a handle. There are also canvas handles that hang on either side of the seat like the folded handles on paper shopping bags. The entire bag can be removed from the frame and used as a separate tote, leaving just the top piece of canvas as the seat on the metal frame.
Another garden seat we have is a little higher than this Combi Seat-Bag. I wondered whether the very low seat would be comfortable to use. I'm slightly taller than the average woman and I find it quite comfortable to use, even though the surface of the seat is less than 14" (35 cm) off the ground. In fact, I think I prefer the lower seat that gets me closer to the plants, because it's easier on my back and neck. I'm sure there's a low height at which a garden seat becomes uncomfortable, but the Combi Seat-Bag is above that point for me, whatever it is. Both planting and weeding involve the need down to get near the soil, and I much prefer to sit rather than kneel or squat.
If there's a drawback to the Combi Seat-Bag, it's a problem common to all garden seats and even just walking around in a garden: soil compaction. The metal frame of the Seat-Bag is rather narrow. So whenever I sit on it, all my weight is resting on a very small space. If I tried to use this seat on freshly tilled earth, I'm sure it would simply sink into the ground several inches. A truly thoughtful design for this garden tool might have included feet with more surface area so as to distribute the weight of the user more widely. But in all honesty, I've never seen a garden seat that took on this issue in the design.
The other garden seat we have is solid plastic, so I can use it as a step stool when I need just a little more height. I don't think I'd try this with the Combi Seat-Bag. Not only is the Combi Seat-Bag shorter, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable standing on the canvas seat itself, because it's not a rigid surface.
I imagine that this seat could be useful to people pursuing hobbies other than gardening, such as fishing or perhaps camping. Any hobby that employs lots of small tools, or bits and bobs, and involves sitting or working near the ground would be well served by this item.
This is certainly one of the nicer gifts I've received over the years. I anticipate putting it to much use in the garden over the years. If there's a gardener in your life, you could do much worse than pick this out as a gift for him or her.
Recommended:
Yes
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