GCI Freestyle Rocker vs Kickback Rocker Comparison
I scored both GCI rockers across six categories. The Kickback won 27 to 21, but the Freestyle still wins on one thing that matters.
Between the GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker and the Kickback Rocker, buy the Kickback. I scored them across six categories and it won 27 out of 30 against the Freestyle’s 21, mostly on portability, setup and comfort. Buy the Freestyle only if getting in and out of a low chair is hard on your knees.
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How this review was made: written from my own video review of this product. Every opinion here is my own, from using it myself.
Quick Verdict
Kickback Rocker 27 out of 30, Freestyle Rocker 21. I could sit in the Kickback all day, and you can go from sitting in it to throwing it in your car in under 30 seconds. Two great chairs, but I’d take the Kickback.
Buy if you:
- Want to pack up and leave a tailgate in under 30 seconds
- Carry your chair any real distance and want a shoulder strap, not a handle
- Want a cup holder plus a spot for your phone inside the chair
- Like sitting back and relaxed instead of bolt upright
Skip if you:
- Have bad knees. The Kickback sits low and getting out of it is trickier, which is why I only gave it a 4 out of 5 there
- Prefer a director’s-chair seat height you can stand straight up from
- Want the taller, more upright posture the Freestyle gives you
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| Freestyle open size | 24″D Γ 25″W Γ 34.8″H |
|---|---|
| Freestyle folded | 25″D Γ 4.9″W Γ 34.8″H |
| Freestyle seat height | 19.7 in |
| Freestyle weight | 11.8 lbs |
| Freestyle capacity | 250 lbs |
| Frame / seat | Powder-coated steel, polyester with mesh back |
GCI Freestyle Rocker vs Kickback Rocker: My Struggle
You can see me fumble setting up the Freestyle Rocker in the video, and I left it in on purpose. It’s not hard at all. You have to just get a knack for it, push out then down, and once you’ve done it four or five times it’s nothing. But the first time? It’s a little bit trickier than you’d expect from a chair. The Kickback Rocker sits on the other end of that. Pull the strap off and it literally just pops open. Five out of five for setup, and that’s not a close call.
The Carry Handle Is the Freestyle’s Real Problem
Portability is where these two separate the most: Kickback 5 out of 5, Freestyle 3 out of 5. The Kickback has a built-in strap and a little tie that keeps the chair from popping open while you’re carrying it. That tie sounds like nothing until you’ve had a folded chair unfold itself halfway across a parking lot.
The Freestyle has a handle instead. I ended up throwing it over my shoulder in the video because carrying 11.8 pounds by a handle across a field gets old, and over the shoulder it’s a little awkward too. It folds flat to 4.9 inches wide, which is great for the trunk. It’s the walk from the trunk to the site that’s the issue.
Comfort: 5 vs 4, and Why the Point Came Off
The Kickback earned a 5 out of 5 for comfort because it does the work for you, the seat angle tips you back and the rocker takes over, so you’re not consciously adjusting your posture every twenty minutes the way you do in a stiffer chair. You lean back, you rock, and that’s the whole experience.
The Freestyle gets a 4 out of 5. Not because it’s uncomfortable, it isn’t. The mesh back breathes, the padded armrests are solid, and the spring-action rocking works. But you do feel like you’re sitting really upright. It’s a director’s chair that rocks, so your posture is dinner-table posture, not campfire posture. For a long afternoon of nothing, that difference adds up.
Storage isn’t close: Kickback 3 out of 5, Freestyle 1 out of 5. The Kickback gives you a cup holder and an interior phone pocket, two things you actually reach for every fifteen minutes at a tailgate. The Freestyle gives you a single drink holder and nowhere to put anything else.
| Kickback Rocker | Freestyle Rocker | |
|---|---|---|
| Portability | 5/5 strap + tie | 3/5 awkward handle |
| Setup | 5/5 pops open | 4/5 needs practice |
| In and out | 4/5 sits low | 5/5 easy on knees |
| Storage | 3/5 cup + phone | 1/5 drink only |
| Comfort | 5/5 all day | 4/5 upright |
| Total | 27/30 | 21/30 |
Comparison drawn from the scoring I did in the video.
Which One Should End Up in Your Trunk
Knees decide this, not the score. The one category the Freestyle clearly wins is getting in and out. It’s a director’s chair, so it’s easy in, easy out, easy on your knees, and that’s a 5 out of 5 against the Kickback’s 4. The Kickback sits lower to the ground and it is a little trickier to get up from. Not too bad, but if you’re already fighting your knees at a ballgame, that’s the chair you’ll resent.
Everybody else, I’d go Kickback. Faster to open, faster to pack, more comfortable, and it actually holds your phone. If you already own the Freestyle, keep it, a six-point scoring gap doesn’t justify buying a second rocker.
Pros
- Kickback’s strap and tie make it the easier of the two to haul and keep closed
- Kickback pops open with one pull and folds away in under 30 seconds
- Kickback’s cup holder plus interior phone slot
- Freestyle’s director-chair height is easier on the knees
- Freestyle folds to 4.9 inches wide at 11.8 lbs, with mesh back and padded armrests
Cons
- The Freestyle took me a few tries to set up on camera before I got the knack
- Carrying the Freestyle by its handle is awkward, and over the shoulder isn’t much better
- Freestyle storage is one drink holder and nothing else
- The Kickback’s low seat makes standing back up trickier
Frequently Asked Questions
How much weight can the Freestyle Rocker hold?
250 pounds. The frame is powder-coated steel with a polyester seat and a mesh back panel for airflow.
Will either of these rock on grass or sand?
Yes. GCI’s Spring-Action Rocking Technology uses shock absorbers at the base rather than curved runners, so it’s rated for flat, hard or soft terrain. That’s also why neither one tips the way a traditional rocker would on a lawn.
Can I leave one of these outside between uses?
I wouldn’t. The Freestyle’s frame is powder-coated steel, which is fine for a weekend in the weather but not a season of it. Fold it and keep it in the garage or the trunk and the polyester holds its color a lot longer.
Does the Freestyle fit in a packed trunk?
Easily. Folded it’s 4.9 inches wide and about 25 by 34.8 inches, so it slides flat along the side of a trunk instead of taking a block of space. That flat fold is the one portability advantage it has over the strap-carried Kickback.
Learn more
GCI Outdoor Kickback & Freestyle Rockers
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