As many anglers are aware, you can spend upwards of £1000 on the best seatbox, but this is out of the price bracket of many anglers and some of the best budget fishing seatboxes under £350 are truly incredible in terms of features and performance. Not all anglers need a really premium box, they need something to sit on and hold items of tackle. If you fish waters where longer walks are required a cheaper box is usually better, as the more expensive boxes are ridiculously heavy and not designed to be carried.
Just because a seatbox is cheaper doesn't mean you won't get a quality product, as many manufacturers have designed some fantastic systems to cater for all budgets. You'll still get a lot of the features you'll see on more premium boxes but you usually get less drawers and in some cases a slightly more compact seatbox. Depending on the company, the best seatboxes under £350 will still allow you to attach all their aftermarket products onto them such as feeder arms, brolly attachments and side trays, so you can still customise them exactly how you want to.
Best budget fishing seatboxes under £350 at a glance:
• Best Seatbox Under £350 - Preston Innovations Inception SL30 Seatbox - View offer on Fishing Tackle and Bait
• Best Seatbox Under £200 - Nytro Impax Comfibox System - View offer on Total Fishing Tackle
• Best Beginner Seatbox Under £350 - Daiwa DVEC Seatbox and Cushion - View offer on Total Fishing Tackle
Whether you're a serious match angler or an angler who gets out when they can, having a stable base to fish from is paramount, not only will it prevent you falling and breaking things, it will help support your back when fishing for longer periods of time. They also save lots of time and make your angling more efficient by keeping everything to hand with drawers, and with the ability to attach whatever you need to them, it becomes an all-in-one fishing station. Here is a guide to some of the best fishing seatboxes under £350...
Best seatboxes under £350
Best seatbox under £350
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
The Preston Innovations Inception SL30 Seatbox is one of the lightest seatboxe systems on the market at just 12.7kg (including the footplate). It is an ideal choice for anglers who have long walks when they go fishing or just simply don't want to lug around a heavy, cumbersome seatbox.
The box comes with fully adjustable 30mm legs, which are fully compatible with all of the infamous Preston Offbox attachments, allowing you to use whatever items you wish from that range using the 30mm round adaptors. The front four legs are also telescopic to give you even more versatility when setting up on particularly steep banks, meaning you don't have to drop the front legs down, so your side trays can stay within easy reach. There is a sliding footplate too for ultimate comfort and stability.
The package includes an integrated 100mm deep storage unit and a deep side drawer unit, giving you plenty of space for larger items like reels and smaller accessories. You can store essential items like discorgers, hooks and lines in the drawers for instant accessibility too, which makes fishing so much easier. Each unit contains the revolutionary MAG LOK clip system, making each tray compatible with those from the Absolute range. For the price, this is a top seatbox worth looking at.
Pros
- Lightweight system 12.7kg.
- Telescopic legs for ultimate versatility.
Cons
- Not the best choice for very tall anglers.
Best lightweight seatbox Under £350
www.fishingrepublic.co.uk
The Matrix P25 Mk II seatbox is a compact and portable fishing seatbox designed for anglers who prioritise both comfort and mobility. Its lightweight aluminum H-frame construction ensures durability without sacrificing portability, making it ideal for carrying to and from your fishing destination.
Key features include a removable padded strap for customisable height adjustment, a contrasting lime frame and black footplate for a stylish appearance, a new non-scratch sliding footplate locking mechanism and swivel mud feet for stability on various terrains, compatibility with popular Matrix drawer units for customizable storage, a front drawer unit and a shallow tray unit included with the purchase, and a padded seat with a built-in spirit level for comfort and convenience.
Pros
- Very stable seatbox.
- Drawer unit can store lots of terminal tackle.
Cons
- Not much room for larger tackle items like reels.
Best seatboxes under £200
Best seatbox under £200
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
If you are looking for a basic box on a budget, then you won't find many better than the Nytro Impax Comfibox System. It is built on a popular old design that many river anglers used to favour, it comes without drawers, instead just a 13cm storage compartment below the seat. The seat is incredibly comfortable, you will have no issues sitting on it during your session, with the whole concept of this box built on it being lightweight and comfortable, it definitely achieves that. The legs are 36mm diameter, as large as you will see on a seatbox, to give you added assurance it will remain stable and most attachments will fit onto the legs too.
It is a superb choice if you fish rivers or anywhere you are faced with a long walk over difficult terrain and want to take minimal gear with you but still want a box to sit on. The box is ridiculously light, weighing a mere 5kg, making it light enough for any angler to carry and manoeuvre. Although it doesn't come with a footplate, one can be bought from Nytro if you decide you would like one but some anglers simply don't want a box with one attached.
Pros
- Incredibly light seatbox at 5kg.
- Comfortable and durable.
Cons
- It is quite basic and won't be suitable for everyone.
Best seatbox under £100
Best beginner seatbox under £350
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
The Daiwa DVEC seatbox and cushion offer a practical and reliable solution for anglers seeking a durable and convenient way to transport and protect their fishing gear. Constructed from injection-mouded plastic, these seatboxes are designed to withstand the rigours of outdoor use.
The seatbox has no leg system and is constructed from hard wearing fracture resistance plastics, resistant to UV damage and extremely lightweight and portable (Dependant want you store in it). Perfect choice for a mobile session with minimum tackle that can just be thrown over the shoulder using the shoulder strap.
Pros
- Durable with large storage
- Attachable side tray supplied
Cons
- No levelling system
Best seatbox under £100
www.northeasttackle.co.uk
One of the best-selling, most popular seatboxes of all-time is back with updated features. The Shakespeare Seatbox is instantly recognisable in the angling community, with most anglers having owned or still owning one. A superbly user-friendly box, it's about as simple as it gets. Two clips hold the seat down, with a large base allowing you to store loads of tackle inside. There is a clip-on plastic tray to store items you frequently use during your session and a padded strap to carry it. The box comes in a choice of Black or Blue and you can choose between a box with a padded cushion or not.
The seatbox has no legs and is constructed from high quality durable filled-polypropylene to ensure it's strong, UV resistant and durable. The all-plastic build also makes this box the lightest on the market at around 4kg, making it manoeuvrable by almost any angler. Great for beginners or those who don't want an overly complicated seatbox, it's also hugely popular with sea anglers, as it doubles up as a tackle box and is much easier to level in sand or shingle.
Pros
- Lots of storage.
- Lightweight and durable.
Cons
- It has no legs, so is very tricky to level.
What to look for in a seatbox under £350
There really are some fantastic fishing seatboxes under £350 available to anglers, all with various features depending on the manufacturer. There are a few important things to consider when choosing a seatbox, such as comfort, stability and the option to add things onto the box if you decide you want to.
As you're usually sat on the box for considerable amounts of time, it's wise to get one that has a comfortable seat to start with, as there is nothing worse than an uncomfortable one. If you fish a wide range of venues, we suggest choosing a box that has a strong frame and adjustable legs, as this will allow you to create a very safe and stable setup. The last thing you should be worrying about is if your box is going to collapse or cause you to fall, if you have doubts about your box, you will not fish to the best of your ability.
If you like to keep things at hand, then a box that has drawers or the ability to add them is always preferable. You can keep essential items in there to prevent you having to get up constantly to locate them, as very often the more you move around, the more likely you are to break other items of tackle like rods and poles. Lastly, the weight of the box is a considerable factor, especially if you are going to carry it. If it's too heavy and cumbersome for you to carry, then it's useless.
Glossary
Seatbox: A box designed to be sat on and fished from, often with adjustable legs and drawer units.
Footplate: A flat, plastic base that sits in front of the seatbox that allows you to rest your feet on.
Legs: Steel poles that are located in the corners of the seatbox that can be adjusted and locked into place.
Drawer unit: A sliding drawer that is located under the seat and can be slid in and out whilst the box is being sat on.
Storage unit: A large, deep area located under the seat to store bigger items of tackle such as reels.
Pole seat: A seat that has a recess moulded into it, often with a leather strap over it to allow you to sit a pole into.
Mudfeet: Large metal or plastic cylindrical discs that sit on the end of the legs to prevent the box sinking into wet ground.
Locking nuts: Screw fixtures that when tightened secure the legs in place and prevent them slipping.
<strong>Frequently asked questions about seatboxes</strong>
What is a fishing seatbox?
A fishing seatbox is a box that allows you to sit comfortably on the bank, often incorporating adjustable legs and a footplate to allow you to create a level and secure station to fish efficiently from. Some have drawer units to store frequently used items of tackle in for easy access, whilst others have deeper units located under the seat for larger tackle items like reels and bait. They are particularly useful for pole fishing, as they allow you to manoeuvre easily allowing you to ship the pole in and out with minimal fuss.
How do you set up a seatbox?
Whilst they make look complicated, setting up a seatbox couldn't be easier thanks to their adjustable legs. Place the box down on your chosen peg/bankside and begin to individually alter the legs by loosening the thumbscrews that lock the legs into place. Once your leg has extended to the position you feel it needs to be in to level the seatbox, tighten it back up and repeat until the box is sat how you want it to be. Some boxes even have spirit levels incorporated into the legs to aid this process further.
How many drawers does a seatbox need?
The amount if drawers a seatbox needs is simply determined by the angler using it, some anglers like to have lots of drawers to organise their tackle, whilst others don't see the need for them. We would recommend choosing a box with at least one draw or the option to add a draw, as they are very useful to have and they make the process of fishing much more efficient by keeping essential items of tackle close at hand.
Is a footplate essential on a seatbox?
In short, no. You don't need a footplate on a seatbox but they do help in making the box much more comfortable to sit on. They help keep your legs up in a 90 degree position, which is very useful when using a pole and stop you over extending your legs to try and gain some stability whilst sat down. The only time they are required other than that is if you're fishing a very steep bank of are wading into the water, as your legs will not touch the ground and you don't want your legs to be dangling as its very uncomfortable and often unsafe.
Author Aidan Bordiukis an enthusiastic angler who enjoys all fishing disciplines from match fishing to beach casting. He is currently occupying the position of Commercial Content Writer at Angling Times.