Best fishing seatboxes of £350 or less
What should you look for when buying a seatbox?
Seat - Look for a comfortable seat with plenty of padding as you're likely to be sat on it for five hours or more. Lots of seats will also incorporate a pole support at the front too, to wedge the end of the butt section into to take the strain of it.
Draws, units and trays - Front and cross draws area great for storing all your terminal gear such as line, hooks, shot and disgorgers. It's imperative that the draws are easy to access and close to hand. You might find it easier to pull out a cross drawer from the side than a front draw from between your legs. Draws are often built into box units which you can add or take off the box. Other units include pole rig trays, which can often be stacked up on top of each other in the space below the main frame module.
Footplate - Most seatboxes have a footplate attached, which either slides out from under the main module or folds up against it. Two legs similar to those on the box should keep the plate sturdy at the front.
Legs - Good boxes will feature adjustable telescopic legs so you can get the box level on all kinds of slopes and surfaces. Large surface area mudfeet help keep things stable or prevent sinking into mud. Most box legs are 20-36mm in diameter so attachments for them reflect this.
Backplate - Some boxes have a solid back plate but this isn't essential. It can smarten a box up but obviously it may add a little bit of extra weight too.
Our top 8 picks
(In no particular order)
1.MAP H30 Lite Seatbox
"Lite by name, light by nature"
Draws: Shallow drawer unit, deep drawer unit | Trays: None | Legs: 30mm | Footplate: Sliding | Pole Support: Yes
PAY AROUND: £325
•Lightweight and very easy to carry
•Side draws are easy to pull out and access
•Quality durable pole seat
•Legs have screw inserts for attachments
•No base unit or trays supplied
WE SAY
The baby of the MAP box range, it's exactly as it's 'lite' name tag suggests. It doesn't weigh very much as it's a stool designed to take up minimal space and is ideal for short sessions or long walks on canals and rivers.
We love the H frame design which means you can alter the height of the footplate to get comfortable, without having to add or subtract draw units from above to do so.
Another great little design point is the screws on the side of the legs, which can move through 180 degrees to face the front or the back of the box, again saving a bit of space.
2. Daiwa 160 Seatbox
"Built to last... typically Daiwa"
Draws: Two front drawers, two shallow side drawers | Trays: Deep tray plus 14cm base | Legs: 25mm | Footplate: Sliding | Pole Support: Yes
PAY AROUND: £300
•Long telescopic legs and stable mud feet
•Rubber hand wheels make it easy to tighten the grip on legs
•Thick padded seat
•Nice deep 14cm base gives space for reels and hooklength boxes etc.
•We'd have liked slightly stronger clips to secure the strap to the box
WE SAY
There's a choice of red or blue graphics with the Daiwa 160 seatbox but either way it's smart and sturdy.
The long telescopic leg system is excellent and allows the box to be securely extended to some height, which is useful on uneven banks or if you want to get into the water in shallow margins. We've also noticed that it uses a non-marking mechanism in the tightening process to prevent unsightly damage to the legs.
Once sat on the box, the draws are easy enough to pull out and access. We also like the quality of the no-nonsense clips used to get into the base and under the seat. Well made and comfortable.
3. Matrix P25 System Seatbox
"Small but very practical"
Draws: Double front drawer unit, Deep drawer unit, single tray unit | Trays: Winder tray under base, single tray unit | Legs: 25mm | Footplate: Sliding | Pole Support: Yes
PAY AROUND: £300
•Fully height adjustable
•Very comfortable pole seat
•Very organised drawer units
•Weighs 14.5kg
•This is a compact design so it's not the easiest to use for larger sized anglers
WE SAY
A compact design-type of box but despite this it's surprisingly solid and has some great features. We particularly like the excellent drawer unit system, especially the dividers in the deepest unit.
It's fully height adjustable so you can tailor it exactly to get your feet level on the footplate without having to add or remove units. This is especially useful when long pole fishing.
There's something very comfortable about the slightly-squeezy material used in Matrix seatboxes and this is no exception, it even has a built-in spirit level. The anti-warp footplate is also very stable. All in all a very good, versatile choice.
4. Inception SL30 seatbox
Draws: None | Trays: Single tray under seat | Legs: 23mm | Footplate: Sliding, available as an extra | Pole Support: No
PAY AROUND: £230
Padded Seat
Deep Side Drawer Unit
100mm Deep Container Base Unit
WE SAY
Being one of the lightest seatboxes around, keeps it as an ideal solution for anyone who doesn’t want to lug a heavy seatbox onto the bank. With a padded seat making it a comfortable option all year round. 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. 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.
5. Maver Signature Series 8 Seatbox
"An impressive fishing station"
Draws: Double front drawer unit, shallow cross draw unit | Trays: Stacker system unit | Legs: 30mm | Footplate: Sliding | Pole Support: Yes
PAY AROUND: £349.99
•Two different sets of tightening hand wheels on the legs attached to the main unit prevent the legs bending
•Great divider system in the draws
•Stacking module supplied
•Wheel kit supplied
•The large tightening hand wheels face outwards which means the box takes up a lot of space
WE SAY
Squeezing into this price range by the skin of its teeth, the Signature Series 800 is a big box with plenty in its package. It's smart and flash but it's also very well thought out.
Each of the four legs on the main box frame has two tightening hand wheels. Not only does this help stop the leg bending, it means the height of the box can easily be altered in relation to the footplate, without having to add or subtract units.
The legs are long and telescopic so you can use this on all banks or in the water itself. The anti-slip cassette footplate is solid and inspires confidence in being able to stand up on it. You even get a wheel kit and barrow arms to fit on for transportation. All in all a very comprehensive box for serious anglers.
6. Browning CC Competition Seatbox
"Short legs and light frame"
Draws: Deep cross draw unit | Trays: Under seat space, two shallow trays, one deep tray, unit lid | Legs: 25mm | Footplate: Sliding | Pole Support: Yes
PAY AROUND: £350
•Quite compact and lightweight
•Reliable clip system
•Good tray and stacker units
•Screw attachments on legs
•Solid footplate
•Short legs although more conventional longer versions are available
WE SAY
We like the cassette-style footplate to reduce weight, yet it still remains reassuringly sturdy.
And with the Z shape-type design, you don't get a big bulky frame, again saving space and weight.
The short legs have been purposely designed for anglers fishing from level platforms, in the water or on fishery pegs, to reduce weight and also to keep the box low to the ground. If you do need longer legs then sets are available.
Slightly unusual in terms of design but a practical box with plenty of optional add-ons in terms of tray units.
7. Garbolino Match GBM-05 Seatbox
"Nice design and good value"
Draws: One combined double front/cross
drawer unit | Trays: Under seat space, base tray | Legs: 25mm | Footplate: Sliding | Pole Support: Yes
PAY AROUND: £275
•Very smart box, finished in Garbolino blue
•Thick padded seat
•Long telescopic legs with good mudfeet
•Double
•We're being picky here but even with the legs set at their lowest, the box is a bit high off the ground
WE SAY
A continental-style box which we think is especially good for pole fishing.
If you want to carry plenty of shallow unit rig trays, there's loads of space underneath the main seat unit to stack them high. And you can easily pull out the drawers to get to get quick access to terminal tackle.
The legs are long and telescopic, for use on all banks, and the height means that you'll be able to get any side trays or attachments close to hand. Also the slide out footplate is nicely solid.
8. Sensas Power 760 Seatbox
"A big box with a few nice add-ons"
Draws: One combined double front/cross
drawer unit | Trays: Under cross drawer space, double tray unit, unit lid | Legs: 25mm | Footplate: Sliding | Pole Support: Yes
PAY AROUND: £300
•Wide mud feet
•Comfortable padded seat
•Secure tightening knobs
•Long telescopic front legs for trays
•Built in bars at the back of the box for attachments
•Quality wooden draws
•Not the lightest box to carry
WE SAY
A big box and a comprehensive set up for pole and international style fishing. It features some quality components, including the wooden draws, and a Sensas World Champion back plate.
Design wise, a few small points have been carefully thought about. The front two legs on the box module itself are deliberately much longer than the other four, which means you can have your bait waiter or side tray at a height you can reach easily. Also there is an adjustable bar built into the back of the box on each side which extends vertically to allow you to fit other attachments such as brollies onto.
This isn't the lightest box to carry and transport but this is reflective in its build quality and size. It's also quite a high box as standard so you may need to lose a unit from the top module.