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M-LAB

Pack of 4 · 8–15 mm · Engineered in the USA

Replacement end caps for camp chairs

The small part that breaks first and puts a good chair in the garbage. We redesigned it to fit properly and last longer than the original.

Pick your sizeFind your size
An 11 mm M-LAB pack on a kraft paper surface: a printed card folded over a clear bag of four black camp chair end caps, the card showing the size, PACK OF 4 and an actual-size millimetre ruler

Select

Pick your size

8–13 mm fits most camp chairs

Measured outside 8–15 mm? Ask us for that size — we make them to order.

Selected

10 mm

tube inside diameter

Specifications for the 10 mm end cap
Pole inside Ø10 mm
Cap head Ø14 mm
Length27.5 mm
Pack quantity4
SKUMLAB-EC-10MM-4PK
GTIN-12860016549920

Not every tube on a chair is the same size. Measure each one you are replacing.

Not sure of your size? Find your size or print the measuring guide.

Your measurement will not be exact

Tube sizes vary between makes, and a tube that has been in use is usually a little out of round. In our testing a reading almost never matches a size exactly.

Round down to the nearest size we make. A measured 11.70 mm takes the 11 mm cap. A little under is fine — the head is 4 mm wider than the bore, so it still seats on the tube end, and the bungee holds the cap in. Go too far under and the head pulls straight through instead of seating.

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The fix

Why the original fails, and what we changed

The original is thin at the shoulder, exactly where the shock cord pulls hardest. Once that cracks, the head stops seating on the tube end, the cord drags the cap down inside the leg, and the chair is unusable until it is replaced.

Two black camp chair end caps side by side on kraft paper: on the left the M-LAB cap with a rounded domed head, on the right the failed original with a flat head that is chewed and torn along its edge
The original on the right, its flat head torn away. The replacement on the left has a rounded head and a thicker shoulder.

Three changes, engineered to last longer than the original:

A thicker shoulder
More material exactly where the original cracks first.
A tougher material
Better performing than what the original is moulded from.
A rounded head
The original ends flat. A rounded head tested better in most chairs.
How the M-LAB end cap worksCutaway of a chair tube with the end cap pressed in and the shock cord anchored in the cap. Head diameter is size plus 4 mm; the body matches the tube's inside diameter; caps are 27.5 mm long. How the end cap worksCutaway view, 10 mm cap shown.27.5Head Ø = size + 4 mmStops against the tube end and takes the cord load.Body Ø = pole inside ØMatches the bore; the cord holds the cap in.Cord anchorThe shock cord is tied off inside the cap.Tube wallYour chair’s tube. Measure its inside diameter.Schematic. Internal cord path simplified.

The pack

Four caps and a way to check your size

Four black M-LAB camp chair end caps with domed heads, M-LAB embossed on the side of each body
  • Four caps in a better performing material, all one size
  • 27.5 mm long, head 4 mm over the tube bore
  • Topper with the size printed large and an actual-size ruler
  • Engineered in the USA
How to use the M-LAB pack to check your size: the front of the pack prints the size large and carries a 25 mm ruler at true scale, the back has a QR code to the sizing guide and the retail barcode.

Install

Four steps, no tools

How to install M-LAB end capsFour steps: pull out the old cap, thread the shock cord through the new cap, tie a stopper knot, then pull the cord taut and press the cap into the tube. Install in about a minuteNo tools needed. Pliers help if the old cap is stuck.1Pull out the old capKeep hold of the shock cord.2Thread the cord throughFeed it in from the body end.3Tie a stopper knotSeat the knot inside the head.4Press the new cap inPull the cord taut; push until seated.

Step 3 asks for a stopper knot — here is how to tie a figure-8.

Sizes

All 8 sizes, drawn to scale

SizePole IDHead Ø088.012099.0131010.0141111.0151212.0161313.0171414.0181515.019

All dimensions in mm · Every cap is 27.5 mm long · Pack of 4 · Between two sizes, choose the smaller — the bungee is what holds the cap in.

A black display board holding all eight M-LAB end caps in a row, smallest to largest, each numbered from 8 to 15 beneath it, lettered M-LAB CAP ENDS TUBE I.D. in millimetres
All eight sizes, 8 mm to 15 mm, on the shop display board.

Not sure of your size?

Measure the inside of your chair tube, or print the free guide — it is free and needs no signup.

First page of the printable pole size gauge, showing the scale-check box, circle gauges and ruler
Download guideDownload A4

PDF · 2 pages · US Letter · free, no signup

How to measure →

About

M-LAB designs better replacement parts

We start with the part that fails, work out why, and engineer a version that fits right and holds up. First up: the end caps that keep your camp chair’s bungee in place.

More camp chair parts to come.

How we work →

A build plate covered in rows of finished black M-LAB end caps, still attached after a print run
One build plate, straight off the machine.
A low packable camp chair set up on dry grass at a campsite in evening light, with a folded wool blanket and an enamel mug beside it

FAQ

Common questions

How do I know what size I need?
Measure the inside diameter of the tube, not the outside. Most camp chairs fall in the 8–13 mm range.
What if I am between two sizes?
Choose the smaller one. The head is 4 mm wider than the bore, so it still seats on the tube end, and the bungee is what holds the cap in.
How many do I need?
Usually one — it is normally a single cap that has failed. A pack of 4 leaves you three spares for next time.

All questions →