10 Best Camping Chairs of 2023

It easily folds up and slips into its shoulder-strap carrying bag and is lightweight enough to carry to a picnic. While the padded seat and armrests are great for campers who like a cushioned feel, some may find the chair lacking in back support. Delivering on its get-up-and-go promise, the Yizi-go is exceptionally easy to carry, set up, and pack away. After regularly using the chair for six months, we found that it’s one of the easiest options to set up and break down. In addition to being very compact, its stuff sack has a strap for easy transport and safekeeping under the chair when you’re using it. The convenience continues with two side pockets that function as cup holders or storage for other provisions.

Anecdotally, we found that this chair category in general is more popular among women than among men, who generally prefer a higher, upright seat. The GCI Outdoor chair also has a pocket built into the back that can hold a phone or a book. The Renetto chair usually comes in between 8 and 10 colors and is rated to hold up to 350 pounds. “This is the Platonic ideal of your camp chair,” one of our campers gushed.

When we set up a dozen chairs around the campfire without comment, people consistently claimed them from largest to smallest. Thanks to their light weights and compact designs, the Helinox chairs are the clear winners in this category. The Sunset Chair breaks down and folds into a surprisingly compact carry bag. Despite having a high back and being impressively durable, this model weighs just 3.24 pounds and is the lightest chair we tested. If that’s not enough, its carry bag can also double as a pillow for a personalized headrest.

We took these chairs camping in the desert, packed them into cars, carried them to family reunions, and napped in them on the beach. Whether you’re on the hunt for a reading chair or a sideline seat, we’ve found the right model for your needs and wallet. We also let two boys, ages 1 and 5, play with them and sit on them in the backyard for six months.

ozark trail lounge chairThe FlexGrid fabric is supportive of the body while also allowing for breathability due to the perforated material. T+L writers are shopping and product experts who score the market for the best of the best travel gear. For this article, lifelong camper Lydia Price joined a group of other editors to put 29 outdoor chairs to the test in our New York City lab. They carefully evaluated the comfort, durability, portability, and value of each chair to put together this list of the best options for camping. Whether you want to sit upright for a snack break or lean back to lounge with a good book, Nemo’s Moonlight Reclining Chair is great to have on hand.

ozark trail camping chairWe cart them on weekend camping trips, set them up at family reunions, spend late nights around the fire pit, watch sporting events, and hang out at all-day backyard barbecues. During our testing period, we paid close attention to details that matter in a camp chair, like how well the cup holders and pockets work. We weighed and measured them, carried them all over, and jumped into them to see what they could handle.

This is a perfect option for throwing in a tote or backpack to take to the park and on hikes. We love that setup is quick and easy, because no one needs to struggle with poles after sweating it out on the trails. Its light weight also impressed — when we threw it around to assess its durability, the chair basically sailed like a feather. The 1-pound seat comes with a miniscule stuff sack that can easily be slipped into a backpack or suitcase.

If you need a comfy chair or use a camping-specific chair regularly and don’t mind a bit of bulk, we highly recommend the King Kong. DURABILITY/WEIGHT CAPACITY – If you want a chair that will last for the long haul or you need a chair with a higher weight capacity, we recommend one of the stout options below. Sturdy chairs are often a bit heavier and bulkier, so they aren’t quite as easy to carry. If you’re off on a backpacking adventure, you’ll need a good quality backpacking tent from Decathlon. A good night’s sleep is essential to keep your energy levels up on your backpacking trip. Our backpacking tents are lightweight and compact, making them ideal for attaching to your backpack as you head off into the wilderness.