You don’t always find comfortable over-sized chairs, and this chair works for everyone in my family. And after regularly using the chair for six months (and leaving it out in the rain on occasion), it’s still in great condition. 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. The Coleman camping chair is big and durable, and of all the upright chairs that our panel of campers tested, it was the most comfortable.
In real-world conditions, you’re often packing up fast to try to get ahead of crowds or traffic. So you can easily misplace a carry sack on a dark night in a crowded field, especially if you’re in a large group or have a lot of stuff. At a fireworks show and at the beach, we appreciated a chair that was ready to go without even 30 seconds of hassle.
After many years spent adventuring and rock climbing, Trish is happy to trade her former crashpad seat for the comfort of the right camping chair. Maggie and Trish recruited the help of friends and family to test and judge all the chairs in this review. This crowd included children, numerous people over 6 feet tall, several dogs, a dozen senior citizens, and a flock of Girl Scouts, spanning ages 12 to 80 years old. Weighing in at 8.0 pounds, the REI Camp X is also a somewhat light model. It’s a bit shorter than most traditional chairs, and we always felt that bringing it with us was worth it. Our testers also love the Kijaro Dual Lock, which has a built-in carry strap on the back of the frame that locks into place so you can still toss it over your shoulder if you forget your carry bag.
If you want something ultra-lightweight and compact to take with you on a hike or for wild camping, our foldable camping stools are a must. We also stock a great range of camping chairs for kids that come in a variety of styles, colours and designs, including nautical, tractors, unicorns and sharks. If your chair has pole legs, just make sure that you bring along a ground sheet if you may be encountering soft surfaces like sand. Because people use outdoor chairs for an array of purposes and have different preferences when it comes to comfort, it was almost impossible to choose just one best chair. We did select our favorite upright chair for car camping and tailgating, and then additional low-to-the-ground, ultra-lightweight, and canopy picks, as well as a great chair for kids. The Kelty’s polyester seat cover manages to meld a cloud-like cushion with a supportive feel that’s kind to your back after a long day of roughing it.
ozark trail lounge chairCheck out Decathlon’s extensive range of camping chairs for lots of great options from some of the top outdoor brands, including Regatta, Quechua, Kampa, Outwell and Milestone Camping. Everything about this chair speaks to luxury, from the intuitive and easy setup to the cross-over style, which enhances stability and sturdiness. The carry bag is thoughtfully designed and features not one but two straps, allowing for options depending on how far you need to carry.
We brought this chair to a dense Los Angeles neighborhood to watch Fourth of July fireworks. We got some admiring nods en route to the celebration—and we had one of the more comfy seats at the show. A low-to-the-ground chair can be ideal for outdoor movies, concerts, theater performances, and other events where you want to avoid blocking other people’s view. Our testers liked the comfort and back support of the GCI Outdoor Everywhere Chair, as well as the ability to adjust it to sit on uneven ground.
ozark trail camping chairThis ultra-durable and ergonomic design features maximum comfort, making our testers want to trade this camp chair for their office chairs. The 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.
Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). We think the REI chair functions better and will last much longer than the similar chair from Walmart. But the price difference is significant—and after six months of near-constant outdoor use, the Walmart chair was still in decent shape. You can stow this featherlight, compressible chair in a backpack or even a work bag.