Kelli is a content writer with a degree in English Education from Penn State University. As a mom and a former middle school English teacher, she has spent the last 25 years looking for good deals for her home and the classroom. Your vote will help the community find the best deals. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Just because you are out in the elements doesn’t mean you must sacrifice the comfort of warm foods.
At a little over 7 pounds, it’s also the lightest traditional chair we tested—but it had the lowest weight capacity (250 pounds). It’s currently low in stock, but REI tells us this chair will be widely available again over the summer. It has the most comfortable and supportive seat shape of any chair we tested. The Dual Lock chair has a firmer backrest and seat bottom than the competition. And it avoids the slouchy shape of most traditional camping chairs, which can sag to create a hunch-and-slouch posture.
Senior editor Kalee Thompson, who wrote a previous version of this guide, has been regularly using the Coleman chair she originally tested in 2016. Aside from the color fading and the cooler pouch deteriorating, her chair has held up to years of backyard hangs and camping trips. In summer 2023, she bought a newer Coleman Cooler Quad Chair to compare to her 2016 model, and she found them to be more or less the same. If you’re looking for highly specialized or ultra-lightweight chairs for backpacking, our recommendations are probably not for you.
After six months of frequent use, the stitching along one arm had come unraveled, and the small straps holding up the back of the armrests had both ripped in half. You can stow this featherlight, compressible chair ozark trail wagon in a backpack or even a work bag. The Dual Lock seat’s name comes from a locking mechanism that secures the chair when it’s folded or expanded—releasing the lock is a matter of pushing a button on one of the legs.
Spending more time with friends and family shouldn’t mean spending more money on the summertime essentials. That’s why, this summer and every season, Walmart is committed to helping customers save money so they can live better, from the big moments like Fourth of July, to every other day in between. Moon Lence released a new generation of its Portable Camping Chair; this new ozark trail chair version has a redesigned base and more mesh ventilation than its predecessor. It comes with a five-year warranty for its frame and a two-year warranty for its fabric; this rivals the warranty for our top lightweight pick. Renetto licenses its patent to a company called Kelsyus, which makes cheaper versions of the chair. However, they don’t have all of the same features.
A major savings event, “Walmart Deals,” will run from July 8-11, offering discounts on various products, with Walmart+ members getting early access. Most of our testers found the REI Co-op Skyward Chair to be one ozark trail chair of the least comfortable chairs in our testing pool. People who did like it tended to have smaller body types, so if you find that other camping chairs are too big for you, the Skyward might be a good fit.
It’s as simple to set up as any chair we tested. The canopy is big enough to block most, if not all, sunlight any time of day, and the chair’s seat has a strip of breathable mesh down the middle for airflow. Senior staff writer Lauren Dragan said the Renetto is her most comfortable camping chair. In fall 2023, we asked a panel of paid testers with a wide range of body types, dexterities, and mobilities to examine our picks and other camping chairs and to share their perspectives. We’ve incorporated their feedback into this review.
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). After eight years of consistent use by senior editor Kalee Thompson’s two young boys, the REI Co-op Camp Chair is, she reports, faded and worn but still holding up. Unbeatable deal if you’re looking to buy several chairs at once. We like this durable, well-constructed chair that has a frame that makes you confident to sit.