It barely misses being the lightest chair of its kind, yet it’s significantly more comfortable and stable than its lightweight counterparts. When sitting down in the Zero, we immediately noticed the back support provided by its shape and the stability of the legs that keep its wobble to a minimum for such a light chair. Backpackers willing to put in extra work for extra comfort will rejoice when discovering the Big Agnes Big Six chair. The spacious seat is wide and tall and offers a high enough back for a headrest, a feature not found on any other chair this compact and lightweight. Its size is enormous for the small 5.5″ x 5.5″ x 21.5″ bundle it makes when packed up, and the comfort it offers may even encourage you to take a catnap. 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.
Gripes aside, for those on a budget, this chair is a solid pick for more casual adventures. The Moon Lence Backpacking Chair is a value pick that outperforms its price point. It has a well-defined bucket seat that makes it lounge-worthy but not so deep that ozark trail hammock chair it’s hard to get out of it. The square base is also stable enough that we weren’t fearful of tipping over, and we appreciate the side pockets for phone and sunglasses storage. In terms of out-of-case performance, it stacks up well for its price point.
Measure the chairs, and then cut enough fabric to fit around the top and seat. Sometimes cutting down the weight can decrease durability, but it can also decrease stability. We noted that most testers, upon sitting ozark trail camping chair in the Flexlite Air, quickly threw their arms out to maintain their balance in this model with its uber-light fabric and flexible poles. Since this is a stool, there is no backrest, so reclining is off the table.
It also facilitates better posture and keeps the back in a straighter, less curled position than most models. This chair has a unique bent leg design that creates a wider base and seat while keeping the packed profile slim. Along with its reasonable price, these attributes make it one of the most well-rounded products we tested. The Helinox Chair One weighs about 2 pounds, compresses smaller than a 2-liter bottle of soda, and is the most comfortable and easy to stow of the three top backpacking chairs we tested. Like competing chairs, the Chair One has a nylon and mesh seat and aluminum legs, which are linked with shock cord (the chair legs are made out of the same material as high-end tent poles). The Trailhead is also on the heavier side for a camp chair, and it’s far from compact.
Thanks to the extra space for cup handles, mugs easily fit in the beverage slot. Although it doesn’t come with a carrying bag, the chair has two built-in handles. The Coleman chair does have a unique folding design that we did not find very intuitive, but it worked smoothly once they got the hang of lifting up the sides of the seatbed to collapse the chair.
We considered both the relative weight of each chair compared to models of the same design (foam or tent style), as well as how it stacked up against every product we tested. 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. This affordable, durable, comfortable chair is tailored to those who like their refreshments.
Despite its heavy weight, the Crazy Creek PowerLounger does have a compression strap just for this purpose and is very convenient to roll up. It can be stowed beneath the lid or on the side of many backpacking packs. A close-to-the-ground chair is often the ideal choice for outdoor concerts, movies, theater performances, and other events where you will be concerned about blocking other people’s view.
They typically come with their own carry bag, making them easy to transport from one place to another. Celebrate the light, airy feeling of spring with new picks for your patio & garden space. GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews.
Comfort is decidedly lower in foam chairs — we noted that the PowerLounger curled our shoulders in and dug into our underarms the least. Of the products that offer the best value, the Moon Lence Backpacking Chair stands out. This lesser-known brand still performs above average in most areas while keeping the price astonishingly low. Our favorite chair, the Skyline UL is on the pricey end but offers an exceptionally well-rounded performance with high marks in comfort, size, weight, stability, and ease of use. The Helinox Chair Zero is our favorite chair for ultralight luxury.