PRICE – You don’t have to break the bank to get a great camping chair, but we find that spending a little more is often well worth the cost for the increase in comfort, durability, and convenience. We recommend chairs at a variety of price points below to make it easy to find a great option that fits your budget. Generally speaking, the lightest chairs out there won’t deliver as plush of a sitting experience as bulkier products that weren’t meant to accompany you on backpacking adventures.
The REI Outward Low Padded simply unfolds like an old-school folding chair. The GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker is also impressively easy — just pull the two sides away from each other with a large labeled handle, and you’re good to go. While the Yeti Trailhead is somewhat more involved than simply pulling opposing corners, the instructions make it easy to follow along. The interesting design of this chair makes the folded package exceptionally long — just shy of four feet.
ozark trail camping chairFactors that affect a chair’s portability are its packed size, weight, carry bag, and overall transporting experience. The top-notch comfort, high-quality build, and exceptional portability make it well worth the price and we expect it to remain one of our go-to chairs for a very long time. COMFORT – The whole purpose of packing a camping chair is to get you up off the ground so you can sit comfortably.
We have no doubt the aluminum frame and UV-resistant polyester seat are designed to last through years upon years of outdoor seasons. The chair and sack are also machine washable, so you can always head out on a hike feeling fresh. Like many ultralight chairs structured with a pole base, it will sink into soft ground like snow or sand, but Helinox makes a ground sheet you can buy to make the chair more versatile. In terms of comfort, the Co-op Flexlite Air Chair has the perfect amount of give. It’s so small and lightweight to bring around, you can even throw it into a backpack or tote bag. But after half a dozen excursions, we found—as we had with the Renetto Original Canopy Chair—that having a chair you can easily carry without a bag is preferable.
ozark trail hammock chairWe tested 29 of the best camping chairs on the market to find the perfect option for everyone. Like most chairs of this type, the Coleman Oversized Quad comes with an over-the-shoulder carry bag. This metric is the second most important rating criterion that we evaluated, accounting for a quarter of each product’s overall score. Given the variety of ways you can use a chair, it is mandatory to choose a product you won’t mind moving and transporting.
ozark trail camping chairHow each one performs in every test then determines its score for that metric. Here we break down their performances by metric to get down to the specifics of each model. HEIGHT – Low chairs are great for music events, movies in the park, and trips to the beach because they’re more portable and they don’t block the view of those behind you. Chairs with higher seats are easier to get in and out of (especially for those with bad knees) and are usually more comfortable for extended use. Nothing is worse than finding yourself forced to play musical chairs around the campfire.
Plus, though the chair is large even when folded up, its spacious backpack carrying case with cushioned, adjustable shoulder straps makes dealing with the size and weight much easier. The odd shape can also get easily caught when putting the chair back into its carry bag. The seating platform also sits somewhat low to the ground, which could be an issue for taller folks.