Other camp chair models on this list are made for one person, but why stop there? Kelty’s Low Loveseat is a totally viable option for camping and even can double down as cheap outdoor furniture for your patio. Keep in mind that the seat is rather low at just 13.5 inches off the ground (many camp chairs are closer to 18 in.), but the upside is that the Low Loveseat is stable and still pretty easy to get in and out of. With most other camping gear we’ve tested, getting your item back into the carrying case is often a huge pain, but the Nemo Stargaze carrying case made it easy to fold and pack.
For what it is worth, we’ve checked camp chairs as luggage many times and have had no issues (except that it can make staying under the weight limit difficult if packing it with other camping gear). What’s a camp chair worth if it’s not easy to store and take with you on your adventures? We searched for portable camping chairs that were easy to stow, didn’t take up too much space, and came with carrying cases for ease of transport and storage.
From reliable tents and sleeping bags to efficient stoves and lanterns, Coleman’s products have stood the test of time. The high back felt supportive to our testers, and they also liked the added amenity of having two cup holders on each armrest. The loveseat comes with a sleeve-style cover with an adjustable cross-body strap that testers found comfortable despite this chair’s larger size and weight. When you need a chair that fully reclines, like for napping or laying on the beach, we like the GCI Outdoors Zero Gravity chair.
We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, coleman chair taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.
After all that, we concluded that the REI Co-op Camp Chair – Kids’ is the best choice for anyone who wants to buy a practical, portable outdoor chair for a small child. 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 REI Camp stool is much more accommodating and feels sturdy—as long as you’re below the 200 pound weight limit. On road trips across the country to visit multiple friends, we were pleasantly surprised to see this camp chair in multiple outdoors people’s backyards for use as everyday patio furniture in the summer. Whether friends are having a backyard campfire or watching the sunset from the porch, the Kelty Low Loveseat seems to double as many people’s favorite home patio furniture, too. Whether you’re car camping, backpacking, concert-going, lakeside dozing, or barbecuing, there’s nothing like sitting down and taking it easy after a full day of activity. There are cheaper camping chairs on the market (and more expensive), but not many that can compare to these Coleman Bungee Camping Chairs.
If you’re wondering what all goes into the perfect camp chair, our buyer’s guide can answer similar questions and more. Those in the market for a new chair can head our top picks of the season for side-by-side comparisons of the latest and greatest models available. If you aren’t sure what exactly it is you’re looking for in your next chair beyond carrying capacity, take a look at our buyer’s guide for more information on the state of the industry.
With the exception of REI’s Camp Xtra, it has the undisputed largest seat of any of the camping chairs we’ve tested. I harp on being tall a lot in these reviews, but it’s not often that I come across a product that feels like it was built for big people. The length and width of the seat gave me plenty of space to be comfortable, and coleman chair then some. Thoughts of camping chairs may conjure up images of $10 specials out front a big-box retailer, but let’s reorient ourselves to a slightly higher standard. We expect a proper car camping chair to not only fold up for easy transport, but to be comfortable, supportive, and made to last—even in rough and tumble weather.
The inner pocket, in particular, could hold a surprising amount- books, frisbees, sandals, and even my comically oversized coleman canopy water bottle. The outer two pockets are perfect for keeping things like keys, sunglasses, and phones safe and accessible.