However, they don’t have all of the same features. There are also chairs that are hybrids between categories, such as the Nemo ozark trail canopy Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair, which comes highly rated and recommended. We’re planning to look at all of these chairs.
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 ozark trail chair to compare to her 2016 model, and she found them to be more or less the same. Convenient carrying bag makes is easy to keep in the trunk. Made with a steel frame and rated for up to 300 pounds. The TikTok version of the chair is adorably summer-themed, featuring nostalgia-inducing red, white, and blue popsicle designs all over the seat.
This chair comes with a sturdy carrying case, with an over-the-shoulder strap, and it’s simple to expand and fold up accordion-style. It’s sturdier than any other chair we tested. No other chair in our testing pool—except perhaps the extremely pricey Yeti Trailhead—came close to matching the King Kong’s build quality.
Its steel frame doesn’t wobble when you get in or out. Our testers consistently said the King Kong chair was the most heavy-duty-feeling model of all the chairs we tested. If you’re planning a car-camping trip, you’ll probably want to bring camping chairs. They’re also ideal for sporting events, field trips, outdoor concerts and movies, and picnics in the park. Direct yourself into the delightful seat of this Ozark Trail Director’s Chair with Side Table. Comfort and ease of setup make this take anywhere chair as convenient as it is stylish.
Keep in mind that lightweight chairs won’t be nearly as comfortable as traditional camping chairs, so take the word comfortable with a grain of salt. Most of our testers found the REI Co-op Skyward Chair to be one 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. 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.
Relax in comfort wherever you go with this chair. This convenient foldable camping chair collapses for easy storage and transportation and has one cup holder. This folding chair is made from durable polyester fabric wrapped around a steel frame for long-lasting comfort and convenience. An included carrying bag makes it easy to bring this chair with you almost anywhere you go. It’s durable and comfortable for a range of campers.
It’s not our lightest, most comfortable, or toughest pick, but it’s close enough, and it’s reasonably priced. If you’re unsure which camping chair to buy, you can’t go wrong with the classic Coleman Cooler Quad Chair. The box-shaped cupholder is a little roomier than the round cupholders on the Coleman and the L.L.Bean Base Camp chairs—better for stubby water bottles or mugs of hot chocolate around the campfire. The Helinox Chair One is the best chair for anyone who needs a lightweight, portable chair.