By no means is this something you’d want to port around with you for more than a few minutes of walking–if you’re looking for the most portable option, I’d encourage you to take a look at our review of the CLIQ Chair. The Coleman Cooler Quad isn’t for trekking miles coleman sleeping bag down the trail, but at the very least, you can throw it across your back on a sling and have your hands free to carry a few extra things to the campsite. By far, the best thing about this chair is how easy it is to set up — it just folds outwards like an accordion.
We discovered that even though most testers had not previously considered a shade-equipped camp chair, once they used one they appreciated the comfort and convenience of built-in sun blocking. As is the case with any outdoor gear, you want to make sure that you store the chair somewhere dark and dry when not in use. Mold is always a killer when it comes to things like camp chairs, but UV light may be the biggest cause for concern. Tempting as it may be, don’t leave your chair set up on a nice day with the intention of coming back in a few hours. It takes a couple of minutes to store but will significantly extend the lifetime. The makings of great camping chairs aren’t all that complicated, and Coleman’s Cooler Quad hits the nail on the head.
Our testers loved the sheath-style carrying case, which allows you to adjust its buckles and store other equipment and clothes inside the sheet. The strap on the sheath makes it comfortable to carry this mid-weight chair. Testers found the setup to be super intuitive, and even our taller users were able to sit for long periods without discomfort. The steel frame was unaffected by our drop tests, coleman canopy and the polyester seat is lightly padded for extra comfort. It can be a little bit heartbreaking to find a gorgeous relaxation spot — with nowhere to hang up your favorite hammock. Thanks to Eagles Nest Outfitters, you can have the comfort of hammock lounging without needing trees, trying to transport a clunky free-standing hammock, or being beholden to the location of trees on your campsite.
It never managed to soak through, though I doubt that would be the case in any kind of rain. Beyond this, it’s a cheap and cheerful camp chair that will give you everything you need and a little more, inarguably a bargain deal anyone shopping around should consider. This can help prevent the fabric from damage and fading over long periods of use. The fabric should also be strong enough to hold significant weight—likely a rigid yet flexible woven material like the seat on our top pick, the Yeti Trailhead chair. I’ve guided hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, and (mostly) rafting trips in Alaska and Colorado for seven years. I’m now a program manager for a guiding company out of Southeast Alaska and managed their hiking and rafting program on the Chilkoot Trail and Taiya River.
Carrying it on your back can also be cumbersome, which is why these chairs sometimes come with backpack style straps. The more popular style folds inwards and ends up a torpedo shape that you can slide into a carry bag. Dometic made a name for themselves in the vanlife and overlanding communities with their class-leading electric cooler collection, but their latest “Go” series takes aim at the upper end of the camping market. The chair is made with heavy-duty 600-denier fabrics, sturdy aluminum legs, and beechwood armrests that add to the high-end, streamlined look. As its name suggests, the Go Compact Camp Chair also folds down quickly and easily for transport with a relatively streamlined shape for storing in a full trunk. A few chairs on our list allow you to rock back and forth, but none come closer to resembling a traditional rocking chair than the GCI Outdoor Kickback Rocker.
The Helinox Chair Zero is easy to assemble with a single shock-cord pole that locks into place once it’s unfolded. The frame is made of lightweight (but still sturdy) aluminum, and the seat is made out of ripstop polyester fabric for durability. The lightweight world (especially backpackers) could not sing enough praises about this 17-ounce lightweight backpacking chair.