Since 2016, our testers (with different body types and physical needs) have subjected camping chairs to multiple camping trips. We chose the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair as the model with the right combination of comfort, durability, usability, and price for most campers. This wicker basket contains everything you need for a summer concert or picnic in the park. The lid doubles as a detachable table with four slots to hold the included plastic wine glasses and stable metal legs to prop up the snacks. Inside you’ll find a cutlery pouch, tableware for four, a waterproof picnic blanket and even a bottle opener.
Comes with the same compact bag with a shoulder strap for carrying. We also paid attention to the weight and size of each chair to see how portable they felt and how easy they were to transport over various distances. We will continue to test each chair in real camping scenarios after our initial tests for at least six more months to make sure they remain durable and withstand the rigors of long-term use. We will continue to update this article as we test more camping chairs. During our selection process, we tested a lot of camping chairs — 47 in total, over the course of two years — with a special emphasis on how easy they were to use, portability, durability, and value. Here are our top picks, which we will continue to test for another six months on as many camping trips as we can.
The durable, powder-coated steel frame pops together in seconds, and the 600D polyester comes with quilted padding to further amp the comfort level. Despite the Renetto chair’s weight and bulk, our testers found it simple to set up and adjust. The canopy quickly and easily transforms into a carrying case—just wrap it around the chair and snap it closed with two plastic buckles, and you can carry the whole thing on your back like an oblong backpack. Convenient carrying bag makes is easy to keep in the trunk.
They’re also ideal for sporting events, field trips, outdoor concerts and movies, and picnics in the park. These lightweight, portable chairs are great for camping, sporting events, ozark trail chair and backyard BBQs. Their smaller footprint makes them perfect for tighter spaces. They fold nicely and include convenient carrying cases for easy transport and storage!
It’s not our lightest, most comfortable, or toughest pick, but it’s close enough, and it’s reasonably priced. After new testing, we still love the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair for most outdoors situations. But we also have picks offering better support, higher weight capacity, and greater portability. There are a variety of different types of camping chairs. Similar to the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair in size, the Ozark Trail Oversized Mesh Camp Chair with Cooler was far less comfortable, with rough-feeling polyester that was obviously of lower quality. After six months of frequent use, the stitching along one arm had come unraveled, and the small straps holding up the back of the armrests had both ripped in half.
There are also chairs that are hybrids between categories, such as the Nemo Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair, which comes highly rated and recommended. This durable yet lightweight chair features a flat-folding extra-wide steel frame easily stowable in a closet or car trunk. It also has a padded seat, armrests, and a maximum weight capacity of 600 lbs. No other chair in our testing pool—except perhaps the extremely pricey Yeti Trailhead—came close to matching the King Kong’s build quality. Our testers consistently said the King Kong chair was the most heavy-duty-feeling model of all the chairs we tested.
After eight years of consistent use by senior editor Kalee Thompson’s two young boys, the REI Co-op Camp Chair is, she reports, faded and worn but still holding up. By clicking on these shopping links, visitors will leave ABCNews.com. These e-commerce sites are operated under different terms and privacy policies than ABCNews.com. ABC will receive a commission for purchases made through these links. SOME PRICES ARE DYNAMIC AND MAY CHANGE FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. Right now, Walmart.com has this Ozark Trail Americana Camping Hammock Chair for just $24.97 (reg. $43.31).
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. Newly designed leg tips work with a wider, square-shaped base frame to provide stability in a variety of conditions. And though the frame architecture looks a bit complicated, we found the set-up to be intuitive and fast. We also loved how many straps line the carrying case, including nylon webbing with multiple loops so you can attach it to a carabiner or weave it through a backpack’s straps.
The Chair One is rated to hold up to 320 pounds—more than any other lightweight chair we tested aside from the Moon Lence. Testers preferred the Coleman chair’s thoughtfully placed mesh storage pouch over those of its competitors. This pouch is big enough to stow gear like a phone, book, or tablet.