Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). The cupholders on the L.L.Bean Kids’ ozark trail screen house Base Camp Chair aren’t as roomy as those on our picks, and they’re not as adept at holding stubby water bottles or mugs of hot chocolate. Camping chairs have many different looks, feels and benefits. When shopping for one, it’s best to consider your specific preferences and needs.
The Chair One has a 600-denier polyester and mesh seat and aluminum legs, which are linked with shock cord (like what you’d find inside high-end tent poles). The canopy is big enough to block most, if not all, sunlight any time of day, and the chair’s seat has a strip of breathable mesh down the middle for airflow. Senior staff writer Lauren Dragan said the Renetto is her most comfortable camping chair.
It delivers a solid baseline of build quality, comfort, and reliability that we didn’t find in other, similarly priced chairs. If you’re unsure which camping chair to buy, you can’t go wrong with the classic Coleman Cooler Quad Chair. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast or not, having a reliable camping chair can make a world of difference. Meramec Mercantile – From the moment you arrive, our friendly and energetic staff are here to guide you smoothly to your campsite, ensuring you have everything you need for a fun-filled and memorable stay.
Kalee Thompson is the senior editor heading up Wirecutter’s kid coverage. When she wrote the first version of this guide, Kalee lived in Southern California, where she tested chairs on three group camping trips. This splurge-worthy option is for anyone looking for the best of the best when it comes to comfort and durability.
A lightweight, portable chair is a must-have for a myriad of summer activities — from sporting events to the campsite. With over 300 five-star reviews, this tried-and-true pick from Ozark Trail will help you stay protected from the sun. Nathan Borchelt is a life-long camper and backpacker, and is a huge advocate for using camp chairs — so much so that he successfully lobbied an ultralight-obsessed thru-hiker to add a lightweight camp chair to his kit. In preparing this article, he worked with a team of T+L experts who tested a total of 47 chairs in both real-world and lab scenarios, sorting through testing feedback to choose the best of the bet. Experience ultimate relaxation and maximum comfort with this club chair with footrest! With a weight capacity of 500-lbs, it is perfect for adult use and the extra wide seating provides ample room to stretch out and unwind.
Note that some reviewers mention these run on the smaller side. The 4-pound, steel-framed REI chair has an attached carry strap, rather than a carry bag (which the other chairs have). After a couple of camping trips, we concluded that a strap is more convenient than a bag—it’s quicker and easier for a kid to grab the chair and go, without parental help. It can hold a lot of supplies, and it’s easy to carry and set up. The King Kong chair has two cupholders and intuitively placed storage pouches under each armrest; unlike the Coleman chair, though, this one doesn’t have a cooler pouch. There’s also a mesh pocket behind the backrest, to hold things you don’t need to access quickly.
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. This chair costs slightly more than the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair, but it’s still a budget-friendly option.
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. This highly rated compact camping chair is one of the best lightweight picks to consider. It weighs just a little over one pound, and can be easily packed away in its small carrying sack. Additionally, it features ripstop polyester that has been designed to resist harsh weather conditions as well as UV rays. Each camper also gets an adjustable armrest with an insulated, adjustable beverage holder. Weighing about 8 pounds, the Coleman chair is lighter than most traditional models, so it’s easier to grab from deep in a car trunk or to carry for long distances.
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 to compare to her 2016 model, and she found them to be more or less the same. If you’re looking for highly specialized or ultra-lightweight chairs for backpacking, our recommendations are probably not for you. We also don’t have suggestions for couch-style or loveseat chairs (we’d like to look at those someday, though).