But where camp chairs are concerned, it’s not the end of the world. These are occasional seating options, and you won’t typically be spending such extended periods sitting in one that it starts to be an issue. Simply put, it can be notoriously difficult to find big and robust furniture to support you properly.
Several Wirecutter staffers have owned the Coleman chair for years, using it on camping trips, in backyards, and at sporting events. For the most part, it’s held up well, but one common quibble is that the seat bottom begins to sag after several years of use. Senior editor Kalee Thompson, who wrote a previous version of this guide, has been regularly using the Coleman chair she originally tested in 2016.
The ClassiQ Chair weighs 3.65lbs and holds up to 300 lbs. Contoured for comfort with just the right amount of hug. GCI Outdoor makes several rocking chairs, and we plan to try more of them to see if they’re any better than the Freestyle Rocker, which we weren’t enthusiastic about. 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. The Renetto Original Canopy Chair is the best chair with a built-in canopy. We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that’s designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space.
Compared with cheaper chairs of its kind (like those from Walmart), the REI Co-op chair functions better and will last much longer. 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). Kalee Thompson is the senior editor heading up Wirecutter’s kid coverage.
We blame the crossbar design, which runs front to back rather than side to side; this creates a lot of wobble from right to left, especially if the chair is not on perfectly even ground. Its base design is the same as for other variations, the Flexlite Camp Dreamer and Flexlite Camp Boss. The Helinox Chair One is the best chair for anyone who needs a lightweight, portable chair. You can stow this featherlight, compressible chair in a backpack or even a work bag.
If you want something in camo, though, this isn’t your chair. Your only color options are red or blue, both with black trim. A functional cupholder, a convenient carry strap, and durable fabric distinguish this kids’ chair from similar seats. But keep in mind that your kid will eventually outgrow this one. 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). Despite the Renetto chair’s weight and bulk, our testers found it simple to set up and adjust.
We chose the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair as the model with the right combination of comfort, durability, usability, and price for most campers. Fun colors, light weight, compact, easy to set up and even a carry case for easy storage. I want to buy more in different colors even though I don’t need them. They’re even comfy so I can sit by the fire or on the beach for hours without my butt going numb. The Chair One is rated to hold up to 320 pounds—more than any other lightweight chair we tested aside from the Moon Lence. In fall 2023, we asked a panel of paid testers with a wide range of body types, dexterities, and mobilities to examine our picks and other camping chairs and to share their perspectives.
That’s as true for camp chairs as it is for recliners and the like. Where camp chairs are concerned, most of them top out at around 300 pounds of supported weight. That works for the majority of the market, but if you happen to be heavier than that, you’ll find that pickings can be slim. 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.
Our testers consistently said the King Kong chair was the most heavy-duty-feeling model of all the chairs we tested. 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.
The seatback has some slightly padded sections that do at least a little something to enhance comfort, and the armrests are nominally padded, too. But this isn’t the kind of chair you’re ozark trail canopy going to want to spend most of the day in. Aside from the impressive amount of weight the chair can support, the thing we like best about the numbers above is the width of the seat.