Compared with cheaper chairs of its kind (like those from Walmart), the REI Co-op chair functions better and will last much longer. 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. 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.
Of the chairs we tested, the Coleman chair was the only one that came with a built-in cooler bag, which can hold four standard-size beer or soda cans. The chair also has the round mesh cupholder found on most chairs of this type. 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. We’ve incorporated their feedback into this review.
Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). 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. Unbeatable deal if you’re looking to buy several chairs at once. We like this durable, well-constructed chair that has a frame that makes you confident to sit.
It also features a side cupholder and a back pocket for small personal items. 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 ozark trail backpack 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.
But at Walmart, customers can get all the essentials for a fantastic Fourth of July cookout for less. This holiday, Walmart is offering a full cookout basket for eight people priced at less than $50 – approximately $6 per person. This year, The National Retail Federation has reported that consumers are expected to spend an average of $90 on food items for Fourth of July celebrations. The REI Co-op chair’s polyester seat material feels both more forgiving and more durable than the thinner material on many other kids’ chairs.
However, they don’t have all of the same features. There are also chairs that are hybrids between categories, such as the Nemo Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair, which comes highly rated and recommended. The Chair One is rated to hold up to 320 pounds—more than any other lightweight chair we tested aside from the Moon Lence. No other chair in our testing pool—except perhaps the extremely pricey Yeti Trailhead—came close to matching the King Kong’s build quality.
Like others in its category, this chair comes with an over-the-shoulder carry bag, but some testers found it was light and compact enough to carry without the case. It’s as simple to set up as any chair we tested. This wider and longer set will provide support for larger adults with the same upright style as the traditional bagged camping chair.
Walmart also highlights additional summer essentials such as grills, coolers, and pools. A major savings event, “Walmart Deals,” will run from July 8-11, offering discounts on various ozark trail backpack products, with Walmart+ members getting early access. Most of our testers found the REI Co-op Skyward Chair to be one of the least comfortable chairs in our testing pool.