What follows is a comprehensive discussion of our in-depth findings from months of lounging. If your chair has pole legs, just make sure that you bring along a ground sheet if you may be encountering soft surfaces like sand. We were downright giddy over this spacious, cleverly designed outdoor loveseat. The two-seater slips in and out of a slot in the wrap-up, tote-style carrier, which can be expanded to fit other gear for storage and double as a dog mat when the chair is in use. When it comes to comfort, the Kelty Low Loveseat was one of the most outstanding during our test.
This is a perfect option for throwing in a tote or backpack to take to the park and on hikes. We love that setup is quick and easy, because no one needs to struggle with poles after sweating it out on the trails. Its light weight also impressed — when we threw it around to assess its durability, the chair basically sailed like a feather. The 1-pound seat comes with a miniscule stuff sack that can easily be slipped into a backpack or suitcase.
You’ll find cooler bags, camping pots and pans, cutlery, kettles, mugs, cooking utensils, camping stoves, thermal flasks, and even foldable washing-up bowls. Portable outdoor chairs are also helpful for anyone who doesn’t have the room or budget for permanent backyard furniture. And they can save your back, make it easier to juggle a picnic plate and a cold beverage, and generally help you to relax comfortably outdoors. Walk around any campground or tailgate party, and you’ll notice the popularity of this variety of accordion-style seat.
In real-world conditions, you’re often packing up fast to try to get ahead of crowds or traffic. So you can easily misplace a carry sack on a dark night in a crowded field, especially if you’re in a large group or have a lot of stuff. At a fireworks show and at the beach, we appreciated a chair that was ready to go without even 30 seconds of hassle. The Everywhere Chair closes like a book—simply lift the padded strap and go. Before we tried the Renetto Original Canopy Chair, we had never considered buying a shade-equipped camp chair. The shaded Renetto chairs were consistently the first seats snagged at a beautiful but harshly exposed Indian Grove group campsite.
ozark trail camping chairBut the price difference is significant—and after six months of near-constant outdoor use, the Walmart chair was still in decent shape. You can stow this featherlight, compressible chair in a backpack or even a work bag. Select a chair with a built-in canopy, which will give you a little patch of cool at any campsite or cookout. Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on our latest posts then visit our Facebook page and Instagram to join the community conversation.
ozark trail lounge chairWhen we set up a dozen chairs around the campfire without comment, people consistently claimed them from largest to smallest. Thanks to their light weights and compact designs, the Helinox chairs are the clear winners in this category. The Sunset Chair breaks down and folds into a surprisingly compact carry bag. Despite having a high back and being impressively durable, this model weighs just 3.24 pounds and is the lightest chair we tested. If that’s not enough, its carry bag can also double as a pillow for a personalized headrest.
It has a 300-pound capacity which is about average for this group, but it feels very solid and stable even when jumping into it. And though we don’t recommend leaving your chair out for full seasons of UV exposure, this is one of the few models we’ve actually done this to. After over a year and a half of sitting outside in a high-elevation environment (5000 feet above sea level), the only difference in this chair is a slight fading of the canvas-like material. Another camp chair that features a perforated and breathable material that also resists damaging UV rays is the Yeti Trailhead.