This chair had us impressed on all ends, and with its wide availability, the Cooler Quad is a stalwart defender of Coleman’s reputation as a king of camping. If you’re after a novelty chair with an included cooler, you’ve found it. But if you want something comfortable enough to watch an all-day soccer tournament and durable enough to bring back every season, we don’t think this one is a winner.
The poles are quite thin, and despite having a steel frame, everything feels rather rickety. Ours also came with some sloppy seams, and the carry bag is very thin and fragile. Again, nothing broke on this chair during our few months of testing, but we are skeptical of its longevity. 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. We brought this chair to a dense Los Angeles neighborhood to watch Fourth of July fireworks.
The mesh cup holder has a soft plastic grommet stitched into the armrest fabric, reinforcing the mesh and helping the cup holder retain its shape so you have effortless access to your beverage of choice. The cooler itself is an easy-access zippered pouch that hangs from the bottom of the left armrest. This coleman canopy also did a great job staying dry when the sun came out, and I started to sweat. It never managed to soak through, though I doubt that would be the case in any kind of rain. Beyond this, it’s a cheap and cheerful camp chair that will give you everything you need and a little more, inarguably a bargain deal anyone shopping around should consider. As is the case with many mass-manufactured chairs, there tends to be some variance in quality over the years.
The high back felt supportive to our testers, and they also liked the added amenity of having two cup holders on each armrest. The loveseat comes with a sleeve-style cover with an adjustable cross-body strap that testers found comfortable despite this chair’s larger size and weight. Space is always at a premium at a campground, which is why the built-in table on this Coleman camp chair is an added feature our testers loved.
However, since many campers prefer chairs at a traditional height, the Kelty Lowdown narrowly missed winning our Best Overall pick. This affordable, durable, comfortable chair is tailored to those who like their refreshments. The cooler pocket fits four standard cans and zips up to insulate your beverages of choice. In addition to the cooler, the chair has a mesh cup holder, two mesh pockets, and a roomy seat that’s 24 inches wide. It easily folds up and slips into its shoulder-strap carrying bag and is lightweight enough to carry to a picnic. While the padded seat and armrests are great for campers who like a cushioned feel, some may find the chair lacking in back support.
It takes a couple of minutes to store but will significantly extend the lifetime. By far, the best thing about this chair is how easy it is to set up — it just folds outwards like an accordion. The cooler is also easy to use, with a handy pull-on top that unzips both sides simultaneously. A small patch of velcro is all that’s left between you and your cold coleman cooler beverages. The cooler in the armrest sticks out at an odd angle and resists being squeezed back into a sack that’s barely large enough to hold it. Beyond the cooler, the Quad has a single mesh cup holder that’s just barely wide enough to squeeze in an iPhone 8+ and a side seat pocket with one large pocket and two smaller mesh pockets to keep you organized.