This chair’s big canopy provides ample sun protection at a campsite or sporting event, and it doubles as a backpack-strap-equipped carrying case. After new testing, we still love the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair for most outdoors situations. But we also have picks offering better support, higher weight capacity, and greater portability.
Between barbecues, crawfish boils, and annual family reunions, the great outdoors sort of feels like my second home. After spotting the Ozark Trail Oversized Mesh Cooler Chair on TikTok, I immediately knew I had to get my hands on it. It’s perfect for tall individuals due to the longer back and head rest panel which gives stability and ample back support to the chair. The wide seating area makes it comfortable for users of all heights and everyone can benefit from the longer back panel. One of the best features is the longer back panel which reaches up to the neck and allows for you to tip your head back and rest it on the lightly cushioned area for extra relaxation.
“I was so surprised how well it’s built and the packaging is awesome as I got two and it came with a bag. Very comfy chairs and sleek design.” The REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair and the Flexlite Air (its featherweight sibling) are lighter than any other chairs in their category, but they felt less steady. 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 Dual Lock seat’s name comes from a locking mechanism that secures the chair when it’s folded or expanded—releasing the lock is a matter of pushing a button on one of the legs.
When you purchase through our links, we may earn a small commission. All items must be picked up by Monday at 5 PM or a 10% or $5 storage fee will be charged ozark trail backpack Whichever is greater. Misty has been writing professionally and creating engaging, helpful content online in a variety of niches for over 15 years.
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. 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. Each comes with a convenient carrying bag that you can sling over your shoulder.
On the back is an elastic slot and Velcro bands to secure an overhead umbrella, and underneath the seat is a strap that collapses the chair for easy transport. It also comes with a matching travel bag for storage. The Chair One is rated to hold up to 320 pounds—more than any other lightweight chair we tested aside from the Moon Lence. 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.
While it may be slightly heavier and bulkier than others, its performance and value for money outweigh any minor drawbacks. Moon Lence released a new generation of its Portable Camping Chair; this new version has a redesigned base and more mesh ventilation than its predecessor. It comes with a five-year warranty for its frame and a two-year warranty for its fabric; this rivals the warranty for our top lightweight pick. Renetto licenses its patent to a company called Kelsyus, which makes cheaper versions of the chair. 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 REI Co-op chair’s polyester seat material feels both more forgiving and more durable than the thinner material on many other kids’ chairs. Compared with cheaper chairs of its kind (like those from Walmart), the REI Co-op chair functions better and will last much longer. Senior editor Kalee Thompson, who wrote a previous version of this guide, has been regularly using the Coleman ozark trail backpack 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. Living in the south, spending time outside is practically second nature.
It’s the lightest, most portable chair that is still comfortable. The Helinox Chair One weighs about 2 pounds, compresses smaller than a 2-liter bottle of soda, and is our most lightweight pick. Other chairs we tested sacrificed too much comfort in order to shave mere ounces off of their weights, and we don’t think the trade-off was worth it. Keep in mind that lightweight chairs won’t be nearly as comfortable as traditional camping chairs, so take the word comfortable with a grain of salt. Most of our testers found the REI Co-op Skyward Chair to be one of the least comfortable chairs in our testing pool. People who did like it tended to have smaller body types, so if you find that other camping chairs are too big for you, the Skyward might be a good fit.
Made from an easy-to-clean polyester fabric and metal frame. The TikTok version of the chair is adorably summer-themed, featuring nostalgia-inducing red, white, and blue popsicle designs all over the seat. There’s a cupholder on the right arm and a built-in cooler on the left that can hold a six-pack of drinks (or more, if you dare). There’s even a bottle opener attached to the inside of the cooler to cover all the bases for chillin’ and grillin’ outside.