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. Are you a car camper or do you plan on socializing in friends’ backyards?
Our not-too-discriminating underage testers liked all the kids’ chairs, though over time we found several reasons to declare the REI Camp Chair the best of the bunch. The REI chair’s polyester seat material feels both more forgiving and more durable than the thinner material on the Ozark Trail Kids’ Folding Camp Chair from Walmart. The box-shaped cupholder is a little roomier than the round cupholders on the Coleman and the L.L.Bean Base Camp chairs—better for stubby water bottles or mugs of hot chocolate around the campfire.
The GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker is also impressively easy — just pull the two sides away from each other with a large labeled handle, and you’re good to go. While the Yeti Trailhead is somewhat more involved than simply pulling opposing corners, the instructions make it easy to follow along. The ENO Lounger DL and the Nemo Stargaze Recliner Luxury also score well in this metric because of their similar abilities to be broken down into smaller segments and stuffed into a small carrying case.
ozark tentHowever, since many campers prefer chairs at a traditional height, the Kelty Lowdown narrowly missed winning our Best Overall pick. Thoughtful features like a zippered pocket for securing valuables, a mesh cell phone pouch, and two cup holders make the Kijaro exceptionally convenient for everything from tailgates to beach days. It’s available in 11 colors, many of which are unique in the outdoor product space. The chair comes with a carrying bag but also has a shoulder strap attached directly to its frame in case you want to ditch the sack. All this at a good price, making it an incredible value for a comfy camp chair that’s built to last through countless seasons. 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.
But the price difference is significant—and after six months of near-constant outdoor use, the Walmart chair was still in decent shape. If you are looking for an ultracheap choice, the Walmart chair is one. Perfect for cold-weather campers or parents sitting on the sidelines for early-spring and late-fall games. We like this durable, well-constructed chair that has a frame that makes you confident to sit. The cupholders on the L.L.Bean Kids’ Base Camp Chair aren’t as roomy as those on our picks, and they are not as adept at holding stubby water bottles or mugs of hot chocolate.
The listed weight capacity is 800 pounds, and as a result, the reinforced fabric is very durable. Testers appreciated all of the functional storage features, including two cup holders, two side pockets, and an additional small pocket behind the headrest. The setup of this chair is super simple and only takes a matter of seconds. Trekology’s Yizi-go is an incredible value in the ultralight chair space. Delivering on its get-up-and-go promise, the Yizi-go is exceptionally easy to carry, set up, and pack away.
ozark tentWe found this model to be slightly more comfortable and easier to pack than other, similar chairs. Good design with a small pocket to place your cell phone or snacks near the cup holder. Sturdy arm rests and sits a little higher from the ground, making it a great choice for taller people. Weighing in at 8.0 pounds, the REI Camp X is also a somewhat light model.
Over the years, Maggie has spent extended amounts of time living out of backpacks and her teardrop trailer, arrangements where packable comfort items go a long way. Trish spent years living out of a popup camper and can appreciate durable gear that saves space without sacrificing optimal performance. After many years spent adventuring and rock climbing, Trish is happy to trade her former crashpad seat for the comfort of the right camping chair. Maggie and Trish recruited the help of friends and family to test and judge all the chairs in this review.
ozark tentThe ALPS Mountaineering King Kong is our favorite camping chair and one of two we deem the most comfortable. The King Kong has consistently been the first chair snagged whenever our test team gathers around a campfire. The slightly padded fabric makes it ideal for long lounging sessions, and the seat itself is exceptionally roomy — if a bit slouchy — with an incredibly stable frame.