It never managed to soak through, though I doubt that would be the case in any kind of rain. As is the case with many mass-manufactured chairs, there tends to be some variance in quality over the years. I haven’t experienced any issues with mine despite pushing the weight limit and the cooler capacity up to the limit, but there is enough evidence floating around to question the integrity of the joints. We aren’t particularly impressed by the durability of this chair either. Nothing broke during our testing, but we have some serious doubts about this chair’s ability to last for years.
We found that the cheaply constructed Walmart chair had a cupholder that was too small for a soda can, or any of the hard-plastic or metal water bottles that the kids we know brought on a camping trip. It will fit a Capri Sun pouch or a narrow, rectangular juice box, but that’s about it. Before we tried the Renetto Original Canopy Chair, we had never considered coleman cooler 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. Like most chairs of this type, the Coleman Oversized Quad comes with an over-the-shoulder carry bag. Overwhelmingly, the Coleman came out on top, with campers praising its comfort and stability.
We later found, after six months of frequent use, that the stitching along one arm had come unravelled and that the small straps holding up the back of the armrests had both ripped in half. We think the REI chair functions better and will last much longer than the similar chair from Walmart. But the price difference is significant—and after six months of near-constant outdoor use, the Walmart chair was still in decent shape.
There aren’t many other options out there with such a high carrying capacity, this many features, and low weight at any price range. Comfort is often something that gets overlooked at the behest of cool features. Thankfully the Cooler Quad does a great job balancing robust construction with add-ons such as the titular 4-can cooler on the left armrest. You know you’re getting a quality chair with an integrated cooler rather than a carry cooler with a seat. By making a simple folding camp chair well- Coleman’s Cooler Quad has made the rankings as one of our favorites.
There’s no reinventing the wheel here, just a few decades of practice that have culminated in a really good product. The Helinox Chair One weighs about 2 pounds, compresses smaller than a 2-liter bottle of soda, and is the most comfortable and easy to stow of the three top backpacking chairs we tested. Like competing chairs, the Chair One has a nylon and mesh seat and aluminum coleman cooler legs, which are linked with shock cord (the chair legs are made out of the same material as high-end tent poles). Made with durable and sturdy materials, this camping chair is designed to withstand the rigors of outdoor use. The steel frame provides stability and support, while the cushioned seat and backrest offer optimal comfort even during extended periods of sitting.
As you collect your gear and see what you have — and what you’re missing — you might consider investing in a few new camping chairs, which are excellent for gathering around the fire or spending the day at the beach. Always have a cold drink within easy reach at the campsite, tailgate, or kids’ ball coleman canopy game thanks to the cooler built into the armrest of the Camping Chair with a Built-In 4-Can Cooler. The fully cushioned seat and back mean you’ll enjoy hours of relaxing comfort. Those curious should head over to our buyer’s guide for everything you need to know about what your criteria should be.
Even though Coleman’s Cooler Quad is one of the larger chairs that we’ve tested, it’s by no means the heaviest. Weighing in at a negligible 8lbs 2oz, the Cooler Quad won’t punish you for parking a little ways away from your intended destination. When you consider this in tandem with the carrying sleeve, the Cooler Quad lies somewhere on the more portable end of the full-sized camp chair spectrum. Artful employment of padding along the seat makes the Cooler Quad a little more than just an oversized camp chair. Just a thin layer of foam that adds something to the polyester does the job without making it feel like you’re sitting in a pile of mashed potatoes. 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 itself is an easy-access zippered pouch that hangs from the bottom of the left armrest. 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. Though it’s one of the least expensive chairs we tested, we’re still not sure it’s worth it. Lackluster performance and a cooler that’s only moderately useful but surprisingly in the way make us feel like there are much better options out there, even if the chair and cooler have to be separate. The Ozark Trail Oversized Mesh Chair from Walmart, although similar to our pick in size, was far less comfortable, with rough-feeling material that was obviously of lower quality.
From there, our best camp chairs of the season can give you side-by-side comparisons of some of the top picks across the industry. Folding up a Coleman camp chair is easier than you might think, regardless of how many pockets, coolers, or other fancy features they may have. All you need to do is grab onto the armrests and draw them towards the center, and the rest of the chair should collapse. After this, you’ll want to slide the folded chair into the carrying sling, and then you can be on your way. For all of the features and the size of the Cooler Quad, setting it up is just as easy as any other basic camp chair. The only thing between you and an afternoon of grilling is getting it out of the sleeve.