If you’re looking for highly specialized or ultra-lightweight chairs for backpacking, our recommendations are probably not for you. We also don’t have suggestions for couch-style or loveseat chairs (we’d like to look at those someday, though). Many testers found other chairs more comfortable and easier to put together than the Nemo Moonlite Reclining Camp Chair. This is also the most expensive lightweight chair we tested, and we think the Chair One is a better value. Our testers consistently said the King Kong chair was the most heavy-duty-feeling model of all the chairs we tested.
It’s more affordable than other chairs we tested of similar quality. Most other chairs in its price range don’t match its quality, features, or reputation. Testers consistently ranked this chair as one of the most comfortable models (typically second to the Yeti Trailhead, which costs almost four times as much). The few testers who didn’t like it often preferred the Kijaro Dual Lock XXL Chair, which costs a little bit more but provides a roomier seat. Stumps, stools, boulders, and picnic ozark trail backpack tables are fine for sitting briefly outdoors. But if you want to kick back and stay comfy, the right camping chair can make all the difference.
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. 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. Compared with cheaper chairs of its kind (like those from Walmart), the REI Co-op chair functions better and will last much longer. This chair costs slightly more than the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair, but it’s still a budget-friendly option. It delivers a solid baseline of build quality, comfort, and reliability that we didn’t find in other, similarly priced chairs. If you’re unsure which camping chair to buy, you can’t go wrong with the classic Coleman Cooler Quad Chair.
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They are lightweight and fold up for easy and compact storage when not in use. It has the most comfortable and supportive seat shape of any chair we tested. The Dual Lock chair has a firmer backrest and seat bottom than the competition. And it avoids the slouchy shape of most traditional camping chairs, which can sag to create a hunch-and-slouch posture. It has the highest weight capacity and largest seat of any chair we tested. Out of all the chairs we tested, this chair’s capacity—800 pounds—is the highest (the next-highest is the Yeti Trailhead’s 500-pound weight limit).
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. This chair’s sturdy frame and higher seat height made that precarious dance just a little bit easier. It’s heavier than its competitors and not as easy to fold, but it has a carrying strap attached to the frame (something its competitors didn’t have). This chair’s weight capacity is 250 pounds—less than that of the ALPS Mountaineering Rendezvous low chair. The Chair One is rated to hold up to 320 pounds—more than any other lightweight chair we tested aside from the Moon Lence.
During a camping trip, I sat in a friend’s REI Flexlite Camp Boss, which is a larger version of REI’s Flexlite line of chairs that we mention in the competition. It was surprisingly comfortable and more stable than the Flexlite and Flexlite Air that we tested. We look forward to having a testing panel compare it to our top lightweight pick. This wider and longer set will provide support for larger adults with the same upright style as the traditional bagged camping chair. Has been rated for 300 pounds, but can hold more weight comfortably. Double cup holders are also extra large to hold bigger drinks.
Delight in a full course turkey dinner with pumpkin dessert while we present our version of a true Christmas classic starring your favorite characters from the story, The Shepherd of the Hills. GCI Outdoor makes several rocking chairs, and we plan to try more of them to see if they’re any better than the Freestyle Rocker, which we weren’t enthusiastic about. After eight years of consistent use by senior editor Kalee Thompson’s two young boys, the REI Co-op Camp Chair is, she reports, faded and worn but still holding up. This was especially reassuring for testers with knee or hip issues, who noted that they felt confident using the Dual Lock seat’s armrests to stand up and get out of it. Unbeatable deal if you’re looking to buy several chairs at once. This chair weighs a little more than others.