Do you prefer the shade? 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? Choose a comfy chair with ample beverage storage.
First, consider where you use your chair most often.
The Coleman camping chair is big and durable, and of all the upright chairs that our panel of campers tested, it was the most comfortable.
Every big-box and outdoor-equipment store sells camp chairs that have a similar design to the Coleman Cooler Quad Chair. But after three group camping trips and six months of regular backyard use, we concluded that the Coleman chair is far more durable than the cheapest chairs of this design. And it’s also more comfortable and functional than similar chairs that cost over twice as much. With ample storage for beverages, a wide seat that testers of all sizes appreciated, and an affordable price, this is the Ford F-150 of camp chairs: big, tough, and widely beloved.
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The Renetto Original Canopy Chair, a cleverly designed specialty seat, is ideal for anyone who wants sun protection and doesn’t mind a heavier, bulkier chair. Despite the Renetto’s weight, our testers found it easy to carry and simple to set up and adjust. We discovered that even though most testers had not previously considered a shade-equipped camp chair, once they used one they appreciated the comfort and convenience of built-in sun blocking.
A low-to-the-ground chair can be ideal for outdoor movies, concerts, theater performances, and other events where you want to avoid blocking other people’s view. Our testers liked the comfort and back support of the GCI Outdoor Everywhere Chair, as well as the ability to adjust it to sit on uneven ground. They also appreciated its cupholder (rare in chairs of this sort) and its quick close-up-and-carry design.
Today’s specialty backpacking chairs are impressively small and light. They’re also far more expensive and significantly less comfortable than typical full-size camp chairs. We recommend buying this type only if you intend to carry your chair long distances, whether you’re backpacking or trekking across Central Park. If you do need a fits-in-a-knapsack chair, we recommend the Helinox Chair One. We found this model to be slightly more comfortable and easier to pack than other, similar chairs.
Cheap child-size chairs bought at big-box stores are unlikely to last more than a summer or two. The fold-up REI Co-op Camp Chair - Kids’ uses more-durable fabric and materials and has a stable design that resists toppling toddlers. You could buy this chair for a 2-year-old and expect the child to outgrow it before it gives out.