The 7 Best Camping Chairs (2024)

Best Seat Support

Kijaro Dual Lock Folding Chair

Weight: 9.8 lbs | Features: 2 cup holders, side storage pocket, carrying strap

For anyone sick of that sports chair slouch, the Kijaro Dual Lock Folding Chair is the model you've been waiting for. The frame holds the seat and back fabric taut by locking open to provide a firm foundation. A comfortably angled back panel promotes relaxation rather than rigidity. All this added support, along with one of the tallest seat heights we tested, make the Kijaro among the most natural chairs to stand up out of. And feel free to leave the annoying carry bag at home. This chair has an adjustable shoulder carry strap attached to the back of the frame. Once locked closed, it's easy to hoist it up and head out without carrying an additional storage bag.

The interesting design of this chair makes the folded package exceptionally long — just shy of four feet. The length makes it less ideal for stuffing in the trunk, though it's still more than doable. While previous iterations made us think twice about durability, we experienced no issues during our recent testing period. Time to ditch those chairs that promote slouching and experience the comfort of ergonomic and upright support the Kijaro is known for.

Read more: Kijaro Dual Lock Folding Chair review

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Why You Should Trust Us

We've researched and considered dozens of different models during our neverending search for the best camping chairs. We purchase every chair and use them to hang out with our friends for months of use. We cart them on weekend camping trips, set them up at family reunions, spend late nights around the fire pit, watch sporting events, and hang out at all-day backyard barbecues. During our testing period, we paid close attention to details that matter in a camp chair, like how well the cup holders and pockets work. We weighed and measured them, carried them all over, and jumped into them to see what they could handle. What follows is a comprehensive discussion of our in-depth findings from months of lounging.

To test all these camping chairs, we used four comprehensive metrics:

• Comfort (40% of overall score weighting)

• Portability (25% weighting)

• Quality (20% weighting)

• Ease of Use (15% weighting)

Teaming up to bring you this review is Maggie Nichols and Trish Matheny. Maggie is a seasoned multi-sport athlete and appreciates gear that makes for high-quality downtime when it's time to kick back and relax. She has taught workshops and guided extensively worldwide on topics as diverse as snow camping and expedition kayaking. 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. This crowd included children, numerous people over 6 feet tall, several dogs, a dozen senior citizens, and a flock of Girl Scouts, spanning ages 12 to 80 years old.

Analysis and Test Results

Camping chairs are useful luxury items that can be used while camping and barbecuing, hanging out on the sidelines of a soccer game, on the beach, or tailgating and enjoying outdoor concerts. However, not all chairs are made for the same style of use or comfort. We evaluated each model across myriad tests in four mutually exclusive, thorough metrics. How each one performs in every test then determines its score for that metric. Here we break down their performances by metric to get down to the specifics of each model.

Value

Though some gear seems to display a fairly linear correlation between price and performance, we don't find this to be the case for all camping chairs. Some of the best-performing models have moderate price tags, while some of the most expensive options didn't score as well as anticipated. Contenders that exemplify the highest value for the buck in this review are the REI Co-op Camp X and GCI Comfort Pro. Both of these chairs provide above-average comfort for a below-average price. We think the REI Camp X is the better deal for shorter individuals, and the GCI Comfort Pro has more appeal for taller folks. The ALPS Mountaineering King Kong is also worth noting. Though it costs more, it's an investment that pays off in its serious comfort and exceptional durability. Finally, the Mountain Summit Gear Loveseat is worth mentioning; it provides two seats, upping its value by decreasing the price-per-seat cost.

Comfort

Comfort is our most highly weighted metric, accounting for 40% of the overall score for each camping chair. After all, deciding to buy a chair instead of sitting on a log, crashpad, or the ground means you probably value comfort quite a bit. So don't waste your money on one that isn't comfortable. Factors we considered when evaluating comfort were armrests, lumbar support, a headrest, back ventilation, and the chair's overall design.

There are several chairs that we think are exceptionally comfortable. The King Kong is roomy and slightly padded, has large/adjustable armrests, and remains cozy in that slouchy kind of way while offering pretty good support in a tall, spacious seat. Similarly, the Kelty Low Loveseat is comfortable with large padded seats but is much lower to the ground and fits two people instead of just one. Though the Mountain Summit Gear Loveseat doesn't offer the same padded comfort as the Kelty, it is still quite comfortable and offers a higher position above the ground that some of our taller testers appreciated.

If you prefer a less slouchy, flatter, and more supportive seat, the Kijaro Dual Lock locks into place, stopping the seat from sagging. The GCI Comfort Pro has a similar shape and design, but it lacks the locking mechanism of the Kijaro and is slightly less supportive because of it. Still, it offers more support than most in this category, making it easier to get in and get out of. Perhaps the most comfortable of all the chairs that feature a locking mechanism is the Yeti Trailhead. This camp chair stood apart from the competition thanks to its innovative FlexGrid fabric that offers a ton of comfort while also alleviating pressure points and conforming to your body. We also think the Helinox Sunset Chair is surprisingly comfortable, offering a high back and supportive shape that increases rest day comfort while lounging around in camp.

Portability

This metric is the second most important rating criterion that we evaluated, accounting for a quarter of each product's overall score. Given the variety of ways you can use a chair, it is mandatory to choose a product you won't mind moving and transporting. Factors that affect a chair's portability are its packed size, weight, carry bag, and overall transporting experience.

Thanks to their light weights and compact designs, the Helinox chairs are the clear winners in this category. The Sunset Chair breaks down and folds into a surprisingly compact carry bag. Despite having a high back and being impressively durable, this model weighs just 3.24 pounds and is the lightest chair we tested. If that's not enough, its carry bag can also double as a pillow for a personalized headrest.

The REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Dreamer is similarly lightweight, weighing just a few ounces more and packing away into a case nearly as small. We also appreciate the REI Co-op Outward Low Padded. It's fairly lightweight, and though it doesn't fit into a small compact package, it has backpack straps for hands-free carrying. While not as packable considering weights that exceed 13 pounds, the Yeti Trailhead and ALPS Mountaineering King Kong also feature a backpack-style carry bag that makes portability a bit easier.

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. At 4.6 and 7.7 pounds, respectively, they're also reasonably light. The ALPS Mountaineering Rendezvous is also a reasonably portable chair with a low profile.

Weighing in at 7.3 pounds, the REI Skyward is also a somewhat light model. It's a bit shorter than most traditional chairs, and we always felt that bringing it with us was totally worth it. Our testers also love the Kijaro Dual Lock, which has a built-in carry strap on the back of the frame that locks into place so you can still toss it over your shoulder if you forget your carry bag.

Quality

Like most things you spend money on, you want your chair to be made from high-quality materials and thusly durable. To properly test these chairs' ability to stand up to real-life abuse, we stood on them and plopped very heavily into them. We sat in them and bounced up and down and in every direction. Some chairs barely moved. Some chairs nearly fell over. And some chairs had some creaky results that made us question how long they would last if consistently treated this way. We also scrutinized every seam, pole joint, and material to evaluate any wear and tear or potential flaws.

Unsurprisingly, the chairs rated to hold 500 pounds or more scored well here. After several months of testing, the steel frames and 600-denier nylon fabric construction of the King Kong (rated to 800 pounds!) and the Kelty Loveseat didn't show any signs of wear or tear. Their frames didn't shift or creak under load. And while their high denier fabric is not as breathable as the mesh that some of the other chairs have, it is more durable than most. Since both of these chairs were very popular with our testers, they sustained several ember burns from being around so many campfires. Despite these small melted holes, the fabric showed no other signs of strain or wear. Another chair worth mentioning is the Mountain Summit Gear Loveseat, which features a solid and high-quality design that holds up to 500 pounds. Our testing team more than doubled that weight limit without permanently damaging the overall structure. Though the fabric is thinner and less padded than the Kelty Low and King Kong, the durability remains high.

Though its mesh appears thin and less substantial, the REI Skyward has proven quite durable. It has a 300-pound capacity which is about average for this group, but it feels very solid and stable even when jumping into it. And though we don't recommend leaving your chair out for full seasons of UV exposure, this is one of the few models we've actually done this to. After over a year and a half of sitting outside in a high-elevation environment (5000 feet above sea level), the only difference in this chair is a slight fading of the canvas-like material. Another camp chair that features a perforated and breathable material that also resists damaging UV rays is the Yeti Trailhead. This luxurious chair is rated to 500 pounds and returns your investment by providing a durable cross-over frame that increases sturdiness and stability with grippy feet that hold the chair in place.

Ease of Use

Ease of use encompasses how hard it is to set up and take down each chair and how well the features work to enhance (or not) the overall experience. After all, the odds of you wanting to take a chair with you anywhere are probably lower if it's challenging to set up or the features are aggravating. Fortunately, most of the chairs we tested were reasonably straightforward — even the more complex packable chairs were a cinch after a small learning curve.

Most of the traditional models, like the ALPS King Kong, GCI Comfort Pro, and REI Skyward, only require pulling apart two opposing vertical frame pieces to be set up. The Mountain Summit Loveseat is similar to these traditional frames, yet features seating for two people and is easy to set up and break down despite its heavier design. The REI Outward Low Padded simply unfolds like an old-school folding chair. 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 super-portable models have a more elaborate setup. The Helinox Beach and Sunset, ENO Lounger, REI Flexlite Camp Dreamer, and Nemo Stargaze all have a separate frame and fabric seat that had to be assembled. Most of them aren't difficult, but it's more involved than setting up any of the traditional chairs.

Two chairs that we specifically wanted to call out in this category are the ENO Lounger DL and Nemo Stargaze Luxury Recliner. These chairs have several poles in an odd configuration that we found complicated. It was always a long process to get everything to fit back into its designated storage bags, and it never quite went how we wanted. These were the chairs we would leave set up and drag around to avoid dealing with disassembly and reassembly. That said, as with anything, the process gets easier the more you do it.

Conclusion

The luxury of having a comfortable seat while camping or lounging in your backyard can add a lot to the outdoor experience. In addition to making relaxing, eating, and drinking more comfortable, you can maximize your lounging enjoyment. To find the best overall competitor in our fleet, we rated each one's comfort level, size, portability, durability, and ease of use. Whether you're car camping, lounging around the campfire, or sunbathing after a dip in the deep blue, the best model for you will ultimately depend on your lifestyle.