Camping Chair Reviews and Buying Guide: Your Ideal Fit!

Finding the perfect camping chair for your outdoor adventures doesn’t have to be a challenge. We’ve made it easy for you by compiling a list of the best camping chairs available. Whether you’re looking for a chair for a party, festival, or fishing trip, our camping chair reviews and buying guide will help you find the most comfortable chair. Check out our list of the top camping chairs and find the perfect one for your next outdoor adventure!

saleswoman selling camping chair

Quick Camping Chair Recommendations

  1. Best Overall Camping Chair: KAMUI Outdoor Chair
  2. Best Camping Chair for Bad Backs: Realead Oversized Camping Chair
  3. Best Folding Outdoor Camping Chair with Armrest: Pacific Pass Full Back Quad Chair
  4. Best Hiking Chair:  ALPS Mountaineering Tri-Leg Stool
  5. Best Reclining Camp Chair: KEFOMOL Camping Lounge Chair
  6. Camping Chair With Built-in Cooler: Coleman Camping Chair with Built-in 4 Can
  7. Camping Duo Love Seat: Timber Ridge Camping Chair Spruce Duo Loveseat
  8. Oversized Club Camp Chair: Guide Gear Oversized Club Camp Chair
  9. Ultralight Camping Chair For Travelers: Helinox Chair Zero
  10. Heated Portable Chair: POP Design The Hot Seat

Camping Chair Reviews and Buying Guide

We have collated the top-rated folding chairs for you to consider. Check out our list of the best camping chairs to find the perfect one!

#1: Best Overall Camping Chair: KAMUI Outdoor Chair

Choose the KAMUI outdoor chair if you want the best lightweight camping chair. Weighing only 2 lbs (0.950 kgs), it’s portable enough to carry when fishing, hiking, or camping. The KAMUI outdoor chair gives you the stability and comfort to relax and recline and a convenient side pocket for easy access to your items.

KAMUI camping chair reviews and buying guide

Pros:

  • Stable
  • Comfortable
  • High-quality
  • Lightweight

#2: Best Camping Chair for Bad Backs: Realead Oversized Camping Chair

The additional cushioning of the Realead Oversized chair will significantly help your back. You can adjust the backrest and enjoy an effortless setup and long-lasting quality. The only downside with this adjustable chair is portability since it is big even when packed.

Pros:

  • Spacious
  • Comfortable
  • Extra padding
  • Heavy duty

Cons:

  • Big packed size
  • Not the lightest option

#3: Best Folding Outdoor Camping Chair with Armrest: Pacific Pass Full Back Quad Chair

This chair is an ideal camping companion, being stable, high-quality, and boasting durable armrests. It can bear a load of up to 300 lbs or 136 kg, guaranteeing long-lasting use.

Pacific Pass Full Back Quad Chair

Pros:

  • Comfortable armrest
  • High-quality materials

Cons:

  • Big packed size 

#4: Best Hiking Chair: ALPS Mountaineering Tri-Leg Stool

For our number four, we have a camping stool perfect for hiking. The best part of this camping chair is its minimally packed size. It’s designed for easy carrying, even for long hikes. It is light and easy to set up once in your camp. This makes it popular amongst hikers and backpackers which is why it is known to be the best backpacking chair. Since it’s designed to be light, it has no armrests or backrests.

ALPS Mountaineering Tri-Leg Stool

Pros:

  • Minimal packed size
  • Light
  • Durable
  • Stable

Cons:

  • No padding

#5: Best Reclining Camp Chair: KEFOMOL Camping Lounge Chair

This reclining chair is perfect for you if you are amongst the people who care about comfort when on vacation. Its removable footrest allows you to kick back and enjoy every moment thoroughly. 

This lounge chair ensures longevity, stability, and good breathability. It is undoubtedly the most comfortable camping chair in our reviews list.

KEFOMOL Camping Lounge Chair

Pros:

  • Removable footrest
  • Extra padding
  • Stable

Cons:

  • Heavy
  • Bulky

#6: Camping Chair With Built-in Cooler: Coleman Camping Chair with Built-in 4 Can Cooler

Consider the Coleman camping chair if you’re looking for luxury camping chairs. It is well-cushioned that allows you to sit in comfort for long hours. It’s perfect for seating when chatting with your friends, watching a soccer game, or soaking in the sun. The chair is stable and can be easily set up. It has extra storage and a built-in can cooler near the armrest and is easily accessible. The price is affordable, while the quality promises a long life. 

Coleman Camping Chair with Built-in 4 Can Cooler

Pros:

  • Built-in Cooler
  • Durable

Cons:

  • Big packed size

#7: Camping Duo Love Seat: Timber Ridge Camping Chair Spruce Duo Loveseat

If you want to spend your camping time with a special someone, this chair is the best option for you. This low loveseat has everything you need for your picnic date: extra padding for maximum comfort, stability because it needs to support two people, and durable materials to ensure your extended use.

Timber Ridge Camping Chair Spruce Duo Loveseat

Pros:

  • Double-seating
  • Extra padding
  • Stable
  • Easy setup

Cons:

  • Low-seating

#8: Oversized Club Camp Chair: Guide Gear Oversized Club Camp Chair

The Guide Gear chair comes with everything extra. The padding makes you think that you’re sitting back on the couch. There is a significant weight capacity with 500 lbs and a few side pockets to store your essentials.  This is undoubtedly the best-oversized camp chair out there.

Guide Gear Oversized Club Camp Chair

Pros:

  • Extra padding
  • Stable
  • Comfortable
  • 500 lb capacity

Cons:

  • Takes up a lot of space

#9: Ultralight Camping Chair For Travelers: Helinox Chair Zero

This ultralight camping chair is meant for those who want something comfortable to sit on when traveling or camping. The chair is super light and has a small packed size. 

The Helinox camping chair is breathable but doesn’t have extra padding. It is well-known as a durable and very popular hiking chair. If you want a chair in your backpack, this one is lightweight and small enough.

Pros:

  • Ultralight
  • Easy setup
  • Less wiggling

Cons:

  • Low seating

#10: Heated Portable Chair: POP Design The Hot Seat

Winter camping or planning a cold night trip? The POP design Hot seat gives you a comfortable and warm place to sit. The chair has built-in heaters, making it the best heated portable chair on our list. This chair is not meant for hiking or anything other than car camping since it is bulky and heavy.

POP Design The Hot Seat

Pros:

  • Integrated heaters
  • Comfortable

Cons:

  • Expensive

Camping Chair Buying Guide: What to look for In a Camping chair?

To help you make the best decision for your chair purchase, let’s review the most important features to have a chair that meets all your requirements.

Comfort

Choosing the right chair is crucial since you don’t want to use an uncomfortable chair. Comfort plays an important role when buying your camping chair. We recommend trying out your camping chair before buying it. That way, you can ensure the chair is comfortable and fits your needs.

Leisure tourist girl summer day

Durability

A high-quality camping chair will last longer than one made from low-grade material. These materials include steel and aluminum or dur-aluminum for the frame, and polyester, elastomeric mesh, or rip-stop nylon for the fabric. Your chair’s durability depends on the design’s material and quality. The more durable the chair, the longer you can use it. 

Size

The size and design of your folding chair depend on your preferences. You can choose a classic camp chair, recliner, rocking, low chair, camp stool, hammock chair, and many other options.

Pick a chair size that’s the right balance of portability and comfort. If you’re ordering online, double-check that you’re selecting the right size for you—not a child’s-sized camping chair unless you’re purchasing for a child.

Black cat sits under portable chair

Price

You can get the cheapest or the highest-priced chairs depending on how much you want to pay for your chair. The lowest price will often get you the lowest quality. Decide if you want the lowest, medium, or highest prices. The lowest price ranges come in at $20 to $30, while better-built chairs are from $50 to $100. 

Folded Size

The folded size of your camping chair plays a crucial role in transportation. The smaller the folded size of your chair is, the easier it will be to transport it. Foldability is critical in choosing the right camping chair, especially for backpackers. Backpackers need small chairs with minimal folded dimensions. 

Folded fishing chair for fisherman hangs on clove together in a barbecue grill.

Weight

Like the folded size, the weight of the camp chair is crucial when choosing your model. This means you don’t want a camp chair that is too heavy or light to carry, so it flips over. Light chairs range between 2 and 5 lbs or 1 and 2.5 kg. It is considered heavy if your chair is above 6 lbs or 3 kg. 

Height

Choose the seat height according to your intended use. A short chair is excellent if you plan to open it on uneven terrain or in deserts, and is up to 12 in or 30 cm in leg height. A high folding chair will help you get up easily and has legs around 15 in to 19 in or 40 to 50 cm in height.

Low section of father and son sitting on chairs

Ease of Use

Do you want a complex chair that will not wobble when used? A chair will most probably be harder to set up if it has more parts, like high or reclining camping chairs with additions. If your goal is easy usage, go for simple chairs or stools, you can lay them out with little effort. 

Weight Capacity

Every camping chair has a weight capacity, which tells you how much it can carry. Look for a camping chair that can carry your weight. If you buy a camp chair with a low weight capacity and still use it, the chair will break eventually. Most folding chairs have a weight capacity between 300 and 800 lbs or 135 and 360 kg. 

Extras

Who doesn’t want a chair with extra side pockets and drink holders? Aside from these additions, you can look for a chair with a carry bag, recliner, lumbar pads, or footrests.

water bottle in camping chair

Conclusion: Camping Chair Reviews and Buying Guide

When buying a camping chair, think of your intended use. Are you going to need it for car camping or backpacking? Will your chair be a reclining, classic camping stool or a chair that is both comfortable and lightweight but is not too expensive? In the latter case, look no further than the KAMUI Camping and Backpacking Chair. Wilderness Redefined awarded it the “Great Value” award after thorough tests. This recognition is proof of its quality, performance, and affordability.

We hope you found our camping chair reviews and buying guide useful in selecting the perfect one for your next outdoor excursion.

FAQs: Camping Chair Reviews and Buying Guide

Why do you need a camping chair?

You need a comfortable camping chair for rest, relaxation, and comfort after a long hike, to keep you off the ground during a campfire, to lounge on a beach, or; while having a BBQ in your backyard.

What are the holes in camping chairs for?

The mesh fabric not only supports your weight but also allows air to flow thru during warm temperatures and dries quickly in case you get caught in the rain.

What is the weight limit on a camping chair?

The weight limit on a camping chair depends mainly on the chair’s frame. The manufacturer determines this by using a compression test.

Cheaply made camping chairs may have a weight capacity of as low as 40 kgs., while topnotch and heavy duty camping chairs may carry a weight load of 300 kgs. or more.

What is the difference between a beach chair and a camping chair?

Camping chairs are a little high off the ground and designed for sitting on uneven ground, beach chairs are usually low to the ground, and the feet are designed not to sink on the sand. There are also versatile chair options – you can take them anywhere. 

Do the weight and packed size matter for a camp chair?

You don’t want your gear to pull you down on a trail, so weight and packed size matter when backpacking or hiking. Bulky chairs may take up a lot of space in your car when camping, so why not look for a lightweight chair and easy to transport? If space and weight are not a concern, you’ll have a broader range of options.  

What features are most important in a camping chair?

Comfort is an essential feature that campers would look for in a camp chair. Along with comfort, back support is also a primary consideration, especially for outdoor lovers who have bad backs. They also look into other metrics like portability, durability, ease of use, and affordability.  But whatever metrics you’d put more weight into, overall performance would help you choose your best camp chair.

KAMUI Portable Camping Chair

  • Lightweight (< 1kg or 2.2 lbs)
  • Doesn't sink into the ground
  • side pocket to hold your drinks, phone, etc.
  • carry bag for easy storage