The back of the chair does go up behind where a head could theoretically be (based on height and posture). However, unless you hit the exact right position, the unsupported fabric does very little to hold your head up. After our product team extensively researched the market, a group of editors with a wide range of camping experiences gathered in our New York City lab to test 29 of the best portable outdoor chairs. We evaluated the ease of use, comfort, portability, and durability of each. Testers refrained from checking the prices of the chairs until they’d judged all their other attributes. Whether you want to sit upright for a snack break or lean back to lounge with a good book, Nemo’s Moonlight Reclining Chair is great to have on hand.
The industry is flooded with options for portable chairs, from compact seats that are light enough for extended treks to heavy-duty rocking chairs that let you recreate your living room on the campground. The Coleman Cooler Quad isn’t for trekking miles down the trail, but at the very least, you can throw it across your back on a sling and have your hands free to carry a few extra things to the campsite. A close-to-the-ground chair is often the ideal choice for outdoor concerts, movies, theater performances, and other events where you will be concerned about blocking other people’s view. 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 is also easy to use, with a handy pull-on top that unzips both sides simultaneously. A small patch of velcro is all that’s left between you and your cold beverages.
This is remarkable when you see its numerous support bars and the fact that the frame is steel. With its combination of comfort, convenience, and functionality, the with Built-In 4 Can Cooler is a must-have for any outdoor enthusiast. An insulated pouch built into the armrest keeps up to 4 cans chilled so you can easily grab a cold drink at any time.
The frame is a combination of aluminum and steel, and the chair has pleasant wood armrests. The chair weighs 10.6 lb (4.8 kg) and its capacity is 250 lb (113 kg). Not only will you have all your needs at your fingertips, but you will be sitting in comfort in this poly-oxford seat with padding set on the hardened steel chair frame.
When we set up a dozen chairs around the campfire without comment, people consistently claimed them from largest to smallest. Today’s specialty backpacking chairs are impressively small and light. They’re also far more expensive and significantly less comfortable coleman cabin tent 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.
The chair and sack are also machine washable, so you can always head out on a hike feeling fresh. Like many ultralight chairs structured with a pole base, it will sink into soft ground like snow or sand, but Helinox makes a ground sheet you can buy to make the chair more versatile. For an ultra lightweight chair that’s ready to make your hiking breaks a breeze, opt for the Helinox Chair Zero. It has two open panels in the seat back for breathability, and when packed up in its ripstop polyester stuff sack, it’s totally tiny. This is a perfect option for throwing in a tote or backpack to take to the park and on hikes.
To see our favorite picks from Coleman and more, take a look at our top camp chairs article to see what else is out there. These hanging pockets have quickly become the industry standard for folding chairs across a wide range of types. Coleman’s take on the pocket is in line with the quality we see in the rest of their chair. The pocket is backed with the same high-tensile fabric that makes up the rest of the seat, and the mesh is divided into three separate compartments.
Comfort is king when it comes to camp chairs, and we’ve put some serious man-hours into finding out which is the best for every occasion. The Cooler Quad’s weight capacity is a staggering 325 lbs, which is about as substantial a construction as you’re going to get out of a chair in this price range. Between the integrity of its build and the wide, solid feet and base, you can throw the Cooler Quad on most any approximately level surface.
When the fun is done, the chair easily folds up into a carry bag for easy transport and storage. If there’s anything exceptional about the Cooler Quad chair, it’s the size. With the exception of REI’s Camp Xtra, it has the undisputed largest seat of any of the camping chairs we’ve tested. I harp coleman camping chair on being tall a lot in these reviews, but it’s not often that I come across a product that feels like it was built for big people. The length and width of the seat gave me plenty of space to be comfortable, and then some. Trekology’s Yizi-go is an incredible value in the ultralight chair space.