If you’re unsure which camping chair to buy, you can’t go wrong with the classic Coleman Cooler Quad Chair. This time-tested classic is reasonably priced, roomy, and dependable enough to last for years. It’s not our lightest, most comfortable, or toughest pick, but it’s close enough, and it’s reasonably priced. Stumps, stools, boulders, and picnic tables are fine for sitting briefly outdoors.
Unless you were royalty or a patrician, your hind end was relegated to less dignified, lower quality seating (insert a subtle, jestful jab toward our competitors here). Of course, if you work in the party and event rental industry, you probably care about folding chairs a little more than the average Joe. Party chairs are huge money makers for a rental business. Tent and Table sells more party chairs than any other product. That ubiquity we mentioned earlier makes them profitable for rental companies, for sure. This 4-Sided Pop-Up Gazebo from Leader Accessories drops from $169.99 to $119.99 when you enter the code BD50 at checkout.
When you download the KCL app, you can set up customized deal alerts for your favorite stores and brands so you don’t miss any of the hottest deals. Unbeatable deal if you’re looking to buy several chairs at once. We like this durable, well-constructed chair that has a frame that makes you confident to sit.
But keep in mind that your kid will eventually outgrow this one. Despite the Renetto chair’s weight and bulk, our testers found it simple to set up and adjust. The Dual Lock seat’s name comes from a locking mechanism that secures the chair when it’s folded or expanded—releasing the lock is a matter of pushing a button on one of the legs. As a result, the chair feels grounded and less wobbly than its competitors.
This chair’s big canopy provides ample sun protection at a campsite or sporting event, and it doubles as a backpack-strap-equipped carrying case. Convenient carrying bag makes is easy to keep in the trunk. Made with a steel frame and rated for up to 300 pounds.
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. Several Wirecutter staffers have owned the Coleman chair for years, using it on camping trips, in backyards, and at sporting events. For the most part, it’s held up well, but one common quibble is that the seat bottom begins to sag after several years of use.
This pouch is big enough to stow gear like a phone, book, or tablet. Of the chairs we tested, the Coleman chair was the only one that came with a built-in cooler bag, which can hold four standard-size beer or soda cans. The chair also has the round mesh cupholder found on most chairs of this type.
After a couple of camping trips, we concluded that a strap is more convenient than a bag—it’s quicker and easier for a kid to grab the chair and go, without parental help. 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 ozark trail canopy next-highest weight limit is 500 pounds). With its spacious seat width, this chair also offers more room than any other model we tested. And its backrest extends higher up than those of other chairs; this is nice for taller folks or people who like a good slouch with some head support. It’s sturdier than any other chair we tested.
Senior editor Kalee Thompson, who wrote a previous version of this guide, has been regularly using the Coleman chair she originally tested in 2016. Aside from the color fading and the cooler pouch deteriorating, her chair has held up to years of backyard hangs and camping trips. In summer 2023, she bought a newer Coleman Cooler Quad Chair to compare to her 2016 model, and she found them to be more or less the same. Testers preferred the Coleman chair’s thoughtfully placed mesh storage pouch over those of its competitors.