ozark trail camping chairThe Trailhead is also on the heavier side for a camp chair, and it’s far from compact. However, if you’re setting up camp for an extended stay, having home-furniture level comfort — and a whooping 500-pound weight capacity — could be worth the extra effort in transport. Plus, though the chair is large even when folded up, its spacious backpack carrying case with cushioned, adjustable shoulder straps makes dealing with the size and weight much easier.
The listed weight capacity is 800 pounds, and as a result, the reinforced fabric is very durable. Testers appreciated all of the functional storage features, including two cup holders, two side pockets, and an additional small pocket behind the headrest. The setup of this chair is super simple and only takes a matter of seconds. Trekology’s Yizi-go is an incredible value in the ultralight chair space. Delivering on its get-up-and-go promise, the Yizi-go is exceptionally easy to carry, set up, and pack away.
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.
ozark trail lounge chairThe Ozark Trail Oversized Mesh Chair from Walmart, although similar to our pick in size, was far less comfortable, with rough-feeling material that was obviously of lower quality. We later found, after six months of frequent use, that the stitching along one arm had come unravelled and that the small straps holding up the back of the armrests had both ripped in half. Before we tried the Renetto Original Canopy Chair, we had never considered buying a shade-equipped camp chair.
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. The right chairs can make or break a camping trip — no one wants to go into a s’mores-induced sugar coma while squirming in a flimsy foldable. And if you’re lugging all your gear on a backpacking journey, a portable seat you can properly rest on is even more crucial.
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. 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.
Anecdotally, we found that this chair category in general is more popular among women than among men, who generally prefer a higher, upright seat. “This is the Platonic ideal of your camp chair,” one of our campers gushed. All items must be picked up by Monday at 5 PM or a 10% or $5 storage fee will be charged Whichever is greater. Items not removed after 7 Days will be considered abandoned and will be sold for storage fees with the buyer recieving a credit for the amount minus any storage fees. Late or missing refunds (if applicable) If you haven’t received a refund yet, first check your bank account again. Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted.
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. Comfort is our most highly weighted metric, accounting for 40% of the overall score for each camping chair.
ozark trail hammock chairOnce locked closed, it’s easy to hoist it up and head out without carrying an additional storage bag. The GCI Outdoor Comfort Pro is a simple chair that offers solid performance for less than you might expect. It has a fairly tall seat and back to match widely-splayed arms, offering plenty of space to sit high above the ground.